You don't really know your best friend until you see them in a...
Its been a long time between posts :P. Just got back from my short week long holiday to Perth, Western Australia. What?! another interstate holiday you might be saying (probably not :P) well I had just resigned from Westpac and my last day was on the 12 Jan 07, and was originally going to start at Ebsworth on the 15 Jan 07, however, I did decide that taking a week off between jobs would be good to at least to unwind a bit and relax...so I booked my flight to Perth. This being Australia, the HR manager was quite understanding in allowing me to start a week later than the rest of the graduates :) Apologies to my S'pore friends...I did honestly called up some airlines to inquire about flights to S'pore during that period (missed out on JD and XL's most excellent & happening birthday :( sorry!), but unfortunately it was all fully booked (since it was the peak season) and very expensive...oh well later on in the year perhaps :). Let me go through the highlights of the trip:
Staying back in my house. The pictures above show the my driveway and the street down the road from my house. This is on Saturday morning, and notice the blue skies...well all I can say that the weather was like that for the duration of the trip...and a perfect 25 deg! you will notice the blue skies in lots of my other photos (jealous? haha)...the weather is also another highlight of the trip and I was just fortunate it was good :) Its just so quiet in the street where I live...so peaceful as compared to the hustle and bustle of both S'pore and Sydney. Can you feel the P&Q?
Played lots of golf (4 x 18 hole games in 7 days...to the golfers reading this...that is an awesome achievement) :) My dad took 2 days off so we could play on the weekdays, and the Perth courses are still just as I remembered it. Beautiful and quiet. Saw plenty of native animals at the golf courses too :)
A family of Emus
Kangaroos with the right idea
Played lots of sport, including competitive basketball where I played for my old team (all Aussies) in one of my suburban leagues. Found my old No. 3 uniform and bball shoes (something other than volleyball eh) and away I went. Lots of fun...and plenty of running and even after the game (we lost :(..but I played well) we stood outside the stadium and just talked about guy stuff and all the happenings (just like we use to before I left Perth...nostalgia). My team is all Aussies and they accepted me as part of their team and its just great fun to talk and laugh with them (they all have that Aussie humour) even long after the stadium closed.
Finally saw Happy Feet! Actually saw 4 movies in Perth...HF, Apocalypto, Deja Vu, Blood Diamond...all pretty good and not disappointing. I had to grab one of my female friends who happen to be on leave to go and watch HF at the movies..coz its a chix flick ;) haha (should have also grabbed a young kid too because we both stood out quite obviously...there were so many parents with kids there at that time). Thats the most movies I have ever watched in a week, even when I was in S'pore...haha...oh well makes up for the times in Syd where I don't get to watch movies :)
Eating my favourite Japanese fried chicken in Perth city :) Now I have eaten lots of fried chicken in my time...and this one at Mr Samurai is still the best (and no I am not saying it coz I am biased) but you just need to look at the crowd...plenty of Japanese students, corporate workers, etc eat there...its famous. Delicious...oh...just writing about it now I can still taste the crispy skin with those Jap herbs...sigh...yummm..
Enjoying the Perth sun, by going to the beach (that is near my Uni) to enjoy breakfast by the beach at the famous (at least to Perth people) Blue Duck cafe, a swim and getting a tan! The beach was pretty much deserted (as you would expect for a weekday) so had no trouble finding a nice spot to lie down and talk about life, the weather, hollywood stuff, etc. Luckily, one of my friends was free during that day and she was on enough to go to the beach with me. Should have accounted for the fact that she was a girl, because she couldn't finish this large stack of pancakes she ordered...and I unfortunately ended up eating that too :P sooo full... 
The sequence above shows my charge into the deep blue Indian ocean (which I thought would be cold...well it was..a little, but it soon warmed up :)
Of course the next highlight is catching up with all my Perth friends (some whom I have not seen since leaving Perth for S'pore). Had to look good before meeting up with them :P so needed a quick touch up in the car..haha. As usual it was good to catch up with them and find out what the happenings are in Perth and so on :) The picture below shows my HS friends whom I have known for a combined total of 45 years! that is 15 years each...that is a long time and we have all remained close during these years. What you see there is a doctor, and two engineers...I am the only lawyer amongst them..haha 
Me and my Rose Lassi
Indian dinner with friends...
Linh defines what a 'bubbly' personality should be
Always fashionable...
Ahhh...nice pic ;)
Went clubbing (err...maybe not really) with these cool bunch of girls :)
What trip would not be complete without shopping! Now for those who have been to Perth, shopping is not as good as Sydney or S'pore, but well its my home state and I guess I am just comfortable shopping there. Bought new business shoes, cufflinks, shirts, a suit and a leather satchel bag :) (of course a lawyer gotta look the part ma)...spent so much on my credit card its scary...oh well will be earning it back soon ;) haha..Sadly, like all holidays it had to end...and as I was on the plane back to Sydney...I really did feel homesick and wanted to go back to Perth again. Well someday...:)
posted by Darren at
4:08 PM
1 comment(s):
I Heart Perth!
By
peters pans, at
5:33 PM
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