Not a whole lot to report so this will be a shorter update. This past weekend Australia celebrated Australia Day, which is a country-wide celebration of all things Australian. It's a to celebrate "what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what [they] have achieved and what [they] can be proud of in [their] great nation." The traditions are really similar to our 4th of July. Most people spend the day around a barbeque, watching/playing cricket, drinking some beer, and then watching fireworks at night.
We spent the day in a similar fashion with Brett and his friends. Every year Brett and his friends (mostly ex-West Perth players) host a cricket match just down the road, where the game runs from about 1 pm - 6 or 7pm. It's a long day, but we passed the time by watching the game, playing frisbee, and drinking some good Australian beer. We enjoyed perfect weather all day, but near the end of the day a storm was on the horizon, a storm in the shape of Brett. For the fifth year in a row Brett's team lost horribly. I wouldn't be too happy either, considering he said he would resign as captain if they lost again. But, soon after the contest ended everyone was friends, Brett calmed down, and then all was good.
Once the field was cleaned up and barbeque put away, we decided to continue the celebration at a pub just around the corner. But, since it was a long day some people left early (including Paul and James), so only a handful of people continued on. I decided to head to the bar for one drink and then head home (about 2 miles away, not too far). Soon after arriving Brett had to leave to meet a friend for a 30th birthday party, so Jared and I relaxed and talked for a while. After about a 45 minutes or so we decided to call it quits; he went left towards the train station a few feet away to head North, and I realized I didn't have a ride home. Oh crap...
After some deliberation I decided to make the walk in my thong sandals. I didn't feel like calling a cab (which takes forever to arrive) or waiting for a bus (they are way too infrequent), so my trek began and soon I regretted it. Not only was I getting a blister between my toes, but the hills were enormous. Bad call Patrick... But, after about a while I arrived back at Brett's place only to find that no one was home. Apparently Zareena had headed out with her friends, so I was locked out of the house. After trying to jimmy every lock, I managed to get in through a sliding door in the basement and thank god, because neither Brett or Zareena came home that night. I think I learned my lesson.
Footy has started this week and I am loving it. About 35 people showed up to the first practice and more people are expected. It feels great being around people who are into their footy and know how to play. The pre-season lasts about 2 months as our first game is April 17th (I think) so hopefully I will get better and land on a good team. This is completely unlike footy in the US where the skill level is much lower and it's more of a social club. I wish everyone could come over and watch a game (for anyone who has seen a game in the US).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Pictures Link
Here is the link to my pictures again. Hope you enjoy them!
http://community.webshots.com/user/mupatty2
http://community.webshots.com/user/mupatty2
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Fremantle Prison
This is the second post from today so see below to read about my trip to the Swan Valley.
On Tuesday the Brunmeiers and myself took the train down to Fremantle to spend the day there. It is a great town where my oldest brother, Tim, did his study abroad a while ago. Fremantle is located on the mouth of the Swan River (Perth is up the river a bit) and is known for it's shipping industry and for the fact that it hosted the Americas Cup in 1987. The city is very Victorian as it was founded in 1829 by the Swan River Colony.
We decided to spend our time with a tour of the Fremantle Prison, which is about as old as the city. Built in the 1850s, the prison was shut down in 1991 and it is a sight to behold. Entering the prison it feels as if you are walking back in time because practically everything is outdated as it is nothing like a modern prison.
The tour consisted of a walk through the main cell block area, the outdoor yards, the mess hall, the chapel, the solitary confinement area, and the execution room. What was most striking was how incredibly small the cells were. Each cell was about half of the size of a University dorm room, but was used by two inmates. Each cell also lacked running water for a sink or a toilet. The toilet was a bucket which had to be brought out to one of the yards for cleaning (the worst job possible for any inmate).
The outdoor yards were nothing special except for two facts; They had toilets and urinals and in one area, instead of using barb/razor wire, the top of the walls were covered in shards of broken glass. Ouch! Also striking was the lack of shade. There is one covered area, but the rest of the yard is open air and believe me, Australia is HOT and SUNNY!!
The solitary confinement cells were nearly exactly what was portrayed in the Shawshank Redemption. The cells had high ceilings, a tiny window (about 1 x 1 ft), and nothing else. Some people had to spend up to 6 months in these cells for bad behavior. They made me think of my old Anne Franke corner at my last apartment. Good times. One cell in particular stood out because it was more wide open than the rest and it was the closest to the door. The reasont that this cell was so different is because prisoners only spent two hours in it. The prisoner was put in the cell, given food and two glasses of brandy, and then taken out and executed. It is said that the prisoner was dead within a minute of leaving the cell. Scary...
The last room was the execution room, which consisted of just a noose and a trap door. The pictures show it all so I will only relate the story told to us about the ghost. Apparently a couple years back a tour guide was taking a family of three (Father, Mother, very young Daughter) around and the daughter had been well-behaved the entire time, until she got to the execution room. After entering and crying for a minute, and family decided to move on. But, just as they were leaving the daughter spun around in her stroller, looked up at the noose, waved and said goodbye. After that story I had to leave the room as I was freaked out.
The tour ended after the execution room and I was sad to go. The tour was incredibly cool and I could have spent a few more hours just walking around and going on other tours (they have tours for underground tours and for ghosts). It was a great time and hopefully I will be able to go back!!
On Tuesday the Brunmeiers and myself took the train down to Fremantle to spend the day there. It is a great town where my oldest brother, Tim, did his study abroad a while ago. Fremantle is located on the mouth of the Swan River (Perth is up the river a bit) and is known for it's shipping industry and for the fact that it hosted the Americas Cup in 1987. The city is very Victorian as it was founded in 1829 by the Swan River Colony.
We decided to spend our time with a tour of the Fremantle Prison, which is about as old as the city. Built in the 1850s, the prison was shut down in 1991 and it is a sight to behold. Entering the prison it feels as if you are walking back in time because practically everything is outdated as it is nothing like a modern prison.
The tour consisted of a walk through the main cell block area, the outdoor yards, the mess hall, the chapel, the solitary confinement area, and the execution room. What was most striking was how incredibly small the cells were. Each cell was about half of the size of a University dorm room, but was used by two inmates. Each cell also lacked running water for a sink or a toilet. The toilet was a bucket which had to be brought out to one of the yards for cleaning (the worst job possible for any inmate).
The outdoor yards were nothing special except for two facts; They had toilets and urinals and in one area, instead of using barb/razor wire, the top of the walls were covered in shards of broken glass. Ouch! Also striking was the lack of shade. There is one covered area, but the rest of the yard is open air and believe me, Australia is HOT and SUNNY!!
The solitary confinement cells were nearly exactly what was portrayed in the Shawshank Redemption. The cells had high ceilings, a tiny window (about 1 x 1 ft), and nothing else. Some people had to spend up to 6 months in these cells for bad behavior. They made me think of my old Anne Franke corner at my last apartment. Good times. One cell in particular stood out because it was more wide open than the rest and it was the closest to the door. The reasont that this cell was so different is because prisoners only spent two hours in it. The prisoner was put in the cell, given food and two glasses of brandy, and then taken out and executed. It is said that the prisoner was dead within a minute of leaving the cell. Scary...
The last room was the execution room, which consisted of just a noose and a trap door. The pictures show it all so I will only relate the story told to us about the ghost. Apparently a couple years back a tour guide was taking a family of three (Father, Mother, very young Daughter) around and the daughter had been well-behaved the entire time, until she got to the execution room. After entering and crying for a minute, and family decided to move on. But, just as they were leaving the daughter spun around in her stroller, looked up at the noose, waved and said goodbye. After that story I had to leave the room as I was freaked out.
The tour ended after the execution room and I was sad to go. The tour was incredibly cool and I could have spent a few more hours just walking around and going on other tours (they have tours for underground tours and for ghosts). It was a great time and hopefully I will be able to go back!!
Swan Valley
Another great adventure to report with pictures to show!! On Saturday I met up with the Brunmeiers to explore the Swan Valley and all the great breweries it has to offer. It's nothing like sitting by the Milwaukee River after a tour of the Lakefront Brewery, but still it's pretty cool.
We started off with a round of Supa Golf not far from the first brewery. If you remember, we also did this on the Buckshow my first weekend here. But, despite already playing a round I was still awful. I shot a staggering 53 on 9 holes with two balls lost. But, I wasn't the worst as Jared shot a 55 which meant he had to buy the first round of drinks.
The first brewery we hit was Duckstein. It's a German style brewery witha great beer garden and a live band playing! We got to listen to Roll Out the Barrel as we sat outside enjoying the sunshine. This was also another place that we visited on the Buckshow, so it was fun to visit it again.
The second brewery we hit was Elmar's, which supposidly had the largest beer garden in Western Australia, but that was a major let down. After we got our drinks we went out back and all the beer garden was, was a small patio with tables and a huge lawn and no tables. The beer tasted watered down so it wasn't that great of an experience. Still though, the scenery was great as the building was beautiful and there was bushland around us.
Thirdly, we visited Ironbark Brewing and this was by far the most memorable. The food and beer wasn't especially good, but the what made it memorable was the bush fire taking place less than a mile away. Upon our arrival we could see a small plume of smoke in the distance, but nothing to worry about. Within a half hour the sun was covered and ash was falling all around us. We could see helicopters dropping loads of water on the fire in a desperate attempt to keep it under control. Still though, we had our drinks, we were sitting outside on a patio that looked like it came from the American Southwest, so we weren't too worried.
The last brewery of the day was The Feral Brewing company which had the best beer of the four. It was set off the beaten path with a winery/vineyard on one side and bushland on the other. The setting inside was the stereotypical Australian pub with a few people sitting around a semi-musty atmosphere which looks as if Paul Hogan frequents. Deciding we didn't want to see any crocodiles dragged through the front door, we took our drinks outside to enjoy the sun and the vineyards. Good times.
That night we retired to the Brunmeiers place to drink a few more beers and sleep. The following morning we got up bright and early (6 am) go go to a friends house to watch the Packers smash the Seahawks. It started out awful but what a fun game it was to watch after the Packers took control.
After the game I went home and proceeded to sleep until the mid-afternoon. Well worth it as Brett, Zareena, and myself met up with the Brunmeiers again to have dinner at Brett's cousins house. Keith and Renee were great hosts as we spent much of the time talking with Josh about his experience as a Marine in Iraq. Apparently his job was to drive into possible ambushes with his convoy, fight his way out, and then call in air support to bomb the area. Very scary stuff; stuff that I could never do. I think I'll stick with footy...
We started off with a round of Supa Golf not far from the first brewery. If you remember, we also did this on the Buckshow my first weekend here. But, despite already playing a round I was still awful. I shot a staggering 53 on 9 holes with two balls lost. But, I wasn't the worst as Jared shot a 55 which meant he had to buy the first round of drinks.
The first brewery we hit was Duckstein. It's a German style brewery witha great beer garden and a live band playing! We got to listen to Roll Out the Barrel as we sat outside enjoying the sunshine. This was also another place that we visited on the Buckshow, so it was fun to visit it again.
The second brewery we hit was Elmar's, which supposidly had the largest beer garden in Western Australia, but that was a major let down. After we got our drinks we went out back and all the beer garden was, was a small patio with tables and a huge lawn and no tables. The beer tasted watered down so it wasn't that great of an experience. Still though, the scenery was great as the building was beautiful and there was bushland around us.
Thirdly, we visited Ironbark Brewing and this was by far the most memorable. The food and beer wasn't especially good, but the what made it memorable was the bush fire taking place less than a mile away. Upon our arrival we could see a small plume of smoke in the distance, but nothing to worry about. Within a half hour the sun was covered and ash was falling all around us. We could see helicopters dropping loads of water on the fire in a desperate attempt to keep it under control. Still though, we had our drinks, we were sitting outside on a patio that looked like it came from the American Southwest, so we weren't too worried.
The last brewery of the day was The Feral Brewing company which had the best beer of the four. It was set off the beaten path with a winery/vineyard on one side and bushland on the other. The setting inside was the stereotypical Australian pub with a few people sitting around a semi-musty atmosphere which looks as if Paul Hogan frequents. Deciding we didn't want to see any crocodiles dragged through the front door, we took our drinks outside to enjoy the sun and the vineyards. Good times.
That night we retired to the Brunmeiers place to drink a few more beers and sleep. The following morning we got up bright and early (6 am) go go to a friends house to watch the Packers smash the Seahawks. It started out awful but what a fun game it was to watch after the Packers took control.
After the game I went home and proceeded to sleep until the mid-afternoon. Well worth it as Brett, Zareena, and myself met up with the Brunmeiers again to have dinner at Brett's cousins house. Keith and Renee were great hosts as we spent much of the time talking with Josh about his experience as a Marine in Iraq. Apparently his job was to drive into possible ambushes with his convoy, fight his way out, and then call in air support to bomb the area. Very scary stuff; stuff that I could never do. I think I'll stick with footy...
Friday, January 11, 2008
Blast From the Past
So this one is basically only for my Marquette friends...sorry. So the last week or so I've been meeting a few new people and catching up with some old friends, specifically Dan Higham...aka Franchise. As you may recall he was suddenly deported from the US after spending a night in an Atlanta prison. Pretty funny stuff, but now he is looking to come back some time this year. He doesn't have any specific dates, but I think a get-together of some kind could be in order, just to make him feel welcome. Any thoughts?
Sunday, January 6, 2008
One Month Down
It has already been one month since I arrived here and I can hardly believe it. The time has flown by with so many new and exciting experiences. I just can't believe it's already 2008! It feels like just yesterday the world was preparing for the Y2K shutdown of the world!! One month down, but what a month it has been.
This week starts an intense search for a job. I began just before the holidays, but it was mainly to make first contact. Now I will be following-up with all contacts to try and get my foot in the door. If all else fails, I have plenty of contacts that can hook me up with something, even if it is manual labor. Maybe this is my chance to learn a new trade?!
Spent most of yesterday hanging out at the Cottesloe beach (about 30 k South of Marmion, very famous for the hotel where everyone hangs out, and it is the beach were a swimmer was last killed by a shark) with the Brunmeiers and another American recruit, Paul Duncan. He is from North Carolina and has a thick accent. It was a good day as the weather was perfect and the waves were big. I thought the day was going to turn south because when we first entered the water we ran in where all the rocks were. Bad move, but only a stubbed toe and a cut shin was the result. No sharks either, so that was nice.
After a few hours in the water, kicking the footy around, and having a few beers, we decided to call it a day. We drove down to Fremantle to drop Paul off at Tony Fairhead's place. Paul is staying with Tony for the duration (unless he decides otherwise) because Paul will only be here for a few months. Upon arrival, Tony was just getting out of the shower, so we decided to meet him at the Little Creatures Brewery. Tim was apparently a regular there on his study abroad and Beth, Tim and I were also able to make an appearance on our trip. The brewery is directly on the marina and used to be a crocodile farm for tourists. Pretty cool history, but now it's strictly a brewery and extremely popular as our group couldn't find a table. After a drink with Tony and the group we called it a day and headed back home. What a great way to spend a Sunday.
This week starts an intense search for a job. I began just before the holidays, but it was mainly to make first contact. Now I will be following-up with all contacts to try and get my foot in the door. If all else fails, I have plenty of contacts that can hook me up with something, even if it is manual labor. Maybe this is my chance to learn a new trade?!
Spent most of yesterday hanging out at the Cottesloe beach (about 30 k South of Marmion, very famous for the hotel where everyone hangs out, and it is the beach were a swimmer was last killed by a shark) with the Brunmeiers and another American recruit, Paul Duncan. He is from North Carolina and has a thick accent. It was a good day as the weather was perfect and the waves were big. I thought the day was going to turn south because when we first entered the water we ran in where all the rocks were. Bad move, but only a stubbed toe and a cut shin was the result. No sharks either, so that was nice.
After a few hours in the water, kicking the footy around, and having a few beers, we decided to call it a day. We drove down to Fremantle to drop Paul off at Tony Fairhead's place. Paul is staying with Tony for the duration (unless he decides otherwise) because Paul will only be here for a few months. Upon arrival, Tony was just getting out of the shower, so we decided to meet him at the Little Creatures Brewery. Tim was apparently a regular there on his study abroad and Beth, Tim and I were also able to make an appearance on our trip. The brewery is directly on the marina and used to be a crocodile farm for tourists. Pretty cool history, but now it's strictly a brewery and extremely popular as our group couldn't find a table. After a drink with Tony and the group we called it a day and headed back home. What a great way to spend a Sunday.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Christmas and New Years
Well the holidays are now over and I hope everyone had a great time. I know I certainly did! I spent most of my time up North in the town on Dongara with Brett's family. They are great people and not a dull moment was had.
We arrived in Dongara on Christmas eve after visiting Zareena's parents in Perth. She has a great family, but not quite run of the mill. I am not saying that to be mean, but it's just that her father is Danish and her mother is Malaysian. We spent the afternoon with her parents, her brothers (John, Jordan, and Jahari), her sister in law (John's wife) and their two sons. It was a great time eating dinner and passing out some presents. I even got a box of chocolates!
On Christmas morning in Dongara I woke up bright and early (about 830 am) and was surprised to find that I had presents waiting for me! I brought with me a present from Lisa and a presents from Dad and Sally (thanks again!!) so that I would have something to open, but to my enjoyment I opened up presents from a few others. I received another box of chocolates, a pair of Australian flag boxers, an Australian flag beach towel, a beer cozy, a Dongara hat, and a collapsable tailgating chair. It was a great time opening presents because that was the only normal part of the day.
Opening presents aside, Christmas day was not like anything I've experienced before. The temperature was about 110 degrees, we played Cricket outside, went for a long swim in the ocean, and got a little sunburned. It was far different from freezing temperatures and the traditional white Christmas. But, being an American from the midwest, Brett's family had lots of questions about how Christmas is celebrated in the US. Most of the people have never even seen snow before! Quite different.
The rest of the week was lots of swimming and cricket on the television. Traditionally, Australian has a Test match against India beginning on Boxing day (the day after Christmas) at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). The Test lasts five days with three, two hour sessions each day. It was extremely boring at first, but at about the third day I started to enjoy it. It's weird, Australians think Baseball is about as fun as watching paint dry, but Cricket is much worse...in my humble opinion.
One day we traveled even further up North, about 60 kms to a town called Geraldton. You may have heard of this town on the news because a man was attacked and killed by his own cricket bat Christmas day. Very sad news, but the town was beautiful. We drove all around and even got to see a World War II memorial devoted to the HMS Sydney that was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean and has never been found. It sits on a hilltop overlooking the city and the main harbour. The monument looks like a grain silo with the top decorated with stainless steel seagulls and supported by four steel beams and no walls. Each seagull represents a sailor who was lost in the attack. Just past the monument is a metal statue of a woman looking out over the harbour waiting for the ship to return. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me since I was told that we were only going to Geraldton for the shopping mall. Oops.
On arrival back in Perth, Brett, Zareena, and myself met up with some Milwaukee friends at Rob Perry's house. Included were Jared, James, GD, Tony Fairhead, Dunny (not so much Milwaukee, but he's been there and supports us), Rob, and his wife Flavia. We had a great time catching up and eating some traditional Australian tucker (food). We had sausages, freshly caught fish and prawns (very big shrimp), potatoes, and salad. We all sat around for about 5 hours just enjoying the great Austalian weather.
The next day, New Year's Even, Brett, Zareena, and myself met up again with GD but this time to watch a game of Cricket. We headed into the city to the WACA stadium (I'm not sure what it stands for) for a 20/20 match. A 20/20 match lasts only about 2-3 hours and each team gets to bat for 20 overs (one over consists of 6 pitches/bowles). The games was fun, but unfortunately Western Australia lost to Tasmania 188 - 189. The game had the feeling of baseball as each person was sporting a sausage and a beer. It was quite an experience and I would love to got to another game.
After the game Brett, Zareena, and myself met up with some friends at a bar called The Saint to ring in the New Year. The bar was completely decked out in balloons and celebration gear as everyone showed up in their celebration get-up. It was a New Year's eve to remember (if I can...haha).
Now I am back at Brett and Zareena's house enjoying the weather and waiting for footy to start. I don't know the exact date, but I should know soon. I am enjoying ever minute of my time here but I still think about everyone often, especially around the holidays. I hope everyone had a great celebration with the people they love. Take care and I will write soon!!
We arrived in Dongara on Christmas eve after visiting Zareena's parents in Perth. She has a great family, but not quite run of the mill. I am not saying that to be mean, but it's just that her father is Danish and her mother is Malaysian. We spent the afternoon with her parents, her brothers (John, Jordan, and Jahari), her sister in law (John's wife) and their two sons. It was a great time eating dinner and passing out some presents. I even got a box of chocolates!
On Christmas morning in Dongara I woke up bright and early (about 830 am) and was surprised to find that I had presents waiting for me! I brought with me a present from Lisa and a presents from Dad and Sally (thanks again!!) so that I would have something to open, but to my enjoyment I opened up presents from a few others. I received another box of chocolates, a pair of Australian flag boxers, an Australian flag beach towel, a beer cozy, a Dongara hat, and a collapsable tailgating chair. It was a great time opening presents because that was the only normal part of the day.
Opening presents aside, Christmas day was not like anything I've experienced before. The temperature was about 110 degrees, we played Cricket outside, went for a long swim in the ocean, and got a little sunburned. It was far different from freezing temperatures and the traditional white Christmas. But, being an American from the midwest, Brett's family had lots of questions about how Christmas is celebrated in the US. Most of the people have never even seen snow before! Quite different.
The rest of the week was lots of swimming and cricket on the television. Traditionally, Australian has a Test match against India beginning on Boxing day (the day after Christmas) at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). The Test lasts five days with three, two hour sessions each day. It was extremely boring at first, but at about the third day I started to enjoy it. It's weird, Australians think Baseball is about as fun as watching paint dry, but Cricket is much worse...in my humble opinion.
One day we traveled even further up North, about 60 kms to a town called Geraldton. You may have heard of this town on the news because a man was attacked and killed by his own cricket bat Christmas day. Very sad news, but the town was beautiful. We drove all around and even got to see a World War II memorial devoted to the HMS Sydney that was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean and has never been found. It sits on a hilltop overlooking the city and the main harbour. The monument looks like a grain silo with the top decorated with stainless steel seagulls and supported by four steel beams and no walls. Each seagull represents a sailor who was lost in the attack. Just past the monument is a metal statue of a woman looking out over the harbour waiting for the ship to return. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me since I was told that we were only going to Geraldton for the shopping mall. Oops.
On arrival back in Perth, Brett, Zareena, and myself met up with some Milwaukee friends at Rob Perry's house. Included were Jared, James, GD, Tony Fairhead, Dunny (not so much Milwaukee, but he's been there and supports us), Rob, and his wife Flavia. We had a great time catching up and eating some traditional Australian tucker (food). We had sausages, freshly caught fish and prawns (very big shrimp), potatoes, and salad. We all sat around for about 5 hours just enjoying the great Austalian weather.
The next day, New Year's Even, Brett, Zareena, and myself met up again with GD but this time to watch a game of Cricket. We headed into the city to the WACA stadium (I'm not sure what it stands for) for a 20/20 match. A 20/20 match lasts only about 2-3 hours and each team gets to bat for 20 overs (one over consists of 6 pitches/bowles). The games was fun, but unfortunately Western Australia lost to Tasmania 188 - 189. The game had the feeling of baseball as each person was sporting a sausage and a beer. It was quite an experience and I would love to got to another game.
After the game Brett, Zareena, and myself met up with some friends at a bar called The Saint to ring in the New Year. The bar was completely decked out in balloons and celebration gear as everyone showed up in their celebration get-up. It was a New Year's eve to remember (if I can...haha).
Now I am back at Brett and Zareena's house enjoying the weather and waiting for footy to start. I don't know the exact date, but I should know soon. I am enjoying ever minute of my time here but I still think about everyone often, especially around the holidays. I hope everyone had a great celebration with the people they love. Take care and I will write soon!!
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