Everyone Here is Really Friendly (or One Day I Will Acdept a Ride From an Ax Murderer)

This was my second full day in Perth and it was much more eventful than I expected. I got a cell phone, which worked out well because I already had one, I just needed a plan. Alas, when I brought it back to the hostel it wouldn't charge and I had to go back. Turns out the charger only works if you hold it at the right angle with part of the back cover off, it was very confusing, and took way too long for him to admit that I would need a new charger. So I was then sent 50 meters (which I now know about how long that is, since I walked it) and got a charger from a different phone company, because the first didn't have it. It was a lot more work than I would have liked.

After that I called some of my potential roommates/landlords to set up times to view their places. The first gave me directions and right after we had set up a time and I was about to leave to go figure out the bus system she called and said she would pick me up, rather than wait for me to possibly get lost. Fantastic! So she came and got me and I got my first ride in an Australian car sitting on the wrong side while being driven on the wrong side of the street. It's kinda scary. It'll take a bit, but I'll get used to it. Her place was ok, but I'm not sold, although it is really close to school. She was then nice enough to drive me back, and drive me onto the bit of campus she knew how to get around.

My next viewing was in 2ish hours and I figured I would give myself an hour and a half to get there. I walked down to the train station, asked the info desk how to get where I wanted (learned that I need to buy a good map book) and wandered off. Then i went back to try and get a student discount card, which I have to get stamped by school and bought an all-day ticket. I then walked to the bus station with schedules in hand and waited for the bus. At this point I had about a half an hour to get to the house and the bus wasn't going to be there for another 20 minutes so i called the woman I was meeting with and told her I was running late. She offered to come pick me up. Fantastic! But I bought a bus pass and wanted to use it, but oh well I would use it on the way back. The house was nice and furnished, but there would be 6 people living in it and I'm not sure I want to live with that many. We'll see, I have a little time to think about it. She then drove me to the schools campus where I had decided I would walk around for a bit before going back on the bus.

The campus is huge! I wandered aimlessly and then walked decidedly over to the art school bit where there was and open door I walked into and discovered the painting department. Mostly empty except for two guys hanging out, one painting and one drawing. I stopped and talked to them until the one who was actually allowed to be there had to go, meaning that we all had to go. I walked out with them because apparently at Curtin in order to leave a building you need a passcard, because otherwise you get locked in, it's weird. I then learned that in schools the locking in is normal, I think it's weird, normally people want you locked out, not it, but whatever. So here I am about to wander back to the bus stop when one of them offers me a ride back into the city. Fantastic! Except that I have now bought a bus pass for nothing. But I met people and hopefully made friends, which is fantastic. I then went on this weird adventure to the guy's old work, which is full of lots of drama and people getting kicked out of buildings by cops, it was all very strange. However, it was interesting, and therefore worth it, despite my still not using the bus. I will try again tomorrow. So what I have learned from all this is that people are very friendly and don't trust me to use the bus and that if I am not careful one day I will get kidnapped, but until then getting rides from people I have only talked to for a minute or so has worked out really well.

Otherwise yesterday I just walked around Perth and discovered that their traffic lights are weird for pedestrians. Instead of people crossing with the direction of traffic every goes at once while the cars wait, it's super weird. Sometimes one walkway will go, but mostly it's everyone all at once and the light makes this weird sound and then clicks until it starts flashing red, it's kinda intense. I also think I bought mini pancakes in a bag today, they were good with my bananas and almond butter, and discovered that they may not have bagels in Australia, but I will keep looking, as I really like bagels. That's all for now.