Things have got better

From bad to good. Had a wicked weekend. Friday saw the "Australia Day" fireworks, the biggest in the country. Sat on the river bank opposite the skyscrapers and watched them explode over the water, the reflections glittering on the glass of the buildings. Pretty good. Thankfully the police didn't enforce the "no alcohol rule" so me and me mate Dave were allowed to polish off a bottle of vodka between us. The night got a bit messy after that, but it was fun, and we didn't drown in the outdoor swimming pool, although we may have awoken some neighbours.

Anyway on Saturday it was down to Dave's mate's house. A nice chap called Craig who lived in a house with a speedboat moored on a canal at the bottom of his garden. The day was spent cruising along canals drinking beer, stopping off at pubs to drink wine and eat fish n chips and whizzing along at 55mph on a 10 mile wide inlet. Let me tell you 55mph feels a lot faster in a boat! It really feels like your whizzing! Then we swam with dolphins and generally had a stupendeously brilliant day.

Sunday chilled out and jogged for miles and miles to try and sweat out the alcohol. Then on Monday thought enough is enough and came out and told my boss that I was leaving in 3 weeks time. Definitely the best move I could make. Now I can sleep at night and don't feel like I'm being deceitful. I hate being dishonest. She was really nice about it but understandably gutted. However at least she knows where we stand and I don't have to keep avoiding certain topics of conversation. Slept fine this week.

Yesterday Lilian cooked a lovely "2 in 1 pie", made famous in a pub in Nailsworth (my home town, near Stroud in Gloucestershire). This was for some of my distant Pom relatives that have now settled in Australia. Had better go now, I'm off to watch "The Queen", my buddy Brett has got hold of a pirate DVD copy.

Anyway very happy here. I've started to really love Perth. People here are generally so much more friendly and down to earth than in London. And the weather's better and if you have a middling income you can lead a life you could never lead in the UK unless you were rich, ie have your own speedboat moored at the bottom of your garden. The standard of living is so much better here. Seriously thinking of one day emigrating, who knows? Can you tell I like it here?