Fremantle (Con't)

Guess who just got a mailing address . . .

Two days ago, I just moved out of the hostel and into a house. It is a single level, 3 bedroom place that I am sharing with three other people. It is in a great location and moves me even closer to my work and the beach. And best of all it isnt a hostel.

Now dont get me wrong, I had some good times in that hostel the four weeks I was staying there, but like all good things it must come to an end. It was great having all of those people around, but some things it was hard to deal with. Like for example, having to wear sandals in the shower because you arent sure what the urine content is of the stagnant water you are standing in, or the falling asleep to slurping sounds in the bunk across from you, or trying to figure out whether your constant itching is from bed bugs or scabees.

But still I will miss the place. Everyday when I would come home from work there would always be free food around. The Swedish girl working at the Indian place always had free curry. The Canadian girl at the bakery always had Pastries to give away. And the English girl from the Pizza place always had an extra slice. Every Monday, we played soccer in the park. And every week we would have a barbeque. Those things I will miss.

Plus you never knew what was going to happen when you were in there. One night, I woke up and found one of my roommates meditating in his boxers in the middle of the floor. You could wake up at 9 am and still see people going from the night before. You can come back to your room and walk in on a diggery do solo or two Finnish people in the middle of a drunkin grope. You just never knew what was going to happen. Like yesterday, as I was eating my morning bowl of rice crispies, I watched the hostel cleaning lady deal pot at the end of the end table, a hostel owned by a policemen. Only in a hostel.

There is a lot I will miss, so my gaining a house is a bit bitter sweet. But the best benefit of all is its half the price as the hostel.

I am still very much money conscious at this stage. My plan at this point is to save as much money over the next 3 months in Freo so I can finish out the rest of my trip and get home by Thanksgiving, which looks like it will happen.

The sailing club has given me more hours, I am working about 35 a week now, but they are usually at night. Its funny how my having my days free and Im trying to save money has turned me into an old man. I just wander around town all day with no place to go. I just hang out in the library pretending to be reading but just secretly stare at everyone else. And complain to whoever will listen about how the free bus around town is always late.

My appearance has taken a hit too lately. The right sole on my flip flop is falling off, but I am too cheap to buy new ones and too lazy to fix it. I am also too cheap to get a hair cut or buy a belt. So I just rome the streets during the day, kicking my right foot in the air so as not to trip on my broken flipflop and trying to hold my pants up with the one hand and keep my hair out of my eyes with the other.

But unfortunately, even with the additional hours from the Sailing Club, I am still falling short of my target funds to finish out my trip. So I had to get a second job.

Now, I am working nights at my other job so I needed a position that I can work during the day and that was willing to take people working for only three months. So with my Freddie experience I decided to turn to a company with the most valuable real estate porfolio in the world, a company with some name recognition, a company trusted and loved by millions across the world, a little known American Hamburger restaurant called . . . . . . . McDonalds.

Now, I know what you are thinking, and believe me the irony isnt lost on me either. A young guy gives up a good job at home, pays thousands of dollars in flights and visas to go travel across the world to try something different and ends up working at one of the largest American companies in the world. I know! Believe me I know! But I am confident with a bit of creativity and the right 'can do' attitude I will be able to make this the most memorable of my many Aussie experiences.