First course!

Tuesday and Wednesday were set aside for the first Open Water dive class that I was scheduled to assist! Open Water is the basic scuba certification through PADI, the international dive organization I
m certified through, and it's the cert that the VAST majority of "certified divers" hold. It allows divers to descend to 60 ft. below the surface on dives and teaches them the basics so they don't kill themselves. Jack and I were both scheduled to help with this class, so imagine our surprise when there were only 3 students on the course! One dropped out RIGHT before it started. And then we were even more surprised when another dropped out while filling out initial paperwork because he had a medical issue that had to be checked by a doctor before he could begin. Down to two. Number three made it through the pool dives (to only about 7 ft. of water) but couldn't get his ears to equalize when we made it out to the Open Water dives off the coast in Rockingham, so we ended up with just one student, a German journalist from Berlin. What a mess. Fortunately, that student was great, both as a human AND as a diver, so he passed with flying colors and Jack and I were only mildly completely unnecessary!

The instructor on the course, Simon, is a British ex-pat which put me decidedly at a disadvantage: 3 Europeans vs 1 American. Being the only woman/American//political progressive in a group of boys could have been an absolute disaster, but I'm quickly learning that it's totally pukka (some Welsh I've picked up from Jack) to just say "I absolutely don't want to hear about your feelings on the American President" and they just laugh and we move on. This is a cool country. People are way chill.

I made a big purchase yesterday and bought myself a dive computer! Simon told me I was silly to buy a computer based on looks and I should get this monster that's like 4 inches long and sits on your arm, so naturally I bought one that's totally sleek and sits on my arm like a rather large watch and can be WORN as a normal watch. Ideal for right now, when I'm constantly in and out of the water, dunking my hands in buckets to wash gear at the end of the day, and generally wearing myself out in this class. I love it so far!!!

Stacey, Simon, me, Jack, Stephen today on the Blue Destiny!

Today was a day off so, naturally, I went diving! There was a boat trip on the Blue Destiny (affiliated with the scuba shop I'm doing my DM at) going out to Rottnest Island (just off the coast of Fremantle, juuuust south of Perth) to dive at a site called Shark Cave. My dive buddy, Stacey (the Canadian from an earlier cohort of DMs), and I were the only ones on the whole boat to not see a single shark or stingray at the first site (go figure), but we saw a cool Wabbegong (shark) at the second site so I didn't feel too heartbroken. Jack, Stacey, Stephen (the German who finished his cert yesterday) and I paired up as a foursome and we had a blast. Simon came along for the day, too, and I'm deliciously tired tonight from the day's activities.

Didn't find sharks on Dive #1 but I did find some of their shed teeth!

Thank goodness I actually went grocery shopping last night. This will sound ridiculous to anyone who knows me, but I've been too tired to eat. When I get home at night I'm not hungry so I've been forcing myself to eat a pb sandwich or some pasta or whatever, but it's FAR from a balanced diet. Got myself some lettuce, frozen veggies, fresh veggies, and I'm ready to go. Gonna eat something practical tonight. Maybe avocado and tomato sandwich on this lovely ciabatta I got...

Tomorrow starts the second OW course I'm helping with (my schedule calls for me to sit in on two OW courses, one Advanced Open Water (AOW), one Rescue, one day as part of the boat crew, and helping with a dive in the club that runs out of the shop - basically a chance for local folks to go out to new shore diving sites with someone(s) who've been there before). There are actually two separate classes going tomorrow so Jack and I each get to help with a full class of 7 (rather than sharing 1.5!). Terry, one of the instructors teaching this weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun), was out on the boat today and I haven't met the other guy yet... we'll see who I get. Early to bed tonight to make sure I beat Jack to the shop and get my pick of instructors!

Cricket, DM Coursework, and Snorkeling with Sea Lions

Y'all. It has been a busy few days. It's 7:50pm here as I begin to write this and I'm planning to crash to sleep as soon as it's finished. Begin at the beginning I suppose: I went to my first ever cricket match on Friday! I went with one of my flatmates, Weibke, who is a German girl here on the same visa as me. She's really lovely, had also never seen cricket played, and was on board with going as a cultural experience ("and we can always drink beer if it's terrible" - my kinda girl).

Weibke + Me @ Optus Stadium

Optus Stadium

We had essentially no idea what was going on at any given moment but pieced together some bits by the end of the game (match? I dunno). Anyway, the beer was cold.

Saturday and Sunday were early mornings at the scuba shop. I learned that one of the women who works in the shop lives about 3 minutes drive from me in the same suburb and she EVER so kindly offered to drive me in on days when I also have to be there. SO great because it saves me a solid 40 minutes in the morning, and we all know how well I operate in the mornings! So Nat (short for Natalie) drove me in both days and my Dive Master (DM) course began. There are three dudes in my class: a Welshman, an Aussie with Polish dual-citizenship, and an 18 year old Aussie. The shop manager started calling our class the Olympics and asking who won each days' games because we're quite so international in flavor. All three guys are lovely and Day 1 was held with the same instructor as last week, Kayla the badass who takes shit from no one (still true). She ran us ragged, doing long timed swims in the pool without fins, with fins, while towing each other in full kit (kit = equipment = your full scuba rig), so when I got home I decided the time was ripe for me to discover my local pub.

Confirmed: they call bottle shops the bottle-o in actual fact, not just on the internet

I met a couple from the neighborhood, Lawrence and Christine, who are actually British and Corsican ex-pats living here now. They've lived ALL over the world due to Lori's work in the petroleum industry, including Alaska, and were totally fascinating to chat with. We were the only three people in the bar all night, so the three of us and the two bar tenders just hung out and talked travel, living around the world (bar tenders were both Aussies though one has dual citizenship in Canada and her family has moved back and forth a few times over the course of her life), and arguing about whether global warming is, in fact, occurring. They have a dog named Panda who I am hoping to encounter at the park sometime if the universe aligns, and I told them about how the only physical photo I brought with me is of Bailey so then we swapped dog stories and photos. It was wonderful. I left around 9:30, exhausted and with another long day ahead.

Day 2 had a new instructor, Ian, who reminded me uncannily of Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech. I told him that at the pub after class, obviously, and I was rewarded with a brief lesson in how to Rock'n'Roll style dance (there are actual steps. I was unaware.).

Nat, my neighbor/friend from the shop/chauffeur, asked me over the weekend whether I'd like to join a group that was going snorkeling with sea lions on Monday and I obviously couldn't pass that up. So that's what I did today! We went up to Jurian Bay, about 2.5 hours north of Perth, and snorkeled with an outfit called Turquoise Safaris. The staff was amazing, the music was bumpin, and we had such a blast, all around. High temp was 80 today, so amazing temps for being out on the water in a boat. The outfit provided wetsuits, too, so it was great to be covered up from the sun a bit more (the ozone layer is particularly thin over Western Australia, apparently, so it's VERY easy to get burned here. I've been using SPF 55 for my daily moisturizer every day).

Me, Jack (the Welsh guy in my DM class), the boat Captain, Stacey (currently working on her DM at the shop), Nat, boat first mate, Maurice (DM and boat crew for the shop)

I finally put my GoPro to use and have LOTS of amazing videos to go through of playing with the sea lions but let me just confirm for you that snorkeling with sea lions is THE COOLEST. Andrew and I went diving in San Diego before I left the States and we got to hang with some sea lions there, so that whet my appetite for it. The spot we went today was so shallow that snorkeling was WAY more effective for hanging out with the little sea pups than diving would have been. They are literally like underwater puppies. They just want to play, so if you aren't fun they leave you and find someone else. It seems like their version of fun is spiraling around and zooming around underwater, so they appreciate all efforts to duplicate their behaviors. If you just chill on the surface, they don't stick around. So I got a killer workout chasing the sea puppies around and bopping about under water with them. Best. Workout. Ever.

Jack took this AMAZING photo, so I'll whet your appetite with it while I work on getting my own videos together

The snorkel spot in Jurian Bay

After we wrapped up snorkeling, we stopped for lunch at the Sandpiper Tavern in town and then hit the road, but we made a pit-stop on the way back at the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. The pinnacles are these limestone rock bits that poke up out of the ground over a massive area.

We hiked around for maybe a touch under an hour and then decided we were completely wiped out and needed to be getting back to home. Nat dropped me at my house and if all goes to plan, I'll be out like a light in about ten minutes!

The Stanford Home for Wayward Girls

If you don't want to read my diatribe about my new landlord, feel free to skip to the **!

I'm beginning to realize that Michael sees this rental property as more of an old fashioned boarding house than an apartment rented out to independent adult human beings. He wants what's best for "his girls" at "the Attadale house" and he's thrilled to be helpful. Weibke (pronounced VEEP-ka) and Irena, my new roomies, tried to warn me...

When I looked at the room/property, I mentioned that I'd like to take a crack at gardening here. Climate is totally different, plants are different, but I like getting my hands dirty. Yesterday I learned that Michael took that request for permission as a mission statement for himself. He brought me a trailer full of dirt from the local compost heap, drove me to the garden supply store to pick up some plants and seeds, even dug up a self-rooted tomato plant from his own garden so that I might have one. So lovely!

Roses at Michael and Grace's house. Clearly he's good at this.

But then he doesn't stop. So I've got all my supplies and he's decided that gardening is now a group activity. After dropping me off last night with all my new things, I kept at it (he had instructed me to keep the plants in the shade "til tomorrow"). I planted my seeds. Planted my plants. Watered. Weeded. Poked around and generally got dirt under my nails. Then this morning I had some errands to run so I was out pretty early. When I got home around 1pm, I discovered that Michael had continued working on my plot. He left my plants as such but my seeds have all been trampled by him adding more soil (goodbye, carrots!) and popping in another tomato plant (so well-intentioned, but that's where my sunflowers were!) and digging new drainage along the wall (ta ta, arugula!). So Michael and I need to have a chat. He emailed me a bit ago to let me know he brought me some lovely loaves of bread that he gets for free when a local bakery over-produces and can't sell all their wares in a day and that he'll be by to garden between 5-6. Sigh.

Those water hoses used to be arugula and the clay cylinders used to be sun flowers. I guess I'll find out what he plans to put in them tonight between 5-6!

I guess I should have seen this coming when he applauded me for not bringing any alcohol home from the grocery store the day I arrived (I refrained from mentioning that I took care of that in the duty free section of the airport). And when he's stopped over several times every day so far. He would give me the shirt off his back if I asked for it, I'm certain, but I'm probably going to kill him if he doesn't give me some space. So.

**
Anyway, I've been really productive the past few days in terms of getting settled into my new place, exploring the area a bit more, and getting ready for my class! Found a local thrift store which I've patronized twice to purchase some home goods - a tea pot, a pitcher, a cup for my toothbrush, some tea towels, that sort of thing - and got my medical clearance today for diving. Australia has stricter rules for diving, so I had to do a complete hearing test, lung capacity test, and then explain to the very kind Scottish doctor that the exercise induced "asthma" I checked yes to was probably a bogus diagnosis from an over-zealous American doctor because I've never used the inhaler he proscribed anyway. So once we got that cleared up, I was free to go with an Aussie-affirmed clean bill of diving health.

Art at the Fish Shop

This afternoon I'm going to finish up watching some videos I need to do for class this weekend. I'm planning to pop over to the dive shop tomorrow to take my exam before going to my first ever cricket match! A guy from my class, a Welshie named Jack, is going to join me, so at least I'll have someone else to be hungover with on Saturday morning. Australia v Pakistan tomorrow afternoon at 4:30. Will report back once I know what the deal is for cheering.

By the Fremantle Market

I have an apartment!!!

I'm writing from my Airbnb, but plan to leave for my new flat in an hour and a half! I have a home, y'all!!!

I visited 6 places yesterday to check them out. One was too small (but so close to the train!), one too expensive for what it was (great location near city center but the bedroom was TINY), one had a super weird owner who was telling me about the STDs of his last tenant (nope!), and the front runner was great but I didn't meet any of the actual tenants, just the owner (so they might have been great... or not. But I am my father's child and carry his sense of paranoia everywhere I go!).

The last place I visited is owned by this kiwi and his wife who are in their 70s, Mike and Grace. The guy has a goofy old man sense of humor, the two girls who live in the flat were both there, really nice, and really normal seeming, and there's a HUGE back yard that I've got free reign to garden in! It was a long day of hunting, but the place just felt right. It's not close to the train, it's in an inconvenient little suburb without shops located nearby, it has an electric stove top (ugh) but something about it. Fingers crossed that my feelings of goodwill weren't just because I was delirious from being out and about all day!

 So plan for today is to get myself relocated over there, get my bags unpacked and maybe do some actual laundry (need to run by the store while I'm still here in Fremantle with shops located conveniently). Then I need to actually get myself settled with finishing my Divemaster paperwork that I've been putting off because of having bigger fish to fry. Wish me luck!

House hunting

Last Thursday I went by the scuba shop to check in with the manager and generally introduce myself to anyone there who I might eventually work with. Success! EVERYONE I met was supremely nice, including an instructor who informed me she’s teaching a Rescue Diver course this (past) weekend and inviting me along as a refresher. I have to demonstrate the skills from that class in order to get certified as a Dive Master, so it seemed like a good idea. It was a blast. The other people in the class were a whole mixed bag of nationalities: Aussie, Kiwi, Welsh, British, Canadian, and me. The instructor was this fabulous woman named Kayla who took crap from NO one, and all three of the Dive Masters (DM) who assisted with the class were lovely. I spent the weekend basically listening to Kayla shouting as we attempted to rescue each other… over… and over… and over. It was exhausting, but a complete ball of fun because my classmates were so amazing. It was nice, too, to have people to go to the pub with after class! I’m making friends, y’all!!!

Last night a group of us went to this craft brewery in Fremantle, the town I’ve been staying in since leaving the DoubleTree, and it was pretty overwhelming. I didn’t expect it to be quite so large (my AirBnB host informs me it used to be a crocodile farm before converting to a brewery 15 years or so ago) or busy on a Sunday night, but it was HOPPING. The beer was cold, the service was fast, and the pizza was tasty. All in all, Little Creatures Brewing didn’t disappoint. I need to go back, though, to try a flight (called something else here. I think a paddle? My buddies were all laughing at me calling it a flight).

Fremantle

THERE ARE DRIVE THROUGH BEER/WINE/LIQUOR STORES HERE. They’re just lovely little shops that happen to have a driveway through them and they pop your beer right into the car. Colin, a guy from my class, was driving me back to the shop after dives yesterday and we stopped for libations (I’m all about the laid back approach to drinking here. No one batted an eye that we wanted to celebrate the end of the class at the shop by having a drink after our equipment was returned. Amazing.) and my mind was blown. I think we need to import those to the states. The one we went to was called the Thirsty Camel.

Today is apartment hunting day. I’ve seen 3 places so far, have two more scheduled and a bunch more that I’ve contacted. I’ve got to be out of my AirBnB by tomorrow afternoon, so I’m happy to have some good solid options on the table! I’m between viewings right now, sitting in a park in the Northbridge neighborhood of Perth watching a flock of ibises stroll around. This morning I spotted two wild cockatoos and two wild lorikeets. There are also some pigeons, but I’ve seen those before without having to go to the zoo! I’m trying to stay in the shade because the sun here is wicked. I got cooked yesterday from being out on the water – my hands and face both (everything else was covered by wetsuit) – and I have this ridiculous tan line on my face where my mask rubbed the sunscreen off. So my cheeks and jaw aren’t burned, but an oval shape around my eyeballs is. Good looking.

Ibis in the park

I need to practice date writing. Everyone here lists the day then the month then the year instead of month, day, year. I’m sure I’m going to mess something important up with that at some point - I already did before arriving when I registered for my DM class, but recovered from that embarrassment – but I can just see it happening one of these days on a flight or other transit booking and being very perplexed. Will practice.