i figured i should start keeping you or at least myself up to date with the goings on in my ever-transitional life.
as many of you may know, i aimed to softland onto the icing sugar beaches of esperance and into the nurturing arms of wide-eyed-heidi, armed with work, a travelmate, and with irrepressible openness.
however, many of you may also know that the path i have been following (note: not the path that i have been making for myself) has been a slightly more organic and a bumpier terrain than i had expected. and who was i to expect anything less.
i have been living in a seaside country town by the name of esperance ('hope' in french) in western australia for the past three months. we've got a population of about 14,000, many of whom i can't seem to find; three IGAs where we shop regularily; a Woolly's for those it's-cheaper-at-a-big-supermarket-items; a few juice bars; some craft shops where i've purchased embroidery thread for ella's hairwrap; a camping world where i found 20 cent national geographics; a library where i am currently plopped in a comfy plastic chair next to the cutest old man;
the pub the Pier; a few restaurants including the new addition of a Maccas, also known as McDonalds, which has become the social hub for preteens and a topic of boycott or disinterest for many others. there's more, i'll just let you imagine it. (post office, banks, leisure centre, cafe or two, movie places-of both the cinema and the renting variety, etc.) without a car, as ella and i have found ourselves for the past QUARTER OF A YEAR, it has been difficult to extend our experiences to the beauty esperance truly beholds. the beaches. go google them, they are fantastic! whitest and finest sand i have ever plunged my toes into, most amazing turquoise and nippy water, good surf, good fishing, the lot.
when we first arrived in esperance one of our flatmates' worker wasn't using his car and they lent it to us for a week or so. we went to cape le grand national park about 30 ks out of town and went to lucky bay and climbed frenchman's peak woohooho00 adventure time! it was sewww fun. way too soon thereafter, we did our training for work and after a week of getting powerepointed in the right direction (grain is food!), we passed our assessments and had a month off before starting our slave la- i mean work. during that month, we mosied up to perth (mosying means taking the longest straightest bus ride of your life only stopping in truckie towns for a diluted flat-white or something deepfried - instead we starved in silence and watched flicka II, thanks to our geriatric driver for the movie choice) and spent a few weeks in perth, margaret river, and madurah. i found perth to be a great city for travellers, 'cause you can get around quite easily by foot and it's all smushed into small area. there's lot's to see, lots of people watching opportunities, boho suburbs and neighbourhoods only a train station away, blah it's cool. margaret river is gorgeous: you really feel like you're far away when you're surrounded with vineyards, karri tree forests, scrumptious beaches, and sangria. mandurah is small and home to the ever so delightfully welcoming collisons! thanks to brendo, cam, vicki and pete for showing us around and for the memorable times.
then there's this huge void that encompasses working for CBH. cooperative bulk handling. i sampled grain which consists of spearing a truck with a hydraulic spear and then running samples through dr. seuss-like machines that sort out moisture, protein, screenings, etc, while looking for various grain defects, weed seeds and contaminants. each sample takes maybe 10-15 minutes and just put that on repeat for 10 hours each day, and 13 days a fortnight leaving spare time to sit around, read bitch mags, chat with the geuurlls, and most importantly to snack. the weather was worse than we'd(they'd) hoped so we had more days off than we thought, but oh well! we're done with that now and are doing 2 more weeks sampling for the agriculture department then we are free from our rural shackles.
i had the chance to play at the beaches extensively over new years when a group of us went to cape arid.
about 120 ks out of esperance. it is beauuutiifulll!!! there are amazing unspoilt dunes and gorgeous white sand beaches, ausi headlands and bush between the bays and beyond the dunes with robust low lying brush and pretty wildflowers. there were also big mountains that remind me of argentina and weird plains that looked like mars.
we were with a gang of aboutttt 20? this included the people we've gotten closer with, jimmy, kyza, mousie who're in jimmy's band, rosco, rowan, two guys in a band called firehorse, they're crazy and fun, marley, mmmnah i s'pose these names don't mean anything to you! i also met a beautiful family who camped with us ON the beach. i thinkthis was the first time i camped directly on the beach, in a swag (google). susi watson is the mothers name, she has red hair, wore cinnabar jewelry and sarongs, is a photographer and graphic designer, and was reading the wind up bird chronicle by haruki murakami-i loved kafka on the shore by the same author- and she read outloud to me! it was great. she has two children, syd/sid 3 and ruby 9 or 11 maybe. they were easy going, selfentertaining, happy kids and we all played beach games together. she's out of town for the month but i'll see her when she gets back yaayy.
camping: we listened to music on the PA system kyza brought up, and there were nighttime jam seshs as well, as most of hte musicians brought their gear. dancing, cmap fires, goon bags (wine in a bag),
sunsets. also went swimming often! i swam right near a seal on new years day MY THIRD WARM POLAR BEAR SWIM IN A ROW and tried to body surf a bit, unsuccessfully, as the waves break right into masses of seaweed which aren't the most desirable of landing pads. it's sweet to camp ehre because everyone does it, but you can go anywhere on the beaches so you're secluded. four wheel driving on the beach is a necessity and way too much fun. its best on the flatest hardest sand where it hasnt been too wet and its fun to drive over the headlands in soft deep sand with safari like bushes scraping hte sides of the car.
i have some big decisions to make in the next few weeks in regards to my solo travels that are coming up much quicker than i expected. more about this later, i'm getting ushered out of my itnernet hotspot by vicky gabereau's ausi twin.
today i met two amazing spiritual artists who're turning the old bus stop into an art gallery and studio and being-space, who i was able to get extremely personal with and who will no doubt help me out of the internal jam i ahve worked myself into. don't get your knickers in a twist, all will be well, i have faith.
take care of yourselves
xxxxxxxxxx
photos soon, promise
