Toeroe!!! Welcome to Perth
Mist, ich habe kein “oe” hier. 
Hi there, I am sorry for the late blog entry, but to my excuse: I didn’t have a computer to use (I didn’t bring mine) and I was quite busy with falling head over onto the land down under. 
Unbelievable, but I am really here, in PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
and of course, as I said, my first meal was s-u-s-h-i, which we actually ate on a park bench outside of the Galleria (shopping mall) as a quick dinner. Together with some wheat-free soy sauce, called Tamari, for the missy, which the lady proudly holds in her hand.
You may wonder about the medium quality photos, well, I must say they are taken with my new mobile phone’s camera! Yay! On my first day Nathan went to the Galleria in Morley with me to get me a mobile phone…it is the same that he has and probably the best deal from all prepay phones. Yes, they actually call it prepay here, and not prepaid. Anyway, this is my new communication (toy) thingy:
Cool, huh? Back to Nokia (from my Samsung I had before). The phone does all kinds of modern things and the best, it has a photo camera (only 2MP, but better than nothing), so I could take a lot of photos in my first days, which I will show you in the next days.
I am sitting on an old iMac right now. Nathan found it placed as garbage on the side of the road, but it works fine…it is just very slow…256 RAM and a 400MHz G3 processor. Opening a page takes looong, and I should not try to edit photos on it or do anything else than browsing the net.
I can’t work on this computer and will probably borough a laptop from Uni (if possible) until I have my own laptop.
Sorry that I don’t have more news for you now…the photo-how-cola-arrived-down-under-story follows soon.
I can only say that I’m fine and Perth is wonderful as I had it in my memories, only the fact that everything is very damn expensive now bothers us and doesn’t make life easy. Last time (4 years ago) Nathan paid for his 3 bedroom house’s rent about AU $ 240/week and our house here has only one bedroom and one bathroom more and the rent is 640/week. :eek
Everything seems to be very expensive…it doesn’t matter if it is chocolate *smile* or food in general or rent or home appliances…sigh. More details about this and my first days in Perth when I have a better computer to work with. (Actually I wrote this entry here yesterday for about 3 hours and then the (internet) network connection died and the computer froze and I could not do anything other than shut it down. Grrr…)
Wettervergleich in Perth und Sydney Australien
Tja, wie warm und wie kalt ist es denn nun in Perth, vor allem jetzt wo es auf den Winter zugeht?
Da frage ich gestern noch meinen Liebsten, der ja schliesslich da unten vor Ort ist und er sagt, ich soll doch mal online gucken, wenn ich eh so oft vorm Rechner sitze. *weirdHUmen* Ja, es sei so 25 Grad tagsüber, abends halt um einiges weniger. Ja, an diesen Temperaturabfall abends kann ich mich noch erinnern…daher ja meine Frage, was ich nun in mein Köfferchen packen soll.
Soll ich nen Schal einpacken, gar Handschuhe und ne Mütze? Ich kann mich nicht mehr erinnern, wie kalt es im Juli/August damals in 2004 wurde…auf jeden Fall braucht man nachts schon ne Jacke und ich habe teilweise echt ganz schön gefroren…nachts/morgens auf dem Nach-Hause-Weg von den Bars….*g*
Und wenn man dann doch mal campen geht, kann es nachts sogar sehr kalt werden…also doch ne Mütze einpacken? Nimmt ja nicht viel Platz weg.
Aus aktuellem Anlass habe ich mal kurz geschaut und verglichen:
[quelle: BBC]
Perth und Sydney tun sich nicht viel, was die Temperaturen angeht. Weniger als 8-9 °C wird es äusserst selten. Nur regnet es in Sydney viiiiel mehr. Da habe ich ja noch mal Glück gehabt, dass wir uns doch für Perth entschieden haben. 
Also…den Schal und die Handschuhe lasse ich glaube ich zuhause. Notfalls kaufe ich mir halt was vor Ort…ich alte Frostbeule.
Notebook in Deutschland oder in Australien kaufen?
Also, seit das maudchen mich drauf gebracht hat, dass ich mein neues Notebook doch vielleicht lieber in Deutschland kaufen sollte, da es in Australien meist viel teurer ist, habe ich nun doch mal das Internet bemüht und Preise verglichen.
Mein momentaner Favorit (durch Empfehlung eines ehemaligen Studienfreundes):
Dell XPS 1530 mit folgender Konfiguration:
- 2,4 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 6MB Cache 800MHz
- Vista Home Premium
- Display Auflösung 1680×1050 (oder 1440×900 ?)
- 2,0 MP web cam
- 4GB 667 MHz dual channel DDR 2 SD-RAM
- 320 GB SATA 5400 RPM (oder 200GB SATA 7200 RPM? Unterschied zur schnelleren Platte nur 57,20 AUD, die 200er soll bei einigen Besitzern laute Laufgeräusche haben)
- 8x DVD+/-RW mit dual layer write capabilities
- Videokarte 256MB NVIDIA Geforce 8600M GT
- Soundkarte Sound Blaster Audigy Advanced HD Audio Software
- Bluetooth
- WLAN 4965agn wireless-n
- 9-Zellen lithium-ion Akku (ein 6-Zellen Akku ist Standard und kostet 224 AUD weniger, hmm ich hätt gern echt mal ein bisl mehr Akkulaufzeit…daher würde ich die 224 Dollar investieren….mit Euro ist es eh fast nur halb so viel *g* oder oder oder?)
- ahso, is ein 15,4″ Widescreen, nä
Die Zusammenstellung habe ich von hier.
Preisunterschied zum deutschen Dell-Shop sind nicht mal 100 Euro, allerdings sind die Komponenten nicht ganz identisch.
Für um die 1300 Euro finde ich das eigentlich ganz ok.
Oder was meint ihr? Any pc/mac-notebook-whatever-freak out there? 
Ich habe keine Angst vor Spinnen
Ich weiss nicht, wieso, aber seit ich in Australien war, ist meine Angst vor Spinnen irgendwie verschwunden. Vielleicht weil ich weiss, dass unsere heimischen Spinnen hier harmlos und zumindest nicht tödlich sind…oder weil ich in knapp 8 Monaten Australien inklusive viel wild-camping uns bush-running-around nur 2 grosse Spinnen gesehen habe…Die eine machte es sich auf unserem Zelt in Byron Bay gemütlich, die andere hockte auf dem Fliesenboden gut sichtbar vor einem Hostel-Eingang in Exmouth. Ich hatte schon damals keine Angst, da ich ja eingetrichtert bekommen hatte, dass nur die kleinen Spinnen gefaehrlich sind. Nur sieht man die kleinen nicht, weil sie halt klein sind. Und klein waren diese beiden Exemplare, die ich traf, nun wirklich nicht. Grins.
Nachdenklich machten mich nur diese Träume, die ich in meinem dunkelroten Holden in Aussieland hatte. Wir waren gerade auf dem Weg die Ostküste Australiens gen Sueden runter zu fahren und schliefen ja meist in unserem Kombi hinten auf der flachen Flaeche, die Kofferraumtuer meist offen und mit nem Moskitonetz verhaengt. In einer Nacht habe ich getraeumt und nur “spider spider there is a huge spider” gerufen und mein Maenne schreckte hoch und dachte ich sei wach, weil ich die Augen auf hatte und agierte, als sei ich wach. Hihi, nein, ich wusste am naechsten Tag nichts mehr davon. Dann, als mein Maenne nicht mehr bei mir war und dafuer meine Freundin ins Auto stieg, ging die Reise weiter, von Sydney gen Melbourne. Wieder campten wir in einem der Nationalparks, wieder schliefen wir im Auto, mit der Kofferraumklappe oben, Moskitonetz herumgespannt. Nach einer der ersten Naechte erzaehlte meine Freundin mir, dass sie aufgewacht sei, weil ich ganz wild um mich gefuchtelt haette und immer “Spinne, da ist ne Spinne…ahhh…da” geschrien habe. Auch diesmal wusste ich von nix und sie dachte, ich waere wach gewesen. Dumm nur, dass meine Freundin panische Angst vor diesen Viechern hat. Sie muss echt gelitten haben in diesen zwei Minuten meines Spinnen-Alarms, bis sie merkte, dass ich eigentlich nur traeume. Witzig war nur, dass ich den gleichen Traum einmal mit Nathan hatte und kurze Zeit spaeter exakt den gleichen Traum mit meiner Freundin. Noch viel kurioser fand ich, dass ich beim ersten Mal auf Englisch gekreischt habe und dann bei meiner Freundin auf Deutsch. Wie geil ist das denn? Mein Hirn hat das sofort umgeswitscht…Wieder in Deutschland hatte ich dann bei einer anderen Freundin mal ein Traumdeutungsbuch in den Haenden gehabt und nachgelesen, dass Spinnen in Traeumen was mit Eifersucht und/oder Frauen zu tun haben soll. Interessante Kombi. Aha.
Wie auch immer, Frau Mau hat gerade ein nicht so nettes Zusammentreffen mit einer echten australischen Spinne in ihrem Auto gehabt und dabei wurde von einer ihrer Blogleserinnen auch auf folgendes Video hingewiesen, welches ich euch nicht vorenthalten moechte.
Bitte hier entlang, nehmen Sie Platz, lehnen Sie sich zurueck und mit einem Klick befinden Sie sich in einem Auto in Australien. Fuer Menschen mit schwachem Herz nicht unbedingt zu empfehlen. [Filmsprache ist englisch, aber der Film versteht sich auch ohne Worte; es wird eh nicht viel gesprochen.]
Also, ich habe keine (grosse) Angst vor Spinnen, und ihr?
Wie mein Liebhabaer weiss, finde ich (wohlgemerkt Hunderte von) Ameisen im Auto viel ekliger! Vor allem wenn man mit denen zusammen im Auto schlafen soll.
Some opinions about my new home: Perth in Western Australia
I found this discussion online that started with the following question
If Perth is so great why do so many people leave?
and thought I share the answers with you. I am not leaving but moving to Perth and was curious what people generally think of living in Perth.
Here some quoted answers (that might interest you as well; or at least my aussie-hon):
My guess - isolation. Once you leave, it soo hard to live that far away from anything else ever again.
Hmm alot of people who leave return within a few years though…
There is much more people coming in than going out… check the real estate prices!
it depends on what stage of your life you are in. Perth is a fantastic place to be a kid or to raise a young family, but when you are in your early 20’s it’s better to be in a place with a bit of a buzz.
I have to leave it to appreciate the beauty and lifestyle.
People are moving here for a better lifestyle and standard of living, not leaving.
I consider Perth the “Safe Haven”. We leave Perth to explore the world, and to discover what is really out there. Being here we become complacent. That is why we need to be out of Perth to fully appreciate what it is really worth.
I left Perth 9 years ago…(…)But now that i’m back here in Perth, I love it. It’s more touristic than it has even been, the place is continually under construction, and the weather is … brilliant, even now in winter.
The media in australia, not just perth, is very, very backward. So if you wanna get as far as you can in that industry you will eventually have to leave. Sad cos i love perth more than any city i have been too. It is so relaxed and you can have a great life with little stress.
I think you have to leave to realise how good it really is! Brunch at the beast, weekend down south, wine in the valley…I should be in advertising!! After 2 years away I can’t wait to get back there - Viva Perth!!!
Beautiful city but felt isolated and that it lacked a buzz. Got abit samey after a while. Freo and Subi were pretty lively.(…)So glad to have experienced Perth for 5 years, my children were born there too. It will always be a special place.
Am a Perthie born and raised here but am sorry to say am leaving for Melbourne as Perth is a bit too small for big ole me… who wants adventure and cheap living!!! Perth is a rich state now.. only the wealthy can afford to live here…
I’ve just come back after being away for two years travelling and I’m still amazed of the high praises Perth does get from travellers from all across the world. I can understand the attraction - beautiful beaches & scenery, genuine people, relaxed lifestyles and attitudes. In terms of growth, I think you’ll find perth is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia. Overall the local economy is flourishing, and there are tonnes of jobs around (…) There is alot to be seen outside of Perth whether be overseas or interstate. I do want stay long-term outside of Perth but in the end i think i will always come back.
Yup… isolation… i guess everyone has to travel and see the world (or the rest of Australia) at some point in their lives.. just i got stuck out here (London) since it became too expensive to own a place in Perth!
I’m originally from Sydney, but have lived in Brisbane, and NZ and now here in Perth since Dec 2005, and think it’s a great place to live, there’s so much to do here - sometimes hidden.
People might leave b/c of : some attitudes of people, or they might feel isolated. …when we lived in Wellington, NZ, we felt much more isolated there than we do here. Here we dont feel isolated at all - everything’s here, I’m sure it was some close minded easterner who made that up. Plus we are closer to Africa and the rest of the world than you are if you live in Sydney…trust me and I’m from there. There’s definitely something special about Perth, we spend most weekends out on the swan river, fremantle etc on the small boat that we bought plus I guess an added bonus is the pay here is really good - better than the East on both counts. Perth rocks!
I love how laid back we all are and that we don’t have sunday trading everywhere. More time to spend with friends/ family.
Id move back away from the uk tomorrow if i could! but cant, not until i get my qualifications to gain enough visa points!! The city is so clean and refreshing to visit, the suburbs are nice and open with parks etc. Plus the weather is unbeatable!
It’s all relative I think, Perth is somewhere to be a kid or a parent but in the middle you really need to get out and bring some outside ideas back to the place.
Perth is a fantastic place but it feels very different after 4 years away. Actually quite expensive by world standards (ignoring currency exchange rates). Definitely feels very clicky (but I’m sure it always was). Service in restaurants and cafes is poor. Property prices are amazing for what you get.
But Perth will always have beautiful beaches, blue sky and terrific weather. It will also have BBQs on a Sunday afternoon, sessions at the local pub, miles and miles of cycle paths and, actually, to disagree with an earlier post, excellent public transportation for a city that is very geographically spread out.
i came here 11yrs ago and thought, “very cheap..could make a go of it here”…well never did have the opportunity and now the prices are the same as sydney!!
I think Perth has several major weaknesses at present; lack of affordable housing (prices are overinflated because of a boom), lack of a vibrant arts scene, inflexible shopping and trading hours, rigid local governments (particularly the Perth Council who seem to keep making stupid decisions) and also extreme geographical isolation. Compared to Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and perhaps also Brisbane, Perth also no doubt lags behind in overall economic strength, cultural vibrancy, connectivity to the global economy, innovation, education, and competitiveness. Our main strengths are a good climate, very strong economy and good prospects for growth. Perth could become a lot more than what it is now.
I left Perth in 1990 and have lived in the UK since then. Why did I leave? To experience the wider world. (…) Ok I would miss London / Europe, can’t deny it. But the healthy, clean, open life in Perth can’t be beat and I know my kids (who are still young) won’t find a better place to grow up in. Believe me there is a lot of people here wished they lived there.
sometimes Perth can be boring and limited if you r comming from a busy life style you will never get use to it…
i am currently overseas living and working in europe. i like living overseas its cool to meet new people and experience different cultures but theres not a day that goes by taht i would ever not call perth home. ill always go back.
Perth has many good points, but there are a number of problems, some of which are growing. Housing affordability and creaking infrastructure are the critical ones at the moment, especially as the population is growing very fast as people move to try and take advantage of the boom. Another disturbing trend for me is also the growing inequality; for those benefiting from the boom, these are good times, but low income earners, pensioners, and those in non-mining sector jobs are certainly feeling the pinch from rising costs and inflation.
I’m French and I arrived in Melbourne 1,5 years ago. I moveD to Perth 3 months ago. I don’t really know how people manage several things:
- all the city is closed at 5pm! we can’t buy anything. It opens at 9am.
- there are not enough shopping centers.
- The markets opened at 9h. Too late. At 10h, it’s already overcrowded.
- Moreover, the different suburbs don’t have a street with some shops. If there are … they close early.
- we think we loose too much time on road and transports to find everything. I agree with the fact that Perth doesn’t have enough services. The population grows fast. The services have to follow this increase.
- I think the house prices are crazy.
- the prices of food and products are more expensive than in Melbourne.
Honestly I’m disappointed. People in Melbourne described Perth like a paradise. I agree for the landscapes and the beaches, the weather, the colors everywhere. But life is more complicated. I like Melbourne because it’s a bit like Europe without the disadvantages. Eventually, I really love Perth for Holidays! It’s amazing.
Ooooo… I left because I’m an IDIOT. But I’m working on moving back, especially after having a 9-month winter (snow on the ground, below freezing) last year in the mountains in Canada. Perth’s food, the beaches, the weather are so amazing. Lots of people leave and then come back. Perth is only boring for 20-somethings compared to places like Sydney and Melbourne, it’s not dull in the slightest compared to my home town! It’s really expensive though…
[i am not liable for any spelling mistakes that the authors above made. peeps, as i said, it is all (1:1) quoted! :–p]
Well, we will see how Perth will be four years later since we have lived there.
I know for sure that I loved Perth much more than Sydney or Melbourne in terms of climate, people, living costs, (sourrounding) nature, and the general (daily) lifestyle. I also loved the very laid-back feeling of life. It really calmes you (me) down. *wink-wink*