In which Dan gets mobile.

So I've been here a while now (three weeks) and I haven't done anything but spend money, which isn't a very good reason to come out here in my opinion as I could have done that at home. So I wanted to get a job and I looked and I applied... but over here the weather is considered too hot and the social climate considered too christmasy, it's christmas next week if you didn't know, and so a lot of offices and the like close down around this period and there isn't a lot of specialized work for me. So I thought I would do odd jobs like Tom in order to waste time and get some monies in instead of always spending it! So I look and I applied... but they don't really give work unless you can be sure of getting there because the work doesn't tend to be in the city area. Although the trains run all night the buses don't and so working into the night is a no no as there is no security of getting back. So they all ask that you have a car... which lead me to a choice. I either waited her doing pretty much nothing and watching how much money I spend or I get a car and re try getting a job in order to waste time and get some monies in. I decided that I had, had enough of spending money without any coming in and I also didn't like the idea of running out of money days before starting work in geology . So I thought I'd get a car...

Getting a car here is easy. As long as you have a license you can drive... any car. I mean if you want to drive a truck or bus or bigger then you get a heavy goods license but for cars you can just jump in anything and run off into the distance like its a bike. As long as your friends have a license then they can drive your car and you can imagine. Having an automatic means you can just go like a go kart and in that way its rather worrying trusting the roads here.

My search for a car begins this Monday (today is Thursday) when I go online and check my emails in the morning. I haven't had internet all weekend and so I've been off the grid. I felt like the forever alone meme as I only had two notifications after a whole weekend but I don't mind at all. So I go on gumtree.com.au which is a site we have back in the UK but over here it is bigger. The ads are free and its a good way to find something you're looking for, as long as you keep it vague. I looked for cars and scanned through things like $2,500 for a car 'that is fine but I have to move to New Zealand' and these are job things to go after... the only issue is that you need to make sure you know what you're doing and what you're looking for. So on day one I did nothing... I looked but I guess I had other things to do (like breath I assume). The next day I went back, puffing out my chest more and with a more assertive determination I sat down... and stared at a computer screen. It was this time that I was also trying to sort out something with my bank so maybe that distracted me too. I saw some interesting ads and realised that the good ads disappeared fast. After posting an advert for a fully functioning car under $1,000 you can be reasonably sure it'll be gone the next day, or in two days as people like to phone in before buying and arrange pick up the next day but more on this later.

I got out my little blue book of notes and in professional like organisation I wrote a few ads down, numbering them ^_^ and writing the car colour (this actually mattered on one phone call) the car name and make, the price, where the ad was from and the number of the person. This was so that I didn't lose track of what I was going to look for and lovingly I did this on fresh pages and getting three to a page, * ahem *. Then I walked outside and knew that after walking the walk I had to talk the talk... so I phoned Tom. I was nervous about phoning random people so I phoned Tom to remind me that people on the other end of the phone are going to be fine and you'll be able to get things sorted doing that. He was moving into an apartment and said he would phone me back when he had moved in... he didn't >.< So then I phoned the first person... and at two in the afternoon I got an answer machine. I thought nothing of it (good mindset) and moved on to the next of my four numbers. The second person's mail was full (car was that good?), the third person answered... and didn't say anything (one of those phone calls) and the fourth... I don't remember, but nothing came of it. Later that day I got a phone call from the first guy but as I didn't have the money on me (I couldn't pay by cheque or card) and he already had a deal I decided not to pursue. I just realised that this happened all on Monday... it was Tuesday that I did nothing. It's my blog so bear with me said the deer. I decided not to do anything until I had $1,000 which took me to Wednesday. I saw some more ads and phoned some more people and this time I ended up on a train. The transport here in Perth is great as you move between zones (circles) and when you cross one your fare will go up, moving inside a zone costs the zone amount. To pay you can either buy a ticket taking you somewhere or get a card to beep on and off things (buses, trains and ferries (ferry to the zoo)). There is credit on the card which is deduced when you tag off. I'm sure too that when going one direction you pay but the return from there is free ?_? Anyway I got to Maddington (South Perth) and immediately got lost. I was excited and so I suddenly needed the toilet but had to hold it in. I looked around the place, twice and headed for an auto dealer for him to tell me he wasn't what I was looking for. I thought I saw the car outside which didn't help his woes. Then I phoned the man again and he directed me in.

I saw another 'horseland' and found 'our car' which is a run down scary looking place... the kind of place from Matilda but luckily no one is like that in real life. The man gave me a test drive but I didn't know where he meant so after messing with the gear stick, which was terrible, I rolled forwards, turned around and rolled back, all in first gear. I asked about the gears and he was like 'they work fine'. Let me tell you what the steering and gear stick were like. The gear stick was like the bit at the top wasn't connected to the bottom. It was like there was a snap somewhere and you could just twirl it and nothing would happen. The steering was like you were trying to open a can of food that just didn't want to be eaten, possible to open (as food doesn't have feelings) but also quite difficult. I felt like if I was in a serious quick thinking moment there was no way I could move that wheel. So although the car was fine it was just not going to cut it. I told him I had other cars to see before I made my decision (true) and that I would be back if nothing else worked out.

Day 4

I went to the library. It was this day that I found, to my discomfort, nothing of interesting news in my emails. I guess this is something I just have to accept from now on but it felt like going there was a waste of time... until. I started looking on gumtree and didn't like what I saw. All the cars seemed to have faults, even if that included a lack of a picture. I wanted more hope but all I got were some dodgy sounding ads. I had really hoped for this one ad for a really good sounding deal but the guy never replied to my message. I wrote down a note for a volvo ad without a picture and an ad for a mazda (old, dark green) and knew that I probably wouldn't get anywhere today. I phoned the mazda ad first and to my surprise this went through. I said I would meet up as soon as I could (an hour from then) and that he said $900 was what he couldn't go lower than (the ad said $1,000). So in order to make it there in the hour I went to the train station and got the Jondoolburg or something fishy line up north. I love some of the lines here as they ride right down the middle of the freeway, adding to the sights you can see. When I got off I had to wander through sandy cycle paths up through a nice looking neighbourhood where I did not once pass another person on a stroll (the whole way – thirty minutes) thats when you know you're not in Britain. I saw a giant yellow sign for Roos but saw none. Then I found a sand path and while fighting off the swarm of flies who just loved my shades for some reason, I appeared in a neighbourhood where they had given up with paths all together and I walked along the road to the house (perfectly an hour after phoning BTW).

I nice young man greeted me who had a bush for a hair cut... jks but as the flies were using my head as a bush I wondered how he must be feeling with them around. I stepped into the cool (late twenty something) heat (relative cool). We went for a test drive and immediately I knew that there was no reason why I should hold back buying this car. He suggested sweetening the deal as someone else had offered $900 but as I only had $50 notes I had to pay $950 (but I got a glass of tap water thrown in for free). We filled out the paperwork and he talked of addresses, taboo amongst backpackers but I think it'll work out. Then I drove away... after first petting the cute and very friendly cat called Toby (Lucy I think of you. I would have got a picture but I didn't want to carry that as well through all this heat. I also think the guy may have found it odd but I would have done it anyway :P ).

So then I drove home, and in my now famous routine I got massively lost. I was supposed to follow the freeway down to Ledderville but as I was going I thought I had missed it as it might not have been called Ledderville. It said something about tunnel (which would have been too far) and the junction I approached was for Vincent Street which I recognised so I got off there... the next thing I knew I was in East Perth where once I had been in West Perth :S After some trouble getting off the highway (a mess to get off) I started turning around and ended up in the city centre... but then it was relatively smooth getting to Northbridge from there but the traffic lights here take so long to change and there are so many of them! I drove on to a neighbourhood I researched before which had no parking limitations on it and then walked back to the hostel, twenty minutes, a quick shower and I changed my top and then literally ran to town to meet the girl from my course only five minutes late... at which point I apologised for being massively confused with myself.