A lot of firsts

So here is an update on what has happened the last few days. First of all my roommates moved out. I had no idea they were planning on leaving and left me with nothing. I have no plates, silverware, pots, pans, knives etc.... So we'll see how that goes. I have also realized my apartment has no climate control, which is a bit different, and chilly. So anyways work has been good, kind of slow. The experiments I am running take about 30 hours a piece so I have been doing a lot of paper/proposal/presentation writing in the downtime.

Anyways to the parts people care about. I went out last night with a few friends from the program I'm here with and we went to a place in downtown Perth called Outback Jack's. We walked in and the lady took our drink orders and in about 5 minutes they came. Well about 30 minutes later still no one had come to take are orders. We finally flagged someone down and they had a good laugh at our expense. Apparently we had to walk to the back of the kitchen and place an order at the butcher like window. So we did and I ordered a sampler plate. It had steak, crocodile, and kangaroo. My takes on the meat, steak was good, but you knew that already. Crocodile tastes like a flounder and chicken had a baby and you ate it. It was alright but not my favorite. Kangaroo was delicious. It tasted somewhere in between steak and deer. They had camel on the menu but I just could not bring myself to try it. Maybe next time. We then went and got some desert and went on our way. The real story of the night came on the bus ride home. Let me warm you up to the story. First of all, this was my first experience trying to catch a bus back home by myself so I was a little worried I had gotten on the wrong bus. At one of the stops this plastered Australian dude gets on in full crocodile gear. Full gear, no joke. He is also missing is 4 front teeth and looks to have recently soiled himself. At this point the bus is moderately full and I have an open seat next to me. I try not to make eye contact, try to look busy, but how do you look busy when sitting on a bus? I shimmied my seat a little to make it look like there was less room than there actually was. I even went as far to set my bag down next to me. None of these acted as a deterrent and sure enough, big drunk Crocodile Dundee plots his dead animal jeans right next to me and gives me a large, toothless grin, and said "G'day mate!" which smelled of cottage cheese and whiskey. After a few blessed moments of silence here is how our conversation went:


Drunk Guy on bus: I don't mean to yabber on at ya mate, but you haven't got a few zacks on ya? My change has gone walkabout.
Me: Excuse me?
Drunk guy on bus: Oh you're a bloody seppo ain't you?
Me: It's a possibility.
Drunk guy on bus: Well I'm trying to shoot through Clairmont and I seem to be
a few coins short.
Me: I'm sorry man I don't have any change to spare.
Drunk guy on bus: Well I guess I'm just rooted. You mean to tell me in that port of yours you don't have any money?
Me: No sir I don't
Drunk Guy on Bus: How about a durry?
Me: Sir I have no idea what you are talking about.
Drunk guy: A ciggy mate. You honestly ain't an aussie is ya?
Me: Not in the least
Drunk guy: Well sorry for the bother mate. Cheers

At this point he breaks out into some song, which I would love to tell you the words to for added humor but I just could not understand them. At this point he finally gets up, declares his love for footy (Australian rules, sort of like rugby) and cold weather, and gets off the bus, well short of Clairmont. While I found his company rather amusing, it did reveal something to me. Australians don't speak English. This whole time I have been fighting to understand what people around me are saying and I have now taken it upon myself to learn Aussie and impart to you the tidbits that I learn. As for my previous conversation, upon asking people around here this is what I have learned.
yabber: to talk to the point of annoyance
zachs: coins
seppo: american
rooted: screwed (usually vulgar)
port: bag
durry: cigarette

Anyways I am hoping to go to Freemantle this weekend and maybe Yanchep National Park. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers