M-A-D-N-E-S-S i tell you!!

This is the worst winter Perth has experience. There's Typhoon, temperature dropping below 0 degrees, rooftop flying off the building, trees falling onto cars, hail, waves crash onto roads and highways!

I tell you the wind is so strong i could hardly walk! I was literally being BLOWN AWAY.

check out these two websites on Perth's Weather

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=85597
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=33869

some extracts from the news:

"And residents in Perth and the State's South-West are being warned to brace for more bad weather tonight with the Weather Bureau issuing a severe weather warning for widespread damaging winds of up to 100kmh and locally destructive gusts of more than 125kmh."

"Thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain are also forecast to hit areas including Geraldton, Perth...."

"A pine tree has also brought down power lines at the Mt Lawley ...."

"The Swan Hotel in North Fremantle lost its roof, causing the closure of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge." -and i was down at Fremantle TODAY!!!!

"The storm also caused a number of traffic lights to be blacked out, causing traffic chaos througout the day."

---------------------------------------------------------

It's crazy i tell you!!! Thank God for our safety, good health and good mind so far.

Today Aunty Beatrice's friends and their two daughters studying in UWA just arrived, but their rented car window got smashed and one bag stolen!! Poor girls!!

It freaked me out a little. Worried about safety and all now!! Pray for me!!

ANYWAY, so a little update since the last time from IKEA!

Wednesday we headed to a Casino at Intercontinental Hotel.

Watched them play with the slots machine. The roulette, black jack table and all look so cool and scary. These people much have too much money!!!

Later on we headed down south to have CHINESE dinner. Food was good!!! =) Yum Yum!! And service EXCELLENT! the minute we came in, 5 waiters were assisting us at our table with the table, the cloth the chairs and everything! Prompt service!

Ice Cream in winter!! SHIOK!! =)

Thursday I did up my bank account and over here everything takes forever!! 10days to get an ATM account. tsk tsk... so this is what we ended up doing while waiting for the parents to settle their banking.

And much photos of ourselves =)

Headed over to Target to walk around and shop.

NOPE!!! not all my stuff ok!!!

And home-sweet-home, or rather room-sweet-room

i'm so BLUE

and of course back to my internet! source of connection with the life back in sg!!

TODAY!!! we headed down to Fremantle, all the cafes and shops. We had the best fish and chips there, HUGE portions

After ordering, they'll give you a round device to put on your table, once your order is ready the device will sound its alarm. uber cool! but can never happen in SG.

This is the rail to Fremantle

Frementle's not part of perth, is another city. It's a Port City. We went into the Fremantle wholesale market to walk around and get some stuff cheap!!

And then was Cold Rock. Ice cream AGAIN in the cold cold freezing winter!

Ice cream was yummy. Check out their nice toilets!!! If only Singapore public toilet was like that!! (above)

Anyway we’ve got to know this guy named Andrew, he’s a medicine student, staying above us, haha and he looks like Harry Potter! Seriously. But he's really nice and friendly. THEY ALL ARE FRIENDLY COMPARED TO SINGAPOREANS

A singaporean neighbour just came today too, Wendy, staying in our block.. she’s from CJC.

And we met a Malaysian guy called Arthur who’s stayed here 5 years already, Singapore is more his home though and he stays in Serangoon Ave 2 and goes to SFX!! HAHAHA super small world. =)

People are starting to come in soon!!! they'll be back from WYD soon!! =)

So it's 9 degrees now, and i want to head to bed!! Brrrrr..... Brrrr.....

NIGHTS!!!

Pray for my safety and survival in this crazy winter =)

<3

Hi Guys,

As Neal and Kirk mentioned I'm always shooting hot chicks and this was no exception!   There I was just shooting the harbour when this hot model came along and posed for a portrait.  Think she was a little too serious and could've smiled as well anyhow, how could I resist?  Perhaps next time she could make more effort with makeup and clothes. :-)

Just a quick post and shot  . This was from last Sunday morning at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour . Got up twice on the weekend before 6am :) , Meet Jamie http://jamiepatersonphotography.wordpress.com/ and Neal http://spoolphotography.wordpress.com/ down at the cold warf . The sunrise was pretty good but we missed most the color as it was behind the boats and buildings , however i did take a walk down to the beach to get some shots of the clouds . When I returned back to the warf I had found Jamie had found a local bird who was fond of having there shot taken lol ;) .

This was one of the shots i took still havent looked through them all yet . Was origianlly at 18 image stitch of the whole warf looked pretty impressive but far to wide . I think I croped this down to about 8 or 9 images  . One of the boats has a bit of motion blur from the long exposure , but i have some others shots from later in the morning with quicker shutters  still to go through . I still really liked where the clouds where to one side of this shot and it went from dark to light

Hi Everyone,

Here is a pic I took down at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour with Neal and Kirk last Sunday morning, it was extremely cold and I came pretty close to just sleeping in.    Glad I made the effort though, especially since the mug of Mocha at the end of the shoot tasted so nice and refreshing.  

Jamie Paterson

Mark Harvey would never get rid of Solly...he loves the bloke! Just look at them - they are like a pair of slightly vacuous twins!

It is season over for Freo's Dean Solomon after the AFL tribunal handed down an eight week suspension last night for his nasty clash with Geelong Mayor Cameron Ling. The sentence is not only greater than that handed down to Barry Brainfade earlier this year but it's actually the heaviest handed down by the tribunal since Carlton's Greg Williams shoved an umpire in round one 1997.

With Solomon out of contract as season's end, there was talk that his career could be over but there is no way he won't be back at Fremantle in 2009. The guy is only 28 years old, a premiership defender and, most importantly for the Dockers, a former Essendon player. So Mark Harvey will ensure Solly sticks around - along with Mark Johnson, Kepler Bradley...heck, don't be surprised if Harvs recruits Jason Johnson and Damien Peverill to join them!

In fact, the Dockers were reportedly seeking legal advice over the severity of the penalty...perhaps they will argue that continuing to play every week alongside Jeff Farmer, Josh Carr and friends is a far greater punishment? They are probably right...

...

The Solly case ends a frantic couple of days for the League's match review panel:

• Amon Buchanan had a five-match sanction reduced to four with an early guilty plea...for hitting Luke Hodge in the head. Hodgey must have been falling because there is no other way this shortarse could physically hit anybody that high!
• Daniel Kerr doesn't even look like he wants to play now anyway so the tribunal probably did him a favour with the three-match ban. But there could be more trouble on the way for Kerr! Not that he seems to care...
• The tribunal members cleared Ryan Crowley and Daniel Pratt last night...they must have been feeling a little fatigued after deliberating on the Solomon case for a while. Or maybe they needed to rush home to watch Ladette to Lady...

...

In other news:

• No bionic knee for Brett Burton! It could be a long while before he's back taking screamers and spraying set shots...if he gets back at all!
• Essendon do their own suspension work...and it is a repeat offender too!
• So why did Shannon Grant really get dropped by the Kangas last week? Something smells funny here...
• Dean Cox is pissed off! Well, they just got flogged by Richmond...at home...and that just shouldn't happen. Ever!
• Brendan Fevola still copping flak from Nathan Buckley and now some of the AFL's best are weighing in on the Fev story. Will he just sign this new contract with Carlton so we can forget about him for a bit?
• Gold Coast Cappers not catchy enough? The new GC17 club narrow down the choice of team name to five boring-arse options!

Solomon sees red...

Well, that was another incident packed weekend! Important wins by St Kilda, Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn helped boost their respective finals chances while injuries to key players will test the playing stocks of both Geelong and Adelaide. Well...maybe only Adelaide! But the biggest story from the weekend comes out of Geelong where the Cats and Dockers are still counting the cost of a wild encounter at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.

Yeah, nah...sorry...and that...

Fremantle took a highly physical approach to the challenge of playing the reigning champs with the antagonising pair of Ryan Crowley and Josh Carr unsettling a few Cats...leaving them quite unimpressed. While they came close to crossing the line a few times, Dean Solomon took a few mammoth steps over that line when he attacked Cameron Ling with his pointy elbow!

Ling will probably miss the next month of footy and while Solomon went live-to-air after the match to apologise for the incident, he won't receive a lot of sympathy this week from the AFL tribunal. How he got out of the Geelong region unscathed is close to miraculous. Then again, has Solomon been sighted since his TV apology? If not, we fear for his safety!

Oooh, that looks nasty! Dean Solomon came out and apologised for that as well...

At least Lingy will be back out there and scaring young children later this season...but Brett Burton won't! His left knee collapsed during Adelaide's loss to Collingwood and his season is over. While it is most likely that Burton will be back at some stage of 2009, have we seen the best of the high flying Birdman? Or will he undergo the same radical knee surgery as Nick Malceski and introduce the bionic leap to AFL football?

...

Here’s a look back at who claimed all the points as part of the Eight Point Game round:

SUNDAY

A bit like Tadhg's shoulder, the Swans just keep popping out every now and then...

• Hawthorn eased back into footy after the split round with a solid win over Sydney - one that was supposedly their last big psychological test before the finals. Um, aren't they playing Geelong in a couple of weeks? And wouldn't you think that Buddy only kicking four goals from 14 scoring shots is a slight concern? Surely, the Swans need to bring back Barry Hall this week because they need him...well, most of him!

It was at this point that the Dogs had the match all wrapped up...

• Well...that was a complete waste of time! The Western Bulldogs cruised to victory over a committed but just not very good Melbourne and neither coach was particularly happy with what they saw. In good news for the Bulldogs, Melbourne didn't resort to going the knuckle like Freo did on Saturday so there are no major injuries from the match. In fact, they have some really good players to come back in for the Geelong match!

Daniel Kerr might miss a few more games for this little incident...

• Richmond make a mess of the West Coast Eagles to stay in the finals race. The Tigers kicked 11 goals in the second term. That's right - not an entire game...in just one quarter! The Eagles are now less than one per cent from the very bottom of the ladder so while John Worsfold might be confident of rebuilding, it could take a long, long time.

…

SATURDAY

Brownlow Medal punters shat themselves when they saw Gazza's ankle!

• Once the Freo biffo subsided, Geelong just took care of business and ran over the top of the Dockers despite losing Ablett and Ling for the second half. They now prepare for a top-of-the-table clash at home against the second placed Dogs next Saturday and it will be live on Channel Ten! That's not a misprint...live and free-to-air. What a treat!

Shoulder trouble or huge Star Trek fan?

• You thought that Adelaide's season was looking shaky after what Geelong did to them? Well, they lost convincingly to Collingwood and saw their two leading goal kickers go down for the year. This gave Mick Malthouse to reheat his extended interchange argument as his weekly whinge topic, saying it was unfair for the Crows to have two less players. Of course, it didn't stop Geelong.

David Hille...Luke Darcy wants your phone number!

• Essendon survived a couple of Brisbane fightbacks to run out convincing winners and chalk up four straight! Matty Knights is certainly not talking finals...which is wise considering they are two games and a shit percentage out of eighth spot. But Luke Darcy was definitely talking David Hille during the game...he, along with others, are quite taken with the Bomber big man!

Hey Crabman!

• North Melbourne stay in the thick of the finals race as they hold on for a thrilling win against a blunderiffic Port Adelaide. Power captain and infamous goal celebrator Warren Tredrea had the opportunity to be a real hero but he missed a final minute shot from a tight angle to win the game. Dean Laidley clealry felt that karma played its part in Tredrea's miss so he must be a big fan of My Name Is Earl! Wonder if he jokingly refers to Daniel Wells as Crabman...

Pascal ging even buiten een sigaretje roken en kwam vervolgens binnen met de mededeling dat hij het telefoonnummer van een man had gekregen. Wij keken hier even verbaasd van op, maar het bleek een misverstand. Pascal was met de man aan de praat geraakt over het weer en toen bleek dat hij Wijnbergen heet en oorspronkelijk uit Zuthen komt. Zijn zus was bezig om hun stamboom uit te pluizen en hij zag in Pascal wel een verre neef... Dus werden er telefoonnummers uitgewisseld, zodat er uitgezocht kan worden of er een link is tussen de familie Wijnberg en de familie Wijnbergen. Je weet maar nooit.

Tegen half 8 kwamen Martin en een andere collega van Pascal bij de food court. Er moest nog even susi naar binnen gewerkt worden (niet door ons!!) en toen konden we richting het optreden gaan.

Daar kwamen we ook Pascals andere collega's tegen. Stuk voor stuk aardige mensen. Er was een dubbel voorprogramma, waar we niet heel veel van mee hebben gekregen. Twee erg jonge hillbillies en een jongen met een gitaar. En toen begon Abbie May. Wat een strot! Zo, zingen dat die meid kan. Het was werkelijk waar prachtig! Een stuk later dan we van plan waren geweest waren we thuis. Ook omdat we buiten nog een beetje zijn blijven rondhangen. De volgende ochtend ging de wekker echter al vroeg...

Western Australian Maritime Museum

This was shot on the same day as my Freo Wharf shot but in the afternoon. I started to head home from Fremantle after work at around 3:30pm but stopped in at Mosman Park and Cottesloe to get a few shots as the conditions were pretty decent.  I was just about to continue heading home when I saw this cloud start to build up over Fremantle.  So instead of heading home I jumped in my car and planted it.

I was heading back towards Fremantle in a frantic state trying to decide what I was going to shoot and where. I ended up opting for North Mole where I managed to get this shot as well as another one of the lighthouse (the clouds were lit up orange for the lighthouse shot but I am having trouble stitching it accurately, hopefully it comes together).

When I shot this I was sitting there waiting, hoping for the purple lights on the Museum to come on. Finally they did but by that time there was not a lot of light left in the sky and the cloud cover was not quite as fierce. Shit Happens!

"Doesn't look that worried about the loss, Fev. I don't like the look of that. Don't like it at all. You haven't done much. Haven't helped the side. You've had the loss. That guy there (Chris Judd) has busted his guts. And you are hugging the opposition. Oh well."

That's not Half Back Flanker bagging out Carlton full forward Brendan Fevola...we would be far more succinct with a few cuss words thrown in for good measure. Those statements belong to Channel Seven commentator Nathan Buckley, who was clearly unimpressed with the body language emanating from the Fev after St Kilda's vital win over the Blues last night.

The Saints needed to win this 'eight point' game in order to have some control over their finals destiny and they did just that in front of a good crowd at the MCG, not the Docklands as the ABC reported...though they did manage a decent crowd at the Dome as well! Those Catholics sure have a loyal fan base...wonder if they will all get on board with the Sydney Celtics in 2011?

Having won the 'eight-pointer', St Kilda sit one win and percentage above Carlton in eighth spot. The Blues still think they are a shot at September but not on last night's showing...plus they have the Doggies, Hawks and away games in Brisbane and Adelaide to come. Umm...nah!

But quickly back to Fevola - maybe he thinks that slapping your opponent around the head unnecessarily a few times is the type of action that warrants a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract. But nobody at Carlton or Sydney or anywhere else he is supposedly wanted, would agreee with him...unless he has the same agent as Andrew Bogut!

But with Carlton playing Sydney next Sunday - perhaps the winner can have the four points and the loser can overpay Fev for three years of occassional joy and chronic frustration! Sounds fair.

…

Here is a look ahead at the remaining games for The Eight Point Game round:

SATURDAY

With eight points on the line, expect to see a fast-paced contest between these two teams this afternoon!

MCG, Melbourne - 2:10pm (local): Collingwood v Adelaide (FOX)

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? Big game! Fifth verses sixth, level on points and both chasing the Swans who sit six points ahead on the ladder …the loser can probably kiss a top four finish goodbye. And because it is so rare to win it all from outside the top four, flag hopes could be dashed for one of these clubs today. EIGHT POINTS!
• After beating up on the Swans, Collingwood are aiming for the top four...and a potential first round match against Geelong. How cool would that be!!!
• Is this the Magpies or the Sopranos...because uncle Tony is getting into trouble again!
• Adelaide are fired up about facing the Pies but then again, they said the same thing about the Geelong game...and guess how that turned out!
• But to have any hope of victory, the Crows need to find a high-scoring forward to spark them in attack. Wonder what Tony Modra is up to...
• It's round 15...did it really take this long for a sub-editor to break out the 'Bock and a hard place' headline pun?

…

Don't the Cats fans love beating Freo! Might be a bit cold for it though...

Skilled Stadium, Geelong - 2:10pm (local): Geelong v Fremantle (TEN)

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? Win or lose, the Cats are either finishing first or second and looking the team to beat in September. Even if Freo caused a major upset, they would still suck for the next month. Barely worth playing at all. ONE POINT!
• To the surprise of no one, Nathan Ablett is back at Geelong and on the training track. But he's not going to play - it is all in preparation for 2009...honest!
• What the hell is wrong with Anthony Hudson? Bomber Thompson wins Geelong's first flag since before Huddo was alive...and only now can he bring himself to thank him?
• Fremantle are now looking at this year as 'short term pain for long term gain'...well, apart from two finals appearances, they have had a lot of pain since 1995. Any chance of some gain before the year 2025?
• The bell has tolled, or rung, or whatever bell-like sound you can think of, on the playing career of veteran Peter Bell. But he will probably stay involved in footy at the Dockers...or is it the Eagles?

…

Sorry Bomber fans...you won't see Hirdy in red and black or fluoro yellow any time soon!

Telstra Dome, Melbourne - 7:10pm (local): Essendon v Brisbane (TEN)

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? Essendon won't win enough games for finals but have won too many for a priority draft pick - so it's more about team development for them. But the result is critical for Brisbane as they need to win on the road if they have any hope of catching the Swans in fourth spot. FIVE POINTS!
• Essendon will welcome back Henry Slattery - not only is he awake again but he's straight back in the team and ready to play! Just in time to fill the space in front of Jono Brown...oh crap!
• Didn't these guys retire a dozen or so times last year? Yep...but it seems that both Kevin Sheedy and James Hird can't keep away from Windy Hill. Haven't they got homes to go to?
• Leigh Matthews doesn't have a problem with players diving for free kicks...well, the fans don't necessarily agree with Leigh's point of view!
• Now that Michael Voss has snubbed the new Gold Coast franchise (and who could blame him!) and heading west to coach at the Eagles - how cool would it be if Vossy came back to be the next coach of Brisbane in 2011 and smash the GC17 in the first Queensland derby!

…

Chances of a repeat of last year's prelim final flogging? Hmm, not great.

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? The Power have been out of the running for a few weeks but North are only half a game out of the eight...though they will still be outside if they win. But there has been no mention of the mythical 'Shinboner Spirit' this week, so the Roos can't be playing a mythical 'eight-pointer'! FOUR POINTS!
• There has been no 'home sweet home' for Port Adelaide as AAMI Stadium has not treated them well this year...maybe that's why they are looking elsewhere for some Carr insurance!
• Brett Ebert is about to sign a new deal at the Power...once it's done, hopefully the media can get photos of him holding an oversized novelty check above his oversized novelty head!
• Despite injuries, Port still have a decent midfield so North Melbourne really do need to improve in this area if they hope to win. Yes, that appears to mean you, Daniel Harris!
• Dumped Roo Shannon Grant dusts off the old apology script and gives it another run. The guy is so close to playing 300 games and has the rest of his life to play up on corporate golf days...what the hell is he doing?

...

SUNDAY

Will Spida Everitt take over as Sydney's biggest nutjob with Barry Hall out?

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? A Hawthorn win probably ensures they finish in the top three and play all their finals games in Melbourne. A Sydney loss would mean either the Pies or Crows are only half a game behind them in fourth. It's still a big game but the real eight-pointers will be coming soon...for the Swans in particular! SIX POINTS!
• Brad Sewell will play for the Hawks after being in doubt due to having his appendix removed...you'd have thought that footy clubs would automatically rip them out of every rookie so this kind of thing doesn't happen! How unprofessional...
• Buddy Franklin reveals that he is frustrated at the amount of attention he receives from the public...well, perhaps you could try being a little less awesome!
• How well prepared will Sydney be for this match? Paul Roos has been very busy this week disciplining Barry Hall and not meeting Brendan Fevola.
• Speaking of Barry, it seems he is a little confused as to why he lashed out last weekend...well, don't ask any of us for clarification. We don't understand what's going on in your head either!

…

Things didn't go so well for Melbourne the last time they faced the Dogs!

Telstra Dome, Melbourne - 2:10pm (local): Western Bulldogs v Melbourne (SEVEN)

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? Not that many. We think it's worth two so a Doggies win would make up for the draw with Richmond and could bring them level with either the Cats or Hawks in the later rounds. Two points would also be a nice incentive for Melbourne without endangering their chances of landing the best kid in the country at draft time. TWO POINTS!
• So, are the Doggies certainties to win? You can bet on it! We don't gamble that much but you'd have to think that is money in the bank...
• Um, why does every little piece of shit that falls from the mouth of Jason Akermanis become a 'story'? Shanghai...are you f*@$&#g kidding me?
• Melbourne are launching their 'Debt Demolition' this week as they attempt to save their club...fair to say it won't be the only demolition involving the Dees this week!
• It has been a tough year for the Demons but they can at least take heart in the performances of their youngsters...but any time they play and one of their guys doesn't almost die, it's a bonus!

…

A few flying high shots would certainly help Richmond's cause...

Subiaco, Perth - 2:40pm (local): West Coast v Richmond (FOX)

• How Many Points Is This Game Worth? Points are irrelevant to the Eagles at this stage but a win in the west would be an enormous boost for the Tigers who are stuck in 11th spot. But we will only give them three points and that gives them a better chance of just falling short of the finals in ninth spot...because that's how Richmond works!  THREE POINTS!
• Daniel Kerr has been named to play but is in doubt with 'footballer's knee'. Is that the term you use when a footballer gets spiked in the knee by a stingray?
• Any more off-field shenanigans at the Eagles and Adam Selwood is outta there! Whether this is an overreaction is up for debate...and the master of overreaction is having his two cents worth!
• No Matthew Richardson for Richmond - which not only sucks for them but for any fantasy football owners who have Richo in their team...as vice captain...in a competition with no emergencies! D'oh!!!
• Terry Wallace believes that Graham Polak could well make a full recovery from his brain injuries. Ummm, nup - can't take the piss out of this one! We hope that Polak does make a full recovery and plays for the Tigers again!

Will Bazza get the chance to smack another footy player in the head ever again?

The Big Bad Bustling Barry era is in danger of coming to a sad and sorry end. The new and improved Barry Hall that led Sydney to a memorable, drought-breaking flag in 2005 has had a shocking 2008 and his future in the game appears to be in doubt. So...what the hell has happened to the big thuggish oaf now? Here is the wrap of all the Barry Hall news from the past couple of days:

• After the incident with Shane Wakelin, the Swans were pretty pissed off and got in first before the match review panel by suspending him from playing!
• And until the club psychologist gives Barry the ok to return to the field, there will be no more football!
• Typically, Brendan Gale at the AFLPA doesn't like this idea at all...does this guy actually like anything?
• Bazza was eventually charged with 'attempting to strike'. Has there ever been this much fuss over a player taking a swing at an opponent...and missing?
• Of course, it looked worse at the time because Wakelin took a theatrical dive to try and milk a free kick!
• And Dale Thomas felt Wakelin's reaction was 'instinctive'...meaning he dives for free kicks all the time.
• Hall accepted the charge and was officially suspended for one week...not that the League is soft on violence at all! Because if Sydney didn't act first, they would have stepped in and added a couple of weeks to his suspension, right? Right?
• The man himself was shocked and stunned at the club's response...well, now he knows exactly how the club and supporters must feel when they saw him running around like a damn maniac so soon after the Brent Staker incident!
• But it's ok because Barry is more interested in boxing now anyway...um, no shit Sherlock!
• And how do we know this? Because Spida Everitt opened his mouth and dumb stuff fell out!
• The Swans believe that it could be too risky to have Baz play during the finals in his current state...well, he does have a little history when it comes to ill discipline in September...
• The League fully support Sydney's decision to keep Barry off the field for a while...well, it sure saves them having to do anything!
• Notice how the Sydney newspapers only really take notice of AFL if it is about a) violence, or b) women? Lucky for them...the Barry Hall issue seems to have a little bit of both!
• So will Bazza and his flying fists be back sooner rather than later? Paul Roos doesn't know...but insists that it is for his own good.

"I wish that Hally would take out his frustrations on Nick Davis...that would solve two of my biggest problems at the one time!"

...

In non-Bazza (and therefore not that important) news:

• Brett Ratten is getting sick of Fevola's prolonged contract bullshit...welcome Ratts, welcome to the biggest club in Australia!
• Short Arse Premiership Player Retirement 1: Peter Bell call it quits...effective immediately! Two flags with North Melbourne - awesome! Captain of Fremantle - um, yeah...anyway.
• Short Arse Premiership Player Retirement 2: Michael Braun will finish up with the Eagles at season's end...well, he's probably due for a rest after taking all those drugs just to keep up with Jason Akermanis!
• Aaron Davey has been given the week off as well...and he didn't have to belt anybody to get it!
• Grant Thomas has finally received his hush money from St Kilda...but don't expect a lot of hush from Grant Thomas...
• Punters in brazen attempt to extract blood from a stone!
• Any surprises that a night out involving Chad Cornes threatened to turn ugly?
• Justin Koschitzke is the master of his own destiny...but is he the master of his own domain?

Justin Koschitzke just bought himself a new t-shirt!

]]> http://stefantamara.wordpress.com/?p=12 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:47:17 +0000 23 your mind http://stefantamara.wordpress.com/?p=12 Zondag hebben we heerlijk uitgeslapen en genoten van een lekker ontbijtje met echte Australische pindakaas. Jammie!! We zijn toen die middag naar Kings Park gegaan in Perth. Was best wel druk in het park. Maar ja wat wil je, het was heerlijk weer! Nadat we daar een half uurtje hebben vertoefd zijn we wederom in de auto gestapt en richting Fremantle gegaan waar we die middag hebben afgesproken met Martin, Pascals beste vriend en collega. Bleek een superrelaxte gast te zijn. Was erg gezellig! We zijn naar Little Creatures geweest wat een stuk enger klinkt dan het in werkelijkheid is. Is een brouwerij / cafe-restaurant. Een place to be aangezien het er gezellig druk bleek te zijn. Hebben ons er een paar uur vermaakt waarna het toch wel een beetje koud begon te worden. Toen zijn we weer naar Pascals huis gegaan waar we nog een heel stuk van een film hebben gekeken.

I took this on Friday morning.  I also managed to get a fair few shots in after work on Friday but I'm yet to go through them. Hopefully they stitch together alright.

There are already enthusiastic buyers waiting for this event! After all it is accessible art of a high standard, with the added bonus of being easy on wall-space. If you don't believe that the quality of art is necessarily measured in acres, then this is the exhibition for you.

In addition to the artists normally represented by the gallery, there are a number of distinguished guests contributing to the show......

Watch the gallery's website for further information, or phone: 089433 5381

MENYUSUR PANTAI AUSTRALIA BARAT

DARI FREO SAMPAI BATAVIA

Teks dan foto-foto: Rr Ukirsari Soepijono - Ingram

Jakarta milik Indonesia, terkenal hingga Benua Kanguru. Bukan dalam konteks kekinian sebagai ibukota NKRI, tapi cuplikan masa lalunya. Dari kapal sampai pantai dinamai Batavia. Petualangan menyusuri jejaknya bermula dari Fremantle.

(c) ukirsari

Relasi Australia dan Indonesia di masa lampau, dengan Negeri Belanda sebagai ‘perantara' tanpa melibatkan Inggris sebagai pimpinan negeri persemakmuran (Commonwealth of Nations) yang membawahi Australia? ‘Aneh' tapi nyata!

Ini sebuah unsur ketidaksengajaan, yang membuat sejarah negeri kita bisa ‘bersinggungan begitu dekat' dengan Australia. Saya menjumpai fakta itu saat berkunjung ke Shipwreck Galleries Maritime Museum di Fremantle, State of Western Australia. Sebuah kota yang dijuluki masyarakat setempat sebagai ‘Freo'.

BATAVIA PORTICO DAN SHIPWRECK

Belanda menjajah Indonesia pertama kali lewat armada dagangnya yang terkenal; VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie). Selain merampok kekayaan alam Indonesia, utamanya rempah-rempah serta memberangus nilai-nilai kemerdekaan berbangsa kita, VOC menjadikan negara kita -khususnya Jakarta- sebagai representatif kerajaan Hindia Belanda-nya.

Cara para Nederlander memperlakukan Jakarta --yang mereka namakan ‘Batavia'- secara istimewa, tersimak dari bangkai kapal VOC bernama sama. Kapal ini memulai pelayaran perdananya dari Texel (Belanda) pada 28 Oktober 1628 menuju Indonesia via Tanjung Harapan Baik di Afrika. Francisco Pelsaert ditunjuk sebagai komandannya.

Apa daya, awak kapal mengadakan pemberontakan di bawah hasutan Jeronimus Cornelisz. Hingga tujuan ke Pulau Jawa dan sandar di pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa berbelok ke pantai Australia Barat dan karam terhempas karang Morning Reef di kepulauan Houtman Abrolhos, sekitar 100 km arah laut dari Geraldton pada 4 Juni 1629.

Selain membawa kru dan penumpang sebanyak 316 orang (yang akan dipekerjakan sebagai pengawas pribumi di kawasan Hindia Belanda alias Indonesia), kapal jenis tiang tinggi (tall-ship) Batavia juga mengangkut koin perak, sutera, peralatan dapur dan makan dari bahan logam, kaca, porselen serta tembikar.

Paling menarik bagi saya, adalah bagian dari kargo kapal Batavia yang memuat potongan-potongan batukali dalam kondisi siap disusun (knock-down). Batu-batu ini rencananya menjadi gerbang (portico facade) kastil dan benteng Batavia di suatu daerah kawasan Sunda Kelapa atau Jakarta!

Portico facade Batavia ini di-display secara utuh dengan diapit dua meriam, di Batavia Gallery lantai dasar museum. Lantas di sebelahnya terdapat separuh lunas kapal yang tersisa dari Batavia, hasil temuan para penyelam dan ahli kelautan Australia.

Bila ingin membayangkan ujudnya lebih detail, selain menyimak replika kecil Batavia, pengunjung bisa naik ke Viewing Deck di lantai satu. Sungguh sajian rekonstruksi yang menarik, mengingat sang kapal dari abad ke-17 itu sudah karam selama 343 tahun sebelum diangkat ke permukaan laut.

Pengunjung juga dapat menyaksikan tayangan video presentasi penyelaman ke kapal Batavia, yang tersedia di lantai dasar serta Dutch Wreck Gallery di samping Viewing Deck. Selain memajang berbagai barang dari kapal Batavia (1629) yang punya ‘ikatan' dengan sejarah Jakarta, di sini juga dipajang berbagai temuan dari kapal-kapal VOC yang karam dalam pelayarannya menuju Indonesia.

Yaitu Vergulde Draeck (1656), Zuytdorp (1712) dan Zeewijk (1727). Zuytdorp tercatat sebagai satu-satunya kapal VOC yang para penumpangnya tidak pernah mencapai Batavia untuk minta tolong diselamatkan atau pun menceritakan tragedinya.

Kelengkapan materi yang dimiliki Shipwreck Galleries Maritime Museum di Freo ini menjadikannya satu-satunya museum di Benua Kanguru yang terlengkap dalam menyajikan temuan kapal karam sebelum periode pendudukan bangsa Inggris.

MANDI MATAHARI DI FREO

Dari bayang-bayang kemegahan bangkai kapal Batavia yang tersimpan di museum, saya melangkah menyusuri Old Freo. Dari Marine Terrace sampai Kings Square melintasi berbagai spot menarik.

Kalau mau jujur, bagian kota ini ada miripnya dengan kawasan Kota, Jakarta yang dijuluki Nederlander sebagai Batavia. Gedung-gedung kolonial menjulang tinggi, mengapit ruas-ruas jalanan sempit, lalu ornamen bangunannya terdiri dari beberapa variasi seperti bata exposed, kaca model sempit, atap berhias pola sulur-sulur tumbuhan sampai bidak catur.

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Cuma bedanya, kondisi bangunan di Freo berkategori well-maintenanced. Hingga bisa disuguhkan sebagai tujuan wisata. Utamanya beberapa bangunan yang diambilalih oleh Univesitas Notre Dame.

Selain dirawat dan dicat warna cerah, gedung-gedung bersejarah peninggalan abad ke-17 dan ke-18 itu ini dijadikan tempat perkuliahan dan praktikum.

Dengan kondisi cuaca arid khas gurun yang surplus sinar matahari, masyarakat Freo doyan duduk-duduk di tempat terbuka sembari bercengkerama. Para pebisnis makanan dan minuman pun memanfaatkannya, dengan menggelar kanopi-kanopi dilengkapi kursi di sepanjang South Terrace yang kondang dengan nama ‘Cappuccino Strip'.

Cukup duduk, pesan minum dan makan di sini lalu bersantailah. Suasana bakal makin meriah, ketika pengelola setempat atau regional menggelar happening atau festival menyambut perayaan tertentu. Seperti Paskah atau hari jadi kota, misalnya.

Kalau ingin lebih menikmati suasana Freo yang ‘lebih asli', bisa berkunjung ke Fremantle Market. Sebuah pasar yang berdiri sejak tahun 1897. Suasananya mirip pasar Tanah Abang di Ibukota kita, tapi dengan tingkat kebersihan lebih terjaga.

Mulai souvenir Aborigin, kebutuhan sehari-hari, hiburan macam CD dan DVD serta kudapan dan makan berat bisa didapat di sini. Tentunya dengan kapasitas tampung per kedai yang bisa dibilang cukup sempit, hingga kesannya berdempetan di sana-sini.

Para wisatawan di sini banyak berburu oleh-oleh khas Aborigin serta t-shirt gaya Aussie yang orisinalitas idenya kadang mengundang senyum sekaligus komentar ‘garing nggak, sih?' seperti misalnya, ‘Kami doyan bir, kami makan daging seperti kalian dan kami berbicara f***ing English' atau ‘Saya ini teknisi bom. Jadi kalau melihatku lari, coba tangkap!'

PETUALANGAN DI GURUN

Keesokan paginya, wisata ‘menyusur' jejak Batavia mulai saya lakoni pakai bus Greyhound Australia. Menempuh jarak 420 km dari Perth ke Geraldton, yang terletak di setengah jalan sepanjang pesisir Batavia (Batavia Coast).

Senada temuan dari bangkai Batavia yang dipasang di Shipwreck Galleries Maritime Museum di Freo, Geraldton Maritime Museum juga memajang koleksi si kapal nahas itu. Seperti artefak keramik -yang terkenal adalah botol bergambar pria berjenggot alias ‘Beardman Jug' atau ‘Bellarmine' sebagai wadah penyimpanan rum, peralatan navigasi sampai propeller atau baling-baling kapal Batavia.

Dan tentunya Batavia portico facade serta dua meriam Batavia yang lay-out di museum tak jauh beda dengan penyajian di Shipwreck Galleries Freo.
Sementara di lepas pantai Geraldton, tersebar 122 pulau yang disebut sebagai kelompok Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

Salah satu dari kumpulan pulau ini pernah dijuluki sebagai Batavia Graveyard, karena digunakan untuk menghabisi 125 penumpang eks Batavia yang terdiri dari lelaki, wanita dan anak-anak atas perintah Jeronimus Cornelisz -yang mengangkat dirinya sebagai ‘gubernur' selama komandan kapal Francisco Pelsaert bertolak dengan perahu ke Batavia, Indonesia untuk minta bantuan armada VOC. Kini pulau itu dinamai Beacon Island.

Usai menyaksikan kisah seram yang dibingkai dari kapal VOC Batavia, saya melanjutkan perjalanan ke Cervantes. Buat menjumpai ‘keseraman' lain, yang sudah lama dinantikan: menyusur gurun cantik di Nambung National Park.

Setelah pengalaman bersepeda di gurun Luxor, Mesir (baca Chic edisi 2 tahun lalu), kembali mengunjungi gurun adalah suatu hal yang saya rindukan. Cuma saat ini, bukan makam raja-raja atau tempat peribadatan di tengah gurun yang ditemui. Tapi pilar-pilar raksasa aneka rupa.

Ujudnya sangat imajinatif. Sekilas bisa terlihat macam pasukan tentara terakota di Cina, sekali waktu seperti gerbang sebuah kastil, atau mirip pemandangan bebatuan di bulan dan kadang mirip patok-patok pekuburan!

Pasir berwarna kekuningan dengan permukaan beralur karena tiupan angin serta formasi karang The Pinnacles dengan latar belakang langit biru merupakan pemandangan yang tak bakal saya lupakan.

Formasi batu karang menjulang ini juga laris dijadikan gambar kartupos. "Rasanya belum lengkap keliling Australia Barat, bila belum mengunjungi The Pinnacles," kata Christina Lewis, turis asal Irlandia yang satu bus dengan saya. Ia terpikat mendatangi gurun itu, setelah dikirimi kartu pos bergambar serupa dari sahabatnya.

Tentang keberadaan pilar-pilar limestone di gurun Nambung sendiri, bentukannya berasal dari proses alam akibat diterbangkannya bulir-bulir kapur dari laut -berasal dari biota laut yang mengandung kapur- lalu berakumulasi membentuk sand dunes atau gumuk pasir. Lantas memadat karena guyuran air hujan, kemudian melapuk digerogoti akar-akar tetumbuhan serta pasir dan angin.

Hasilnya adalah tiang-tiang dengan tinggi menjulang sampai 4 m. Begitu cantik, sekaligus juga menyeramkan saat berjalan di antaranya. Apalagi, diiringi embusan angin kencang yang bisa mencapai 80 km/jam.

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Agar tidak nyasar selama berkelana di gurun Nambung, pengelola telah menyediakan trek loop sejauh 3.5 km disertai peta dan penanda yang memudahkan pengunjung mencapai titik akhir trek. Selain panas matahari menyengat, lalat merupakan musuh yang membuat perjalanan terganggu. Insekta ini baru akan pergi, bila kita mengibaskannya dengan keras.

Dari gurun berpilar karang menawan ini, saya meneruskan perjalanan ke dua pantai yang letaknya tak begitu jauh. Yaitu Kangaroo Point dan Hangover Bay, bisa dicapai beberapa km dari gerbang masuk ke Nambung National Park.

Toh tetap saja, The Pinnacles jadi primadona fenomena alam sepanjang perjalanan saya menyusur Australia Barat.

HOW TO GET THERE TO FREO

Fremantle dapat ditempuh secara mudah dan efisien dari Perth, ibukota Australia Barat lewat jalan darat maupun laut.

Bila ingin menikmati pemandangan perkotaan dan suburban, pilih moda transportasi kereta, naik dari Perth Train station, dekat Horseshoe Bridge. Alternatif lain, pilih bus dari Esplanade Busport, rute nomor 102-106 dan 151.

Kalau ingin mengabadikan landscape Perth dari atas permukaan laut sepanjang perjalanan ke Freo, pilih ferry. Rutenya membelah Swan River, penumpang naik dari dermaga Barrack Street Jetty, Perth.

Bagi saya, sarana transportasi di negeri maju seperti Australia sangat membantu ketepatan schedule pribadi saya. Termasuk bebas dari rasa was-was ketika angkutan yang dibutuhkan tidak tersedia.

Contohnya saat kereta jurusan Perth - Freo tidak dioperasikan karena perbaikan. Meski sudah ada pengumuman resmi di situs Transperth, purchasing tiket kereta jurusan ini tetap berjalan sebagaimana biasa.

Kereta membawa seluruh penumpang sampai Daglish, lantas ganti bus tanpa ditarik beaya tambahan. Bahkan boleh pilih rute: mau langsung Freo atau lewat rute yang setiap saat bisa berhenti di setiap shelter sampai masuk Freo.

Buat menambah pengalaman, saya pilih yang kedua. Meski risikonya, mesti bayar saat naik bus berikutnya ke Freo. Tapi gara-gara pilihan ini, saya ‘menemukan' sesuatu yang tidak tercantum di buku panduan wisata. Yaitu Karrakatta Cemetery, 7 km dari Perth.

Makam ini begitu luas dan bak ‘menghias' pinggir ruas jalan raya Karrakatta sampai berkilometer jauhnya. Di situ bersemayam beberapa tokoh penting Australia, di antaranya Perdana Menteri John Curtin (1845-1945) yang figurnya diabadikan dalam bentuk monumen di samping Town Hall Freo.

I have been reading about the Tivo today. This digital television recorder is going for $699 exclusively at Harvey Norman. Its promise; you can record or watch any television show at any time. Plus it can connect to the Internet, using your home network, to deliver movies, music, photos right to your TV.  Another product to induce coma as you sit in front of the box watching shows like the simple life and sport.+ is you could watch BBC news/National Geographic/7.30 report at any time...Organising your photography and movies that does sound interesting.

I would go running along south beach 3 times a week to keep those healthy endorphins jumping around.

No wonder Austin Wonaeamirri celebrates like a crazy man...check out his dad! And what on earth is Jimmy Stynes doing to him?

What the hell is going on? After Hawthorn's regulation win on Friday night, you got the feeling that every other game in this first weekend of the split round would be equally uneventful and boring! That the players were just going to go through the motions and play out the match before pissing off to their favourite beach, bar or back paddock for the mid-season break...

The interchange ump got his head on TV this weekend - not once but twice!

Instead, we had one of the most eventful, amazing, bizarre and sad weekends that you could possibly imagine! Gutsy upsets, unusual occurrences, interchange penalties, Daniel Kerr stung by a stingray on a Melbourne beach and, in the ultimate WTF incident, Richmond player Graham Polak placed in an induced coma after being hit by a tram on Saturday night! While there are some positive signs today, it is too early to determine the full extent of his injuries or whether he will be able to return to football. Our thoughts go out to him and his family...here's hoping he can make a full recovery...

…

Sunday:

Ahhh, Brad Miller...where have you been?

• Sunday: Holy Crap Part One: Melbourne wins! Melbourne wins! Melbourne wins! What amazing scenes of joy at the MCG! See what happens when you play your home games against interstate clubs at home...not in your opponents backyard? And Brad Miller reminds everyone that he is still actually playing AFL by kicking the winning goal!

• Holy Crap Part Two: Essendon win away...interstate...like; they actually hopped on a plane, travelled for hours and hours, got off in Perth and then managed to win the game of footy! The Dockers were cruelled by injury...plus you wouldn't blame a few of Polak's former teammates for being a little distracted! But the Bombers also lost a lanky key player and relied on some corageous efforts to win their third straight game. The media are asking the question - finals footy for Essendon? Surely they mean the year 2010...not now!

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Saturday:

• Well, that was one sucky birthday party! Good win for Carlton, particularly with Chris Judd a no-show, but Richmond celebrated 100 years with a final quarter performance that summed up their past 25 years perfectly...and a post-match dig at the under performing senior players is pure Richmond. And the Richo for Brownlow push appears to be over...

Look - the Aker handstand is back! Whoop-de-frickin'-doo!

• The Western Bulldogs spank Port and are top of the ladder...for a few days at least. Not that Rodney Eade cares too much...he is more concerned with a winning mindset. At least Rocket and the Doggies are thinking happy thoughts - we suggest that the mind of Mark Williams would be a very dark place to be right now.

The Roos are spitting chips at letting another game slip...clearly they need more spitting practice!

• North Melbourne use the split round to display their split personality and lose a game they should have won...easily. Sure, it took a great effort for the Saints to recover from a shite first half to run over the top of the Roos and finals footy seems a bit more realistic now...but this has to be the false dawn of the round. Well, unless Collingwood beats Sydney this week and they all get carried away again!

Went down to Fremantle this morning to photograph the Western Australian Maritime Museum . When I got there , there was no wind or rain . I set up and got this 6 image stitch off and then relisased that i had the iso on 200 , so reset to 100 and started another row of shots when the wind picked up out of no where and started blowing a gale blew the tripod over on the last shot (cant wait till i get my new tripod) . and then the rain started as well . Went back and sat undercover for about 20 mins till it stoped and then it was a clear blue sky after . Still pretty happy with this shot had to run it through noise ninja to get rid of some noise .

Got a few other shots from that morning which Ill go through later on .

Been wanting to get some shots of some crops , windmills and hilly paddocks , to get some farmy country looking shots to add to my portfolio , so will probally look at taking a day trip some where not to far out of perth in the next couple of weeks if any one is interested .

It has been raining for most of the day and oddly enough it has been happening more frequently in in June. March was delightful, what a surprise the blue skys everyday. Now in June the rainfall is consistent most days. I have been told that this year there is a warmer than usual winter. For me it is warm full stop. A 20 degree day is a delight even if there are a few sporadic clouds here and there. Beautiful, friendly and sunny Perth gets thrown around quite a bit.

This has been our home for the last few weeks. We decided today to move into something that was a bit more homely. This is like a hotel, and an overpriced one. My beef with this one was we were paying a fortune but the kitchen was crap. Ones home needs to be functional; this particular owner was a tight ass and non appreciative of those who may need to cook.

We had a friend visit us and oh how he enjoyed our garden.

The new place backs on to the University of Notre Dame. The University has strong international links, in particular with the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Only a few minutes away from the high street, the town house has a contemporary feel (not the cheep hotel that marrine terrace has..

The Round House is the oldest remaining building in Western Australia. It was built as a gaol and was the first permanent building in the colony.On our doorstep in Fremantle...

I was fascinated by the architecture because it reminded me of a 1970s Berlin. It reminds me of the public housing all austere and densely woven ships coming in and out. The physical location of Fremantle is at the mouth of the Swan River.. I could imagine this being the first point of arrival for many immigrants. It is very important as a working harbour and fishing centre.

This is my first completed pano. I've finally entered the big WIDE world of panoramic photography. I was scared of the whole stitching thing for a long time. I'm slowly getting the gist of it all but I think it's going to take a little getting used to.

I'm working on a site in Freo at the moment and we started a little later than usual during the week. The late start gave me time to get down and shoot this before work on Thursday.

Clarko tries to fire up his boys but it's clear that they are all on holiday and nobody is listening to him...Crawf is just sleeping with his eyes open!

Well, we haven't had much luck with Friday Night Football the past two weeks. Last Friday was the St Kilda-Fremantle stinkfest and last night's Hawthorn-West Coast game was not much better. It was clear that most of the players were just counting down the minutes until their mid-season break kicked in...it was played with the intensity of a Melbourne office worker the day before they head off for three weeks holiday in Queensland!The footballing equivalent of cleaning your desk a dozen times and shuffling pens until five o'clock!

The Hawks just went through the motions, relying on the occasional efforts of Buddy Franklin and Jarryd Roughead to ensure a comfortable win. Alastair Clarkson will have been pleased to get to the break with just two losses though he can't seem to keep his players from hurting themselves.

John Worsfold, on the other hand, seemed pleased with the effort of his players to lose a shit-boring game by ten goals! That is not the Worsfold we all know and loathe...

...

SATURDAY

Brendan Fevola is hoping to finalise his new contract with Carlton during the split round...then he might be able to afford some dental work!

MCG, Melbourne - 2:10pm (local): Richmond v Carlton (FOX)

• These two teams may not get a run during the AFL's rivalry round but there is a long history of hatred between Richmond and Carlton.
• This must be an important game...Brett Ratten is going the 'season-defining' route while Terry Wallace is drawing lines in the sand!
• Richo says he is ready to fire on the big stage...but he better look out because Carlton have a couple of options to stop him! But are they legal?
• Sure, footy is a team game...but is it too late to change our tip? Because the Blues will have to make do without the great Chris Judd!
• Fev may kick a lot of goals but he needs some help if the Blues wants to win more games...shame they won't be able to afford to buy some help once Fev gets his new contract!

…

Nick Riewoldt will stay on the Gold Coast during his break...just getting a feel for his new footballing home in 2011!

Gold Coast Stadium, Gold Coast - 7:10pm (local): North Melbourne v St Kilda (TEN)

• St Kilda are counting on a slight home ground advantage due to the fact that the locals aren't that keen on North Melbourne any more!
• But the Roos are fine with that...in fact, they think that all their players will not be that keen to head to the Gold Coast now! Well, except for Schoolies Week...
• Do you play footy? Did you grow up on the Gold Coast? Well, GC17 will be interested in you so Nick Riewoldt shouldn't be surprised when he is asked about it. And nor should David Hale!
• Footy is a simple game. Dean Laidley wants to keep it that way. That's why he has reached into his trusty bag of boring-ass footy cliches this week!
• The Saints will hope that the reinstatement of Nick Dal Santo and Steven Milne will provide style and substance to their team. Well, Dal Santo can bring the style...but what will Milne provide apart from severe frustration?

…

Port Adelaide players love frolicking at the beach during the split round break...they build sand castles and Warren Tredrea dresses up like Pamela Anderson in Baywatch and pretends to rescue his teammates. What fun!

TIO Stadium, Darwin - 7:10pm (local): Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide (FOX)

• The Dogs have been acclimatising for the big game in the Top End by cranking up the oil heater in Brian Lake's lounge room and just hanging out...
• With Port not expected to try this weekend, the Dogs have already endured their biggest test...the flight to Darwin!
• Veteran on-baller Scott West has suffered another injury setback and would prefer his coach to not be so relaxed about his absence from the team!
• Port Adelaide have given up on this season and will now tank focus on 2009...and this might include a thorough review into what the heck is going wrong with them!
• Or maybe the review has started already...some big name players have been left behind this weekend and the chief executive has just quit!

…

SUNDAY

Brock McLean will be threatening to crush young school children with his massive arms unless they sign up as members during the break. The kids are not impressed...

• Will the Melbourne supporters get out and buy memberships this Sunday to help out the club? We suspect that a lot of them are already on their mid-season break...and have been since round four!
• Jeff White has been dropped from the team...though it hardly seems like a punishment when the guy now gets two weeks off!
• The Dees will play a former basketballer on Jono Brown in his AFL debut...he might need to do the footy equivalent of Hack-a-Shaq to stop Browny kicking ten goals!
• Nice try Leigh but nothing you can say will make us think the Demons are any sort of threat in this match!
• The Lions have tasted success but also managed to draft well at the same time...as if Melbourne's season could not get more miserable, now they are just rubbing it in!

…

It seems those orange boots are a massive hit with the ladies! Kyle Reimers will spend his break picking up many famous single women...he has even recruited Jay Nash to help keep up with demand!!

Subiaco, Perth - 2:40pm (local): Fremantle v Essendon (FOX)

• Mark Harvey threatened to cancel everybody's break if they didn't perform this week...so Jeff Farmer went on holiday early. He probably figured that he wouldn't perform anyway (because he sucks) so had nothing to lose!
• Harvey also revealed that Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas should expect the unexpected...what, will they line up in the goal square against Peter Bell and Josh Carr? Come on, they are playing Fremantle...the unexpected is just normal for them!
• Former Bomber Mark Johnson can finally put that Matty Knights voodoo doll away...playing his 200th game will give him closure on his departure from Windy Hill.
• It's kinda like an Essendon derby with the number of ex-Bombers now at Freo...and Knights is a bit worried about the leak of inside information. Well, we doubt that Kepler Bradley would provide much...there's no way he was listening in at team meetings!

Anyways, had a mini-trip in Perth, Australia some time back. Went around to see the sights and do some touristy stuff. This is a belated post... like the many more to come. All back dated. Hehehehe.

I find Perth, Australia a very nice city. The weather is great. The people are friendly. The cars are cheap! (By Asians standards) The parks, beaches... the way of life is great! In fact, if you ask me I would recommend Perth as it is a great place to live in with your family. It's no Hong Kong, Singapore or Sydney... but I love the pace here (probably for a good couple months) hehehe. Two main things I do not really like though, the food is kinda pricey so eating out is not as 'affordable' as other Asian cities and the property prices here after conversion rates are pretty steep... nice suburbs like lakeside Apple Cross and beachfront Cotesloe is not cheap. They are go for mill mill (or how I would like to call it 'miu miu'...) over a million and probably a couple more. Anyways... back to my 'tourist' trip. :)

We went to King's Park. Had a walk about... enjoyed the weather and a nice cuppa. Chat, laughed and enjoyed the great autumn weather. It's now the 1st month of winter when I'm posting this... yes yes i know, i'm lagging... :P

Having breakfast along Hay Street. One of the busiest streets in Perth. Some of you might recognize the place... it's in front of Melbourne Hotel in Perth. Funny eh?!?

Lunch at this nice seafront restaurant called Cicerellos @ Fremantle. Seafood galore... for those who love seafood this is the place. I like the weather, ambience and the whole schebang... yum yum!

It was a chilly day, we rented a car and drove to Cotesloe Beach. Still considered to be within the Perth city vicinity. Had a walk about, enjoyed the view, blowing wind and had a cuppa as well! Nice nice... chillout time we had.

A colleague of mine was around town as well! We met up in Fremantle affectionately known to the locals as Freo. When to the Freo Markets, nice place but shopping wasn't my thing. Then had a nice lunch before heading back to the city using the trains.

Whats the point of visiting all the beautiful places in the world if you don't have someone to share it with right? ( Thats why I dislike travelling alone :P ) Noticed I used 'We' instead of 'Me' in my sentences. Thanks to the person who accompanied me on this wonderful trip... my girlfriend, Angie! :) We had a blast, travelling, chatting and just being silly. walk, talk, eat, coffee, shop. Yup, that's kinda our itinerary for the days in Perth! Good... very good...