Room with a view

At last, I have managed to upload pictures. So first off, a couple of pictures of the view out of my window from my new room in college.

As you can see, its not a bad view of the Swan River. The other good thing about this new room is the access it potentially gives me to a spiral staircase leading to the roof of the tower of college. From there, the view is better & many a sunny afternoon or starry night may be enjoyed in the tranquility of being a few storeys above the hustle & bustle of college below... if only I can devise a way to get hold of those keys. Hmmmm.

The slight down side of my room is that there is no air conditioning, & with the heat like it is at the times it can be a little uncomfortable. However, much of the last week has been fairly overcast & even stormy. On my first day living in the tower there was the most electric & threatening thunderstorm I have ever been in. It included three full strikes to the lightening conductor on the top of tower which zapped around my room as if someone had let off a firework just outside my window. It was a crazy experience, but very cool.

Lectures began this week - seems like some of what I'm studying could be quite interesting... I hope! I managed to wangle a handy timetable with Mondays & Fridays off. I'm trying to fill that time with useful things, but it will also be useful when the assignment deadlines lurk. Generally, it is good to be back around college, at uni, & catching up with people at church. I've remembered again just how inconsistent the surf in WA is after surfing a beautiful break for a few days in NZ, but the weather is generally very good so being at the beach is awesome.

I will endeavour to upload a pictoral version of my time here so far in my next post with my new found skills.... we'll see how successful it is.

Home sweet home... away from 'home'!

I am now back in Perth & enjoying the hospitality of the Dodd family - the two sons of which are good friends from uni. Tomorrow I move back into college & on Monday the new semester begins.

I have enjoyed some really great hospitality over the last few months - a very big blessing. Last night I stayed with Rory & Susan, & it was very cool to catch up with them again... especially to meet their new son, Theo, & hang out with Miles again. We had a cool time together. On Thursday night I was staying with the Shudall family in Auckland - they are very cool. It was so nice to stay with them for a few days before Anneli & Paul left, & then to hang out with them a bit myself before I left. Hello to Andy, Ines & the kids - thanks for your kindness! So refreshing at the end of a long summer/ start of a new year.

I spent most of the week in a surfing village called Piha on the west coast of the North Island (NZ). It has one of the worlds most consistent left hand breaks, so it was fertile ground for working on the surfing. I had a good time & enjoyed relaxing lots - long sleeps, reading, surfing & lots of thinking. It was quite hard being alone at the start of the week, but I got used to it & enjoyed the downtime. It was such a beautiful place, with exquisite sunsets, black sand, & warm water. Camping was fun too.

My flight back to Perth took around 13 hours, included spending time in 5 airports, & changing planes 3 times... a little tiring, but cheap & I arrived back safely yesterday afternoon. I was a little concerned I had neglected to enrol for my courses & let the uni know I was still around, but I think all is ok & this week I will begin studying modules in: alternative dispute resolution, employment law, indigenous peoples and the law, the liberal democratic state. Should be a good semester, & I've managed to secure both Fridays & Mondays off, so more 4 day weekends! I'm aware most of you probably find that thought repulsive, but I can assure you I will be endeavouring to use my time well/productively.

I expect life will be busy again very quickly as I catch up with friends & meet new people. It feels good to be back in Perth - & it does feel more like a home with 'old' friends & familiar places, after being constantly on the move for 3 months... that is a very good thing.

Ouch!

Yesterday was a difficult day. Anneli & Paul flew out of Auckland at 3pm. We had such an awesome holiday together in New Zealand, which made the parting all the more difficult. Unfortunately I will not see Anneli for another 4 months or so, until I return back home. But thankfully, she is still interested in being my girlfriend so she obviously had quite a cool time in New Zealand too! We did so much... glaciers, rafting, dolphins, horses, bungy, beach, kids camp, yachts, whales, camping, bars, ice creams, good food, hot spas, coffee & nearly 6000 kms! There are many happy memories & funny stories - perhaps I will inflict you all with them when I get back. Also, maybe some photos will follow here in a few weeks.

For the time being, it is a real blessing to be staying with a very cool family in Auckland so I am not all alone straight away. However, tomorrow morning I am heading to the coast for a few nights where I will camp & hopefully surf fairly intensively for a few days. About time too as I haven't been in the swell for a few months. It will be a good few days to recharge & get ready for a new semester back in Perth starting next Monday.