In Perth, but a bit lost...
Posted on Friday 23 May 2008 at 06:38
Leaving the UK was more traumatic than I would have liked. Everyone turned up at the airport to see me off, despite me telling everyone I wanted to say goodbye the day before and just go on the Saturday without the whole family circus. As I kept pointing out, once I'm through security, they can all go home or wherever but I'm stuck there for another few hours. Never mind. So, it was a painful goodbye. Of course I'm going to miss them all, but hopefully I'll be visiting towards the end of the year and may be my boyfriend will be able to come over here for a while.
Anyway, I arrived in Perth at about 5pm and spent an hour in the airport dealing with lost baggage and getting through customs. I took a taxi to the apartments where my boss had made a booking for me, but the office was closed and there was just a phone number on the door! The driver very kindly let me use his phone to call them, but I just got an answering machine. Luckily, two colleagues happen to live in the next building so I called on them. When I eventually got through to the guy who owned the apartments he told me the key was on the kitchen table, so I didn't need the sleeping bag in the end (always be prepared!).
The jetlag was pretty much non-existent really. I'd recommend that route to Perth (via Dubai with a two-hour change). I slept a little bit before landing in Dubai, then a couple of hours after leaving Dubai, went to bed at around 10pm local Perth time and was fine the next morning.
On Monday I got a lift to work and sorted out some of the paperwork there. Then I opened a bank account, hired a bike and did some shopping as I'd not really eaten since about Sunday lunchtime on the plane. Most of the week has been taken up looking for somewhere to rent (and waiting for my bank card to arrive).
Renting is a pain in the neck. There's a lot of competition around here. You have to go to an open viewing in order to get an application form. You then have to fill it in including references and all sorts of information before giving it back to whichever real estate agent is dealing with it. They pass them all on to the owner who makes a decision on who they think will be the best tenant! The agent then phones you back to see if you want it and it all takes a few days. So far I've been to look at a few and I'm going to see some more this afternoon. Fingers crossed I find somewhere soon - I'm in the temporary accommodation for another week and then I'm on my own!
Anyway, I arrived in Perth at about 5pm and spent an hour in the airport dealing with lost baggage and getting through customs. I took a taxi to the apartments where my boss had made a booking for me, but the office was closed and there was just a phone number on the door! The driver very kindly let me use his phone to call them, but I just got an answering machine. Luckily, two colleagues happen to live in the next building so I called on them. When I eventually got through to the guy who owned the apartments he told me the key was on the kitchen table, so I didn't need the sleeping bag in the end (always be prepared!).
The jetlag was pretty much non-existent really. I'd recommend that route to Perth (via Dubai with a two-hour change). I slept a little bit before landing in Dubai, then a couple of hours after leaving Dubai, went to bed at around 10pm local Perth time and was fine the next morning.
On Monday I got a lift to work and sorted out some of the paperwork there. Then I opened a bank account, hired a bike and did some shopping as I'd not really eaten since about Sunday lunchtime on the plane. Most of the week has been taken up looking for somewhere to rent (and waiting for my bank card to arrive).
Renting is a pain in the neck. There's a lot of competition around here. You have to go to an open viewing in order to get an application form. You then have to fill it in including references and all sorts of information before giving it back to whichever real estate agent is dealing with it. They pass them all on to the owner who makes a decision on who they think will be the best tenant! The agent then phones you back to see if you want it and it all takes a few days. So far I've been to look at a few and I'm going to see some more this afternoon. Fingers crossed I find somewhere soon - I'm in the temporary accommodation for another week and then I'm on my own!
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