I woke up at 8am this morning. I think it's the earliest ever since I arrived Australia. (I should be moving to Europe which I had my body clock ready long time ago....)
Got downstairs trying to switch to a 4-bed dorm.
I checked the availablity last night and thought it could no way be unavailable.
However, the lady at the reception told me there was no room left!! not even one for any kind.......
She said I needed to check at on time before 10am and see if there's anyone else checking out and giving me an available room.
The most trouble thing was that she needed me to bring all my luggage downstairs while checking out even I had a chance to move it back in 1 or 2 hours....
Then I went back to my room and started packing. And I also checked the availability of hostels nearby.... to prepare for the worst.
But the worst thing could be staying on the street alone with my luggage.....i.e. homeless....
Luckily, I was told that there is a room available. However, it was a single room again.
I paid for 2 nights. That would be 7 nights in total. If I paid at once while checked in, some money could be saved.....
Anyway, I put my luggage back to the luggage room and went out for pre-paid SIM card stuff.
I decided to use Telstra, which is the one2free-like network in Australia.
However, one2free in HK is a lot cheaper.
My plan back in HK is just HKD 3X / month. Everything here is just sooooo expensive.....
And how come a pre-paid SIM card worthing so much money could expire in just 30 days....?
Even thought it is so expensive, the 2-dollar started kit was sold out in 3 stores I could find in the city centre.
Fortunately there is one shop which has stock available....
And I cannot understand why it needs to get so much information for buying and activating a pre-paid card.
If you need to find me, what is the point of me getting a pre-paid??? OK that wouild be because it is much much more difficult to join a post-paid plan......
Having checked at Post Office, none of my 4 mails to receive is ready yet.
Can it be a little bit faster??
HK is just a heaven for these business things.......
When I checked e-mail this afternoon, I just knew that the owner of the room at East Perth replied me.
I may be able to move there this weekend~~
It's a lot more cheaper~~ And I could stay in a new place~
Before returning to the hostel, I used my phone card (Say G'day) to call back HK for the 1st time.
Although it was not the cheapest, its expiry period was the longest.
I don't think I'll call HK much~~
Getting my room in the evening back to this hostel, I realized my room is on the 2/F.
The gentleman who helped me to get my luggage downstairs this morning met me again when I was getting from 1/F to 2/F.
He was so surprised that I moved out and moved in at the same place on the same day......
It was so troublesome to me too yet I found out this room at higher level is a lot better.
At least the ventilation right outside the room is very good.
Of coz it can always be better if I can get the free wifi right inside my room~~
Anyway, I don't have to sleep on the street and I should be thankful already... thought it is very expensive......
I feel a little bit unwell in my stomach.
Dunno if it''s due to the milk or the tap water...... I had the both for the first time here in Australia....
<
>>January 20, 2011 at 12:58:40 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 18 日 星期二 【晴】
Perth
Today I continued with my bank account openning stuff.
I eventually decided to open 2 accounts, one at NAB (National Australia Bank) and one at HSBC.
Both have $0 monthly fee with unlimited amount of transactions and without min. balance required.
However, NAB needs me to do some internet banking or telephone banking to transfer money to an account with much lower interest before withdrawing money at ATMs.
As for HSBC, the account for getting interest and making transactions are the same yet thje interest is just so low and the network is not very good.
And the most important thing is, unlike HK, transferring money among diff. banks on the internet does not attrack fees.
So now I got the benefits of both banks.
And then I went to the pre-paid SIM card and the phone card stuff.
Unfortunately, these kind of retail stores close at around 5pm too.......
While I'm so lazy to cook here in Australia and sharing the kitchen with a couple of dozens of ppl, I had corn chips for my dinner despite I bought some food for cooking....
I think myself as a HKer is just so addicted to internet.
I spent so much time here to surf the net although I'm getting AU-WHV-related stuff most of the time......
>>January 20, 2011 at 12:57:29 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 17 日 星期一 【晴】
Perth
I just can't get up early one week after my last day at hkp.
so i left the hostel almost at noon again....
so hungry that haven't got really full for days, I went to McDonalds' to have a combo, though a very cheap one
y is this city full of flies everywhere esp in restaurants......?
I walked down the street to the city centre to visit banks, wishing to find one nice for my situation.
Eventually I just visited NAB and HSBC, yet the customer service was so different at these 2 places.
The lady at HSBC, seeming to be a Chinese, juat told she can't help coz I didn't have a valid address proof. ( I bought my tax letter here and thought it was from the gov't. Later found out it was not acceptable since it was issued in Chinese. But if you have other documents like utilities bills in Chinese, you can get some company to translate them then it is acceptable.)
Finally I showed my Internation Driving Licenece which has my address on it and she said it is acceptable. I never thought the driving licence can be used like this.
The lady at NAB, seeming to be a local, on the other hand, explained to me details and let me take my time to consider.
I took the leaflets back to lib and do more research before making decisions. However, when I decided to open an account at NAB and arrived their branch at 3:45pm, they asked me to return tomorrow coz they close at 4pm.
What a nice job they r having!!
I walked to visit the sharehouse I intened to move to.
The place was so-so. Not too many nor too few ppl. Not too far nor to close to the centre.
Yet it needs to min stay of 2 weeks.
I want to move out of perth by then.
Perth, to me, is a city, yet a boring one. I can stay in a boring rural area. ( I think I can but this is what I'm here for.)
I can also stay in a city but it neds to me enough for getting around. Am I too greedy to look for a city having at least supermarkets openning till 9pm?
Returning to the lib, I continue to do my research, for various purposes, choosing which company for SIM card, for wifi, for phone cards calling back hk.....
The lib closes at 8pm and I left almost at its closing time.
It seems to be the magic moment when I walked out of the lib and I was shocked.
How come the sky esp the clouds are so beautiful!!!
My first cook for dinner at hostel.
I bought a can of smoked oyster the day before. I used it to cook with the free spaghetti. With the cream sauce, it was nice and as the guy cooking next to me said, pasta never goes wrong!
I was full. It is the first time I have 2 meals making me feel really full in one day~~
I will have to decide whether I stay or move by tonight. Coz I know I will be late if I do it tmr.
I'll probably extend for at least one night here~~
Things and services in HK are just so cheap. And u can get whenever u want.
Maybe that's y the salaries are so low too.
It's reasonable as it's just one big pool. How much u pay is how much u get!
>>January 17, 2011 at 11:51:52 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 16 日 星期日 【晴】
Perth
I cooked some of the free food got from hostel with my bought sauce, served with a cup of tea.
breakfast? lunch? tea? dinner? gotta eat whenever u have food available....
Again, it was almost noon by the time I left my hostel.
I went to lib for internet for job searching..... coz I would do my own stuff when using my own computer....
Later in the afternoon, I walked around the supermarkets in the city centre.
Bought 2 cans for food~~
Everything is expensive here.... stronger feeling when I haven't got a job yet~~
Took free bus to King's Park
The city is more beautiful up there.
Met a HK boy who finished working holiday then now ready to study here.....
Spent my time in the park.
There were so many ppl picnic, bbq there. So good to own a car~~
Got the 2nd last bus back and then walked back to hostel~~
>>January 22, 2011 at 4:38:59 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 15 日 星期六 【晴】
Perth
I brushed up and washed up in the morning then went out.
After almost 30 hrs with little water and without food, I had a can of original coca cola. Food and drinks here were just too expensive.....
Got some leaflet for banks and phone companies.
Then found a supermarket so that I could have some corn chips for breakfast/lunch/tea.... whatever....
I walked along the Swan River and it was not that beautiful as I saw yesterday.
The water was as dirty as that at Victoria Harbour. But still it was nice when u walked from some distance to the river.
I was thirsty to death too then I had a cone of soft icecream at McDonalds'.
Also bought a pack of 6 X 1.5L water back to hostel.
After surfing at the internet for a while, I left some time around 6:30pm.
As lived in HK since I was born, I just can’t imagine why the busiest shopping area can have 95% of its shops closed at 7pm on Sat......
I’ve got nth to do but walked around near my hostel.
Since I got some free risotto and spaghetti in the morning, I bought some materials for soup so that I can have them together.
As I was too lazy cooking, I was starving again at night.....
>>January 16, 2011 at 10:02:13 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 14 日 星期五 【晴】
S'pore --> Perth
It was 5 mins after midnight and I officially left S'pore on 14th.
I just loved S'pore Airport coz there were OSIM machines.
It was very nice after u walked all day long. Just one bad thing, it would make u forget the time of boarding.....
I rushed to the gate and found out the security check was after the immigration. As HK performed the checked before immigration.....
I was even asked to take of my shoes for checking.
And then I found out the gate wasn't open yet even the monitor showing "gate open".
I could even have some time to wash up and use the internet....
The guy sitting next to me wanted to have some chatting but I was just too tired that I slept and slept and slept throughout most of my journey.
However, I could still see the sunrise on the plane.
Although I spent a lot of time queuing, it was smooth going through Immigration and security check.
It was early in the morning and I spent my time on finding how to get to the city centre and my hostel.
I got to the Domestic Terminal by airport shuttle then the city centre by public bus, a lot cheaper than getting from the International Terminal to the city centre directly.
I didn't know how long it would take from the airport so I looked at the map every second on the bus.
There was an old guy asking if I got lost and kindly offered help. He was a lawyer and even showed me where the court of the city was.
There was also a young guy chatting together. He was from South Africa and has travelled in HK. I heard the name "Kowloon" here in perth~~
It was not too difficult in locating my hostal.
Although my plane landed 6:25am, I arrived my hostel at 11am. It was good coz my room would be ready only after noon.
I walked around nearby and found there was a CAT bus stop near my hostel, which was free in charge.
I took the bus to travel around. As its route was in a circle, I was on the bus for 2 or 3 circles and fell asleep some of the time.
Just found out there were quite many chi ppl speaking Cantonese here in perth.
Got my room at 1pm and settled down.
Never left the room for the rest of the day as I was too tired.
>>January 16, 2011 at 9:57:58 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 14 日 星期五 【晴】
getting ready to board at gate. i eventually entered s'pore and travelled around. s'pore is a boring city but i love its airport. its airport is getting u to at least want to transit here~ but it was aso my first time to be asked to take of my shoes for security checking.... i was almost late!!!
>>January 14, 2011 at 12:44:06 AM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 13 日 星期四 【晴】
HK --> S'pore
I woke up at 6:30am for my flight at 10:30am.
My mom was here to be with me to the airport even I asked her not to.
I did my final packing and took the A bus to the airport and arrived at 9am.
My check in baggage was, I think, a bit more than 20kg.
I was unsure coz the guy removed my baggage before the scale showed the exact weight.
And of coz I was not charged for any excess weight of my check in baggage.
I asked the guy to confirm whether I can enter S'pore during transit.
He replied "no" and then said he was unsure......
I entered the restricted area right the way coz there was not much time left.
I didn't feel much..... maybe becoz I was unsure about my way forward in Australia.....
I was on the first row of the economy class.
There was a family next to me with a one-year-old baby.
It was amazing that the plane got a removable baby bed to be put in front of the normal seats.
The flight was short as I slept for almost half of the journey.
I asked the Immigration ppl in S'pore and I eventually entered S'pore for travelling.
It was good that I didn't have to collect my baggage while leaving the airport, though I left my laptop and some other stuff at the Left Baggage room there.
I took the train to Outram Park.
When I left train, I felt the huge temp diff between HK & S'pore. 11 Vs 28 !!!
It was too hot that I bought a 豆漿沙冰. Everything cold was good in such a hot weather.
I couldn't imagine I felt so warm and so good when I was in my 被竇 a few hours back.....
Walked and walked and walked around, I had Kaya Toast with soft boiled eggs, iced意米水 at 亞坤, 肉骨茶at 亞華.
I then realized 亞華 was not that famous at S'pore as nobody heard of it when I was asking ppl around for direction. And it was expensive!!!
I then went to S'pore River and found the Merlion was under maintenance...
I spent some time along the river and then back to the airport.
A restaurant inside the airport was showing Tom and Jerry!!
>>January 16, 2011 at 9:49:21 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 13 日 星期四 【晴】
it's 2:20pm and i'm now at s'pore changi airport.
the guy at hk airport told me i can't enter s'pore while i got a positive answer via email earlier.
now i go try at the immigration and c what happen......
or else i have to be stuck in this airport for the rest of the day =.=
>>January 13, 2011 at 2:39:54 PM GMT+8
2011 年 1 月 13 日 星期四 【晴】
departing tmr, technically today, i'm still packing.... so sleepy now~~
i don't feel missing coz i just can't feel i'm leaving for a long period. how come? will i return soon? how long will i stay?
Perth
吳彥祖?!! 真係係咪好高好靚仔