This year to celebrate Christmas and Boxing Day I went back to Perth for a long weekend. I wanted to visit some friends I had made there and run some errands that just can’t be taken care of in a small, rural town like Kulin. I also went because Elle (the mother in the family I work for) has family very close to Perth in an area called Gidgegannup and this year they were all meeting there to celebrate. I joined them in their festivities on Christmas day which turned out to be a very wise decision. Her family is very welcoming, makes lots of jokes, and is full of quirky characters.
It is also full of fantastic chefs. When I arrived we were just about to get into hors d’oeuvres, followed by a very large main meal and numerous desserts. It was the fanciest Christmas lunch I’ve ever had. Between the meal and dessert the adults had a version of a white elephant gift exchange which I was graciously allowed to join and I’d say I fared pretty well - I ended up with a new beach towel and several sweet snacks. By the time we finished the children were having a water gun fight that I ended up in the middle of. I’m pretty sure I lost, but at least I got in some good exercise as the favorite target to try to soak. The evening winded down after dessert and I headed back to Perth to spend the rest of the weekend with my friends before returning to the farm.
New years eve was also a fun night of celebration in Kulin. I went with Elle and Brian and the kids to the pub (aka the only restaurant in town) for dinner and then stuck around to hang out after they left. The pub is an old hotel that all of the community members chipped in to turn into what is now called The Community Hub, and that’s really what it is. This was the first event I’ve been to since being in Kulin and I’m so glad I went. I finally met a few people my age and the two I spent most of the evening chatting with turned out to be my neighbors. I did manage to make it past midnight at the pub (very surprising as most nights I’m in bed by 9) and it was well worth it. Now it actually feels like I am becoming part of the community and can really enjoy and embrace the experience instead of just being here to stick it out until my visa requirements are fulfilled.
In other news, I've been watching a lot of cricket in hopes that I will pick it up and I think it may be working. I certainly do not understand all the finer points of the game but I feel like I'm getting a better grasp on it overall. I recently learned that one of my NYE friends plays for the local cricket team and they have graciously offered to explain it to me sometime.
Starting today the Bowey family is on holiday for two weeks, which means I have two weeks off as well. Today I drove to Stirling Range National Park and hiked the tallest peak, Bluff Knoll. I made it to the summit in decent time and it was entirely worth the effort, but to be quite honest it kicked my butt. This was my first mountainous hike and I was whooped by the time I made it back to the car. Evidently I am not quite as in shape as I'd like to believe.
I decided to call it after that since I was tired and had to make it on to Albany to check in to my campsite anyhow. Luckily the park is very close to Albany and not too far from Kulin, so I expect I will back again. Upon arriving in Albany I took a much needed shower and set up camp. The rest of this evening I've spent reading and eating a picnic dinner at an overlook while the sun is setting. Stay tuned to see what else I get up to these next two weeks!
*A quick note on that subject: If you've been following along thus far I would encourage you to either check back on your own every other week or so, or subscribe to get an email when there is a new post (there should be no other spam emails associated with it). Particularly for those of you coming from social media, I will no longer be announcing when there is a new post. As always, thanks for reading!
