Friday 2nd of August - Friday Transit Mission

My car was getting serviced so I had to choose another way to get to work. Normally by car I can get to work in 15 mins but I had a feeling it might take a lot longer today. I decided I would wing it like usual. Caught the train then the Green CAT then the Joondalup train to Glendalough and was making ok time but then I realized I had no idea where to catch the next bus. I was getting annoyed and ended up walking to Main St and catching the bus that goes up this road, by the time I got to work it had been a whole hour since I left home, not cool.

The day was ok but a bit hectic because someone was leaving (temporarily at least) so was a bit disjointed. The work day ends and I hung around until 6 just trying to get stuff done. I locked the office and headed to the bus stop on Main St which is pretty close, maybe only 100 metres away. It is dark by this stage and the bus is taking a long time to get here so I had to check the live times and these were not good. Perhaps I should’ve checked the times before I left the office but I always like winging things and taking that risk. Maybe 15 mins pass and finally the bus arrives, I jump on and get off at the Glendalough Station. I go upstairs, wait for the train and jump on. Some Eagles fans onboard and I am desperately wanting to get home to watch this WCE vs ESS match - could be close. I get off at the Leederville Station and walk over the walkway and see the Green CAT waiting to leave but I decide that I will walk to the Freo train line instead. 

I have walked this path many times before, mostly when I would walk home from Niche on Saturday nights. This takes so long as I am in work clothes and am fatigued. I regret now not catching the CAT before and by the time I get to W Leederville Station an hour has passed since I left the office. Bad move Doitcha.

I catch the train and then walk home from the Daglish Station. By the time I get home 75 mins have passed since I left the office. It is about 730 now, I watch the footy till the end and it is a good game. It is close to 9pm now and my head is a mess, I am tired and indecisive until maybe 11pm and then decide that the gym is no longer a practical option… disappointing. I delay my workout until the following night and then tap out towards the end because I’m not that interested.

Bless

Sat 10/08/24 - Collier Park

So drowsy from my nap, want to keep sleeping but cannot do. Check phone and Eagles are getting belted by NM - not good. I push through and have a shower, somehow West Coast come back and win. I am short on time so now face the Uni Student’s Dilemma but with slightly different options: sleep, food & golf - you can only choose two. I go for sleep and golf, therefore I head down to Coogee feeling pretty hungry.

Arrive in Coogee to pick up my clubs, it is about 3:30 and Trav now tells me that tee off is 4:16 and not 4:24, I am feeling under the pump. I leave about 3:45 and make good time using Manning Rd route. Get to the tee off about 4:24, just in time, the people in front are slow so I’m lucky about the delay. The game starts.

We play until about 6, it is getting dark and we’ve only played 6 holes. The young guys in front of us are so slow so JC and Trav say let’s finish up. We have a drink, it’s pretty lively with people still on the driving range because of the big lights. After one drink we hit the road. I cut through South Perth and then onto the freeway, it is so lively tonight with lots of people on the road and out at restaurants. It is a good vibe.

Fri 12th July - Royal & Palace Arcade

5pm on a Friday and still haven’t planned what we’re doing. Not unfamiliar for me but for Jas and Trav perhaps a little bit. I push for the Royal as opposed to Vic Park and the other parties agree. I leave work about 540 and head to the old stomping ground. Lots of nice trees in East Perth but parking is a bit tight, I get annoyed and then drive up to the graveyard and park there. I am playing Pokémon and take the long route along the Yellow CAT road between the graveyard and the river. This place is quiet and feels a little shifty, the walk takes at least 10 mins and then I am back where I was about 15 mins earlier when I was looking for somewhere to park. Very peaceful, I get lost trying to find how to get down to the East Perth Water Front but eventually find the stairs, head down there and across to the Royal. I walk in, can’t see Trav, eventually find him sitting by himself outside. Not too busy and the cross section of the crowd is very broad, from young mid 20’s/30 year olds to 60 year old men. We watch as a bandicoot causes some commotion and casually runs back to the bush by going under everyone’s feet. Very interesting. It is getting close to 640 now and JC is still walking over the river from The Camfield. Eventually he makes it.

JC is just back from Mediterranean holiday so we discuss the details. I have vodka soda with lemon lime and bitters and it is good. The DJ is playing 80’s / 90’s stuff which is ok but not my fav. We have some pizzas, I have about 1 or 2% of these, JC and Trav hit a few more drinks. JC points out several times that this is an interesting crowd and I’m like “it’s winter and pretty cold so prob not the most enticing weather”. Trav has switched between beer, vodka and now rum & coke - nothing unusual. We watched Collingwood get overpowered by Geelong, it’s a good vibe but we are aware that once the footy finishes it will get quiet. It is about 9pm now and we decide that we will go to Palace Arcade for a bit to finish the night off. I have only had two drinks so am good to drive. We head back up the hill to the graveyard.

We’re driving through Northbridge and there are police officers doing breath tests so I casually turn to the right and slowly drive away from them. I should be under the limit but don’t want to deal with them. Quite the commotion. Northbridge is a bit busier and we park just across from The Court. We walk past and head into Palace Arcade. It is not that busy and they have removed a lot of the Arcade games which they used to have back between July - October 2019, when Jas, Kiel and myself used to come here a lot. I feel sad that it is not that busy but then again it is a Friday night and not a Saturday, also I am very fatigued so it is easier to feel sad and reminiscent. It is still nice to be here though. Trav and Jas have a few more drinks and we stay here for about an hour playing Daytona and NBA. Around 10pm we leave and I drop the squad off in Kensington / Bentley and then I head up the freeway back to Jolimont. JC was def a little drunk as he had been drinking for work at The Camfield from about 4pm. The freeway drive is nice, I make it home a little bit before 11 and procrastinate until about 1230 when I finally decide that the gym is not really a viable option for tonight. Was a good night.

Saturday 06/07/24 - Stories

I walk to the train station at about 415 after taking a nap, was planning to get there by 4pm so am a little late. It’s pretty overcast and the train doesn’t pick me up for awhile. When I get to the city I’m trying to work out how to get to Yagan Square and get past all the blocked exits because I am already late but this is not easy. When I make it to The Shoe I’m trying to work out how to get to Stories but is a bit of a maze, this place has changed since I came here last. When I get up to the third storey I look for Stu, eventually I see him wearing a Christmas jumper so I say hi, by this stage it’s starting to get cold. I put on my Christmas jumper.

During the next four hours I have about four vodkas and a pizza, a few waters too - intense! It is so wet and cold but the place is buzzing! Was good to be out, these opportunities are very few and far between.

I decide to leave about 9pm, everyone is pretty loose by now and maybe half have gone home. Stu keeps drinking, I say goodbye to people and then try to make my way out but this takes again like 10 minutes as this place is a serious labyrinth. I make it out to Yagan Square and then catch the train home. Was a decent night.

01/01/24 - 3am

This blog and the next few blogs are in honour of the first 6 or 7 posts that I did all the way back in 2015. Short and sharp.

3am 01/01/24 - I thought yes, let’s play one more game of Uno so when I drive back to Jas’ it might be lighter and much safer to drive… really not keen on driving at 3am through Byford and Albany Hwy where possibly drunk drivers and kangaroos… am worried. Karis finishes first in Uno about 315. At 340 Karis is still the only one to have finished. A few minutes pass then Kristin Uno, Paige Uno, Jas Uno, Kiel Uno, Scott Uno, the ladies scream, the kids get woken up - so crazy!! Such a slow build up, just like watching cycling or a Japanese movie. Next turn Kiel is out and then me - only 3 left. Not too long after the marathon game is over, time to hit the road and leave GTA V and the other PlayStation games behind. 

It’s like 4am, we leave Byford, it is still dark but some light is appearing from behind the hills. Jas directs me west instead of east and we discover the very start of Tonkin Hwy, which I didn’t know existed. Keep going then head towards the city, cut through many unfamiliar suburbs but I later realise its Canning Vale, Riverton, Leach Hwy - nice. Kristin has been asleep the whole time, it is light now and finally reach JC’s place. I drop them off and head to Coogee, arrive just after 5, I go to bed and do not sleep well. Classic New Year’s Day.

Last Day of the Year (No More 2023)

It is the last morning of 2023 and I am sleeping on a towel on the ground like usual. Can’t believe 2023 will be over soon, December is always so busy and I never properly get time to slow down until the last couple of days.

2023 was a weird year but not necessarily a bad one. It started off with me watching Alone from Jan till April and then between May till September I played a fair bit of Zelda. Also have finally sorted out my sleep on Saturdays so I’m not lying awake at 3am wondering what I am doing with my life. 

Tonight maybe am going out to the city for a little bit or maybe am going to Byfords to Kiel’s. A stark contrast. Would like to get dressed up though.

My last workout for 2023

Friday 06/10/23 - Kuala Lumpur

Another Scott post where I am about 2 months late and just need to post so I can move on with my life 😂. Maybe I need to sort my life out.

Thursday 5th of October

Everything has been so hectic, trying to get as much work completed before going away, almost feel like I’ve run myself down and also gotten sick. So many things to organise and probably haven’t eaten or slept enough. I don’t end up going to the gym until 9pm, I just do some bench press and deadlifts or front squats, gym isn’t too busy which is good. Now it is 10pm, I’m really tired and hungry and have to get up about 5am to pack and head to the airport. I stop at the ATM on the way home on Hay St in Subi to take out some cash before going but I haven’t activated my new debit card so this does not work. So tired and frustrated, not good. 

I probably get to bed around midnight.

Friday 6th of October

I wake up early, like 5am. I am def tired and still a little run down from work, I gotta start packing fast because I’m meant to leave about 610am to go to the train station. I get all sorted then try to carry my suitcase all the way to Daglish train station on my shoulder instead of pulling it so as not to wake people, it is a solid workout. Sun is starting to come up, it is nice and quiet. Catch train to the city and then to the new airport train station which is really nice, quite impressed. Get lost a little but meet up with Stu about 7am. Our plane departs about 845am I think. We check in, look around, I go to the bathroom as stomach is not good. Time goes quick which is always a mystery in airports and very suddenly it’s time to board the plane. We’re in the middle row of seats but have three seats between the two of us which is good. The plane departs and the sun is well and truly up, so it feels like the day has definitely started.

The flight over there is pretty uneventful, the food is good and we watch the first few episodes on One Piece on Stu’s phone. Not bad. There are some young 20 year old guys who are going to Phuket and they are talking usual 20 year old guy sh*t, part of me is a little envious perhaps because I love Phuket and loved being at this age where you don’t have to worry about as many things, another part of me isn’t as interested as I know this part of my life has well and truly passed. Anyway the weather changes and becomes a little overcast and we are getting really close to landing. We arrive in Kuala Lumpur about 2pm and make good time, we push hard through the airport, there are quite a few shops and nice food shops and the airport isn’t that lit up which I kind of like. The toilets are pretty clean too. The weather is hazy and we later find out that this is due to Indonesia burning off. We get our luggage and Stu tries to contact our Grab driver - this process takes a while as the communication is not clear from the driver and we are not sure where he is actually waiting for us. We are outside now waiting for the driver, I have a hoody and shorts on and I’m really starting to feel hot but keep the hoody on as it is good sun protection, eventually our driver turns up and we head off. The drive takes at least 40 mins before we get close to the main city, I am really tired, feel like shit and have motion sickness too, Stu is also pretty tired and not feeling great, so it is not the most riveting drive and not much talking.

From the time that we arrived it’d been sunny (a little bit hazy too) but after about 40 mins of driving we are closing in on the main highway right next to the CBD and it has become really dark and gloomy. Out of nowhere it starts raining hard and I am liking this as I love rain. We finally get off the main highway into the CBD area, it is pretty hilly and windy and also appears to me to be a little shifty as some of the bars and places with neon lights are getting set up. I’m so confused about Kuala Lumpur as there are some really modern buildings and then very old, derelict buildings too… I’m starting to think maybe this isn’t as tourist friendly as I thought. Anyway we go through all these small windy roads in the CBD / jungle and we get to our hotel, we get out of the car for about 8 seconds to take our suitcases out before we get into the hotel and we get drenched! It is about 4pm now and we are finally inside the hotel, the air con is on and it is very nice and cool. I was so unsure about this hotel since we booked it until now but the lobby looks better and bigger than I thought it would and I think I now like it.

4pm

It is so nice and cool, we get into our hotel room and it is pretty nice. I am straight onto the tv to see what channels we have: we have close to 20, about 4 with movies and two dedicated sport channels. I am very happy with the sport channels. It’s still raining hard and we are seeing and hearing lightning getting really close as we look outside the window. Anyway we go downstairs to level 5 to the pool area and have a drink, it is empty apart from a young couple, they look aussie. At about 6 we head out and leave the hotel. It is a bit like a jungle with a lot of green plants growing on the sides of the road. We walk downhill about 50 metres and there are nice bars all along both sides of the road and then at the end there are some massage parkours (most not seedy but a couple look seedy), then there is food street which runs perpendicular.

Food Street

This street is a walking only street at night time and there is so much food and fruit drinks here to choose from, I buy some mango and sticky rice, eat it and we by this time we are at the quiet end of the food street and sun has gone down by this stage but not fully dark yet. We walk around the quiet roads to get back onto the main road. We get onto the main road for the first time and this road is lively and has big pedestrian crossings kind of like what you see in New York. Also has big advertisement boards like Times Square and this place is going off. Go looking for the massive shopping center and I think it is called Fahrenheit, this is a nice shopping center and not too hectic, reminds me of like Hay St on a Friday night. We go upstairs so I can get money out and after this we head back outside. I am thinking this shopping center isn’t as big as what I was expecting but the next day Stu finds the shopping centre we were looking for which is absolutely massive! This shopping centre was directly on the other side of the road, don’t know how I missed this.

It is about 730pm now and dark, we go back to the food street to get some dinner, I’m pretty sure I just get fried rice and it’s good. It’s pretty lively on the food street but also so relaxing and warm. So much life, lots of tourists, some white but also a lot of Chinese, Japanese, Indians and Middle Eastern too. I’m not sure if I have a drink here but Stu definitely did.

Roughly 830pm

We walk back towards the hotel and walk past all the bars and they are lively, we see a pretty big one called Rockafellas which has sport on and live music so we go into there. This place is not too busy but busy enough. The Cricket World Cup is on and it’s NED vs Pakistan, we have a lot of TV’s to choose from, the live music from inside also comes on and off but luckily not too loud where we are sitting outside. I have like 4 or 5 vodkas and Stu has a fair few beers, I feel like I’m on another planet as I am very fatigued, have a headache and it is warm and really lively and kind of in a jungle, I kind of feel like I’m back in Phuket like I was in my 20’s… so unusual, I don’t know if I’m living in the past or just really tired but I keep drinking and slowly forget about it. The street in between all of the bars is really busy too, definitely more so because it is a Friday night. There’s live music on but also good DJ music on too… I slowly unwind I guess and start to enjoy it. Maybe I am too uptight in normal life.

It gets to about 1045pm and we decide to leave; I’m still feeling shifty as but feeling so relaxed because I am tipsy. Some 40 or so year old man with brown skin, shaved head and eyes which kind of look like they are devoid of a soul or have been heavily influenced by cocaine use or shifty activities, stops his car in the middle of the busy road and tries to talk to us. Eventually I realize that he is trying to speak to us so I slow down a little and then he asks if we want some cocaine, I laugh a little and decline, I find it funny because again it reminds me of when I was younger in Phuket and also younger in Perth too when people would offer you drugs. We walk up the small hill past the food van, we get to the front of the hotel, I see a cat out the front of the hotel under a motor bike so go and say hi, we go up the lift and back to our room and go to bed. The next day around lunchtime I’m at the gym and I still have a headache, don’t manage to get rid of this until Sunday.