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.

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. 

Saturday 22/04/23 - Giuma’s B’day

Woke up from a nap and had to confirm with Eyersy (Trav) if south suburban train mission was still on. He said yes and we both had to get ready fast to make the train and logistics work. I got ready quick and had to move fast to get to Daglish train station in time, had to scramble fast and only just made the train. The new Airport line has changed the Freo train line times and I have never really preferred attention to detail when doing these missions I much rather prefer to wing it and back my gut. Make it to Perth train station about 440/445 and know I prob won’t make the connecting Mandurah line train. I move quick anyway just in case and see the doors closing to one of the Mandurah line trains so jump into it anyway. I soon then start to question if this train is heading to Joondalup or Mandurah because I didn’t actually check but luckily it heads south. Trav at this stage knows that I’m in transit but he doesn’t actually know what train I’m on, I’m thinking I might have to get off at Canning Bridge and wait for Trav there to make sure we’re on the same train - things are starting to get tense. Train’s about to arrive at Canning Bridge and Trav calls me “Are you on the train?”

“Yes, where are you?”

“At Canning Bridge and there’s a train here, is this the one you’re on?”

“Yes, get on now! North carriage!”

Trav jumps in last minute and the train heads off. This is like a GTA mission where we both moving between carriages to meet up, Trav has to wait until the next stop before getting off and running to the north carriage, just makes it again. With some very lax planning we have finally met up and head south for Saturday night train mission to Wellard, unknown territory and to a pub where I didn’t really check where it was. The train arrives in Wellard and we get off.

The Wellard station is nice and very modern, we head west and we only have to cross one road and we realise that we’re at our destination… very convenient. The Wellard Pub, nice, pretty big too, we grab a drink and then see Giuma and GF so we head over. We say hello and then we all start drinking and talking, some more of Giuma and GF (Laura)’s friends arrive including friends of Mick Soh. No Mick Soh though so probably for the best. The atmosphere is good and we keep drinking.

As the night goes on some people have to depart, Giuma is pretty drunk and Trav has a lot to drink which is normal for him in my view so therefore cannot tell if Trav is drunk. I get up to six vodkas which is normally the cut off limit for me so I drink some water too. Things are starting to get funny though as the crew is talking about going somewhere after this to continue the drinking, I’m not too interested in the drinking but see how this plays out. Eventually about 11 we head to Giuma’s while Laura and friends buy alcohol to keep us going. We at Giuma’s, Giuma’s getting loud and we start watching Baseketball - he is not going to last long. Laura etc rock up with some alcohol but most people are falling apart. I’m trying to work out if train mission part II is a viable option but seems shifty now that it is after midnight and we at least 40 min walk from the train station. Eventually we all start to leave as people falling asleep / falling apart - I catch an Uber with Trav and make it home maybe around 1am. Was a good night and should do this more often. Solid train mission too.

Saturday 08/04/23 - Vic Park

Trav’s B’day drinks finish at 11pm at Vic Park Hotel with Trav, me & Chris, I have had a bit to drink but don’t really want to go to the Vic Park/Carlisle train stations as they sound shifty and not in the mood for this. In hindsight maybe I should have gone there but I felt like walking.

It is 11:04pm, I start walking west from Vic Park towards the city. Head down Albany Hwy and after some walking make it to the Causeway. This area is somewhere I rarely venture to. I cross Heirisson Island, not too shifty and make it into East Perth. I’m planning to head north to make it to one of the train stations but I’m concerned that I might miss the train and have to wait an hour, I decide maybe I should look for a scooter but eventually see buses drive by so wait about 15 mins and catch one from Fraser Suites area to the bus depot next to Elizabeth Quay. This saves me about 2km’s of walking. Now it is 12am and I realise that I have missed the 12am train to Freo 😕. In hindsight I should have just checked the journey planner on Transperth website but I was tired and a little drunk so didn’t think of this. With the new airport train line the Freo train times have changed so I honestly have no idea what time these trains are departing anymore. I digress.

Making my way out of the bus depot is never a simple task. I go up stairs and then find an exit and then manage to find some more stairs. I make it out onto the road near Mill St, I decide I am finally going to try a scooter out so walk up to quiet location at top of Woodside Building. The scooter is so stressful trying to get it to operate etc, I ride it up over the fwy to West Perth and then it stops operating because I am in a restricted area. I have to carry / ride it like a normal scooter until I get away from Parliament House and it starts working again. I ride it up to West end of West Perth and then part ways; this was stressful as the GPS was not matching with the parking area and journey would not end. I was so angry and it started to rain too.

I walk through Subi, go to the gym to use the bathroom and load up on water. I keep walking down Hay St and make it home about 1am, I hear the train about 10 mins later so I beat the 1am train home at least. Was a solid walk, like 6km’s. The following day I spend recovering until 6pm, but it is the Easter long weekend so it is ok. Solid.

Sat 25/03/23 - Zambreros, Aviary & Marketgrounds

Make it out by 730pm which is crazy for me but I am more organised now. Go to Zambreros in NB for some food, was good but NB still a little shifty. Go to the Aviary because there doesn’t seem to be many bars in that area so Aviary is the best option. It is pretty busy so we have to wait in line for awhile. JC & I are in there for awhile just drinking, Jas bumps into his Sudanese work friend while we are lining up for the bar. This guy (Charlie) is nice and is pretty strong. We have shots, Charlie buys shots for two women as well and is keen on them. Because there are three of us now, the pace seems to quicken and both Charlie and myself feel tipsy. The atmosphere is good though and I am going hard on the ear plugs as the music is pretty loud.

We drink for a bit and Charlie goes outside to meet one of his friends in line and JC and I decide to go to Marketgrounds as it is exactly 10pm now and Kristen and her friends will be going there soon.

We line up and get in quick. It is pretty busy inside and maybe about 1030 Kristen and her friends arrive. Later on we are sitting down outside and there is some drama as two of her friends are out near the bus depot fighting (guy and girl, both are young) so eventually everyone except me leaves Marketgrounds to calm them down whilst I guard like 6 drinks that JC has just bought. 

It is literally like 40 mins before Jas gets back in and then later Kristen. I notice my rival is here again and this time he is solo - he legitimately has been at Marketgrounds every time I’ve been there during the last 18 months. I have had 8 drinks by this stage and am keen to leave but stay until after 1am with JC & K before we leave.

I missed the train so walk and try to hire one of the scooters outside of Watertown. I had to take a helmet selfie before the scooter would operate and this was stressing me out so I burn about 15 mins in this process and then keep walking. I keep walking through West Perth and then Subi. It is taking so long so I don’t make it back home until 225. Was good to go out, always makes me feel so alive and happy.

Sat 31/12/22 - Marketgrounds (New Year’s Eve)

It is Feb now and I don’t think I’m going to get any good blog writing weather soon so will try and write this one now. 

Spoke to Jas in Nov (or thereabouts) to see if going out for NYE was something he was interested in or something that perhaps was no longer relevant for us. He mentioned he was keen to do something so I was content. 

Time passed, it was getting close to Xmas and still no word about NYE - this was slightly concerning. After Xmas we played golf on the 28th and JC confirmed that NYE was still a go and we considered that maybe somewhere like the Shoe or somewhere lesser known in the city might be good and maybe even would get Trav to come out - this seemed like a good plan, perhaps not as exciting as usual but still solid. Treaded water for the next two days, swam in the Coogee shark net every evening (pretty busy) and still no update - not good! It was about 10pm on the 29th now, I was a little anxious so decided to check FB to see if Jas had pulled a shifty and bought tickets to an event without telling me. FB indicated that he was going to Marketgrounds… I was tired and knew tickets would sell out very soon… I bought a ticket. Msgd Jas to confirm if he was going, he wasn’t but he bought two tickets ASAP.

Swam, went to the gym, watched cricket and Alone season 1 on SBS and then it was NYE - my fav week of the year was coming to the end 😕😕😕😕😕😕.

Marketgrounds, the destination that we’d been to for three New Year’s in a row and one that I was happy to go to again. For once I was on top of things and ahead of schedule. Got a lift to Bentley from parents and made it there by 6pm. JC, myself, Trav & Kristen watched tv and had pre drinks at Jas’. Trav was not going to come out, got lift from Trav & Laura to Jolimont so I could get dressed, it is late now and we pushing our luck. Get a taxi from Jolimont to Marketgrounds and arrive about 10pm, was busy and could no crazy COVID restrictions like last year. 

Went upstairs to get drinks, get served quickly as feeling confident. Go downstairs and sit outside to drink. The next hour we just drink outside and talk - I can’t believe 2022 is almost over. I feel good though and think about msging Vesper or KC etc as they not here this year. 

It’s getting close to midnight and we keep drinking, eventually go to the dance floor as it’s getting close. The countdown comes and it’s always f*cking weird, knowing one year is about to end (something you don’t really think about until you get to December). The excitement builds and thank god it ticks over to 00:00 - can finally relax! Fireworks are going off and people are getting loose. Dance floor is pretty hectic. We have a few more drinks and I know it’s time for me to leave as I’m third wheeling hard. We all leave about 1 and I head hard to the train station, make the train in time and make it to Jolimont quick.

I get changed and put on running clothes with a backpack, head back to the train station and make it onto a busy train with lots of people, I’m thankful that I make train in time but i remember that trains go every 15 mins on New Year’s, this time I’m not on one of the last trains like 2015/16 when I was pretty drunk. After about 20 mins we in Freo.

I start walking at 2:22 and not in the mood to run. South Beach so shifty, there a rave going on but I make it past ok. Walking is taking so long and headache is going so I start running. Near the power plant I get close to a shadowy figure, he is drunk and gets scared by me so I apologise. Once I get around the corner I start running again. I’m starting to feel real good. I make it home 3:22. 2022 is over, I fall asleep.

2022 - The Year That Was

Another blog that’s like three months late 😓. I will post this one quickly so I can move on with life. 

2022 - like many things I could write a lot about this but will try and keep this one brief.

Jan

- Started the year as usual at Marketgrounds during COVID restrictions

- Leaving West Perth at the start of Jan and crying because have been there for eight years.

- Working in the city

- Trying to find food places every lunchtime in Allendale Square, Trinity Arcade, Forrest Chase

- Playing golf

- Going to the gym like always

- Waiting for the bus out the front of the hospital that I was born in

- Meatloaf passed away

Feb

- Going to the gym

- Exploring the city during lunch breaks

- Finally getting internet @ my unit

- Going to West Perth yoga from the city on Wednesdays

- Maybe getting on tv at Subiaco Woolworths

- Starting to appreciate Feb again and hot weather at night.

March

- Nights getting darker earlier

- Playing golf 

- Still running at Jacob’s Ladder on Tuesdays

- Still going to bed at stupid times on Friday nights

- WA winning Sheffield Shield and One Dayer’s

- Still having to wear masks for COVID

April

- Getting dark when waiting for the bus on St George’s Terrace every night

- Going to Subi & Floreat gyms

- Playing Metroid

- Watching movies

- Walking through Allendale Square, Trinity Arcade on Fridays after work when it is completely empty and closing up. Going to Woolworths in the city on Fridays and during the week after work.

May

- Getting COVID

- Doing missions to make it to the Perth train station late at night after work through shifty parts of the city. Most of the arcades practically empty or closed - always pushing time hard.

June

- Similar to May

- Getting so cold

- Going to exclusive seats at the footy. Drinking at Camfield after this which was like the first time out drinking since New Year’s Eve 😳 - crazy

- Not many people at gym on Friday nights 

July

- Watching tv

- Sleeping on the floor

- Finishing Metroid

August

- Working in Osborne Park

- Doing new route through Kings Park on Tuesdays. Going through the bush when dark.

- Usual

September

- Eagles not making the finals

- Drinking on a Wednesday night until 11pm at Mayfair after work. The day before Queen’s Funeral public holiday.

- Weather starting to get slightly warmer.

- Going to Floreat gym at midnight every Saturday night and then driving down to Coogee.

- Seeing the same cleaner at Floreat gym every Saturday night.

- Going to Cougars GF @ Basso

October

- Starting to get warmer.

- Kings Park starting to get busier on Tuesday nights 

- Classic October party vibe due to Oktoberfest / Halloween and no more footy.

- Going out to city / Marketgrounds for first legit Saturday night out since NYE - crazy! Good though.

- This Saturday night being really cold even though it was late October.

- Catching the train for first time in awhile.

- Going to Watertown Friday nights before late night gym missions.

- Cricket World Cup

November

- The 🐐 aka FIFA World Cup

- Doing walk missions in West Perth on Saturday nights.

- The World Cup - so good!!!!

- Msging Kiel on Friday night World Cup until like 230

- Survivor 

December

Although October is my go to for best month of the year, December is definitely goat level and the most special. Definitely the best month for blogs and reflecting on the year. Always start these blogs between the best week of the year during Christmas to NYE.

- Going to test match, going to Scorchers and Camfield on Saturday night with good seats too.

- Going swimming in the shark net most nights in Coogee during Christmas.

- Doing big walk through Lights Trail in the city on a Friday night. Was good.

- The countdown to New Year’s Eve

- Starting this blog just before New Year’s Eve and not finishing until March 😂😂😂