Perth - Week 1

Technically, it's week 2, about 10 days into this move but it has been a bit of a blur.  We are now about 80% unpacked and settled but this last 20% may take awhile, since it includes unpacking around 8,000 books, 9,000 MORE toys, finding and purchasing an outdoor dining table, a barbeque, and a living room sofa (sitting on the floor to type whilst charging my computing is getting soooo old), and fixing everything that has decided not to work in the new house.  The good news is that the few sticks of rental furniture have been collected so now I can actually reach the 7,000 remaining boxes.

Nothing says "Welcome to Perth" quite like a Shingle-Back Lizard the size of my arm, sunning himself on our steps!

In all seriousness, it has been as positive a first week as I could have hoped for.  J's first two days of the final week of Term 1 school passed really well.  He was such a trouper and it has paid dividends.  Do you remember from my last post that our next door neighbour/Vice-Principal introduced J to another boy in his year who had recently returned from  3 years in Calgary.  They seem to have hit it off and through his father, born in Kingston, Ontario (just like Murphy), J joined a week-long sailing school, albeit reluctantly.  However, off he has gone for 3 hours every day this week to the gorgeous little sailing club down the road - yes, they have gorgeous little sailing clubs down the road in Perth - and has LOVED it.  Apparently, if all goes to plan, they will each be indivually sailing in their little boats the breadth of the Swan River on Friday - SERIOUSLY???

He has been playing with the other kids at the club, and today spent the afternoon at 3-years-in-Calgary boy's house.  I'd say those two school days paid off!  The other significant dividend is no anxiety over this two-week school break before the start of Term 2.

Did I mention J's sailing instructor is French?

I have met two of J's sailing club/school mates' mums this week and we've had a couple of good chats, especially with 3-years-in-Calgary boy's mum so am looking forward to building on that.  In the meantime, I am e-mailing and texting my supportive Melbourne peeps and even had an evening at the beach and fish & chips back at our house with one Melbourne family who were holidaying in Perth.  That felt good.

Cottesloe Beach one fine evening

One handsome boy, one fine beach!

Sunset at Cottesloe

Selfie of us 3

 After several days of 30c+ days, it dropped back to mid-20s and, frankly, it was a nice break to fling the doors open all day, especially with furniture removalists, refrigerator delivery men and other maintenance people in and out all day.  Murphy thought we were moving again and tried several runners but I am on to her wily ways now.

J and across-the-street-boy with "River" the young Black Swam who befriended us on a walk along a stretch of the Swan River

"River" loved the wild grasses the boys fed him

One more day then C2 is off for 10 days.  Ten days of breaking the back of the final bit of unpacking, a little exploring of our new region, a little sleeping-in, and little cooking together and drinking wine...maybe even fit in a bit of binge-watching of "Orange is the New Black".  Can't come fast enough!

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming....

We ended our glorious 3 and a half years in Melbourne with a fine weekend send-off.  Friday night, we spent with my most recent but instant great friends Katrina and Warwick and our mutual Franco-Australian friends, Caroline and Thierry for a superb gastronomic feast, many laughs, and much warmth.  I hope our friendship will continue, it is already cemented but under different circumstances it would continue to blossom organically; another price to pay for this nomadic life of ours.

Caroline, Thierry, me and Katrina

Me and Katrina WE WILL BE FRIENDS DISTANCE BE DAMNED

Losing this gang is part of the price of being nomadic

Thanks Caroline and Thierry for the French wine!

Saturday was a bit of a blur.  We checked out of our sweet temporary accommodations late morning, and J and I drove C2 and Murphy to the airport.  We found Qantas cargo and got Murphy sorted, J and I in tears for most of it, C2 doing his best 'in charge' gig.  Then J and I sent C2 on his way and with hearts in throats, we drove to Kerry and Andrew's for the rest of the weekend.  It was just what we needed, open arms, open hearts, and a collective whoop of relief when several hours later, C2 sent a text with a picture of him loading a happy and healthy Murphy into the rental car in Perth.

Early the next day, Kerry and Z (J's great mate) drove us to the airport where with tears in eyes and lumps in throats, we hugged and went our separate ways.  A few hours later, C2 picked us up in Perth.   We went to our new house but it seemed empty, our new neighbourhood with its majestic views beautiful but meaningless.  J and I both felt bereft.

However, by the next day, things began to improve, the movers arrived earlier than expected and a 18-hour crazy day left us surrounded by our things, in our own beds, utterly exhausted body and soul, but delighting in our small community of neighbours racing each other to say hello,  to chat, to give us warm scones with butter and jam, and to extend welcome.  Somehow, J's new deputy Principal is our next door neighbour.  Somehow, there is another 10-year old boy living across the street, somehow, we can take Murphy off-leash from our house to the adjacent park.  We spotted this gorgeous pair on a recent stroll.

Rainbow Lorikeets

In the few days that have subsequently passed and following C2 tireless pace, we are about 70% unpacked and setup.  Murphy is loving exploring and roaming and keeps making 'runners' from the back of the house to the grass in the front of the house.  Note to self: this weekend buy a doggie gate!   J started school this morning and was an utter trooper.  The neighbour/deputy Principal escorted him to class and during the day introduced him to another boy who lived for a time in Calgary where J was born.  What are the odds?  When C2 and I collected him at the end of the day, we scrutinized his face for signs of distress but all was well.  Queue second collective whoop of relief!

So really all has gone remarkably smoothly during this move.  The leaving was painful but the logistics surprisingly painless.  The next few weeks will be consumed with the minutia of moving.  A hundred more boxes to unpack, all the little things to rebuild - doctors, dentists, piano teachers, tennis programs, organising programs at the Alliance Francaise, figuring out where everything is.  I remember when we moved to Melbourne that one of my earlier thoughts was wishing I could fast-forward 3 months where everything made sense.  I'm kinda there again.  On the other hand, the forecast is for 30c and sunny for the next several days.  The beach beckons...I guess the rest can wait a few more days.

Farewell Melbourne Part 2

I'm already missing:

1.  St. Kilda Road, this elegant, broad boulevard is reminiscent of Europe's finest.
2.  Chapel Street, its vibe, its music, its eateries, its crazy people weaving and yelling at no one in particular.
3.  Melbourne's alleys.  From Banksy-esque graffiti'd walls come the best cafes, pop-up shops, and overheard snippets of conversation.
4.  Melbourne's trains. "Next stop South Yarra, change here for the Belgrave line" in the poshest of voices.  No "G'day maties, get off 'ere for Belgrave too right!" here.
5.  High Street Armadale.  My third favorite high street.
6.  My peoples...still...

This past weekend, my generous friends Kelly and Kathy threw a farewell party for us.  I must say, as (1) I hate good-bye's and (2) I hate being the centre of anyone's attention, I was looking forward and dreading it at the same time.  I treasure the friendships I have made in Melbourne, but am better at telling them how much I treasure them one person at a time.

Still, all of our friends were there and it was a wonderful party, the kids played hard for about 6 hours.  Everyone's generosity of spirit was overwhelming, and I pretty much cried from start to finish.  It wasn't pretty.

How do you tell people that in the absence of family, they have filled that void without sounding maudlin?  How do you tell them how much they have enriched your lives without sounding disingenuous?  How do you tell them how desperately you will miss them without sounding pithy?  I couldn't, so I just cried.  Fortunately, C2 did a pretty good job.

 Emilie, Kerry and me....doing my best to keep it together

 Nick helps J with a water balloon

J's great pal and Ruby to his Kirk

 Mel, Kelly and Majella

 Patrick and Emilie

 Kathy, Olivia, me and Marie-Pierre

 With Brigette

 J and his one of his best mates

 With Severine and Stephane

 Mel starts the presentation.  I'm barely holding my composure....

Losing it....

Still losing it...

And....lost it!

 A handful of the kids

  

Z.A.J.

Patrick, Marco, Severine,  Majella, and Steph

Kerry and Mel and their gorgeous littlies

My beautiful yoga partner and friend Ursula, Em, and Patrick

Nothing says friendship like a good noogie!

Clearly I am holding forth with something utterly fascinating...well at least I'm not weeping and wailing!  

With Kerry, Jean-Marc, and Ursula

Farewell Melbourne Part 1

We're down to one week and 3 days.  As I sit to write this C2 is still in Perth, J is still in Canberra,  I've just finished a telephone call with my Insurance company to transfer our policy interstate after which I've poured a rather tall glass of Australian Shiraz.

There are many stages of moving: (1) Denial (2) Acceptance (3) Nostalgia (4) Ready-to-Go.  I am at stage #3.  Everything I look at or experience this week makes me weak at the knees, drenched with bittersweet longing and a need to etch a memory of it in my mind.

Perfect example today, my gorgeous friend Mel took me for lunch on Acland Street in St. Kilda; as we strolled along the street, I sighed at the iconic European cake shops which J and I have frequented at the end of every school term as a special treat.  After lunch  we went for coffee at the beach.  As we walked along the St. Kilda beach boardwalk to the Stokehouse, I sighed again, as St. Kilda beach was one of the first places we visited upon arrival in Melbourne 3 and a bit years ago, and it has always had a special place in my heart.  I even barracked for the St. Kilda footy team (don't tell them I am switching allegiances to the Fremantle Dockers).

During my workout in Central Park this morning, I etched every loved corner of the Park in my mind.  As I walked home along our high street, I sighed as I glanced in the window of the My Kitchen Table cafe where J and I have lunch after tennis during the school holidays, I sighed again as I passed the Soul Cafe where I pick up coffee on my way to the tram.  I even sighed at our Australia Post outlet...I know I know, I am deep into Stage #3.

I am going to highlight what about Melbourne I will miss most....there will likely be several more entries in coming days:

1.  My High Street with its' block of  cafes and dear little shops;
2.  Glenferrie Road, my other High street with its' three blocks of cafes and dear not-so-little shops;
3.  Melbourne's iconic trams;
4.  From the tram window spying original Victorian houses with names like 'Ye Olde Parsonage';
5.  Central Park and Hedgley Dean Gardens both adjacent to our house and loved by all of us (including Murphy);
6.  Stunning Albert Park and it's rows of Palm trees.  I drive on the Formula One track around the Park to work in South Melbourne and often have to stop to allow crossings of waddling Black Swans.

7.  My peoples.  We've been having serious quality time with our dearest friends over the last week or so to etch as many memories as possible.  They have been amazing.  Supportive, loving, funny.  Everything I needed my friends to be.

Marco and Marie-Pierre - our port in a storm from the very beginning  And makers of THE best pizza outside of Italy:

With their crazy cat Minou

My girls at Ficelle for dinner (thanks Majella and Thierry):

Kerry

Mel

Majella

Emilie

Marie-Pierre

Severine

My gorgeous Kerry and her gorgeous family.  She is seriously the funniest person I have ever known:

In my usual position, guffawing at something Kerry has said

Only a family of six could have this many skateboards, and only this mother of four who works 60+ hour weeks would make this many home-made hotcross buns on a Saturday night.

Our backup family

Two Weeks and Three Days

We're in the final stretch.  Moving is a different experience this time.  When we left Geneva, we had 4 months of planning and frankly, it was excruciating.  C2 and I ultimately dubbed it 'the Long Goodbye'.  When I look back at the pictures of us when we finally extracted ourselves back to Canada for the Christmas break before shifting to Australia, we are grey and skinny.  From prolonged farewells, from the lessors-from-hell, from being too long in the moment.

This time around, we have a spreadsheet, we are dividing and conquering, and we're jamming it and all of the farewells into a short 4 weeks.  Whilst it is exceedingly painful to say goodbye again, for our roots have run deep, the goodbyes are accompanied by "come and visit us" and friends actually can.  We are moving 3,000km away not 14,000km.  In Geneva,  J and I used to visit with Sheila and her kids in London every school holiday; we can actually do the same from Perth to Melbourne...well maybe every OTHER school holiday.  Point is, we're still moving within the same country, and we're taking a lot of comfort from that.

Murphy is enjoying her giant kennel in the middle of our living room so it's safe to say that she's used to it again; I am hoping that the flight will remind her that she's done it successfully and longer three times before.  Again watch this space.

We are moving into temporary accommodations in Melbourne next Monday, near Chapel St. - silver linings - as it is an awesome part of Melbourne - and one with which we are very familiar.  We will do our best to take advantage of the location, though dinners with friends are planned most nights.

J is officially withdrawn from his wonderful bilingual Melbourne school; I already miss it and our wonderful Franco-Australian community.  It felt like our transfer was  not real until I formally submitted his withdrawal, well I guess it's real now.

However, before this move is done and dusted, C2 heads to Perth for a week while at the same time J heads to Canberra with school for a week.  That leaves.....me.....Alone.....FOR A WEEK.  I don't think I've experienced that in almost 11 years!   I'll be working much of that time; as for the rest, well I guess I'll be counting my blessings for all that I have...with popcorn and Netflix.

And the Answer is..........PERTH (Australia not Scotland)

Yes, the nomadic Canadian/Swiss/Australian Family Hendricks is on the move again.  After 3 joyful years in Melbourne, we are giving up our bi-coastal lifestyle and heading west to be reunited regularly as a family.

Perth?  You ask, where/what is Perth?  Well, here is my summary of Perth, the resource capital of the state of Western Australia in no particular order.

1.  It is THE most isolated capital city in the world. 3,438 km from Melbourne, slightly more to Sydney, 8,325 to Johannesburg, 14,466 to London, 14,831km to Vancouver,  18,770 to New York,  but only 6,478 to Antarctica!

2.  The nearest city of greater than 100,000 is Adelaide at 2,104 km to the south-east.

3.  Perth is the resource capital of Australia, and the fourth most populous city after Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide with a population of around 1.9 million.

4.  Perth is the capital of the state of Western Australia, commonly referred to down under as WA.

5.  Perth is blessed with a hot, dry Mediterranean climate with an average winter temperature around 18c and average summer temps of 31c.  Cactus, Palms, and tropical flora flourish.

6.  Perth is home to four public universities: the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University, and Edith Cowan University. There is also one private university, the University of Notre Dame.

7.  The WA coast is the playground of many whales and a large Great White shark population, while also being blessed with some of the most spectacular beaches in the world, including Perth's Cottlesloe, voted by Lonely Planet as the second best beach in the world for families.

That's a slice of Perth.  C2 has probably spent more time in Perth than in Melbourne in the three years that we have been in Australia, and the time has come to address that inbalance.  While I am utterly heartsick at leaving my beautiful Melbourne with the remarkable network of friends who have been like family,  and the unique Franco-Australian society we have forged, I recognise that we have to wrench ourselves away for the sake of our family.  Even J realises it.  To quote my man Bruce:

"...Well it comes with a hard hard price
you can't shut off the risk and pain
Without losin' the love that remains
We're all riders on this train..."  (Bruce Sprinsgteen "Human Touch")

Kinda describes this nomadic, expat life of ours.  At least to me.  I have been so blessed with wonderful friendships and connections in Geneva and Melbourne.  I hope I am as lucky this time around.  Resigning from a job that I love and where I felt valued has also been painful but there are NGOs in Perth too.

So on we go, we've settled on a house in a charming area of Perth between the giant Swan river, (the saltwater river that defines Perth) and the Indian Ocean.  An easy walk to the river, and a short way to the beaches of the Indian Ocean, 5 minutes to Cottlesloe.  Also a short drive is Perth's Alliance Française, where I expect J and I will spend much time continuing the french education he began in Geneva and continued in Melbourne.

Guess who else is coming?  Yep, 15-1/2 year old Murphy.  Her Vet signed-off on one more airplane journey, scheduled for April 5 with C2.  J and I will travel the next day.  I cannot be there if anything happens to her en-route.  This much I do know.  Watch this space.

It's a fast departure this time, the next three weeks will be full of organising the move, temporary accommodations, painful good-byes but joyful see-you-soon's, and parties we are dubbing the "Who-wants-to-put-the-Hendricks-up-at-Christmas-enroute-to-Canada" parties.

To conclude, here are a few images of Perth taken on a trip a couple of years ago.  Not too bad eh?

Downtown Perth

Cottlesloe Beach, a heartbeat away

J and I walking along Cottlesloe Beach

J and C2 jumping into the surf at Cottlesloe

Rottnest Island, Perth's playground just off the coast of Fremantle

More Rotto (as the Aussies call it)

Of course, there are also lots of these guys....but we'll do our best to avoid them!