White Rabbit Syndrome

Not enough for my family and friends

Not enough for my work, my projects and my hobbies

Not enough for the community, the world and the future

It goes so quickly

I hope they don't think I've forgotten them

I'm trying my best to hold it all together

I really am

Dunsborough Fishing Trip - Canal Rocks

Tired and disappointed from our first fishless attempt, the guys and I headed to our second spot after a quick chicken lunch.

Canal rocks is a beautiful spot in southern Yallingup. The way the rocks have eroded have formed this naturally unique outpost.

Only problem was getting to the nice fishing spot required crossing a short channel.

For a big tough guy like me, this is usually not a problem. But the channel rocks are round and EXTREMELY slippery. They're covered in moss for crying out loud! Add to that we are carrying two fishing rods, a tackle box, bucket and a bag each! Not to mention expensive mobiles phones and cameras and wallet in our pockets. Then there's the risk of having a freak wave sweep you out to the sea and getting eaten by SHARKS!

None of us wanted to go for a swim.

After much ado we eventually got across the scary channel.
Not without casualties of course. Ben and I got badly cut. Saltwater makes it nice and stingy as well.

But soon we were in the spot we were a year before. The spot where multiple salmons were caught.
We really wanted to catch salmons, instead we kept on catching Breams!! And there were lots of them!! We were catching them with every cast.
They are apparently not nice to eat so we threw them all back.
After we had our fun with the Breams we decided to head back. The tide was starting to rise and the scary channel starting to widen and deepen. But just before we left... .......

SALMON BABY!!!

Look at the size of that beast!!5Kgs at least!!!

It must have been quite a fight reeling that thing in.
Hehehe.. we wouldn't know because someone else caught this salmon.
We just borrowed it so that we could have photos with it :P

On the way back to the car we met a couple of guys loading a helluva large meaty thing into their SUV. Curious me had a look. A FREAKIN'!! SHARK!
And they caught it off an aluminum can they call a boat! NUTS I tell you!!

Me with shark jaws and the boat at the background

Fishing for me just got helluva lot more dangerous.

Taxi Driver Story #3

You know the smell of a person who hasn’t showered in ages - that indescribable stench that overwhelms your nostrils and makes you want to jump out of your skin and go to another universe.

That’s what confronted me when I entered his taxi.

Thankfully I’m a very tolerant person and I don’t judge people even though this taxi drivers’ white shirt is discolouring around the armpits turning yellow. I’m sure if he knew how discomforting he is to his passengers then he’d jump in a tub full of chlorine then shower in sulfuric acid. Maybe that will get rid some of the germs.

Still, I needed to get somewhere and he was the man for the job. I noticed his name Karl on taxi driver ID stuck on the passenger visor.

Will: So….. you've been busy today..?
Karl: Ohhh yes yes. Very busy. bwhehehehehehe
My eyes widened hearing his laugh. It sounded like a machine gun of "hehs". Very creepy.

Karl: Where you from?
Will: I live up north towards the new development..
Karl: I mean which country you from?
Will: oohh… um.. Philippines.. born in Manila
Karl: Uuuuuu. Manila.. Oh yes.. yes Manila. I know Manila.. bwhehehehehe.
I seemed to have jiggled a happy memory out of him.

Karl: You know Ferdinand Marcos?
Will: Um yeah. He was a president a long time ago.
Karl: Yeah. Yeah. We’ll, during the Marcos Era, I wrote a personal add for a girlfriend when I was still in Germany. I couldn’t believe it! Bwhehehehehe. How many people do u think replied?
I pouted and shook my head. I didn’t know. I have no experience with personal ads. yet

Karl: I could not believe it – I got over 300 mails!! HA! That was good bwhehehehehe
Will: Wow! That’s a lot
Karl: it’s good yeah? bwhehehehehehe
It actually didn’t really surprise me. Lots of Filipinos want to move out of the country. They’ll even put up with stink bombs like Karl.

Karl: Manila is good place to holiday yeah? I like Thailand.. been there many times. Beautiful woeeemen everywhere! Bbwehehehehehe
It occurred to me that this guy was no saint

Will: Yeah.. I heard Vietnam and Korea are good as well.
Karl: *eyes widen* oww yeah – Korea and yess… Vietnam too.. Bwhehehehehe

I think he wiped his mouth coz he was drooling. I felt dirty just sitting there.

Then I think I asked the wrong question.
Will: married with kids?

He returned to a more normal demeanour

Karl: yes.. I was once married. No kids.
He lost his creepy smile and he turned serious.
I think I hit a sensitive spot

Karl: Yes, she was nice. My ex wife.. Chinese lady.
Small but very very pretty. We both moved here to Australia.
But you have to watch out you know.. they can be quite good.. but after wedding, she changed quickly. Different person she was.
Just a week after the wedding...
He shook his head
Karl: ...we were fighting and she wanted divorce straight away.

I guess there’s more to this guy than just his stinky, creepy exterior.
He’s been burnt too.

Karl: We got divorced and she got the house and $100k.
Will: My god.. that’s a lot of money
Karl: yeah.. well... money is money..

It seemed to me that losing his house and money wasn’t what bothered him.
Karl: People change . She changed a lot.

He faked a smile and talked on about stock exchange.

Even with Karl's crusty exterior I kinda sympathised for him. Its sad that there are people out there who use others for personal gains - Karl included.

But dirty old men, no matter how disgustingly seedy and stinky they are, are people too.

Its sad to hear someone being used liked that.

HK Wet Markets

There's something uniquely different about the wet markets in Hong Kong.

Because the locals are also into more 'exotic' things, a trip down the markets becomes a blog worthy experience.

I was going to take photos of the meat section but the vendors where giving me evil stares.
They probably thought I was a food inspector or police.
Their paranoia comming from recent local news about HK vendors illegally importing pork from China.
Plus everybody knows what pork and beef looks like.

The chicken section I skipped on. They had live chickens in cages and chicken skinned and chopped.
I stayed away.
It wasn't in my schedule to catch Bird Flu.

But the fish section was definitely cool.
They had sharkbits, fish tails, eels, starfish, abalone, snakes, weird lookin` crabs. Maybe they had dolphin and turtles too!
Who knows.
But this was my favourite.
Im sure one of them is a prince waiting for his kiss.

Deeper than what I imagined

She was different.

She looked okay.

But somehow, I just knew that something was wrong.

Something just didn't feel quite right.

And it worried me because she's everything to me.

------

Things happen for a reason and often enough, there's nothing you can do to about it.
That's just life.

Theres no rule that says its your turn to have an unfortunate event because you haven't had one for a while. There's also no guarantee that your days will be forever bright.

Tomorrow I might get a parking ticket or I might find a $20 note in my jeans.

Life is so full of ups and downs - its scary.
I guess that's what makes it so interesting.

------

I spent time with her and I finally discovered what was wrong.

It was much deeper than what I imagined.

I'm just so glad I spent time with her.

Things could have gotten worse.

Supa Golf

I dunno about everybody else, but everytime somebody says "Golf" my mind goes into hybernation.

I'm an open minded person and I've tried many numerous times to enjoy this sport on television.

But the idea of a guy whacking a small white ball with dimples, then watching them walk to the ball, then putting the ball into a hole. It all just doesn't sound too exciting for me........ that is until they made SUPA GOLF!

Supa golf is basically golf with giant plastic balls. Giant balls means they don't catapult as far when whacked. And the use of plastic clubs mean its great fun for the whole family. Now you can swing like Happy Gilmore - just remember that its still kinda dangerous.
Each person is their own caddy armed with four supa golf clubs.

I think supa golf clubs are named after porn stars

Thi admires the size of her supa golf ball. Everyone gets their own coloured balls.

Like normal golf, the course is riddled with obstacles like trees, sandpits, water and slopes

With Supa golf you get an appreciation of the skill and mastery golfing professionals have. Whacking balls with all your might is also a great way of releasing stress.
Its a fun activity until you realise that the point of the game is to actually get the lowest score!