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.