I had the privilege of being selected to be part of a coaching attachment program to Australia from 29th November 2010 to 7th January 2011 in Perth, Western Australia.
My stay there was an unforgettable one. The people were so friendly and accommodating, that to this day, I miss them deeply.
But I would like to share some incredibly silly things that I did during my stay in Perth:
1) Taking photos of the customs area
Apparently, this was a big no-no and cameras were not allowed in the area. I only saw the no-photography notice after I took the shot. But this was not as bad as what I did next ...
2) Petting the customs dog
As a dog lover, I couldn't help petting the cute doggie on the head and going, "Hey there boy, how are you? Are you a good dog?"
The stern-faced customs lady was kind enough to tell me off politely, "Excuse me sir, but that's not allowed. Kindly refrain from stroking the customs dog."
Fortunately, I didn't create an international incident on my first day in Perth.
3) Taking baths using hand washing lotion
Everything in Perth was incredibly expensive, especially to a Malaysian earning Ringgit Malaysia. So, the natural thing to do was to get the cheapest in everything available.
Since liquids were not allowed on Malaysia Airlines international flights, I had to buy my toothpaste, soap and everything else liquid upon my arrival in Perth. So, I bought what I thought was a cheap body soap.
For the record, I've never been very good at buying groceries as I've been known to not pay attention to the labels. It was only after two weeks that I discovered that the body soap that I had been using was actually hand washing lotion.
4) Sleeping without locking the door
My serviced apartment in Perth was located in Outram Street. It's a nice apartment in the upper class business district of West Perth. Although it's located in a business area, during weekends the neighbours can get rather rowdy and noisy.
For three weeks during my stay in Perth, I had turned the key in the lock anti-clockwise thinking that this would lock the door. It wasn't until the maintenance man came one day on opened the door without the use of a key when I learned that the proper way of locking the door was by turning the key clockwise.
Fortunately, nothing untoward happened during those three weeks.
5) Speeding
The speed limit on most roads in West Perth is 60 km/h. When I picked up my rental car on the second day of my stay in Perth, I was delighted of my new ride and as to how clear the roads were. So, I decided to floor the pedal of my 5-door Holden Barina when I came across a stretch of clear road.
But just as I reached 70 km/h, I saw an unusual figure squatting in the bushes along the side of the road. Too late I realized it was a traffic policeman with a speed camera.
Fortunately, I escaped a speeding ticket, but I still had much more to learn about driving in Australia ...
6) Taking photos while driving
Some things that we take for granted back home are not exactly the norm or acceptable in Australia. One such example is the use of mobile phones or mobile phone cameras while driving.
I wasn't aware of the seriousness of this matter until a swimmer in the City Of Perth Swim Team told me of the penalties of using my mobile phone or mobile phone camera while driving. Luckily, I didn't get a ticket or worse, get arrested.
7) Driving against traffic
For at least two weeks, I returned to my serviced apartment via a stretch of road that seemed free of traffic. The weird thing was, the few motorists that passed me would flash their lights at me repeatedly as they passed me. Some would wave, and I would wave back.
It wasn't until two weeks into my stay at Perth that a neighbour told me that I had been driving against traffic on a one-way street!
All this time, none of the motorists horned or showed me the finger. Everyone avoided me and regarded me as a "noob" driver. I avoided a ticket, and more importantly, I avoided getting into an accident.
My stay in Perth has been an unforgettable experience. Looking back at my blunders, I feel I'm truly fortunate that nothing untoward happened despite my silliness. I hope to return to this wonderful city and country someday. I miss the friendliness and the hospitality of the people there.
