Browsing Archive: September, 2013
Posted by Matt Hayden on Wednesday, September 25, 2013,
Having lived for several years in other Aussie capital cities -- Sydney most recently -- I often think about how Perth differs from them. Windiness is certainly one of the major points of difference. Perth is easily the windiest city in Australia, and is reputed to rank number 3 globally for this factor.
And that's been very obvious lately. We've had several wet, wild and windy days lately. It's been so bad, my pilot light for the gas heater has been blown out once again. (The first time this...
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Drunkenness and violence in Northbridge
Posted by Matt Hayden on Monday, September 23, 2013,
Northbridge is the Kings Cross of Perth. It's the nightlife centre for the city. So not surprisingly there are regular reports of drunken violence on
Friday and Saturday nights. And it's long been that way.
But in recent years the intensity and frequency of these events has gone up quite a bit. It seems that every few weeks you hear about some savage beating, knife attack
or glassing. And there's even been
the odd fatality.
And you don't even have to go in there on a weekend evening to see suc...
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Cleanliness of Perth trains reveals city's wider culture
Posted by Matt Hayden on Monday, September 9, 2013,
I'm not surprised that a recent test has found that Perth trains are actually
cleaner than the average kitchen. The general spotlessness inside the carriages is something I really noticed after spending several years in Sydney.
The trains are grotty
as in that city. And it's not just because they are more crowded and scrubbed less thoroughly (and presumably less often) than the ones here. I think it also has much to do with the general attitude of the people there.
Basically, Sydneysiders come...
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Voted at Council House polling place, St Georges Terrace
Posted by Matt Hayden on Saturday, September 7, 2013,
I voted earlier today at Council House on St Georges Terrace in Perth. Back in my long lost youth, when election days came around, I used to see voting as a chore. Now, as I near the big 50 I really look forward to the the process. It reminds me of what a fantastic country we live in. We all have a say in who governs us. And sadly that's still not the case in many nations.
Not only do we have democracy but party representatives and citizens almost always treat each other with respect. While t...
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The millipede train crash story and our enduring cultural cringe
Posted by Matt Hayden on Friday, September 6, 2013,
It's interesting that whenever something that's occurred locally gets reported in overseas media outlets, it often becomes news back here. The bizarre case of a minor train accident being linked to millipede infestation
is the latest example. The fact that this odd event has been reported in Britain's
Daily Mail is deemed newsworthy in itself! Now can, you imagine the inverse happening -- that is, a British newspaper gushing that similar events involving Pommie millipedes had been reported by...
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Tuart Hill McDonalds is always busy, with a good atmosphere
Posted by Matt Hayden on Monday, September 2, 2013,
Lately, I've been heading regularly into the northern suburbs and have been dropping into the McDonalds on the corner of Morley Drive and Wanneroo Rd. It's surely one of the biggest and busiest Maccas restaurants in this city.
The reason I'm blogging about it is because I like the atmosphere in there. (I know that foodies and hipsters would be aghast to hear that, but so be it!). I hardly ever order a meal there, but I will always have a short black.
I'm not exactly a coffee afficionado but I ...
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