Laura Seabrook's Ramblings

I still seem to be on W.A. time so I thought I'd do a post. Having it in Perth however complicated things. Why? Because Perth is my old home city.

Now when I went to the previous QC in Perth back in 2005 this didn't seem to be an issue in the same way. It'd been a few years since I'd been there before and the biggest shock I had was the result of "Perth CBD's war on cinemas" - out of 10 cinemas that existed in the CBD when I left, only two remained in 2005, and now it's only one! I was an avid film goer when living in Perth so that was a big shock - especially the cinema replaced by a Woolworths! This time around I found that Mr Samurai in Barrack street was gone, replaced by another Japanese food place. Also in the process of demolished (or downscaled) was Governor Stirling Senior High school (Gubbo) where I went as a teenager. If only I could have pressed the plunger on the dynamite, but I guess it's not that sort of demolition.

But other venues and places were significant in my stay. One of the conference's venues for social events was the Court Hotel. There was a performance night planned for the Wednesday but that was problematic. Despite flying a rainbow flag the place is actually a mixed venue that caters for gays and lesbians and on the whole not a Queer or Trans friendly environment. Trans people had been bashed there and otherwise discriminated against in the past. There was a hotly debated motion to ban going to that venue which got passed. I wasn't on the floor at the time that happened, because after being "triggered" on Tuesday I didn't go to anything on the floor for the rest of the event. And frankly whether there was a ban or not, I had no plans of going to the court for any reason.

Shortly before I had a death threat at my workplace, and on the way home from a Star trek club (both in Perth) I'd almost been bashed by a patron at the Court (I outran them), so I wasn't going in there for any reason. I heard one of the organisers reasons for using that venue (a way of changing their behaviour apparently) but to my way of thinking it isn't the management that's the problem, it's the patrons. This was born out later in the week when I met a trans woman who had gone to the event only to (allegedly) cop trans-phobic remarks from someone there (particularly revealing when I heard who it was from, but I'm not repeating that without confirmation). There was an alternative venue for that event at the Tavern at Uni of W.A., but it was broadcast very clearly that there was no security at the venue. Considering that there'd been a couple of stabbings at UWA in the last two months, and that transport from there was less frequent, I skipped that as well.

Travel around Perth was a bit of an issue in contradictory ways. Overall I had little trouble getting to Curtin and back home to Mum's all week. The most I had to wait for a bus or a train was 18 minutes and that was at Murdoch Station at night. On average it was between 2-8 minutes, and express travel sped the journeys further. Perth has improved its public transport network significantly since I' lived there. However its also increased security significantly as well. When I went in 2005, waiting for the last train home was a scary experience - what seemed like gangs of youths hung around central station eyeing each other and there was a tension about it all. On this visit often there seemed to be more guards than passengers at that Station and pairs of transit police rode the trains most times.

At Midland station there were additional guards and once a guard rode the bus I took, which was followed by a car of additional guards ready to jump out an assist if needed. While that might have made me feel safer, it also made me think that the underlying problem here hadn't been resolved, merely "fixed". One time I waited for the bus at Midland station I listened to two adult men (mostly drunk) who were debating whether or not to pick up some 12 year old girls! Uh, right.

Even so, travel was an issue. In the previous two QCs (Canberra and Wollongong) I'd stayed at the same hostels/motels as the rest of my group, and late night sessions were the rule rather than the exception. Stay at my mother's at Midland instead of the hostels in the Perth CBD, I chose not to go to most events because it was awkward to get home when they finished. Mum had a stroke scare while I was there, averted by a tablet under the tongue, and I didn't want to aggravate that further. Also, I had trouble with my right knee and leg, and was limping towards the end of the conference. Doesn't inspire going out to nightclubs or bars much.

I found it funny that a number of "Eastern Staters" were amazed at just how clean Perth (and public transport) was. I used to think that when tourists came back and said that Perth was "very clean" that they meant it was dull. However, comparing Perth to cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle (and their respective public transport) it IS really clean. "They have carpets on the trains!" was an observation I heard more than once. Even so there was a price for that. In Perth CBD (in a city of over 2 million now) the Woolworths closes at 9pm. In Newcastle (a city of maybe 400,000) The Woolworths in Glendale is open until Midnight! Go figure.

Went out and bought all sorts of pet food.

Actually it was pretty straight forward. I bought sachets for the cats and for Bobby, and also some dry food. They'll all get fed once a day while I'm away and there's a sachet for each meal and a few to spare as well. This is easy to manage, because nothing gets stored or can go off. I also bought some regular canned stuff for when I get back.  While out I also bought a mat, a cheap power-board (with individual switches), returned library stuff that would have been due while away, and saw a film at the local cinema  - Rebel without a Cause. Been a good day.

I still have to go out tomorrow, first to the uni to print some stuff relevant to the conference, and later to Jesmond to get a spare key cut, and finally to get an eyebrow wax down the road at the beauticians. But that's tomorrow. Today I got home early (before 4pm) and have heaps to to, in a good way.

I've added a photo album of my Perth Trip over on Facebook.

Well, everything mostly went to plan, and I even caught a couple of buses that only started running today, and saved time in doing my shopping. But I found out that my working account (after paying all those bills earlier this month) was exhausted, so I had to dip into another account for finals stuff. I managed to get a couple of new timetables for the chip shop up the road (they put them in their window for general information) and was rewarded with free chips and a cappuccino (I had to supply the soy).

So why do I feel so headachy and exhausted?

Will need an early night tonight, and early travel tomorrow morning. Plane leaves Sydney Domestic at 3:15pm, so I need to be there by 2:15pm to be safe.  Luckily that's not so hard to do. The latest trip that works leaves at Barnsley shops at 10:05am and arrives at Domestic at  1:32pm which is only about 3.5 hours. I can also do the same trip leaving Barnsley at 9:05 am and arriving at 12:32am, so I have options.

Always nice to have options. So glad I didn't race off to see legal aid for something I couldn't serve until next week anyway.

I will be travelling to Perth at the end of November, leaving on the 30th and returning on the 6th December. I will be able to catch my brother's and mother's birthdays on the 1st and 3rd respectively. Felt a deep need to see mum before next June/July, when Queer Collaborations is on in Perth. A little voice in me is say she may not be there then. I' may be wrong about that (been wrong before) but what if I put it off and I'm not. Besides, it's a good time to visit Perth - still not too hot and dry to comfortableness.

I'll be travelling via Virgin Air, but this time I'll be prepared!!!!

Got this locked in before I left last week.

I'm leaving on the 2nd and coming back on the 9th. Phoned mum and let her know last night. Wasn't on for long as thunderstorms were rolling in. Had all the dogs in the bedroom with me.

Still, looking forward to visiting family and friends in Perth, while the house is minded. Assuming of course that Kevin wasn't killed/injured in a car crash or in hospital jail. Then again, Jenny across the road would look after them, so maybe that's not critical after all.

I keep hearing this track by Perth band Tame Impala on TripleJ called Desire Be Desire Go (you can hear the MP3 of it at their MySpace page). There's just something about this that really clicks with me right now. Have to confess, I've always been into drug music, even if I'm not much into drugs. Love the fading in and out on the track - it's 1968 all over again!

Also found a version of Skeleton Tiger on Youtube (nice!):

Golly - is that the Subiaco/Shenton Park from the Fremantle rail line in that clip?

Was going to go out today, get a few things done. Still might, but I've been playing silly computer games, and watching TV. But when I come back to it, I just need to grieve and cry.

Mark's booked a flight for me tomorrow to Perth from Sydney Domestic. Be gone for a week.