Mandurah Train Line (Perth WA)

Perth City Train station to Mandurah train station
Perth Western Australia 6000
Transperth
Timetable
 
The best train line in Perth, by miles. It is reliable, it is cheap, it is beautiful, and takes you from Perth to Mandurah in about one hour. The Mandurah Line departs from William St Underground Station (corner with Murray St) and stops at Esplanade, Canning Bridge, Bull Creek, Murdoch (connections to Murdoch Uni available), Cokburn Central, Kwinana, Wellard, Rockingham, Wambro and Mandurah.

The ride is really pleasant and comfortable, especially beautiful during the day, as you have picturesque views of the Swam River, the hills, lovely green and marine areas, with a comprehensive view of Perth south western suburbs. One of those lines I would recommend tourists and backpackers to take and get a glimpse of what Perth is beyond Perth CBD and Fremantle.  Moreover, you can spend half a day at Mandurah and check the little posh mini-riviera, have a drink or a meal there and return the same way.


They have the best possible timetable, with trains leaving Perth or Mandurah every ten minutes even on Sundays. It might sound normal to some foreigners, but for us is like wow, as most bus lines are unreliable on weekends.  

Perth Transport System works by zones, the pricing increasing by distance. If you want to go all the way to Mandurah, you pay for a zone-7 ticket. Under the new pricing (effective 1st July 2012), you are looking at 7-9.40$ no concession (cash or multi-rider) or 2.85-3.23$ for concession card holders (ditto). Full-day tickets and family riders cost 11$, and students pay the usual trifle of 50 cents.

 Why would anybody want to drive across the city and go through the always painful Kwinana Highway when you have a reliable, fast, clean cheap public transport?  Why not taking a half day break to Mandurah to check up one of Perth satellite towns?

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Review (Wesley Quarter, Perth WA)

Shop T3, Wesley Quarter
93, William St
Perth, WA 6000
P: (08) 9265 5739
Website
Facebook
Wesley Quarter

Review is an Australia brand that offers romantic classy designs, with a big emphasis on textures and colour. They always have gorgeously simple textured tops, colourful skirts, girly dresses, and great knits. The items are pricey, but very good quality, and they have spectacular discounts and sales during the year.

The shop at Wesley Quarter is beautiful, with sheltered racks, the stuff aesthetically organised by the walls, a divine circular changing room area, and a central desk with lovely girls willing to help and do it with a smile.

Myer also has a Review  corner with with divine customer service, but Review at Wesley Quarter is never crowded, the stuff is better organised from a visual point of view, there is a lot of space to move around, and you have the girls to attend to you at the changing rooms.  As the place is never crowded, there are more possibilities of you finding your size here than elsewhere.

The only thing I miss from this shop is them having a trendier edgier shop window, especially having Alannah Hill next door. Review has wonderful clothing, why showcasing it poorly? You can do better, guys! 

Review's Website is outdated by any means, regarding design, accuracy of the information and update of their stores and seasonal info. Their Facebook site is much reliable for anything. They are going to relaunch the first, though, so keep tuned.

TIP
Review's sizing is senseless at present, and varies from item to item, a fact that the brand has been trying to correct in their factories in China. Therefore, be careful when purchasing. I am a size 10, but a size 6 at Review, or 8 or 10, depending on the individual piece. You have to try everything you purchase. 

TIP 2
Review has a refund, repair or exchange policy of 14 days. So, if you are short of time grab you item, try it at home, and exchange it for another next time.

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Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (Nedlands, Perth WA)

Ground Floor, G Block
Hospital Avenue
Nedlands, WA 6009
(08) 9346 3333
Emergencies's Website
Hospital's Website

I was taken by a 000 ambulance to the hospital last year, and I expended most of the day there. This review if just for my experience at the Emergencies Department, not about the hospital in general.

Although, as many hospitals, CGH would need a bit of spatial revamping and modernisation, they did a great job. I was taken care of properly, all the tests needed at the moment were done, different medications were tried, and, most importantly, the staff treated me as an individual who was suffering, and did their job with empathy, care, and even affection, if that can be said. I was there on my own, so this was even more important and appreciated. Still, they were treating everybody at the Emergencies with the same medical and human care. I was very impressed. 

There were a few interns there, and they were not only cute but extremely caring, and the same can be said of the permanent staff, especially Dr Peter who was there when I visited. There was a steady flow of people entering the hospital that day, but the area did not seem crowded or chaotic, and I felt that my case was handled properly, and that the area was clean, tidy, spacious and well taken care of.

There were two persons who stood out because of their jerkily behaviour towards me, a male nurse and a clerk. It escapes my understanding why uncaring people would want to work in a hospital unless they have some sort of sociopathy. Still, they were the exception to a wonderful experience, if that can be said or any day-long stay at the Emergencies. 

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Kartique (Mt Lawley, Perth WA)

559 Beaufort St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
(08) 6161 7179
Website
Facebook
Hours:
    Wed-Sat 10:30 - 17:00
    Sun 11:00 - 16:00

Kartique is a  chic gift shop selling jewellery, decoration and gift items, and  a small selection of vintage furniture. The name of the shop and their shop window convey well what you will find inside: arty ethnic real vintage pieces, and a few antiques. This is not an antiques shop per se, although some of the pieces sold are. They have a focus on ethnicity, affordable vintage, and  unique pieces hand-crafted by foreign craftsmen or local designers. There is harmony between the ambience of the shop and the items they sell - all very organic and zen. 

Half of the shop is devoted to silver and stones jewellery, with a small selection of mate gold, and the inner part of the shop occupied by furniture and decoration items. They have super-cute mugs and tea cups, cheap and wonderfully colourful Indian Jewellery cases, colourful cushions and items of furniture that I would certainly buy if I had a house of my own and a a bit of money to spare.  

The prices are less expensive than you could think before entering. Most of the unique antique jewellery pieces are around 100-150 bucks, which isn't cheap, but compared to average mass produced jewellery sold in Perth, it is. Of course, we like it beautiful, good and affordable, and there are many things that fit the bill at Kartique, with silver an stone earrings as cheap as 50-60 bucks. The furniture is not cheap, you can expect that, but many of the home-wares and decoration items are reasonably priced. For example, the Hindu jewellery wooden cases are 20 bucks, and a huge house-shapped one was 50. Of course, if you, like me, like the truly special items, then you can only sigh and enjoy the view. 

The older lady attending the shop is very welcoming, serviceable, and very classy and nice to customers. The way I like it! 

I do not like finding products unpriced in any shop. You ask for the price and get the price, but I never know  if you are getting the real price or what the sellers think is what you personally should pay. I know they have a lot of stuff at Kartique, but pricing everything in a shop is a must - to me. 

Kartique's website is nice, but has just a few items on display and for purchase, and some of them don't even mention the price. I wonder why people bother to create online shopping sites and then put so little effort in making it appealing and fully functional, so we have everything in the shop available online, too. On the other hand, Kartique has wonderful stuff, so why displaying the boring pieces plus the super-expensive instead of the whole range of wonderful mid priced? It truly escapes my understanding. 

Kartique is a great place for gifts, and to add a bit of ethnic classy flavour to your space no matter you are twenty something or sixty something. They do lay-bys.

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Harbour Town (Perth WA)

840 Wellington St
West Perth Western Australia 6005
(08) 9321 2282
http://www.harbourtownperth.com.au
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 9:00 - 17:30
    Fri 9:00 - 21:00
    Sat 9:00 - 17:00
    Sun 11:00 - 17:00

Harbour Town is a big promise unfulfilled. It is great having a big shopping centre with discounted prices, still you expect the discounts to be considerable, and have a wider more glamorous selection of outlets. Keep this in mind, if you go to Harbour Town, go with plenty of time, and wanting to find hidden gems, as otherwise your visit could not be as fruitful as your wallet would want.

GOOD THINGS
- It is open every day of the week.
- There are lots of discount shops in one place: shoes, female and male clothing, underwear, sports, homewares, luggage, accessories, gifts, books, vitamins and  even a pharmacy and newsagent.
- You can find real treasures at bargain prices. To mention some of the ones I have found: 70% discounted Ferragamo sunnies, 70% discounted Oroton sunnies, +50% discounted Simone Perele lingerie, 70% discounted artsy Scooter sandals, first class trainers at less than 100 bucks.
- Everything is discounted, so, no matter what you buy, it is usually cheaper than elsewhere.
- There are a considerable number of cafés and fast food shops to get a coffee or a light meal and have a rest before continuing with your bargain hunting.

NOT SO GOOD
- The layout of the place is confusing, chaotic and badly designed.
- The offer is mostly of mainstream popular brands - factory outlets.
- You need to be in treasure hunt mood to find a real bargain.
- You might need a bit of time to find your bargain.
- You might find a bargain but not in your size.
- Some of the products on sale are last season's, not the current one, still the discounts are little. You have to be aware of the prices out there before coming in here, so you get a proper bargain, not just a few bucks down. 
- The food offer is average in variety and quality.

HOW TO IMPROVE
- The place need a general reorganisation, and make it a bit more glamorous.
- The management should be working to bring first-class Australian designers outlets to HT, so the place gets a bit more exciting. To attract them they need to revamp the place, not the other way around.
- Better directions signing is need. More of them, and more clearly identifiable.
- It would be great having a proper restaurant or good bistro.

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Royal Perth Hospital (Perth WA)

Wellington St
GPO Box X2213
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9224 2244
http://www.rph.wa.gov.au/

I was taken by an ambulance to the Emergency Department area of Royal Perth Hospital last year, and I spend most of the day there. So this review is about this department, not about  other parts of the hospital.

My impression and experience of the hospital cannot be good, because I suffered in my flesh the deficiencies of the Western Australian Healthcare System, and that is never a good experience if you are sick.

The Emergencies Department is not only run down and needed of a refurbishment and general overhaul, but it is unable to attend  properly the constant flood of people arriving at their doors. Since the volume of patients entering is constant and they are understaffed, they have to prioritise your case. Therefore, if you haven't had an accident, aren't bleeding or your life is not in danger, you will be the last person to be treated, examined and attended to, beyond basic painkillers, and electrocardiogram or x-rays if strictly necessary. That is terrible, as in, in my case, it took an hour an a half for a doctor (a student, actually) to come to me, out of human empathy, excused the abandonment and made an initial evaluation. He was eager to help, but he was just an intern - a student. The medication did not work.  Finally, being busier with more urgent cases, they decided to take me out of the way and parked me, literally, in the Observation Room. By then, I was crying out of pain, feeling of abandonment, and completely pissed off.

In the short minute that took them to move me from one area to another, my files were lost. I found that shocking, so the initial evaluation made by the intern was unavailable. By the end of the day I was thinking that I would be better taken care off at home than in this hospital.

When a proper doctor arrived he told me about the missing file, was truly  apologetic, did a very good examination, and treated me like a human being - finally! I was released that evening, without knowing the cause of my extreme pain (which turned to be a severe root nerve irritation that had left my nerve sort of "raw" and took me about six months to recover off), and bound to a private 400-dollar MRI because they would not do it there, even if needed. I sworn to the Universe that I wouldn't visit that hospital's emergencies if I can avoid it.

I am not blaming the doctors or nurses. They suffer from the lack of means, they are overworked, overstressed and, despite everything, do their job well and go beyond their limit to attend to as many people as they can, the best they can. Despite my state I was able to see them wanting to help even if they were not able to, running non stop all over the place. Still, this is not enough. Meanwhile our taxes (my taxes!) are dilapidated in who knows what, and public services of vital importance are neglected. What a shame. Whom your vote goes to and ends in the local government is to blame, Western Australians.

I advise everybody to avoid the PRH's ER as much as you can, unless you are so bad that cannot decide on your own. Otherwise, insist on being taken elsewhere. You will thank me. If you are taken there, take your mp3 player, really, as music was the only thing that kept me sane in an insane place. I turned the volume up when the space next to mine was occupied by a bleeding  woman screaming, while an insane person was shouting and abusing somebody on that floor. You really need music, so you only deal with your own suffering. You don't want to have a heart attack in a hospital because of the hospital, right?
 

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"Mary and Max" by Adam Elliot (2009)

Web of the Movie
A wonderful Australian independent plasticine movie that tells the story of a life-long mail relationship between Max Jerry Horowitz, an old autistic atheist Jew from New York, and Mary Daisy Dinkle, a weird 8y.o. girl from Melbourne. Mary and Max is, above all, a story about social maladjustment and the ups and downs of life, but a happy story about real friendship and personal identity.

Mary and Max are unglamorous suburban people, with mental and social problems who are wonderful because are imperfect and human. They are not presented as weirdos or as marginal people, but in an accepting humorous way. The intrinsic point of departure of the film is that life itself is dysfunctional; therefore, the  dysfunctions of the characters are just normal, part of who they are and a result of what life brings to their lives. It is this approach, and the emotion that the characters convey, what makes the viewer connect to Mary & Max instantaneously, so the viewer feels their failures, successes and worries as if they were those of real people. This is, however, both a drama and a comedy, and there are many humorous winks to the viewer; the animal characters (both pets and urban animals) are hilarious. 

The aesthetics and atmosphere of the film are wonderful, with at terrific use of Black and White with red plashes and ochre details, which perfectly encapsulate the mood and personality of the different characters and the different stages of their life and relationships. They are, in a way, the outer projection of Mary and Max's personality, or even a reflection of how they see reality, not the way reality is seen by others. After all reality is about or perception of it. The music is terrific, too.

Most actors are great in the dubbing of the characters, especially Toni Collette as Mary, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Max, and Renée Geyer as Vera.

This is not a movie for children. It touches subjects that are complex and could be disturbing or difficult to explain to a child: alcoholism, social failure, mental disorder, bullying, death, homosexuality, suicide, etc. This is, however, what will attract adults, and what makes the movie so special.

Three things would have improved the film enormously. Firstly, a little bit of more of lightness (less clumsiness) in the movement of the puppets, and also  more definition in the facial expressions of the characters would have improved the look and feeling of the film immensely. Secondly,  most of the characters' speech is limited, so we see them moving but not talking that much. Finally, and directly related, the third-person narration is overwhelming - too much of it and in the wrong tone. I consider a mistake the selection of Barry Humphries as off narrator, as his dubbing is emotionally misleading; he narrates the story as if this was a fable before bed told to a kid, but this is not a children movie by any means. It would have been great converting part of the narration into dialogues of the characters, which would have given more fluidity and a better pace to the story and the movie in general. 

This is a great animation film, with a terrific story, which moved me immensely. The story, is what will captivate you.

Mary and Max  was a hit at "Sundance", and has won an accolade of awards since then.

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