SATURDAY/SUNDAY

Saturday morning we went to the fresh produce markets. They were amazing. I have never seen more fruit in my life, and it was SO colorful. I almost started taking pictures of the fruit, until I realized that would be extremely odd. After the markets we went to Meko Meko to get sushi for lunch. Mabry: you would LOVE it. They were amazing rolls & the sauces were delicious. After lunch, we started our drive to Mandurah, which is a small fishing town about an hour south of Perth (Mel's parents have a beach house there). Mark took the scenic route to give us a tour of some towns we might want to visit before we leave Perth. We went to Fremantle, Penguin Island, & Rockingham. Then, we drove around Mandurah, stopping to check out the pretty beaches & scenic spots. Mandurah is known for its canals that weave in & out of the houses. Most people have a house on the canals & just dock their boat on their private dock. It was so beautiful! The picture is of the boys & dog, Milo, at one of the canals. We later stopped in town for a beer & some chips. Aussies call fries "hot chips" or just "chips." I taught the boys the phrase "french fries" so they call chips "french fries" now. They seem to pick up on all my American words. That night, after dinner, we watched some footy (the boys tried to explain it-- nothing like American football) & I tried to explain the sorority/fraternity system to Mel & Mark. They didn't get it & thought it sounded strange (especially when I talked about the Rush part). I guess it is really strange outside of America...

Sunday morning we woke early to go crabbing. When you go crabbing you have to wear tennis shoes because the crabs might nip your feet & then you carry this big net for scooping them. I only caught one crab & Tom pointed it out to me. We actually caught one at the same time. Anyway, it was great. We caught a good amount, but they were all too small (they can't be smaller than a soda can). So, after laying in the sun for a while & watching the boys explore, we went to a fish market & bought our crab lunch. We set up lunch outside. It was sooo good. We ate until we couldn't move & the girls just talked while Tom & Will chased each other in the backyard. Now I'm back on Ken Street, wishing it was Friday again so I could explore some more of Perth. Tomorrow I am teaching the kids about a plant's needs. I am excited to get back to teaching, but can't help planning for next weekend. At the moment, swimming with dolphins & Tom's bowling 10th birthday party are on the agenda!