If there was anyway of describing a turnaround for anyone from the shittiest situation you could be in I think I would win from 2 weeks ago! I've always thought I was a positive person and I think what happened to me 2 weeks ago is a situation I'll never forget for the rest of my life. Let me paint the general picture for you......

Well all was rosy when I left Bangkok (I though so anyway), and had a welcomed 4 hour stop-over in Singapore which was kewl considering I slept the whole flight and needed some food. I had $20 in my pocket at this point which was fine to just buy a few things to keep me going until Perth. So I met this really nice Aussie bloke and he kept me company throughout and we just joked around throughout the trip and everything just being normal.

Arriving in Perth at around 9pm, I was knackered as hell and just wanted to find a hostel so I could shower, have a bit of food and go to bed and explore the delights of Perth the next morning. At this point I realise i'm running a little low on funds, $8 left and so I start to look in my backpack to get my money belt which contains all my cards so I can withdraw some money. Nothing......

Nothing! It's not there......and so begins the nightmare start to probably what would be a great adventure!! I've never been so gutted in all my life....how the fuck could I have been so careless to have misplaced/lost my cards. GUTTED. So, basically I'm fucked.....$8 to my name.....I'M FUCKED! That's what most people would say and think. I did for a second but then $8 is better than nothing and it could be much worse!

I asked around for how much it would cost to go to Northbridge and then wasn't hoping for good news anyway and didn't get it. That's out the window. I block the cards first through the bank and that's pretty easy (although took a long chunk of an hour or 2 to do) and then decided best to call home and tell them how much of a retard their son is!!!

After the initial bollocking, I decide to try and take matters into my own hands and hitch a lift. I thought this would be a tough task considering this is probably dangerous territory and something i've never done before. At this point (although I knew this already), I thought I was going to love Australia. A really wicked guy called Manjeet and the first person I spoke to about my situation, gave me a lift!!!! He didn't think twice and just told me to wait until his shift at the airport was over and he'd give me a lift to wherever I wanted....wow, faith in the world restored!!!

So I slept at Perth Airport until his shift was over and he gave me a lift. He told me he was in a similar situation a couple of years ago and well he felt this was his time to give back! Wow...I'm speechless. He gives me his uneaten dinner and drops me off at the place I want to stay. I'm extremely thankful and then he offers me $20 to survive for the day (which I decline at first but accept after a bit of persuasion) and says that if I can't find anywhere or sort out my situation that I should give him a call and he'll let me stay the week. Wow!.....I'm blown away....I can honestly say I wouldn't expect this from many people in London.

2 weeks later and things are incredibly on the up!! After my legend of a Dad sent some money through till I could receive my emergency card (and my brother was also really helpful too), I was able to get back on my feet!!! Perth is a really amazing place and the people are just as amazing. It's more quiet than most other places in Oz but that suits me fine after the craziness of Asia! I've met some awesome/nuts people in the hostel I'm staying at and I've settled in really well and just basically I'm laughing non-stop!! And also.....women in Perth are " HOT AS!!!" (As Aussies like to say!)...Yes I mean hot as and not hot ass....although both would be appropriate!!

Want to hear the most amazing part? Just a few days ago I was able to help another guy out who was in the same situation as me, just going through a rough patch and needing a bit of help. I lent him a bit of money to stay the night and well he told us all the situation he was in and how he wouldn't get paid until the end of the week and so other people in my hostel have all decided to help him out until he gets paid and can get back to normal ways again! I was also able to pay Manjeet back yesterday and bought him a bottle of wine as a thank you!! (he decided not to take his $20 back....as much as I bugged him about it!)

And to wrap up, today, I just got offered a job and think this is the icing on top of the cake. I thought it was the right time to tell this to you all and hope it might make you think a bit. I HOPE!

Moral of the story? Never underestimate the kindness of people and when the chips are down, eventually things will turn around!!! I'd like to dedicate this to Manjeet...I'd probably be in the shit without him.

.....Oh and I have been out twice....2 fookin awesome nights of major carnage!!! :D