Mount Keith

Day 4: I am currently site based for work now. I'm in the mid west of Western Australia, the desert. It has been a long awaiting for under 6 months now and it has been good. Different, because you are not exposed to what your routine is like back home. For me that is in the Perth metro / suburban.

The accommodation village about 15 mins south of the mine and Nickel plant facility has had power cuts and unfortunately does not have generators. Only the plant does. The heat kicks in when you have been sitting in air conditioned areas. Also water is affected without power. It would be an inconvenience if you were half way in a shower with soapy hair and the power is cut. hhaha.. Just before heading to sleep last night the power cut and I was glad I brought a torch to bring the washing in from the rain. It was very hot lying there on the bed. Thankfully the power kicked back in an hour later.

The closest town is ~85km north, Wiluna or another one over an hour's drive at Leinster. Facilities at the village are gym, wet mess (tavern), dry mess (dining hall, kitchen), swimming pool, tennis/bbl/cricket courts, computer area (where I am now getting access to internet), sit around grass areas and a track around to go for walks or runs.

At work, the plant seems really complex at first with tanks, piping, cables, instruments, pumps running everywhere but it is possible to get use to where and what things are eventually. I'd need many more days here though. It is also very hot out at the plant, 40+ degrees. Looking forward to see what winter will hold as the conditions are at extremes out here.

As for the people of course it is predominantly males onsite but I wasn't surprised about that. However there are girls around too so it's not a complete isolation from the female gender.

Anyway logging out to grab some dinner at dry mess....I'm changing my mind now that maybe I should go for a run to get into routine.

Music - the technical side is worth it!

I've develop a love for music progressively last year.

Since I started work I've really appreciated my hands and fingers. We do so much with them with emails, writing, drawing, hold, eat etc.

At the beginning of last year I had the urge to know how to play on the piano George Winston's arrangement of Pachebel's infamous Canon in D. So I started playing the piano after 10 years!

I still have not finished that initial task because I got distracted with other scores. However since then there has been stages where I am realising all that practice, all the technical stuff I did for 5 piano exams were worth it in the end. I hated the practice then, but now I really appreciate the lessons I had to go through.

Early this year I was disappointed at first that I was trained classically (instead of knowing how to play by ear, play chords, variations of chords, play on the spot by just reading chords). But I realise that it is better to have the technical background (classical piano teaches a lot of that) to move forward.

because

Since I started trying to learn Rhythmic Patterns on the piano and picking up the acoustic guitar, all that training with scales etc. is helping me appreciate music and how it's framed so much more!

However if anyone is putting their kids through classical piano lessons, I highly recommend that they also get training how to play by ear with chords, patterns and variations of it. Because those who just hate the idea that they can only play by reading sheet music will dislike the classical training very much and not realise its importance.

I really appreciate my hands. God willing I hope they last many years.