Day 136 (Broome - Rest Day)

May 17 (Friday)

Today I checked into a hostel. I actually stayed at this same hostel when I was in Broome two years ago. It's consistent with the cheapest dorms at the two other hostels in town, admittedly the 12 room dorm being $2 more per night then the others yet this one being in a more centralised location.

It feels good to not have to worry about keeping everything spotless and stating in somebody else home. It's also a good change to that of spending most of my time alone. It was sad to leave my friends place because she was very pleasant to me and incredibly generous to have me stay for the previous week. I was hoping to camp today but my friends decided the weather wasn't good enough to go.

I must admit this hostel isn't the cleanest place around but I am still more than content with it, after camping for so long and sleeping on my sweat/bug covered ground mat this is still a great luxury. I am wandering whether this mindset will change once returning home?

I have to note that my host also allowed me into her workplace yesterday. She is an architect for an Aboriginal organisation (NBC) that specify in culturally sensitive housing designs. The organisation have a great mission and set of objectives, in which they are attempting to help promote Indigenous self-determination. I was very pleased to get an idea of my friends work place and also have an insight into an Aboriginal controlled organisation. In addition the surrounding work offices were of an Aboriginal focus as well. It was yesterday that I actually had a very big shock into the severity of Aboriginal health in remote areas. I was informed that in recent studies one in two adolescents to the age of 14 were diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This blew me away, I felt like being sick. It killed me when I heard that. The study was done in a community a hundred or so km north of Broome. When I hear statistics such as this I have this overwhelming feeling to do something about it. I feel that I am obliges to dedicate my time in working to prevent it. I definitely need to be more proactive when I return home and get involved with organisations that address this and help prevent it (and if there are none, look into the development of such an organisation).

Some good socialising tonight and some more time with my French friends down at Cable Beach!