Old (and new!) friends

Aunty Jo Jo catching up with Jin Hui and her family in Perth

Most of you know by now that one of my favourite things about travelling is the opportunity to catch up with friends who are scattered across the globe. This time in Perth, I caught up with Ong Jin-Hui, a school mate whom I haven't seen for 23 years! Jin Hui migrated to Perth in 1986, married Michael Ho and they have 3 beautiful children. They were kind enough to take me to a cozy little restaurant in Shafto Lane called Durty Nelly's for the T-bone steak special...sigh...I love steaks in Australia!

3 smiley faces: Alessandra, Isaac and Lucas / Watch out, Lucas!

Jin's 3 children - Alessandra (10), Isaac (8) and Lucas (5) - are the friendliest funniest kids I've met in a long time. They were just so bubbly and hospitable that by the end of the evening, they had invited me to stay at their house for 2 weeks, and asked if they could spend the night in my hotel. Sweet Alessandra is clearly brilliant in school and strives to be the best in everything she does. Isaac, whom I think has the potential to be a handsome film star, is very perceptive and funny. When I said I loved to borrow other people's kids to have fun, he said "Oh, you mean like walking a dog?" LOL! Little Lucas is everyone's darling with a very sweet tooth. You should have seen him rummaging for lollies before dinner and how his eyes sparkled when I offered to buy them ice cream for dessert.

Boys providing entertainment during dinner with their Karate Kid moves

The evening came to a lovely end with a nocturnal trip to King's Park to catch a view of Perth by night. It's a beautiful city made even more memorable with the presence of old (and new!) friends. Thank you Jin Hui, Michael and the kids for showing me your hometown. I'll be back...I promise!