Categorically speaking, when you want to “do fun stuff” in Perl, you do so by finding and downloading an appropriate package from CPAN. Then, you use it in your program.

Perl packages may include low-level "C" subroutines and often do. But you do not have to be consciously aware of this. All that you need to know, and can rely upon, is that “the Perl package just works.™” (During installation, a package will typically be run through dozens of self-tests to verify correct operation on your system.) You can focus on what you want to do, while remaining “blissfully unaware” of how it's done:   somebody else did that for you.