Girls outing in the Central Coast

This post is a continuation to the previous's one. After Catherine went off to church in the morning, Kelly arrived at around 10 am. I was really happy to see her and we started chatting merrily till Catherine came back at about 12pm. We took this chance to find out about each other's lives and I told her about NTU. Kelly, in my opinion is a smart girl who does well in her studies. And she is lucky as well, having a doting fiance and a steady job as a chemist. Both of my Australian friends are musicians. Catherine plays the keyboard while Kelly can play the guitar.

We went to Erina Fair, the biggest shopping centre in the Central Coast, after Catherine returned from church. Headed to the Atrium Food Centre for lunc before window shopping. I had a humongous portion of nasi goreng, while my friends had mixed noodles. Was surprised when I realised that I could finish the entire big plate of rice with seafood and vegetables. Took several photos during lunchtime and felt really happy doing so. Kelly and Catherine are not only friendly, but humorous too. We visited many stores, such as the Music CD shop, aromatherapy shop, bookshop and even a shop selling exquisite,ancient looking furniture. According to Catherine, people in the Central Coast love to burn fragrant candles while having a long relaxing bath. That explains why I saw so many coloured candles in her bathroom. I was fascinated by a pair of lovely yellow canaries in a cage which we saw in the furniture shop. Their feathers were so beautiful, and were coupled with their melodious chirping.

My girlfriends are fans of Krispy Kreme donuts, but I found them a little too sweet for my liking. Instead, I purchased the novel, " New Moon'', which is a sequel to Twilight. This book is 500+ pages in length, and the 3rd book, Eclipse, is even thicker. The final instalment of the mesmerizing series, " Breaking Dawn'' will be released on the 2nd August. Unfortunately, I cannot find copies of the 3rd book in the NTU library database. I am praying fervently that I will be able to grab hold of the 3rd and 4th books in Singapore's bookstores. My fetish for vampires seems to have intensified significantly after finishing the Twilight book.

Our last stop was the Skillion, where we overcame a steep and long slope leading to the summit. And it was worth all the panting and aching legs. Because the view was the top is incredibly panaromic. I could see the lush greeneries on the cliffs overlooking the clear blue waters. There were numerous seagulls soaring freely in the skies. The air was cool and fresh as well. Took a few photos with Catherine and Kelly again. We admired the picturesque view for several minutes before making our way back to Catherine's house in Greenslope.

After resting in her house for a while, it was time to say goodbye. But we didn't leave until we exchanged hugs and Kelly had taken photos of me with the setting sun illuminating the skies a striking orange colour as the backdrop. I am absolutely sure that I will remember Catherine for a long time, probably even for the rest of my life. I will never forget her kind acts of rendering unconditional help to me during the past lab sessions and making me feel so at ease in her presence. It is so hard to predict the exact time I will meet all my newly made friends again, but I do hope that it happens as soon as possible.

Kelly then drove me home. The ride lasted for more than an hour. I got the chance to see the grey blue sky darken to indigo, eventually turning into the raven black hue. Had a 2nd round of heart to heart talk for the weekend, this time with Kelly. She, like Catherine, is very receptive to my opinions and echoes my sentiments in most of the issues we discussed about. I am sure we enjoyed our conversations in the car together. The street names in Newcastle fascinate me, for some unknown reason. Maybe this is because I have never heard of such words in my entire life. For example, Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, Tasworth, Dungog, etc.

Had a light dinner of potato Continental soup which Catherine had so kindly gave me and an apple before using my laptop. The house was unusually quiet as Weifun had departed for home. The couple and Oiyin were out and did not return until late at night. I did manage to speak to Wayne, who would be going to Blue Mountains in Canberra for a holiday. He wished me good luck and I did likewise. Come to think of it, my exchange trip has been quite fruitful after all. I managed to widen my social circle and gain more confidence in voicing out my opinions coherently.