It has been more than a fortnight since I came back from Newcastle. But the memories of the beautiful scenery, the wonderful friends I have made here, the trips to Tasmania,Sydney and Central Coast, the relaxing pace of life, the quiet surburban areas and the cool,blustery weather are still fresh in my head. They surface from time to time when my mind is idling. The time required for the feelings of yearning and missing to fade is taking a much longer time than expected. This indicates that I have enjoyed my stay in Australia,afterall. Sounds so contrary to my angsty statements on wanting to go back to Singapore as soon as possible, doesn't it?
Interestingly, the images of the birds in Newcastle leave indelible marks in my mind. There are numerous crested pigeons ( the pigeons with the black structure on the head ), green birds and lorakeets ( the birds with blue,red, green and yellow feathers). And not forgetting the pair of beautiful canaries with melodious sounding chirps in an Erina Fair shop.Whenever I close my eyes, the appearances of these birds float up into my mind. I have yet to upload all my photos onto my Shutterfly, as I have not gotten the set of those that we took in Sydney Junction Hotel in Hamilton.
Time had whizzed by much faster that I had imagine. Just when I had gotten used to the place and develop the urge to explore more of Newcastle and other parts of the country, it is time for me to go home. If my IA hadn't started so early, I might have stayed on for a longer time to travel around and interact with my newly made friends such as Wun and Kelly. They were the 2 girls whom I had such easy and natural chats with on the eve of my Green Engineering paper. Right now, we are all busy with our own lives and seldom talk to them online, say less than once in a week. I haven't spotted Kelly on MSN since I left for Newcastle, reckon that she is busy with her job as a research assistant in Adam's lab. Really miss all the wonderful memories I shared with all my nice girlfriends in Australia. But there is no telling in when we can resume these pleasurable interactions again.
Getting to know more people exposes you to different views and situations, this is really beneficial in your character building because it imbues you with a greater degree of open mindedness and inspiration to take a matured view of certain issues. My conversations with Rachel and Aili have been particularly enriching, and I really appreciate that. The most important part of friendship is unconditional support,regardless of the differences we share. Surprises strike you when you are caught totally offguard, including special ones. I had never guessed that I will get to meet people who I can click comfortably with during the last week of my stay in Newcastle. The lower your expectations, the greater the joy you experience when something pleasant comes your way. The same theory applies for negative events, but vice versa.
If I am given the chance to relive my exchange experience again, I am sure I will be able to handle my negative emotions more effectively, such as prejudice and insecurity. This especially applies to the party of 4, whom I do not get along very well with. It is probably due to the fact that we have personality clashes and none of us made the move to understand each other better. Come to think of it, if I had been more gracious and behaved in a more grateful manner towards them, the atmosphere between our conversations will not be so tensed up. All along, I kept thinking that they were unfriendly and not receptive to my amicable first moves. And from that point onwards, I felt very defensive in their presence and turned a blind eye to their not so obvious positive traits such as being uncalculative,kind and helpful. Mummy said that I should stand in their shoes and perceive my own attitude from their point of view. I can't agree more. The party of 4 probably had judged me to be ungrateful and immature from my sullen facial expressions and anti social behaviour.
I will encourage everybody to embark on an exchange program in some point of time of their undergraduate days, it is a blast of an experience which will never be forgotten for the rest of your life. The amount of things you see,learn and experience is beyond description and you have to undergo the exchange program to feel it personally. It is not so much visual treats one gets, but the character building process. I have learnt to be more independent,confident,matured and understanding and I believe that these qualities will come in handy in my future undertakings.
In the meantime, I am undergoing another milestone in my life, which is my industrial attachment at ICIpaints. The company may look really shabby and poorly maintained, but my colleagues have been really friendly and helpful so far. The latter serves as a bit of motivation to go to work everyday. My supervisor, Sock Sang said that I will be working on 3 projects, 2 with Sumay and 1 with Monica. Hope to pick up many new skills and contribute significantly to the tasks assigned to me during the next 20 weeks. In working life, you cannot practise loafing or groupthink though the temptation might be irresistable. This is because it is not fair to my partner.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Finally back home =)
Hi everyone! I am finally back to the sunny shores of Singapore. Uncle Richie, Charissa and Clarissa and Mummy came to fetch me from Changi Airport's Terminal 1. I must really thank them for their patience, for my touchdown time of my flight was delayed. It only landed 10:35 pm, instead of the stipulated 9.55 pm. I was really happy to see the ones so close to your heart again, and the feeling was even more overwhelming with a warm,welcoming hug from each of them. It was almost 12 midnight when I reached home. The B and C lifts of my block have undergone some major revampations, and they look more presentable now. I was so engrossed in recounting the wonderful times I had in Newcastle with Mummy that I did not finish packing my things before sleeping. It's great to see and feel the atmosphere of your own sweet home after an absence of 5 months.
I just came back from a mini shopping trip at IMM. Firstly, I have gotten my hands on the best selling novel, "Eclipse'' at a discounted price of $15.35. It is less than half of the price of "New Moon'' at the Central Coast, if you do the necessary currency conversion.Now, do you see the stark contrast between the things in Australia and Singapore? The book is more than 600 pages long, and I can't wait to start reading it. I couldn't help but feel absolutely ecstatic when the novel was displayed conspicuously near the entrance of Popular. It really saved me the effort and time of searching for it. After that, I walked to IMM and purchased a yellow frilly top, blue Maxi eyes contact lens and a tea leaf egg. IMM hasn't changed much, the lunch crowd is still as huge as ever. It is definitely therapeutic when you get to eat typical Singaporean food which you have missed ever so much. Had 4 siew mais for breakfast and I just finished eating a cup of Nissin Laksa flavoured noodles. In Newcastle, I only ate Indo-Mee and korean instant noodles.
The weather in Singapore is extremely hot now, and I have to revert to wearing shorts in the house. I never wore shorts in Australia for I did not want to get shivering legs from the blustery weather. And I no longer need to wear the thick grey eskimo jacket, woollen socks or gloves. My lips and skin will no longer crack that easily, since the humidity level in Singapore is high. Saves me the hassle of applying lip gloss and moisturizer. I hope my hair and skin regain their original texture. Threw away my contact lens for they have expired. Shall switch to daily or monthly ones since I am so lazy to wear them daily now, unlike the time when I was in JC. The Internet speed in Singapore did not disappoint at all, it is still as fast as ever. In addition, the sound quality of the computer is better than of the laptop. I can hear the tune of the synthesizers and other background instruments more clearly, there is more depth to the songs.
Alas, I can resume my streaming of HK dramas and other random clips from Youtube,Crunchyroll and Tudou again. As I had mentioned previously, the bandwidth that SCV starhub provides us with is virtually limitless. Streaming speeds only slow down fractionally when there are a lot of people downloading shows simultaneously. It is a blessing to be able to read the Singaporean newspapers which are the Straits Times and Life! again. I can resume my daily habit of purchasing 8 days weekly. Welcome back to the familiarity and efficiency of Singapore's transportation systems, SBS, MRT, all these long lost names which were locked away in my psyche for 5 months,all started coming back in torrents, to the extent of producing an overwhelming sensation within me.
Okay, let me recount about the incidents that happened yesterday. Was taken aback when the driver from Happy Cabby came knocking at my door at 8.06 am! I wasn't really mentally prepared as I had presumed that he would only come at 8.15 am-8.30 am. My suitcase was difficult to close due to the bulkiness of the additional things I had gotten in Newcastle. Had to sit on it and slam it tightly. Left my white furry blanket behind since my suitcase had been filled to its maximum capacity. As Edward had quipped, the next person, whom I presume is Abigail, Wayne's friend, who occupies my room will have a free blanket. The Happy Cabby went to fetch 3 other people in the vicinity of the University before continuing on its way to Sydney Kingsford Smith airport.
The Happy Cabby driver decided to charge me $55 instead of $69 for his services since I had a student card. But I gave him $5 in tips, which I regret slightly now. Because he seemed really eager to get tipped, especially after I handed him a $100 note. These days,the winds in Newcastle have been really strong, to the extent that it chills me to the bone,literally, despite the blazing afternoon sun shining overhead. The driver mentioned that winds have been known to go up to 90km/hr on the freeway. That is like the speed limit of the expressways of Singapore. And I realised that I had made a blunder. All along I have been wondering why did Happy Cabby service assign such an early pickup time for me, and it turned out that it was due to the fact that I had keyed in my flight time as 13:55 instead of 15:55. All thanks to my blunder, I reached the airport 5 hours before my flight time and had to wait for 2 hours to check in because the maximum number of hours you can check in in advance is 3 hours. Nevertheless, I jumped at the chance to read my New moon novel. Was thankful that I did not have to pay extra charges, for the weight of suitcase exceeded the allowed limit by 3 kg.
Had 8 mini assorted sandwiches from paging Harry before heading up the viewing gallery on the 4th floor. It is an open air area, unlike the enclosed one in Changi Airport. Saw a Singapore Airlines plane with the national flag emblazoned on it, and for some unknown reason, a wave of patriotism swept over me. I want to sit on an SIA plane again. There were some binoculars available but you have to pay $2 to use it. Saw several Jetstar and Qantas plane take off at an inclined angle before disappearing into the clouds. Then, I sat down the the bench and finished the whole of my New Moon novel. I couldn't be more amazed at my new found capability of rapid reading and enjoying the contents simultaneously.
The most significant blunder I made was that I almost missed my flight again! Because I did not catch the message over the PA system, which said that the boarding venue for QF5 had changed from Gate 33 to Gate 8, until the very last minute at a few minutes past 4 pm! I had to run all the way there, feeling very panicky and breathless. The thinning plastic bag which held all my Tasmania souvenirs broke when I was scrambling to the gate. But thankfully, I had another plastic bag to hold all of the gifts. The flight attendant shot me an impatient look, but she still let me onto the plane anyway. One male flight attendant, with an European accent, was very helpful and helped to stow all my belongings on the lockers above. In addition, he also told me to relax and the worst is over. I was really grateful for that kind gesture of his.
The plane took off at only 4.40pm, and I felt guilty for making entire plane of passengers wait for me and another person, whom I am unsure whether he turned up or not. There was a German pilot onboard, because my flight will stopover at Singapore first, before continuing to Frankfurt. Despite having learnt elementary German, I could not understand what he was saying because of the quick pace of his speech. Throughout the 8 hours flight, I occupied myself by taking photographs of the captivating view of the multi coloured sky as the sun set from the window, taking brief naps and watching the statistics of the plane from the screen. The plane journey was velvety smooth in general, I did not experience much ear discomfort compared to all the other time when I took a plane. The worst flight has got to be the Virgin Blue one, the plane descent was so abrupt that I experienced intense pain in my ears,head and even throat. In conclusion, I rather pay more for a comfortable journey, regardless of the distance to my intended destination.
The flight attendants on board a Qantas plane did a good job in satiating all hunger pangs. I even got to taste a pine-lime paddle pop like ice-cream which consisted of a lime green flavoured coating on top of the sweet cream. We were consistently given fluids like fruit juice and water to combat against the dry air in the cabin. I read in one of the pamplets that the humidity can go as low as 25%. No wonder my lips bled on board the QF32 flight to Sydney in February. Dinner was chicken with soy sauce while supper was linguine with cheese. Both meals were accompanied with cheese, Arnotts biscuits, small chocolate bars and fruit salad. Last but not least, I tried the Cadbury hot chocolate drink with a marshmellow for the first time. Its taste was awesome, considering the fact that I dislike marshmellows.
As Mummy mentioned, I have been bitten my the travelling bug and can't wait to travel again. Unfortunately, travelling is costly and requires a calm and relaxed state of mind, which can only be achieved when you have a lot of time in your hands. Guess the earliest time when I can travel again will be during the December holidays. I just hope that Icipaints will be kind enough to increase my meagre salary. I have yet to submit my cheque for the placement insurance. And I still do not know the exact location of my workplace. Only have 4 days to get everything fixed up before my official step into working life. Wish me luck. Meanwhile, I shall spend the rest of the day reading my Eclipse novel and uploading photos onto my Shutterfly.
I just came back from a mini shopping trip at IMM. Firstly, I have gotten my hands on the best selling novel, "Eclipse'' at a discounted price of $15.35. It is less than half of the price of "New Moon'' at the Central Coast, if you do the necessary currency conversion.Now, do you see the stark contrast between the things in Australia and Singapore? The book is more than 600 pages long, and I can't wait to start reading it. I couldn't help but feel absolutely ecstatic when the novel was displayed conspicuously near the entrance of Popular. It really saved me the effort and time of searching for it. After that, I walked to IMM and purchased a yellow frilly top, blue Maxi eyes contact lens and a tea leaf egg. IMM hasn't changed much, the lunch crowd is still as huge as ever. It is definitely therapeutic when you get to eat typical Singaporean food which you have missed ever so much. Had 4 siew mais for breakfast and I just finished eating a cup of Nissin Laksa flavoured noodles. In Newcastle, I only ate Indo-Mee and korean instant noodles.
The weather in Singapore is extremely hot now, and I have to revert to wearing shorts in the house. I never wore shorts in Australia for I did not want to get shivering legs from the blustery weather. And I no longer need to wear the thick grey eskimo jacket, woollen socks or gloves. My lips and skin will no longer crack that easily, since the humidity level in Singapore is high. Saves me the hassle of applying lip gloss and moisturizer. I hope my hair and skin regain their original texture. Threw away my contact lens for they have expired. Shall switch to daily or monthly ones since I am so lazy to wear them daily now, unlike the time when I was in JC. The Internet speed in Singapore did not disappoint at all, it is still as fast as ever. In addition, the sound quality of the computer is better than of the laptop. I can hear the tune of the synthesizers and other background instruments more clearly, there is more depth to the songs.
Alas, I can resume my streaming of HK dramas and other random clips from Youtube,Crunchyroll and Tudou again. As I had mentioned previously, the bandwidth that SCV starhub provides us with is virtually limitless. Streaming speeds only slow down fractionally when there are a lot of people downloading shows simultaneously. It is a blessing to be able to read the Singaporean newspapers which are the Straits Times and Life! again. I can resume my daily habit of purchasing 8 days weekly. Welcome back to the familiarity and efficiency of Singapore's transportation systems, SBS, MRT, all these long lost names which were locked away in my psyche for 5 months,all started coming back in torrents, to the extent of producing an overwhelming sensation within me.
Okay, let me recount about the incidents that happened yesterday. Was taken aback when the driver from Happy Cabby came knocking at my door at 8.06 am! I wasn't really mentally prepared as I had presumed that he would only come at 8.15 am-8.30 am. My suitcase was difficult to close due to the bulkiness of the additional things I had gotten in Newcastle. Had to sit on it and slam it tightly. Left my white furry blanket behind since my suitcase had been filled to its maximum capacity. As Edward had quipped, the next person, whom I presume is Abigail, Wayne's friend, who occupies my room will have a free blanket. The Happy Cabby went to fetch 3 other people in the vicinity of the University before continuing on its way to Sydney Kingsford Smith airport.
The Happy Cabby driver decided to charge me $55 instead of $69 for his services since I had a student card. But I gave him $5 in tips, which I regret slightly now. Because he seemed really eager to get tipped, especially after I handed him a $100 note. These days,the winds in Newcastle have been really strong, to the extent that it chills me to the bone,literally, despite the blazing afternoon sun shining overhead. The driver mentioned that winds have been known to go up to 90km/hr on the freeway. That is like the speed limit of the expressways of Singapore. And I realised that I had made a blunder. All along I have been wondering why did Happy Cabby service assign such an early pickup time for me, and it turned out that it was due to the fact that I had keyed in my flight time as 13:55 instead of 15:55. All thanks to my blunder, I reached the airport 5 hours before my flight time and had to wait for 2 hours to check in because the maximum number of hours you can check in in advance is 3 hours. Nevertheless, I jumped at the chance to read my New moon novel. Was thankful that I did not have to pay extra charges, for the weight of suitcase exceeded the allowed limit by 3 kg.
Had 8 mini assorted sandwiches from paging Harry before heading up the viewing gallery on the 4th floor. It is an open air area, unlike the enclosed one in Changi Airport. Saw a Singapore Airlines plane with the national flag emblazoned on it, and for some unknown reason, a wave of patriotism swept over me. I want to sit on an SIA plane again. There were some binoculars available but you have to pay $2 to use it. Saw several Jetstar and Qantas plane take off at an inclined angle before disappearing into the clouds. Then, I sat down the the bench and finished the whole of my New Moon novel. I couldn't be more amazed at my new found capability of rapid reading and enjoying the contents simultaneously.
The most significant blunder I made was that I almost missed my flight again! Because I did not catch the message over the PA system, which said that the boarding venue for QF5 had changed from Gate 33 to Gate 8, until the very last minute at a few minutes past 4 pm! I had to run all the way there, feeling very panicky and breathless. The thinning plastic bag which held all my Tasmania souvenirs broke when I was scrambling to the gate. But thankfully, I had another plastic bag to hold all of the gifts. The flight attendant shot me an impatient look, but she still let me onto the plane anyway. One male flight attendant, with an European accent, was very helpful and helped to stow all my belongings on the lockers above. In addition, he also told me to relax and the worst is over. I was really grateful for that kind gesture of his.
The plane took off at only 4.40pm, and I felt guilty for making entire plane of passengers wait for me and another person, whom I am unsure whether he turned up or not. There was a German pilot onboard, because my flight will stopover at Singapore first, before continuing to Frankfurt. Despite having learnt elementary German, I could not understand what he was saying because of the quick pace of his speech. Throughout the 8 hours flight, I occupied myself by taking photographs of the captivating view of the multi coloured sky as the sun set from the window, taking brief naps and watching the statistics of the plane from the screen. The plane journey was velvety smooth in general, I did not experience much ear discomfort compared to all the other time when I took a plane. The worst flight has got to be the Virgin Blue one, the plane descent was so abrupt that I experienced intense pain in my ears,head and even throat. In conclusion, I rather pay more for a comfortable journey, regardless of the distance to my intended destination.
The flight attendants on board a Qantas plane did a good job in satiating all hunger pangs. I even got to taste a pine-lime paddle pop like ice-cream which consisted of a lime green flavoured coating on top of the sweet cream. We were consistently given fluids like fruit juice and water to combat against the dry air in the cabin. I read in one of the pamplets that the humidity can go as low as 25%. No wonder my lips bled on board the QF32 flight to Sydney in February. Dinner was chicken with soy sauce while supper was linguine with cheese. Both meals were accompanied with cheese, Arnotts biscuits, small chocolate bars and fruit salad. Last but not least, I tried the Cadbury hot chocolate drink with a marshmellow for the first time. Its taste was awesome, considering the fact that I dislike marshmellows.
As Mummy mentioned, I have been bitten my the travelling bug and can't wait to travel again. Unfortunately, travelling is costly and requires a calm and relaxed state of mind, which can only be achieved when you have a lot of time in your hands. Guess the earliest time when I can travel again will be during the December holidays. I just hope that Icipaints will be kind enough to increase my meagre salary. I have yet to submit my cheque for the placement insurance. And I still do not know the exact location of my workplace. Only have 4 days to get everything fixed up before my official step into working life. Wish me luck. Meanwhile, I shall spend the rest of the day reading my Eclipse novel and uploading photos onto my Shutterfly.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Lunch at Monkeys with Mel and Eva
Yesterday morning, Kelly dropped by my house for a short chit chatting session before giving me a lift to the bookshop in Shortland Union to ship my heavy textbooks and files back to Singapore. The load was heavier than I expected, the total weight came up to 15 kg. And it cost me $162.60. Throughout the whole process, Kelly spared no effort in helping me, by helping me to lighten the physical burden, such as selecting boxes to put my things in and writing her address at the back of them, just in case the boxes do not reach Singapore. These gestures really brightened up my day. After she drove me back home, we exchanged hugs and well wishes, and finally promises to keep each other updated about our lives via MSN. Goodbyes are hard to say but the memories that I had with her are unforgettable.
I have finished about 40 pages of New Moon, and shall keep the majority of the pages for the 8 hour plane ride from Sydney to Singapore. So relieved that there are no stopovers this time around, because I think they are a waste of time and makes one more exhausted than a straight flight. Interestingly, flights with stopovers are actually cheaper than those that fly you straight to your intended destinations. Surfed the net for a while before I left the house to meet Mel and Eva for lunch at Darby Street.
Darby Street is famous among the UoN students due to the cafes offering a wide of international food. But the prices are steep for some of them as well. Mel and Eva would be going to Melbourne for a short holiday that night. The 2 girls were friendly and comical as usual, and both of them agreed that the tertiary education in Malaysia is not really internationally recognized. So, they have decided to Taylors University College to study for an Australian degree instead. The wind was messing up our hair despite the relatively strong afternoon sun. I think my hair has the texture of dead leaves now, all thanks to the dry air. =(
We had a really full lunch at Monkeys Cafe. All of us shared a pizza, potato wedges and a Monkey Platters. The sauces that came with the food were really delicious, especially the one that complimented the wedges. There were many interesting morsels on the platter, such as brandy bacon slices, coconut prawns and salty cheese. In addition,there were 3 kinds of dippings like crushed nuts,olive tasting liquid and parsley coloured grinded herbs. Indulging in good food is a indeed a blessing. I ate more than 2 of them because it will be a long time before I may ever get chance to eat here again. Mel and Eva have at least one more semester to explore the eateries in Newcastle.
The prices were quite good despite the generous servings. I only had to pay $16.30 for my share. In conclusion, patronizing Monkey's Cafe is more worth it than going to Blue Water Pizza, where the prices are steep and the food which they serve are in smaller portions. According to Mel, she could prepare even tastier pasta than that of Blue Water Pizza. We took 100 back to our respective houses. Saw many high school studentswho were donning really nice uniforms. Pleated skirts and long socks up to the knee seem to be very common among the students here. Little boys who have yet to reach their teens have already got ear piercings. It is not an uncommon sight to see girls in school uniform applying makeup. The dress sense in Australia is so contrasting from that of Singaporeans.
Cleaned the toilet sink last night and paid Hongjun $200 for miscellaneous household expenses and 1 weeks rent. Dinner was Continental Potato and Bacon soup with the last Fuji apple. Now, I only have the box of frozen hokkien mee and Ovaltine in my food inventory. In addition, there are only 12 cents worth of credits in my mobile phone, which is a good thing because I am leaving tomorrow. Today shall be spent packing my luggage bag, lazing around and getting some food after calling Happy Cabby at 10 am to get my pickup time. Till then, see you guys in Singapore soon! =)
I have finished about 40 pages of New Moon, and shall keep the majority of the pages for the 8 hour plane ride from Sydney to Singapore. So relieved that there are no stopovers this time around, because I think they are a waste of time and makes one more exhausted than a straight flight. Interestingly, flights with stopovers are actually cheaper than those that fly you straight to your intended destinations. Surfed the net for a while before I left the house to meet Mel and Eva for lunch at Darby Street.
Darby Street is famous among the UoN students due to the cafes offering a wide of international food. But the prices are steep for some of them as well. Mel and Eva would be going to Melbourne for a short holiday that night. The 2 girls were friendly and comical as usual, and both of them agreed that the tertiary education in Malaysia is not really internationally recognized. So, they have decided to Taylors University College to study for an Australian degree instead. The wind was messing up our hair despite the relatively strong afternoon sun. I think my hair has the texture of dead leaves now, all thanks to the dry air. =(
We had a really full lunch at Monkeys Cafe. All of us shared a pizza, potato wedges and a Monkey Platters. The sauces that came with the food were really delicious, especially the one that complimented the wedges. There were many interesting morsels on the platter, such as brandy bacon slices, coconut prawns and salty cheese. In addition,there were 3 kinds of dippings like crushed nuts,olive tasting liquid and parsley coloured grinded herbs. Indulging in good food is a indeed a blessing. I ate more than 2 of them because it will be a long time before I may ever get chance to eat here again. Mel and Eva have at least one more semester to explore the eateries in Newcastle.
The prices were quite good despite the generous servings. I only had to pay $16.30 for my share. In conclusion, patronizing Monkey's Cafe is more worth it than going to Blue Water Pizza, where the prices are steep and the food which they serve are in smaller portions. According to Mel, she could prepare even tastier pasta than that of Blue Water Pizza. We took 100 back to our respective houses. Saw many high school studentswho were donning really nice uniforms. Pleated skirts and long socks up to the knee seem to be very common among the students here. Little boys who have yet to reach their teens have already got ear piercings. It is not an uncommon sight to see girls in school uniform applying makeup. The dress sense in Australia is so contrasting from that of Singaporeans.
Cleaned the toilet sink last night and paid Hongjun $200 for miscellaneous household expenses and 1 weeks rent. Dinner was Continental Potato and Bacon soup with the last Fuji apple. Now, I only have the box of frozen hokkien mee and Ovaltine in my food inventory. In addition, there are only 12 cents worth of credits in my mobile phone, which is a good thing because I am leaving tomorrow. Today shall be spent packing my luggage bag, lazing around and getting some food after calling Happy Cabby at 10 am to get my pickup time. Till then, see you guys in Singapore soon! =)
Monday, June 30, 2008
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.
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.
Lovely weekend at the Central Coast =)
I had the most memorable weekend ever at the Central Coast with Catherine and Kelly. It is a place where there is abundant lush green trees and azure blue seas. The surroundings is definitely much more beautiful than in Newcastle. It is such pity that this ethereal looking place doesn't seem to be a popular holiday spot for tourists. Highly recommend my friends to come here for an invigorating experience, to completely immerse oneself in the beauty of the natural green and blue hues. Let's backtrack to the events that took place from Saturday onwards now.
After settling down in Catherine's house and surfing the Internet until around 12 pm, we made our way to Avoca Beach for a hearty meal of fried potatoes and Fisherman's platter which consisted of fries,fish and tempura prawns. It is interesting to note that both Kelly and Catherine dislike seafood, and they prefer red meat instead. Their preferences are the totally opposite of mine. We sat down on the sand and watched the majestive white waves rise and sweep across the sand continuously. There were plenty of seagulls in the vicinity as well, and they all gathered in huge group whenever there was people feeding them. Catherine isn't a big fan of seagulls, she asserts that they are nuisances who come and steal your food when you are caught unawares.
We then proceeded on a slight "obstacle'' course. We had to cross several rocks in order to get to the other side of the beach. Luckily, I had sturdy shoes on. And Catherine was a good guide as well, for she consistently turned back and asked if I was okay. I felt a sense of deja vu as I stepped on rock after rock. My friends and I had to pass several rocks before we could reach the peak at Mount Wellington which is in Tasmania. There were several pools among the rocks and both of our shoes got a bit wet. There were some kids running happily in the sand and some men were fishing leisurely. The scenery of the blue waves lapping against the cliffs was breathtaking. I captured several photos of the beach and will be posting them up when I return to Singapore.
Our next destination was Terrigal Beach. There was a line of shops nearby and I purchased some cup mats as souvenirs. Terrigal beach seems to be a more lively area that that of Avoca Beach. A long line of cars were parked along the side of the road. Catherine brought me to the Cold Rock Creamery which was a cut above most other ice-cream shops because they sell a wide range of candies and chocolates which could be blended together with the ice-cream flavour you select. I got myself a regular sized watermelon ice-cream with cherry chocolate. Though it cost $5.20, I was completely all right with it,since the serving was so generous and the saccharine sweet taste was just absolutely tantalizing.
Had a heart to heart talk with Catherine while enjoying our ice-cream. I was amazed at how open she was to me about her life experiences and her views about personal issues such as marriage and love relationships. She is definitely infinitely far from the impressions that I had conjured up about Westerners. It was really pleasing to talk to ther for she accepts you for the opinions you have and shows genuine interest on what you have to say. We left the place at around 4 pm, for she had to get back to prepare for church in the night.
While she was away, I kept myself completely preoccupied with her novel, Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. The plot was so mesmerizing that I finished 438 pages within 5 hours. Never in my 22 years of life had I finished so many pages in one sitting. The story is about a touching and alluring forbidden love story between a vampire and human. And the positive imagery that Stephenie used is so immensely orgasmic. I certainly cant wait for the movie to come out in December, watching it will serve as a perfect celebration for the completion of 22 ardous weeks at Icipaints. Catherine's dad, Lori came back while I was engrossed in the storyline. He is a really warm and friendly man, the idiom of "a chip of the old block'' holds so very true! He kept reminding me to make myself at home and offered me a sumptuous dinner of fruit pie with cream and stew. We had a small friendly chat before he left for work again. I was certainly impressed and almost overwhelmed by such warm receptive behaviour.
Even when I went to bed, the intriguing plot of Twilight was still fresh in my head. The various positive imagery and the gripping contents were swirling in my mind. No wonder this series is an international best seller. Before the final entrance into la-la land, Catherine reminded me that there might be possums running noisily on the rooftop in the dead of the night, but I do not need to be scared of them as they can't enter the house. She said that possums are parasites, because they like to enter her house surreptitiously and scavenge the kitchen for leftover food. Her description of possums sounds so different from the perceptions I have of those which I had seen in Zoodoo Farm during the Tasmania trip. I had always thought that possums are really furry and cute creatures that hibernate in log holes.
After settling down in Catherine's house and surfing the Internet until around 12 pm, we made our way to Avoca Beach for a hearty meal of fried potatoes and Fisherman's platter which consisted of fries,fish and tempura prawns. It is interesting to note that both Kelly and Catherine dislike seafood, and they prefer red meat instead. Their preferences are the totally opposite of mine. We sat down on the sand and watched the majestive white waves rise and sweep across the sand continuously. There were plenty of seagulls in the vicinity as well, and they all gathered in huge group whenever there was people feeding them. Catherine isn't a big fan of seagulls, she asserts that they are nuisances who come and steal your food when you are caught unawares.
We then proceeded on a slight "obstacle'' course. We had to cross several rocks in order to get to the other side of the beach. Luckily, I had sturdy shoes on. And Catherine was a good guide as well, for she consistently turned back and asked if I was okay. I felt a sense of deja vu as I stepped on rock after rock. My friends and I had to pass several rocks before we could reach the peak at Mount Wellington which is in Tasmania. There were several pools among the rocks and both of our shoes got a bit wet. There were some kids running happily in the sand and some men were fishing leisurely. The scenery of the blue waves lapping against the cliffs was breathtaking. I captured several photos of the beach and will be posting them up when I return to Singapore.
Our next destination was Terrigal Beach. There was a line of shops nearby and I purchased some cup mats as souvenirs. Terrigal beach seems to be a more lively area that that of Avoca Beach. A long line of cars were parked along the side of the road. Catherine brought me to the Cold Rock Creamery which was a cut above most other ice-cream shops because they sell a wide range of candies and chocolates which could be blended together with the ice-cream flavour you select. I got myself a regular sized watermelon ice-cream with cherry chocolate. Though it cost $5.20, I was completely all right with it,since the serving was so generous and the saccharine sweet taste was just absolutely tantalizing.
Had a heart to heart talk with Catherine while enjoying our ice-cream. I was amazed at how open she was to me about her life experiences and her views about personal issues such as marriage and love relationships. She is definitely infinitely far from the impressions that I had conjured up about Westerners. It was really pleasing to talk to ther for she accepts you for the opinions you have and shows genuine interest on what you have to say. We left the place at around 4 pm, for she had to get back to prepare for church in the night.
While she was away, I kept myself completely preoccupied with her novel, Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. The plot was so mesmerizing that I finished 438 pages within 5 hours. Never in my 22 years of life had I finished so many pages in one sitting. The story is about a touching and alluring forbidden love story between a vampire and human. And the positive imagery that Stephenie used is so immensely orgasmic. I certainly cant wait for the movie to come out in December, watching it will serve as a perfect celebration for the completion of 22 ardous weeks at Icipaints. Catherine's dad, Lori came back while I was engrossed in the storyline. He is a really warm and friendly man, the idiom of "a chip of the old block'' holds so very true! He kept reminding me to make myself at home and offered me a sumptuous dinner of fruit pie with cream and stew. We had a small friendly chat before he left for work again. I was certainly impressed and almost overwhelmed by such warm receptive behaviour.
Even when I went to bed, the intriguing plot of Twilight was still fresh in my head. The various positive imagery and the gripping contents were swirling in my mind. No wonder this series is an international best seller. Before the final entrance into la-la land, Catherine reminded me that there might be possums running noisily on the rooftop in the dead of the night, but I do not need to be scared of them as they can't enter the house. She said that possums are parasites, because they like to enter her house surreptitiously and scavenge the kitchen for leftover food. Her description of possums sounds so different from the perceptions I have of those which I had seen in Zoodoo Farm during the Tasmania trip. I had always thought that possums are really furry and cute creatures that hibernate in log holes.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Exams have ended =)
Yesterday marked the end of the examination period. I managed to reach Hunter building on time, although my arrival was late compared to the rest of my tutorial mates. The Green Engineering paper was manageble, although I was a tad stunned at the fact that I could not completely solve the question on Pinch Technology. But overall, I am confident of passing the paper. Finally, I can throw all the academic information out of my head and relax to the fullest in the coming few days to come before I depart from Newcastle.
I had intended to go back to UoN to mail my textbooks and files home to Singapore but didn't do so in the end because their combined load is too heavy for me to carry to school. And Weifun could not give me a lift because Aaron's car key wasn't with her. So, I decided to chat with Diana on skype and afterwhich, I rewarded myself with a hearty lunch of Singapore Instant noodles with cheese tomato scrambled eggs. It is my first time sitting for examinations in a foreign land and the pressure to do well is much lesser than that of NTU. I am confident to achieve at least a Pass for all my modules, with the exception of IRHR 1001.
Sat the 101 bus to Glendale for dinner at Hungry Jacks. I was contemplating on whether to watch Kungfu panda by myself or not, since Ding didn't call me nor respond to my sms. Finally, I decided against doing so because it is no fun watching a movie all by your lonely self. After dinner, I went to Woolsworth and bought a box of microwaveable Hokkien mee. Didn't want to buy too much food since I am going to leave soon. Reached home before 8 pm and slept shortly after. I didn't wake up till about 2.30 am. Surfed the Internet before falling asleep again until 7.23 am.
After a light breakfast of Ovaltine and an apple, I proceeded to the Maths bus stop to take 226 to Broadmeadow station, and from there I boarded the Sydney bound train to Gosford to meet Catherine. I am going to stayover at her house for at least a night, since she so kindly invited me to do so. 226 came 5 minutes ahead of schedule, and the train arrived in a mere 5 minutes instead of the projected 1 hour. The train ticket from Broadmeadow to Gosford costs $4.80, which is cheaper than I expected. All along, I have thought that the train tickets cost more than $10. The train ride was about 70 minutes and it passed by a few places which had peculiar sounding names such as Wyee, Tuggerah and Teralba. According to Catherine, these names were originated from the Australian aboriginals.
And right now, I am at her house typing this entry. The Central Coast lives up to its name indeed, for there are more beaches and ponds here. And Wilson's working place, Gosford Hospital is just a stone's throw away from its station. The surroundings of Central Coast is rather different from that in Newcastle, but for now, I cannot describe the contrasting environments in words. Catherine's house is two storeys high and all the floors are made of carpet. She is a really receptive host, constantly offering me snacks and setting up a comfortable mattress together with a warm blanket in the spare room. Really appreciate it. Look forward to going to the Avoca Beach with her later. =) And not forgetting, fish and chips for lunch.
I had intended to go back to UoN to mail my textbooks and files home to Singapore but didn't do so in the end because their combined load is too heavy for me to carry to school. And Weifun could not give me a lift because Aaron's car key wasn't with her. So, I decided to chat with Diana on skype and afterwhich, I rewarded myself with a hearty lunch of Singapore Instant noodles with cheese tomato scrambled eggs. It is my first time sitting for examinations in a foreign land and the pressure to do well is much lesser than that of NTU. I am confident to achieve at least a Pass for all my modules, with the exception of IRHR 1001.
Sat the 101 bus to Glendale for dinner at Hungry Jacks. I was contemplating on whether to watch Kungfu panda by myself or not, since Ding didn't call me nor respond to my sms. Finally, I decided against doing so because it is no fun watching a movie all by your lonely self. After dinner, I went to Woolsworth and bought a box of microwaveable Hokkien mee. Didn't want to buy too much food since I am going to leave soon. Reached home before 8 pm and slept shortly after. I didn't wake up till about 2.30 am. Surfed the Internet before falling asleep again until 7.23 am.
After a light breakfast of Ovaltine and an apple, I proceeded to the Maths bus stop to take 226 to Broadmeadow station, and from there I boarded the Sydney bound train to Gosford to meet Catherine. I am going to stayover at her house for at least a night, since she so kindly invited me to do so. 226 came 5 minutes ahead of schedule, and the train arrived in a mere 5 minutes instead of the projected 1 hour. The train ticket from Broadmeadow to Gosford costs $4.80, which is cheaper than I expected. All along, I have thought that the train tickets cost more than $10. The train ride was about 70 minutes and it passed by a few places which had peculiar sounding names such as Wyee, Tuggerah and Teralba. According to Catherine, these names were originated from the Australian aboriginals.
And right now, I am at her house typing this entry. The Central Coast lives up to its name indeed, for there are more beaches and ponds here. And Wilson's working place, Gosford Hospital is just a stone's throw away from its station. The surroundings of Central Coast is rather different from that in Newcastle, but for now, I cannot describe the contrasting environments in words. Catherine's house is two storeys high and all the floors are made of carpet. She is a really receptive host, constantly offering me snacks and setting up a comfortable mattress together with a warm blanket in the spare room. Really appreciate it. Look forward to going to the Avoca Beach with her later. =) And not forgetting, fish and chips for lunch.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sydney Junction Hotel at Hamilton
I was awaken by the chilly air and the urge to go to the toilet at an incredulous time of 5 am. Was surprised to see Weifun and Oiyin at the living room, preparing breakfast and doing some last minute study. Today is liberation day for me! Because it is the last day of the torturous exam period. Will be having the Green Engineering final exam at 9.15 am in the Hunter building, which is about 25 minutes walk away from. Acccording to calculations, I only require 7+/100 marks to secure a pass. This sounds even more amazing than CHEM 3310, doesn't it? Needless to say, I feel much more relaxed although I only did a very brief revision of my lecture notes. The intensity of the prerequisite contents for the exam is unimaginably light. It will be infinitely long before NTU decides to use such an approach for exams. For now, let me type this entry in reverse chronological order.
Had my CHEM 3210 examination yesterday at the Hunter Building. I overestimated the time and was a couple of minutes late for the paper. Which meant that I only had 8 minutes, instead of 10, for reading time. I wasn't familiar with the premises of the Hunter Building and there were so many examination halls located there. Luckily, I met a helpful invigilator who brought me to the venue personally. On top of the duration allowed to complete the exam papers, UoN also gives us an allowance of 10 minutes, for reading time. However, we cannot pick up our pens during this time. Initially, I did not know how to utilize the reading time well, because I need to pen something down in order to reorganize my thoughts. Mere reading is barely helpful. But now, I know how to use the reading time to select the best choice of questions to do.
The paper was all right, I am confident that I can attain 50% for it. But I made a few careless mistakes and did not know how to do the questions on electronic transition graphs. However, there were several questions that are repeated from 3 past year papers. Having attempted the past year papers imbued me with confidence to think quickly. CHEM 3210 is like CHEM 3310, there is a mad rush for time to complete 120 marks worth of questions within 2 hours. I started out fast, but ended up rushing towards the last few questions. Went to see Bob after the paper to clarify issues about the missing lab reports. Apparently, Renee has been uncontactable for a week or so, and she did not turn up for the exams too. Bob affirmed with me that I will pass my lab component, even without Renee's contribution to the 2 missing lab reports. That is really a huge burden off my mind.
Met Ding in the AIC and let her photocopy my Thermodynamics solutions. She said that Suzanne had given birth and will be sitting for her exams at a later date, under the special consideration policy. It is astonishing to note that UoN is a humanitarian and practical educational institute. It has a schedule of exam dates in the 3 weeks holiday, specially catered to students who have difficulties in presenting themselves on the standard exam dates. Also, it encourages students to take up double majors, in order to maximize the quality of their university learning experience. Recently, I found out that NTU has introduced many double degree courses from the OAS website as well.
At around 7.15 pm, I met up with Durrah at the Maths Bus stop to take 226 to Hamilton where we would be dining. 11 of her friends, which consisted of a group of girls with diversifying nationalities, boarded the bus successively at the stops located on the stretch of University Drive. Most of her friends are really friendly, and took a lot of photos on the bus. Coincidentally, I met Jonathan on 226 too. He was making his way back to Barahineban hall and he will be going back to Singapore on 30th June for 10 days. Laughters and jokes were abound at the back of the bus for Durrah and her friends are a really hyperactive lot. Most of them were donned in pretty outfits and makeup, whereas for me, I was wearing the oversized grey eskimo like jacket over a long sleeved pink turtle neck. The scenario reminded me of time when I was at Cherlyn's birthday gathering, when I thought that I was severely underdressed.
I chatted a lot with 2 Malaysian girls, Wun and Kelly. They are also pursuing really intriguing majors in UoN, which are physiotherapy and music therapy respectively. Kelly has gotten her diploma in piano from Trinity College, and is pursuing her bachelor at the music school the vicinity of Newcastle Civic Centre. According to her, the study of music therapy allows one to be able to use the melodious tunes of the piano to release the tensions in one's stressful mind. These two girls have trendy dress senses, and not to mention, an amicable and easygoing diposition too. We exchanged MSN addresses and I hope to see them online soon. Wun's housemate cum schoolmate, Zee is bubbly and hyperactive malay girl from Brunei. Despite her petite stature, she could really laugh a lot and leave people in stitches with her crazy poses for the camera. Like Kelly and Wun, she is also very warm at heart.
We had our dinner at Sydney Junction Hotel, which is located at Hamilton. I don't remember going to an eatery in this suburb before during my stay here. The place doesn't really portray the image of a hotel from its ambience, to me, it seems like a bar cum cafe. The food was relatively cheap as well, one huge plate of tempura fish fillets,with salad and fries,cost only $10. The price is low compared to Australian standards. 12 of us also shared an entree of garlic bread. My appetite for dinner seemed to be have whittled down by a lot, for I could barely finish even half of the plate of food. I think it is because I usually eat very little for dinner, which only includes a fruit and a small bowl of soup. In addition, the tempura fish fillets did not taste as fresh and succulent as I had expected them to be.
Durrah has a Negro and Mauritian friend, called Fadila and Cindra as well. They are also rather chatty, but I did not talk very much to them as I was trembling in the chilly night air after dinner. It is enriching to mix with people of different nationalities, for it can broaded your cultural knowledge of the world. Mauritius is located off coast of Africa and relatively near Madagascar. Their official language is English, but a huge proportion of the citizens can speak French as well. Cindra mentioned that she had started learning French since she was little. According to some sources, French is considered to be a beautiful language. I know of several University friends who took elementary French as their elective!
While waiting for 101 to bring us back home, we encountered several drunk Australians who screamed at us, probably vulgarities from the passenger seats of a few a cars. There was even a passenger who threw something at us. I am not sure what it was, but it narrowly missed Wun and I. That barbarian act really shocked the both of us. It would have been terrible if that item was a glass bottle, it could inflict serious injuries on us! Some of the girls responded to them but I chose to ignore them. Interestingly, Durrah said that you should acknowledge their presence, for otherwise, they might turn back and spring an attack on you. To be honest, I felt that these antics of theirs were really offensive and I want to have nothing to do with them. During the time while we were waiting, most of them started to take group snapshots and kid around among each other.
101 finally came after a freezing wait of 10 minutes. We occupied the last few seats of the bus and I was flabbergasted to encounter another group of westerners who were spewing vulgarities like running water. Where are their senses of civilization and self respect, I ponder. When we took turns to alight at our homes, they yelled goodbye to us in a drunken way. Most of the girls responded to them. But when it was 2 of Durrah's housemates and I's turn to alight, we pretended not to hear them and stepped down from the bus nonchalantly. Even from the bus windows, they waved at us and we were commenting what nuisances they are.
Had a brief but informative chat with Durrah's 2 housemates who are Indian girls studying Physiotherapy and Psychology. But, I did not manage to get their names. I was thrilled when I found out the girl studying Psychology is my direct junior from Crescent. All the Crescent juniors that I have known so far are bright sparks, and she is no exception. She was from RJC and transferred to UoN after doing a semester of studies in NUS Life Sciences. And we started gossiping about our notorious discipline mistresses, Miss Chia and Mrs Siah and random facets of our secondary school days. I feel really lucky that I had 2 of them for company while walking on the sinisterly looking dark stretch of road from the place where we alighted. It certainly made time pass faster.
Took a quick shower, did a wee bit of studying of my notes and drifted off to la-la land at around 12 am. And here I am, putting an end to this entry after more than an hour of typing. I am so looking forward to the post exam activities, such as going to Catherine's house in the Central Coast on Saturday morning and staying over for a night or two.
Had my CHEM 3210 examination yesterday at the Hunter Building. I overestimated the time and was a couple of minutes late for the paper. Which meant that I only had 8 minutes, instead of 10, for reading time. I wasn't familiar with the premises of the Hunter Building and there were so many examination halls located there. Luckily, I met a helpful invigilator who brought me to the venue personally. On top of the duration allowed to complete the exam papers, UoN also gives us an allowance of 10 minutes, for reading time. However, we cannot pick up our pens during this time. Initially, I did not know how to utilize the reading time well, because I need to pen something down in order to reorganize my thoughts. Mere reading is barely helpful. But now, I know how to use the reading time to select the best choice of questions to do.
The paper was all right, I am confident that I can attain 50% for it. But I made a few careless mistakes and did not know how to do the questions on electronic transition graphs. However, there were several questions that are repeated from 3 past year papers. Having attempted the past year papers imbued me with confidence to think quickly. CHEM 3210 is like CHEM 3310, there is a mad rush for time to complete 120 marks worth of questions within 2 hours. I started out fast, but ended up rushing towards the last few questions. Went to see Bob after the paper to clarify issues about the missing lab reports. Apparently, Renee has been uncontactable for a week or so, and she did not turn up for the exams too. Bob affirmed with me that I will pass my lab component, even without Renee's contribution to the 2 missing lab reports. That is really a huge burden off my mind.
Met Ding in the AIC and let her photocopy my Thermodynamics solutions. She said that Suzanne had given birth and will be sitting for her exams at a later date, under the special consideration policy. It is astonishing to note that UoN is a humanitarian and practical educational institute. It has a schedule of exam dates in the 3 weeks holiday, specially catered to students who have difficulties in presenting themselves on the standard exam dates. Also, it encourages students to take up double majors, in order to maximize the quality of their university learning experience. Recently, I found out that NTU has introduced many double degree courses from the OAS website as well.
At around 7.15 pm, I met up with Durrah at the Maths Bus stop to take 226 to Hamilton where we would be dining. 11 of her friends, which consisted of a group of girls with diversifying nationalities, boarded the bus successively at the stops located on the stretch of University Drive. Most of her friends are really friendly, and took a lot of photos on the bus. Coincidentally, I met Jonathan on 226 too. He was making his way back to Barahineban hall and he will be going back to Singapore on 30th June for 10 days. Laughters and jokes were abound at the back of the bus for Durrah and her friends are a really hyperactive lot. Most of them were donned in pretty outfits and makeup, whereas for me, I was wearing the oversized grey eskimo like jacket over a long sleeved pink turtle neck. The scenario reminded me of time when I was at Cherlyn's birthday gathering, when I thought that I was severely underdressed.
I chatted a lot with 2 Malaysian girls, Wun and Kelly. They are also pursuing really intriguing majors in UoN, which are physiotherapy and music therapy respectively. Kelly has gotten her diploma in piano from Trinity College, and is pursuing her bachelor at the music school the vicinity of Newcastle Civic Centre. According to her, the study of music therapy allows one to be able to use the melodious tunes of the piano to release the tensions in one's stressful mind. These two girls have trendy dress senses, and not to mention, an amicable and easygoing diposition too. We exchanged MSN addresses and I hope to see them online soon. Wun's housemate cum schoolmate, Zee is bubbly and hyperactive malay girl from Brunei. Despite her petite stature, she could really laugh a lot and leave people in stitches with her crazy poses for the camera. Like Kelly and Wun, she is also very warm at heart.
We had our dinner at Sydney Junction Hotel, which is located at Hamilton. I don't remember going to an eatery in this suburb before during my stay here. The place doesn't really portray the image of a hotel from its ambience, to me, it seems like a bar cum cafe. The food was relatively cheap as well, one huge plate of tempura fish fillets,with salad and fries,cost only $10. The price is low compared to Australian standards. 12 of us also shared an entree of garlic bread. My appetite for dinner seemed to be have whittled down by a lot, for I could barely finish even half of the plate of food. I think it is because I usually eat very little for dinner, which only includes a fruit and a small bowl of soup. In addition, the tempura fish fillets did not taste as fresh and succulent as I had expected them to be.
Durrah has a Negro and Mauritian friend, called Fadila and Cindra as well. They are also rather chatty, but I did not talk very much to them as I was trembling in the chilly night air after dinner. It is enriching to mix with people of different nationalities, for it can broaded your cultural knowledge of the world. Mauritius is located off coast of Africa and relatively near Madagascar. Their official language is English, but a huge proportion of the citizens can speak French as well. Cindra mentioned that she had started learning French since she was little. According to some sources, French is considered to be a beautiful language. I know of several University friends who took elementary French as their elective!
While waiting for 101 to bring us back home, we encountered several drunk Australians who screamed at us, probably vulgarities from the passenger seats of a few a cars. There was even a passenger who threw something at us. I am not sure what it was, but it narrowly missed Wun and I. That barbarian act really shocked the both of us. It would have been terrible if that item was a glass bottle, it could inflict serious injuries on us! Some of the girls responded to them but I chose to ignore them. Interestingly, Durrah said that you should acknowledge their presence, for otherwise, they might turn back and spring an attack on you. To be honest, I felt that these antics of theirs were really offensive and I want to have nothing to do with them. During the time while we were waiting, most of them started to take group snapshots and kid around among each other.
101 finally came after a freezing wait of 10 minutes. We occupied the last few seats of the bus and I was flabbergasted to encounter another group of westerners who were spewing vulgarities like running water. Where are their senses of civilization and self respect, I ponder. When we took turns to alight at our homes, they yelled goodbye to us in a drunken way. Most of the girls responded to them. But when it was 2 of Durrah's housemates and I's turn to alight, we pretended not to hear them and stepped down from the bus nonchalantly. Even from the bus windows, they waved at us and we were commenting what nuisances they are.
Had a brief but informative chat with Durrah's 2 housemates who are Indian girls studying Physiotherapy and Psychology. But, I did not manage to get their names. I was thrilled when I found out the girl studying Psychology is my direct junior from Crescent. All the Crescent juniors that I have known so far are bright sparks, and she is no exception. She was from RJC and transferred to UoN after doing a semester of studies in NUS Life Sciences. And we started gossiping about our notorious discipline mistresses, Miss Chia and Mrs Siah and random facets of our secondary school days. I feel really lucky that I had 2 of them for company while walking on the sinisterly looking dark stretch of road from the place where we alighted. It certainly made time pass faster.
Took a quick shower, did a wee bit of studying of my notes and drifted off to la-la land at around 12 am. And here I am, putting an end to this entry after more than an hour of typing. I am so looking forward to the post exam activities, such as going to Catherine's house in the Central Coast on Saturday morning and staying over for a night or two.
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