This came late.

My coursemates. Jacqui far left followed by Natasha, Neneng, Belinda and Marina. Jacqui and Marina happened to be the first few people I spoke to during my first few days in Monash in orientation. X)

Joyce, the person who could balance up the atmosphere with some gilarness, Gippy people with fellow Zeming, Myii, Alva, Andrew and Kanina always up to some thing at the south houses. LOL. Much loves. Awesome company.

Not your average lecturer monash father-figure Dr. Yeoh, someone to look up to and know that I am in good hands.

Alex, the buddy who keeps my feet very firmly to the ground when I'm hovering up there somewhere and made difficult times easier. The one who came when many couldn't to hand me my graduation bear. Thankew. =)

My family, Dad, mum and Sze Wei, the ones who made this all possible. Thank you for your love and support and believing in me when I chose this path.

A non sequitur.

My chancelor looks like Dr. House.

To people who couldn't make it, it doesn't make me love you all any less. HAHA. =)

Graduation.

I don't FEEEEEEL like a Monash graduate.

Can't get anymore personal than that.

You remember those role-playing games you play. You roll up an A4 paper and tie it with a ribbon, tie a blanket around your neck like a cape/robe. No hat but it doesn't matter. You make your walk up the stairs and proud and all, mimicking what you see on the Brands' essense of Chicken or Milo adverts. LOL.

Those were the kind of ads that romanticised the whole 'mother' tears when child graduates thing. But I don't FEEEEEEL it. Don't get me wrong, my parents are proud of me and all that. But I don't feel like this is, as far as it goes, the proudest moment of my life. That this is actually the start of something that I potentially might like, but still have no clue of.

I know part of the reason why my graduation didn't seem like anything at all I expected as a kid, is because I have class at 9.00am today. X( BOOO @ Timing. LOL. But after catching up with my friends for a while, I realized there a number of them who are already working, and a number of those who are looking for work.

I wonder, what does it feel like to be them?

For me, the ceremony yesterday felt a lot more 'real'. Of course we can question 'realness', like it's happening, at this moment, at this very second I get 5 seconds on stage to take a piece of paper I worked hard for.

As soon as took off my robe, it's symbolic in a sense that, I'm no longer an undergrad student. I'm being thrust into this whole of set of responsibilities (which I actually 'failed' to fulfill today bummer).

It's like. No more running around the house naked or in a robe with a rolled up A4 paper in your hand. You gotta get out there. And be a somebody. Not just a graduate.

A couple more things.

One can only depend on starbucks so long. :/ WOOOOO!

HALLELUJAH

*SENDS OUT SOME CELCOM BROADBAND LOVES. (until i use it long enough to know if it sucks)



Moving on, a couple more things that amused me today.

my bookstand. LOL. Good things comes in pairs.

My new chucks. WHOHOO!!! I'm loving KL shopping selections.

I know I know. The irony. My mother's words to me before I left was "don't buy anymore shoes". O.O

I think deep inside she knows I can't keep to that.

Ikea on Monday (Class also on Monday *head desk*). Auntie's place on Sunday. One more thing that really really amused me was Jian Wen, my nephew (zomg i'm an aunt). I'll remember to take a picture next time.

So, my cousin asks...

sze kai says:
are u at class
how is your assignment?

Gnaww. How thoughtful. :)

.
.
.
.

I hope he never finds out, the one who's been nagging at him to do his work and taught him spelling, the one's who's been reprimanding him for being a naughty brat when he whines about body pains/flu to skip school, skipped class to finish unfinished business and get marks deducted for submitting late.

Now, how do I respond?

I left some great things at home.

Random stranger who butted in my pic-Aussies are very friendly. lol.

I left good friends and great people, mum, dad, bro, my cousins and gran. I left lecturers and the comm lab where we all squeeze in for our lectures. I left the one who taught me valuable lessons about Foucault, Shelley, film-making, politics, and punctuality. I left a great deal of things. left I left people who makes me feel like a child again. I left my favourite foods and my favourite tv programs.

I left intimate things at home only to come to this new surrounding which is both alien and captivating at the same time. I saw difference, unacceptence, No. Say diversity. I saw things I never would've encountered without stepping out of my little shell. I love watching this new chapter of my life unfold.

There were times I found it hard to relate to people. And I still do. With every shrug I saw and plastic expressions I got, with every mistake I made, being misunderstood, I feel a sting. Still, I love the fact that it won't kill.



I live in a beautiful house, with wonderful people to meet, had emergencies and hype, generous hot chocolate to accompany me during the coldest (and assignment-ridden) spells and cook outs everyday, I meet people from around the world and sat at Fed Square at 9 at night in the cold without extra clothes except a jumper... (Jun is crazy).

I love to see people staring at me blankly when I add a 'la' or 'hantam' in my sentence. I love the moments I had surfing at 20 degrees at Phillip Island, I love the feeling of getting lost while taking a walk, I love it when I force myself to look at strangers in the eye to ask directions, I love the great sense of achievement that swells inside me when I reach my destination the second time, I love hitchhiking off a farm truck when I miss the last bus (this is one of the things that only Gippsland will have). Good or bad, I love it all.

I left what I thought would've been and I gained what I thought I'd never find.

I'll show it to you because it took me a great chunk of me to be here as I am today.

Days of our lives in Gippyland.

Once upon a time in a land far far away (from Melbourne at least), I came to a little town called Churchill-- accompanied by Karina (master chef extraordinaire) and Joyce (chii-sin-sot-sot-lololol). There, we met a compulsive Nuttella addict (Zeming) and a giggly-omgicantstoplaughinglolololol-person (Mei Yii)--There are other interesting people that will be appearing along the way in this blogpost--and we formed a bond that they would cherish forever.

So, together... we conspire to take over the world do stuff to keep ourselves occupied at times we don't need to attend class. Contrary to popular belief, life can still be great fun without a mall in walking distance.

We take turns to cook.

Therefore we eat... YUM.

and Sleep.

My room. :)

My covers. :P

We Party!!

All dressed up.

Flouro Party!

And other parties like that at school. :)


We celebrate birthdays!

Happy b-day, Joyce!

More birthdays...

Andrew Chu's (center far back) 24th at west 27.

Me and Mrs. Chu: Random at Seven.

I tell you we celebrate hell a lot of birthdays.

Najib's 2Xth...? Old poke.

And of course, on the way home from class, We spot cars. Apparently my name is very popular with Australian number plates.

Same carpark. I'm famous.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we play badminton.

Random pic Kari took when we were resting.

On other days, we waste time shopping for food at Morwell or IGA nearby.

And one time, MUGSU organized a surfing trip to Phillip Island (which made me feel like I broke all my bones the next morning).

Getting ready :)

Hitting the waters! :)

Pam and moi

We joined anything with free food/beer/luckydraw/formal.

We attended the Flag Dinner, which is an annual event held every first semester in Gippsland. We ate good food, good entertainment, mingled much and practice our photography...

Flag Dinner :)

And more pictures...

L-R: Mei Yii, Kai, Pamela, moi, Karina, Zeming.

L-R: (top) Ching Yee, Karina, moi, George (bottom) Mei Yii, Joyce and Cody.

Gippsland also taught us how to be narcissistic.

Don't look like it's stopping soon.

And after the event was over, we didn't want the balloons to go to waste. So we inhale helium.

and morph into a chipmunk.
We don't get labeled weird for nothing. :D

and I try to steal the limelight.

HElium is the NEW CRACK!

On some evenings we take walks and enjoy the breeze...

Tree climber Zeming.

Us at a nearby playground we discovered.

Me being a kid again!

and then when we had enough of cold wind, we head back to the our home where it's warm.

Eels Hole Creek.

And when we're home. We model for Mei Yii's photo assignment. :D

And hopefully she gets a HD for this subject coz we're pros!

And we live happily ever after :)

[The End]

Envy me. ;)

Happy Moo Year. :)

Hope everybody had a great Lunar New Year. May the year bring love, good health, good luck, more money and good grades!

Of lights and lollypops.

Orchard Road, Singapore.

For more go to Sze Lynn's blog