I know I have not posted anything for ages, for life in Singapore is monotonous and typical. Industrial Attachment is no big deal at all, a majority of university undergraduates undergo it. But, every exchange experience is uniquely yours. ;) Okay, I shall start answering the questionnaire which Rachel tagged me with about a couple of months back. :P
Starting time : 1916 Sg Time
Name: Yvonne
Sisters: None
Brothers: None
Shoe size: 7
Height: 158-160cm, but I insist I am 160cm =P
Where do you live: Sunny shores of Singapura.
Favourite drink: Fruit Juice
Favourite breakfast: Burger King, Dim sum
Have you ever been on a plane: Yes
Swam in ocean: No, too cowardly to do so
Fallen asleep in school: Yes
Broken someone's heart: Sad to say, yes :(
Fell off your chair: Yes, how embarrassing!
Sat by the phone waiting for someone to call: Yes
Saved email: Yes, for lovely messages and photos
What's your room like: Messy, small
What's right beside you: A big blue chair, in the living room watching TV
What's the last thing you ate: Mom's homecooked dinner.Delicious!
Sore throat: Of course
Stiches: No
Broken nose: No
Do you believe in love at first sight: I only believe in lust at first sight
Like picnics: Yes, especially with my sisters
Who was the last person you danced with: A guy during my JC orientation days. My dancing skills are heinous, I assure you
You yelled at: Can't remember
TODAY did you:
talk to someone you like: No
kissed anyone: NO
get sick: Still recovering from flu
Missed someone? No.
Best feeling in the world: Being loved
Do you sleep with stuffed animals : My penguin family
What's under your bed: Nothing right now
Who do you really hate: No one. It's really mentally consuming to hate someone
What time is it now: 1932
RANDOMS
who's on your mind now: My mind is blank
Do you have siblings: I am the only child
Do you want children: Yes. Ideally a son and a daughter
Do you smile often: Not for now, working life leaves me grouchy
Do you like your handwriting: Yes, if I put in effort
Are your toenails painted: No
Whose bed other than yours that you'll sleep in: My mom's
What colour shirt you wearing: Blue
What were you doing at 7:00pm yesterday: Lazing around
When did you cry last: Can't remember
Are you a friendly person: Usually yes
Do you have pets: No
Where is the person you have feelings for right now: In school
Did the last person you held hands with mean anything to you now: Yes
What were you doing before doing this tag: Eating dinner
Have you ever
crawled through a window: Yes, in Australia. Rachel will know this best
Can you handle the truth: Ultimately, I can
Are you closer to your mother or father: Mother
Who was the last person whom you cried in front of: I think Mom
How many people you can say you really loved: At least 2
Do you eat healthy: No, all thanks to my unpredictable hungry pangs
Do you still have pics of you and your ex: Yes
5 things I was doing 10 years ago
Studying for PSLE
Playing computer games which Mom bought back
Skipped school during post exam period
Taking piano lessons
Watching Immortal Love
5 things on my to-do-list today
Shower, sleep early, have my daily dose of net surfing, take my supplements, read something
5 snacks I enjoy
Butter cookies, Haagen Dasz Ice-cream, Gelato, Chocolates and Cheesecake
5 of my bad habits
Procrastinating,whining,grumbling,lazing around,impulsive
5 places I lived in
Singapore,Perth,Newcastle,Central Coast,Sydney ( a few days counted? )
5 jobs I had
Private tutor,receptionist,patient service assistant,surveyor and currently intern student at ICI
5 people I tag
Diana,Yiling,Chun Yin,Yunman,Aili
Monday, September 22, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Reflections on my Newcastle exchange trip
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.
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.
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.
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