Out from my mother’s love and care,
Feeling lost, lonely, empty and bare,
I battled across the ragging southern sea,
And grew to learn what’s expected of me.

New climates, currencies, cues, and cultures,
And fighting temptations and shopping lures,
I picked it up as fast as I could,
Please take down all the [sale] sign if you would.

Being thrown in this daunting varsity world,
It’s not fancy nail painting, or having my hair nicely curled,
I struggle to come up with the best essay,
Yet my lecturer tells of it as if it is sap sap sui.

I miss going to the movies, and mamak sessions,
And enjoy the excitement of being late for lessons,
I guess you’ll never know the true meaning of miss,
Until you step out from your zone of bliss.

Satisfied as I am, to have friends who love and care for me,
No matter who, or when, or where he or she may be.
Just being online to give me e-hugs and kisses,
Reminding me to ‘go back faster’ with uncountable misses.

I hope my stay in this foreign land,
Would go fine, and according to the way it is planned.
Thanks to the One who is the creator of all creation,
I can have the opportunity for a scholarly graduation.

-lesson learnt-

There’s always a first time to everything, n I had a lot of 1st times these days.

And since the experience is still fresh in my head, I shall delay no more.

I attended evening service this week cuz mandy was serving as keyboardist, and I followed her. So after service, we headed to a restaurant called Bo journo with duane(he so happen to come by so he stayed for the service and dinner too). So after dinner, he went his own way and we went our way. So as mandy was driving she accidentally miss a turn, n we got a little lost. Then after finding our sense of direction, we needed to like, make a u-turn to get back on track. So after the traffic light, she took a turn, n we went on happily, planing to watch some FRIENDS b4 bed.

Suddenly! I saw this car flashing at us from behind. I tot our back lights weren’t working or something, but then there were red and blue flashing lights also, and I went ‘oh shoot…’ I think that turn was a huge mistake. The cops were following close, but no siren… I asked mandy to pull aside anyhow. So she did, n a lady stepped out from the flashy car and the trembling mandy wined down the window. The 1st thing I saw was the gun nicely placed in the case, slung around her waist. Though she wasn’t in her uniform, it was obvious that she was a cop. She asked for license and stuff, then she got back to her male partner in the car. Though she was very nice and all, but we were so scared man!!! Praying so hard that its gonna b ok.

I was jz worried if they’d give us a fine. Then it’ll b tuff for us to fish up that money… mandy was jz scared that uncle Jason would chop her head off and put it in the beef stew for tmr’s dinner. All I cud do then was to say positive stuff to comfort her, but it wasn’t working.

Finally the lady came back n told us that the u-turn was illegal, so as I thought, and same goes to all other traffic lights. With or without a [no u-turn] sign, it is still NO U-TURN!!! And for crying out loud, y on earth are the police working on a Sunday evening where there’s the closing ceremony of the commonwealth games to watch tonite?!

Anywayz, God had mercy on us, she jz gave us a warning letter, and no fine (which she told us in the most as-a-matter-of-fact-way that it costs AD180++ for a ticket!!!!)
This totally killed the mood for everything…so no FRIENDS tonite.

It was indeed my 1st experience of being stopped by a police when I’m in a moving vehicle. I think mandy’s not gonna drive again in a long long time, and I’m gonna hv this phobia of u-turns again.

mobile phone, cell phone, hand phone, telepon bimbit

It was a normal morning, normal tute, class went on fine….until!!!

I realized I didn’t bring my hand phone to uni!!!! My world went topsy-turvy, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t feel my feet! Why was the room getting smaller?! The sky is falling!

Hehhe, not that bad la, jz that I felt bare and stripped empty the whole day (well, not until I went back home and reunited with my mobile phone =)

Usually I seldom use my hp in uni, but today I needed to call my aunt to let her know I’ll b taking the bus home after class. And, borrowing a hp from my friend will not b of much use, cuz I cant remember any numbers except for my own! But then again, I may be forgetful, but I’m smart also, hehehe. I managed to get home in one piece.

Its hard to explain how badly I need my phone now, but my friend Terrence had put me in the test. He said he’d give me sweets, bak kut teh with tea and/or choc coated with white choc and mint fillings inside, to trade with me not having my hp for four days. My answer was still a no. cant la…I was hpless for more than 7 hours today, n I already felt lost. Four days is impossible.

Anywayz, I made a new friend today, called Cleo. She’s a full blood Greek but born in Australia and raised here. Chun eh? She’s so nice. Showed me some database stuff n we had lunch together. God really is a provider. Though I still dun have a close friend who I can always hang out with in uni, but I’m happy with what I hv now. Its starting to get better, now that I’m used to the super single lifestyle. Go places alone, minding my own business.

Well, I must say I’ve met more Asians here than ang mos. ‘met’ as in get to know, n ‘will really see u around next time’. Most ang mos are jz plain class mates. Ntg more than that. In one of my classes, I mix with 3 guys who r my team mates: the super tall Bernard, and car freaks Alan and Loc. They’re born in aus, but parents are from Asia. Then in another class, Linda is a pretty good companion, then there’s Cleo, and in my other classes, there’s Damien(msian), meiji, snowy, Tracy, Minnie (from hong kong), winnie(Korean), sze(from china), sullay(my lecturer from Africa, grew up in USA and worked in msia for shell and HELP), kat, sarah, jacqie(aussies). There’s more but I cant remember their names and I jz smile when I walk pass them.

And then, there’s OCF! Ppl like Jane, jade, boon pin, Ruby, Elaine, Christina, Christine, Ming n hui chi, Adrian, Eleanor and Melanie, Abel, Gillian, ayumi, hui yin…. And Samuel! The only magillian (other than me) from OCF. Magillian= students from magill campus.

And randomly, I’ve met Kok leong, Eemun (msians), Arriff, Surya (s’poreans), Fuji(Japanese! Doing a course on piloting!!!), from an international student thingy. Then I met Melissa ,Mark tan(terry berry’s friend), and melissa’s friends when I went to paradise church. A lot of them either from FGA or from subang/pj.

Lastly, Kate, Anaka, Will and Jackson are the few who I talked to in church. These are the true ang mos. Hehhe….

Look how God is blessing me with nice ppl to hang around with. I’m so grateful that I had this chance to know ppl from all around the globe. And I’m very sure that the list will be expanding day by day.

So now u see… I cant live without my hp, cuz it connects me with the ppl around me, and with those who is very very far from me. I miss all of u!!!!

zhang zi yi

A girl’s weakness—shopping.
In 2 days time, I bought 2 skirts and a nice white top. Dun ask me how much it cost me, cuz I can argue that its on pretty good sale.
Ntg much happened to me except for that this week… so boring hor? Well, actually its not that bad la, I had fun, jz not the kind of fun which I can put it in words.

I went to paradise church ydy. and no, i didnt see guy sebastian. I went to the one in the city. Guy sebastian goes to the main one which has like 2000 plus members. anywayz, on my way out to catch a bus, a branch hit my head, leaving a scratch above my eyebrow.... well, i was looking down, thinking of something, and walking quite fast cuz it was rather cold. suddenly, kpish! the branch came out from no where and the sharp parts jz went thru my skin. ouch! but it wasnt like i bang into a tiang cuz the branch was flexible also la. but still! hurt so bad. good thing it didnt go straight to my eye. u know sometimes its smaler cuts that hurt compared to huge wounds? yeah, its like that. so... lesson learnt-- dun ever look down when walking fast.

Oh ya, last Friday Duane told me I look like zi yi… I think so too! Hahaha, but still I’m special in my own ways n so is she. I jz watched house of flying daggers last nite. It was soooooo nice! I love the way they change the role of the characters in such a short time. Walau… both the guys fought from autumn to winter for ziyi…. Phuiyo…. Sumore she can faint for so long, n not die there. But it was good, super chun show.

Ok, back to the topic, other than Duane, a lot of the others told me I look like zhang ziyi too! Ok, lets see if I remember or not : Joshua hum, Duane, Tim, Tim’s cousin Jade, Joshua’s friends, my church (TMLC) pastor, my pastor’s friend, Jason lee(TMLC), uncle meng chee, Sandra, sandra’s friends, liz, joahua wong(I think), oh ya, and this website which links who u look like by configuring ur pic… n a lot more which I forgot… ehehhe

I love ziyi’s acting skills, especially showing the expression of torture, and being in love. She’s good. And she’s soooo lucky she get to act with takeshi! Anywayz, its an honour to look like the pretty superstar! Truly an honour!

barbi craze

One thing u must not do to me when I get back to msia: that is to take me to a bbq party or anything close to bbq. Thx

Its not that I dun like the bbq idea, its jz that aussies cant live without it and its eating me up. Well, not literally…I’m the one who’s eating bbq up, but the bbq practice is too much…. The gov here supports it too. Every single park here must have AT LEAST two bbq pits. And its those that runs with gas. Very seldom u get the charcoal thingy with metal bars on top of greasy stones. They have hot plates and grills… every house must have a bbq set, equipped with all types of chun skewers, scrapers, those long sharp forks, easy squeeze bbq sauce and meat!

So every outing, the 1st thing that comes in mind, is bbq. And they call it barbi.
“ei mate(oi dude), we got some free time to bucker off(very bored la), wat say u, we go get some bitches and some droughts(get babes and beers), and go chill at my crib for barbi(and come to my house for bbq).”

Well, its not making me sick yet. No cancer signs yet… but I hv a feeling I’m gonna barbi a lot this year, so no barbi for me pls… I need a break.
welcome to the world of carbon and oil!
thats the chun pit i was saying. i think there's a tong of gas underneath. "press button till light appears. heat will turn off automatically"

Techno Science Jargon

to all u science freaks out there, here's something u shud know before u bury ur head in ur omega encyclopedia.

Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter: Eskimo Pi
2000 pounds of Chinese soup: Won ton
Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement: 1 bananosecond
Weight an evangelist carries with God: 1 billigram
Half of a large intestine: 1 semicolon
1000 aches: 1 kilohurtz
Basic unit of laryngitis: 1 hoarsepower
1 million microphones: 1 megaphone
2000 mockingbirds: two kilomockingbirds (work on it....)
52 cards: 1 decacards
3 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital: 1 I.V. League
--------------------------------------
Well spotted correction sent in from Ianman:
>1 million microphones: 1 megaphone
Actually, 1 million microphones = 1 phone. 1 million phones = 1 megaphone. 1000 microphones = 1 milliphone. 1000 milliphones = 1 phone. 1000 phones = 1 kilophone. 1000 kilophone = 1 megaphone. 1000 x 1000 x 1000 x 1000 = 1 (American) trillion. Therefore 1 million million (American trillion) microphones = 1 megaphone

now it all makes sense rite?

output

One week passed super fast. 2 weeks of uni gone. Now I’m used to walking around alone, having a sandwich and an apple for lunch, sleeping in the library, and waiting for the bus stop with the very big earphone in my ears. (oh ya btw, thx shua for the earphone, I think my ears are getting bigger for it, and its working fine, like got dynamic bass boost, jz that when the wind blows, I can hear the “fwoop fwoop” sound synchronizing with the music)

Since I’ve no output in the college, I allow things to go in my brain. I observe, think and analyse a lot. I can’t help but compare things. Its kinda getting out of hand, but I’ll be sick of this soon, and there wont b any ‘oh, u don’t get this in msia’ or ‘ msians wont do this… no way..’ kinda thing.
B4 the skill of comparison fades away, I better do wat I hv to do: hv some output done.

Magill is the most beautiful campus in South Australia, I dare say. Creeks, no high rise buildings(highest floor is the 4th floor with the 1st floor built slightly below the ground, hahah), chun class rooms, classy auditoriums, swimming pool, gymnasium, IBM computers everywhere, reading space under trees, bar, cafeteria, toilet papers in every single toilet cubicle, student’s kitchen with fridge and microwave oven… the list goes on. It’s not in the city, so the life style here is rather slow and calm. A lot of girls, very few boys (boohhooo).

Now, aussie fashion for most female youths: lalat sun glasses, very fair skin with heavy eye make-up, broad shoulders filled with freckles, tank top(tube), ultra short denim skirts, two bags (dun ask me why), lighted cigarette in between fingers, a bottle of coke on the other hand, and flip-flops (thongs, slippers). And I find it amusing how they fit themselves in that tank top, still having the ability to breath. They usually are bigger and the portion spreads out to every direction of the feminine body parts (ifuknowwatimean…). No offence to anyone, as I’m pretty jakun, coming all the way from a place where they name their clothes after a cage, and cheer leaders dun look like cheerleaders….

Fashion for guys: 1- polo tshirt with collar folded up, cool shades, 3quarter khaki pants, guy slippers, and a hot chick by the side.
2- round neck tshirt, surfer’s pants, flip-flops with coke in hand. (I dunno y but most guys here are rather fit and built up)

Hahha, I think I’m going too far…. Well, it’s not like that actually. Ppl here are very individual, jz that that’s the basic thing u can easily spot on ppl in the streets.

Oh ya, one thing I noticed too. The auto doors in campus can’t detect me…. I’ve to move back abit, look up at the black thingy, then only the door opens… cis cis…

Well, that’s about it… no more comparing. Learn to accept and live with it.
I love Australia!!!

The Fringe

Adelaide Fringe—a festival help once in two years(lately I think they changed it to an annual thingy). It’s a major event happening now since 24th Feb till 19th March. Things will be held everywhere in the city. Movies, stand up comedies, basking, talent performances, etc etc. so far I’ve seen dancing sky (twice), the jazz musical garden, the stand up comedy(which I found the jokes pretty good, but most of them are about sex, n they used the F word a lot—I think ppl here take it easily with that), and basker along rundle mall juggling chainsaws that were turned on.
This was taken at the botanical garden during the jazz musical. I love the lady’s vocals, and the keyboardist, bassist, and drummer…. I love jazz. I fell asleep under the tree and had a sun burn. Ppl jz go there with their picnic sets, and start enjoying jazz with their family. I went with Mandy n her bf(Duane) and his family. (look wat a good spot light i was....) check out the double bass. its jz a stick. its called a stick guitar. hahha, chun man....
After that we went to Elders park for the Dancing Sky(which I’ve already seen the nite b4 with dai yee n uncle Jason but we didn’t get good seats). We reached the park at 5-ish, and waited for the show that starts at 9. (the crowd)The park was filled with picnic sets at about 8, and the aussies said they’ve never seen so many ppl in Adelaide b4. I tot it was normal cuz I’ve seen larger crowds than this. But really, it was a nice site when ppl will jz come n sit down in such a civilized manner. The when the show started, everyone’s mouth jz hung open. It was a performance by ppl from torino, and they hung ppl in the sky and they’d dance in mid air. They had a story behind it but no one quite catch the flow of it though.
Performances here are great! Ppl will start doing funny things like do a head stand in the bank, or crawl in a bus, or sing soprano in the streets…. They call it art. In msia, they call it insanity.
these are round rubber balls in the sky with human beings dancing AROUND it, also in the sky... this was also in the sky!(cant take nicer pix cuz they're moving n its quite high up)
this was not in the sky, but on the river, with a girl, dancing INSIDE the ball

Our technological purgatory

hey guys, jz something i wanna share. this article "Global Village of the Damned" by kevin ridolfi was one of my assignments i had to read up, n i came across this very interesting passage:

"Microsoft, IBM, AOL and their cohorts like to trumpet the "global village" that computers and the Internet have brought about. Despite their bold headlines and quick-cut video clips, this global village remains the Atlantis of the computer-age. In a village, everyone would find a way to communicate in order to survive, in order to live. We aren't communicating or coming closer as a world; we're sitting alone -- in our underwear, pale and eating Ring Dings -- in front of a gently humming computer, looking at pictures of the world, attempting to communicate with nameless, faceless strangers who are doing the exact same thing. That's not a village; that's solitary confinement."

the whole article was in that tone, nicely stabbing the users of the internet in sarcastic ways.... interesting....

sink or swim

One week of uni generally gave me an overlook of my whole year’s life story. The week didn’t go as I expected it to be, but its not as bad as the life story of Oliver Twist. 1st few days were lonely n all, but its all because of the sudden change of my ‘title’ as a college student, to a university student. It’s the survival of the fittest, eat or be eaten.

The way they teach here are very different (maybe it jz applies for wat course I’m doing). They challenge ur initial believe and thought, shake it then leave u hanging with an unstable mind. “go la, think for urselves mate”. If u do not hold tight to wat u believe in, u’re walking in the lion’s den. If u hold too tight to ur believe, u’re swimming in the ocean with a limited oxygen tank. (hahah, wat a metaphor…)

Its all in the mind. They are so darn good in playing with ur thoughts. And ‘they’ I refer to the course syllabus, and the lecturers that play along with it. Another ‘they’ which gives me more pressure, are course mates that I’d hv to compete with. They’ve been thrown in the wild since young, being shaken all their lives, and taught to challenge and be challenged; and here comes this protected species who is ‘0’ in survival skills. So fragile, so brittle. So as the flimsy newbie, I shall swim (or at least float) and not sink. And that takes a lot of extra effort in the rat race. Scary rite? But that’s how it is, and how it shall be. For as long as money rules the stock exchange and the boss holds ur pay check, that’s how the story shall go.

Well, I’m also glad that I was thrown in this situation. Very very blessed indeed. Its not the deep end yet, so I’m given the chance to learn. And to start off with, my course is beginning to be very interesting. The lecturer asked us to watch tv and read magazines. Its so cool. I pay them to make myself be indulged in entertainment. “PLEASE go watch films of all sort, various tv series, look in the diverse cultures of different ppl….” I like that. Anyhow, there’s also a ‘but’ in this… we gotta really watch and analyze wat made the person do that, and wats the purpose or hidden message of the act, bla bla bla. Which can be very difficult sometimes.

I’m very fortunate to start this course this year, cuz Adelaide is all pumped up for this festival called Adelaide Fringe 06. Being the festival state of Australia, this event is super major. Performers fly in from every corner of the world to present live shows thru out the whole month. Certain shows are charged, but most of the acts are scattered all around the city, where u can tip them however u like. Some talented ppl perform along the famous Rundle Mall, and I think it’s called basking. Very chun shows…

On the whole, I’m really excited bout this new challenge. It is gonna b tremendously thorny but one thing is for sure. God is on my side no matter wat, so I’m not scared, nyehehe!

missing home

i'm sitting at the lib now, thinking of wat to do for the next 2 hours b4 my next class starts. i'm so lonely now... n i know the main reason for this.

its cuz i was so UNlonely back there, so its very different here. i also notice ppl here walk alone. they wander around uni in singular form (unless they r in a very loud gang where they looking like beeaches n going oh mi gawd this n oh sh*t that)others r jz like me... all alone and so dull.haih... i think i'll get over this very soon. so dun worry. i jz need an outlet now. jz RITE NOW. so blogging is the only way to shut me up for awhile(msn tak boleh guna kat lib)

so anywayz, i went for a tute (short for tutorial) jz now, n realized i gotta do alot of tv watching, n magazine readings, bla bla. the course is very very aussie-fied. its like the lecturer asked us wat we think about 'big brother' or 'the castle', which are australian shows. n i was like.. darn... all i know is croc hunter who goes geooooorgiuuss n i dun even know his name... erwin something rite? well, i was rite that time. horny asked me to prepare myself for studies, n i said i shud watch more tv... i shud hv. but i didnt. so now i know that my course is all about taking 'entertaintment' seriously.

and also, i'm begining to talk like an oz. or else they jz wont listen to me. i had to say 'noy' instead of 'no'. i had to say 'yeah' instead of 'yes'. i had to say 'no worries' instead of 'u're welcome' etc etc.

tuan-tuan dan puan-puan, i'm now officially missing home. really.... no more being a tourist here... i'm supposed to BE a citizen of aus, n learn the culture skin deep to b able to live here... or else *khhh*slit throat sound*

well, things r gonna get better. i'll b going for a camp next month. hope i'll meet loadsa locals so i can catch the culture. other than that, i attend ocf which is helping me stay afloat, but its not really gonna take me anywhere. its my effort to paddle to shore. i met heaps of asians there who i assume were as lonely as i am b4. so i'm in the same boat as them.

and also my family. dai yee (my aunt)is really giving me alot of support. plus, she's passing down her cooking skills bit by bit, hehehe..
uncle jason, who's strict about most things, n i'm scared of him (which is healthy in a way that i know who's in authority). this is the healthy preassure that i shud get, n he's putting the rite amount of pressure on me, so i'm greatful for that too.
and lastly, mandy. she's been a doll. a wonderful roomie n great cousin. she now has to take care of me, heheh, being a newbie n all. she helped me so much that i dare not think about how i'd b if she didnt study here.

i guess i shud go study now... get my mind off missing home, n look forward to brighter things.... like... assignments?