Saturday, January 31, 2009
So the weekend just arrived... actually, Saturday has passed by, rather quick! Lets talk about school first. The first week is just ok. Why do I say so. It is because there is too much introduction and that I'm learning what I've done 2 years ago. its like a recap. Boring! hahahaAnyway, I got closer to my classmates and yes they are fabulous people. There are actually quite a diverse culture - 4 Saudi's, 2 Malaysians, 1 HK and 2 China and 2 Indos.
For the Saturday I had a one day crash in on the Power House's Summer Retreat! And boy was it fun. Being to attend one of the world's best church (HILLSONG)'s youth summer retreat! Imagine, the music, the worship, the preach! Everything from venue to sound and lighting and people was just awesome.
I met heaps of people there. Aussies and people from all around the world! Well not all around, but various countries.
I went there with Mindy and Jessica on the third and final day as we were busy the first few days. Woke up kinda early. But arrived in time for the morning session. The morning session was nice. Got my spirits up and reminded me of why I just love Hillsong. Although they are like those extravagant church, but during worship, you can feel the energy, the enthusiasm!
During preach, it was kinda long, but I enjoyed it. After that, was lunch, we head to Terrigal Beach. Terrigal is actually an hour and fifteen minutes drive on the highway, north of Sydney. I was there with some of my new friends. Erm, they are actually all my new friends. They are Wendy's friend.. and some are other people's friend. The circle just kept going. Eg: Prishan, Sam, Daniel, Brian, West, Sarah, Colette....
Sam and Prishan are seriously tall.. Prishan is 189... or maybe 190... and Sam is just a little shorter. I felt like a midget back there, looking so high up just to talk to them face to face.. hahaha
We had a nice day at the beach! And seriously this beach is way better than Bondi. If you're local, you'll agree, even if you're not as well. Bondi is like so commercial, there arent big waves! But over here, the waves are nice. And it truely a place where "Hit the waves" comes in an appropriate use!
After the beach, we surprise Sam, a friend Prishan introduce to me... It was a surprise belated birthday. I know I met him just a while ago, so it was kinda awkward but I had a good time. They all treated me really well, because they are much older than me say 22 and above I guess and besides I'm the youngest.. Was like a younger bro! But I'm the only Chinese, Prishan is Sri Lankan and Sam, Daniel and the rest are Aussies...
Followed by that was the night session. It was short as most of the people are rushing back and it cant be too late... We did some worship and that was about it. And seriously I was beat!
It sure was a great day. New friends :D
silenced at 1/31/2009 10:23:00 PM
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Here I am after a short day... pretty short actually, classes ended rather early today. Anyway. I think one of my best classmates so far is Alex Cheung not that there are many to compete with as there is only 10 people in the class. Hahaha.
Here is a little trivia about this Hongkie dude. He is ofcourse my age. And right now I'm actually waiting for the time to fly by at his place back at UniLodge. He's pretty much a very cheerful lad. But there is a communication barrier in between us as I cant really get my messages across to him as he speak a lot in canto.
But whatever it is, I hope we can work things out. Learn from each other. Hahaha. Right now, I'm sitting with him in his very messy room. VERY MESSY INDEED! and with him staring at me typing and laughing. Hahahaa...
But then, I guess thats just him, a cheerful lad just like yours truely! That is why we get along well as friends. Anyway, I do have to treat him really nice as he will be my classmate for the whole of this year. But I'm not doing it because I'm force to but I'm doing it very willingly! :D
Anyway, not to forget Tom. He is another Malaysian. Really quiet chap but then, we'll pull the wild child outta him. Hahaha, not being naughty though...
But you guys have to believe that I'm practically one of the youngest in class and on campus. Sheeeshhhh. And I have to teach some of them Bio and Maths... Hopefully I can step up to what my teachers have taught me back home. I really got to ace this game. Be the creme de la creme in order to get good results for medicine. Its no fun and games here...
So I really need to get this holiday mood away and start studying. I see that many people are already beginning with their work and are trying to brush up as some of them havent got the edge. I'm considered lucky, so I do need to go the extra mile.
I guess, me, Alex and Tom.. plus some other student like Abud and Fenny, Wiaam..... all have to put in that extra effort. We're all in this together...
What are we called... we're not competitors, nor rivals, nor enemies but what you can say is that we are FRIENDS that push each other further than the limits.
silenced at 1/29/2009 03:58:00 PM
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Even though I'm in another continent, the spirit of Chinese New Year is still felt, but in a very very very minor way. I mean VERY minor!!! There isnt much Chinese New Year spirit here but it was a public holiday. Not specially for Chinese New Year but just some how that this year, Chinese New Year fell on the same day as Australia Day. What a coincidence!And it was a long weekend. I mean although its standard. We had Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. So there was a reunion dinner back home. If you didnt know, I'm not alone here. There are 11 cousins over here(2 coming back in February) and 2 pairs of uncles and aunts. Its never too lonely. We had our steam boat with roast pork and duck. Yummmm. Too bad the "muslim" Jamie Cheah did not have a liking for the roast pork.. hahaha... I pity her actually!
Anyway, we even have some of my cousins' boy friends and husbands over. And ofcourse my niece! So the more the merrier! Although I must agree to this very old Chinese saying. Although all, it proved to be true, we normally dont really think of home, but when it is the festive season back home, that is when we miss it the most....
I have a nose dive in ang pow(red packet) number, but not beacuse of the economic slowdown and it is better than none! Agreed?? o yea, I might be jealous of you guys back home, but maybe not as much as if I was living alone or something. Maybe I'm jealous that people back home have a long holiday.
Back in campus, the people there had their own party due to the flock of overseas students mainly comprising of Chinese no matter from which part of the world. But sadly, I didnt make it to that party.
On the actual day of CNY, We visited Jeremy and Theng's Place, not that there was some fancy decoration, in fact, there was none. Just sat there for some talk and games and even the Nintendo Wii.
After that, we all gathered at my other aunt's place. Over there we had another dinner. Just a simple dinner with lotsa stuff. From Beef to fresh prawns and salmon and some fried noodles, curry chicken........
As a tradition of CNY, it was stupid if we did not gamble. oOo... but I didnt do much due to the current credit crunch! Or should I say its not current but long term. Hahahaha
Anyway, today was the first day of school as in for actual class. And only yesterday, I got to know who my class mates are and also my course mates. Before that, I was just making friends with my friend's friend. Didnt really meet anyone who was taking the same thing as me.
On the first day, it was rather boring as it was mostly introduction. Even in the lecture hall, you can see people yawning and getting some shut eye. But I must say, the Maths lecturer was kinda cute and funny, but I'm not sure is she Italian or Russian, because she had this accent.
Not only are the students are from all over the world, the tutors and lecturers also come from different parts of the globe. It is so multicultural. My maths tutor is Irish and due to my name, I kinda got a little unwanted attention. Whats more, he came from the same Village where J.F.Kenndy came from back in Ireland. He's pretty much an old lad, which I must say looked really intellectual to me. With a cranium filled with knowledge.
Anyway, there are some lecturers that had that classic lecturer look. High waist trousers, with big rimmed specs and a neck tie.
My schedule is pretty packed up but there are some long intervals but I dont really go back home. Why? I'll tell you why, I have to travel 1.5 hours to school daily. And that is only for on trip only. Imagine the same time to go back. Two buses, some walks. Have to wake up pretty much early. Sometimes I'm rather jealous that the people staying near campus wakes up only 20 minutes before class... wonder if they brush their teeth. Hahaha
The second day got better as I slowly get to know my classmates. before that I was like a odd ball, sitting alone. Seriously! Unbelievable right? the oh so talkative Seumas for once is sitting alone doing his own work QUIETLY! And the other reason was I went to the wrong class for IT session the previous week if you can recall, that is why most of them already know each other.
It is pretty much a small class, Only 10! But then, it is different in some lectures as other courses join in as well...
Anyway, here are some points to high light that I think Malaysians should practice it, in fact, people all around the world should do it. Back home in Malaysia when the bus comes, everyone squeezes in as though they are all anorexic and are able to fit through one small door! But here, everyone lines up in one nice row. Very nice indeed, and they even try to let other people in before them. Like this "You first." "No, you first." "No, You first, I insist"... "Oh ok!"... even for people like me, in a petite small frame, they tend to let me in first, especially the ladies... I though the guys should let the ladies through first.
The other thing is the "THANK YOU CULTURE" which I have mastered. It is very polite and it really brings up people's spirits and moods when you say thank you. So before alighting from the bus, people here, including me, always does a little thank you shout. At least most of the people, because some foreigners still cant manage to open their mouths.
Anyway.... Happy Chinese New Year!
Gong Xi Fa Cai
silenced at 1/28/2009 10:00:00 PM
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday was a very very tiring day... or should I say tiring in a good way as it was fun.Micheal, Emily, Jacqulyn, Blanch, Sharon and I are some of the lucky 56 who did register and got to tour the city with the rest of the school. Although I've been to Sydney before, it is just different actually touring with your classmates... Nope I've never been on a school trip or what so ever...
Too bad Katy couldnt join us... Pity
So I woke up at UniLodge... And got ready for the trip and gathered with the rest and off we headed to the L5 Building(Foundation Building).
There we joined in with the rest of the group. And to no surprise, we were one of the latest. But the latest goes to some Indo girls who just take their own sweet time walking. They can see that everyone is already there waiting but they just too their long slow stroll!
Anyway sat with Emily in the bus... and off we went! (and everyone keeps taking my shades as I had more than one) -red and white-
The first stop was to Mrs Macquire Point. It is a little off the Botanical Gardens. From there you can get one of the nices shot which include The Opera House and The Harbour Bridge. Two famous locations in one shot. Its like hitting two birds with one stone...
We took heaps of pitures around the area as the sky and the views around Sydney is just lovely to take photos. Seriously. Each snap shot looks just like one on a post card!
Right after this rather long photo opt. We head down to Darling Harbour... yet again... around there was more time for more photo opt. And I must say some photos look like those of the previous post as it is the same place
WARNING: MISGHT CAUSE BOREDOM
After the little walk around Darling Harbour. We went on to the Maritime Museum... As we had free time it was all for us to explore. So as the rest of the tour gruop was heating themselve till they turned grilled, we were in this really comfy place and learnt some neat stuff. And to my surprise or everyones. The trip into this
museum is actually free! At certain times, so we must be lucky!
On the way back. We bummed into some really playful Aussie Girls who started playing with water which was from a public fountain. A lot of people tend to take a dip in it as the scorcing heat might just get us all cooked. And they got into a water fight... but a friendly one. 2 Aussie Girls VS 2 Hongkie Girls(Jacqulyn and Sharon).
After that we walked back to the bus
And the next stop is the famous Bondi Beach! It was swarming with people that look like ants from far view. People there had almost the same skin colour - TAN! And besides that, us guys feel really stupid being there as many guys there had all this wash board abs that look so good and fine... we... a flat belly at least... but still...
Anyway with that heat. I think about 32 degree celcius... You just want to jump into that water to cool yourself off... And the water temperature was just nice!
After the beach... It concluded our trip and I got a little sun burn especially on the arms. It was rather red. And seriously I did put on my sun block.. Just guess I got to put much much more the next trip. So yea, do bring extra sun screen everyone...
But that didnt end... went back to Padstow and off I was to go for badminton with Joseph and Uncle Richard... and I must say I slacked a lot... havent really played badminton for sometime now...
After that, we got back home.. and boy was I beat but I was up catching up with some friends back home and due to time difference, we chatted into the wee hours over here in Sydney
Today is going to be one of the hottest day! So Be prepared... and I guess I'll just stay at home... hahaaha... Or take a dip in the pool!
silenced at 1/24/2009 02:54:00 PM
Today(22/01/09) was a little awkward...
Not the part where I woke up from a hotel to go to school. Yup, we got the free hotel room. I wasnt expecting it to be rather big. As it was a free hotel room for my dad,
I was expecting 2 single beds but nope. It was to my surprise that there were queen sized beds. Yup, it was enough to fit my uncle and aunt, my cousin and me!
Anyway I was schedualed to have class about 11.30am, so I left the hotel rather early just to get to school just in time. It wasnt much importance. Just a introduction on how the school's stuffs on the net works in an IT session. And indeed it turned out to be useful.
But that wasnt the thing about it. When I arrived in school, bumping into Derick from Hong Kong. We met earlier. And he told me that I could be PB C2... the class number as C is commerce and I'm in Life Science. What the hell! I mistaken the L for a C... A case of bad hand writting. hahaha. So I went to the class of PB C2 as the IT sessions are all the same. Met up with Emily and Blanch. They are there for commerce. Luckily I was allowed in. And the guy in charge, Mr. Asaf was a very hilarious guy.
Right after that class, we had a organised tour around the campus which is really big and this tour allowed me to spot some really cool places that I would love to check out some other time...
Stayed the whole remaining afternoon in the UniLodge... and chatted quite a bit...
After everyone was back(waiting for Katy)... We(Michael, Kendrick, Emily, Blanch, Katy and I) head down to town. And this time by bus except for Kendrick you rather take his bike. And that is why he missed out on a photo opt.
We met up at Queen Victoria Building(QVB) and guess who we met there... we met Joseph Koo... My cousin. He worked as our tour guide and here is what he has to say....
Anyway he was ok as a tour guide... But having lived in Sydney for all his life. I thought Joseph would be better when it comes to identifying roads and directions. The other day we took the longest short cut to get to Opera House from Darling Harbour.
Anyway, he did manage to find a place to eat which was told by Mr Joe Harber to be "CHEAP, DELICIOUS and BIG PORTION". Turns out the it was delicious but the other two didnt make the cut, especially for us International students....
The place was called Mama's Kitchen which serves Italian food.... Located somewhere off George Street(I know Geroge Street is a long stretch)
Right after dinner we took a stroll at Darling Harbour... And there was more photo Opts!
Talking about Darling Harbour, I was here the previous night with some of my cousins. Besides Joseph(yet again... he's cool), Jaime Cheah and Jessica... we went to have some Anderson's Ice Cream instead of the Gelato!
Back to today,
Right after the little tour around that area.
We head back to my hotel as it was near. They decided to ask me back to the UniLodge to stay and all that I need is to fill in a form. And I somehow agreed as Blanch agreed to room me. After bidding see ya's to my relatives off I went to somewhere closer to Uni. And the other fact is that it could help me out for the next day's activities by the school.
So back at the lodge, we were up late... Talking and talking... just like usual friends...
That concludes it, I guess....
silenced at 1/24/2009 01:51:00 AM
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Just got back home feeling rather happy and cant wait for tomorrow to come. I rushed home and the first thing I wanted to do is write this post.
As you know, I was rather nervous last night for this orientation for pre-U. Turns out all those nerve weren't really necessary. When you have you cool, you'll fine cool new friends.
And that is what I just done. I made new friends, a potential people that maybe turn out to be a gang, but it is still early to say that yet as there are more people to meet. But this crowd that I just met was really a bunch of interesting people from different places and different back grounds and whats really important that we got along really well...
Woke up at 6.30 in the morning which is like 3 hours from the time I planned to get up. But what the hell, I was nervous man. Nervous, but I know I'm exaggerating just a bit..
Well It started to ease as Jaime dropped me off at Anzac Parade... that is where I'll be studying for the next year...
When I got to the registry at about 10AM, it was packed with people all across the world. But many blacked hair people. Some were in a world of their own with snobbish faces and stuck up looks while some were busy socialising and it was mostly with their own countrymen or their flat mates.
After the registry. We got our books and nope not textbooks, just tutorial books that are already heavy like some mad cow sitting on my back. And inside the bag they gave, there was a stress ball(thats what Blanch calls it), studnet diaries and some really neet freebies...
After that, I and Michael(Zhi Guo) went on to the law faculty which was like this really neat modern building... To be honest the campus is really very beautiful. Buildings were nice both the exterior and interior. And I must say it does pay off as one of the best and most respected university in the whole world. The facilities are neat. Everything was top notch and very well up-to-date. Systems were organised.
So from people to people from the school gave speeches. I had this feeling that I felt lonely and I wasnt in the zone to meet new people but right after that grulling session. It was a barbeque party which the students didnt have to stay by the charcoal grill. So it was more like a lunch with Hot Dogs. During then it was time to miggle. So I and Micheal aproached the nearest guy which turned out to be Hongkie(seriously they didnt know that Hong Kong People are called Hongkie, they were like what? and started laughing).... But then he was like some snob, in good clothes and we only talked like less than 5 mintues and all was gone..
Seriously, that moment was scaring and demoralising as I had like no feeling to make friends and thought like there were a lot of snobbish people. But looking around you, you could see many people in different clicks. Many from China than its Hong Kong followed by Indonesia....
To be honest, we as Malaysians feel an upper hand in that pack. As some of us or most of us are mutlilingual. We can speak in English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarine, Canto and Hokkien. So yea.. I felt good.. LOL
After a few failed tries. I told Michael, since I'm not from UniLodge, why dont you intro your room mate. And that was where it sparked off. One roommate will intro another and then flat mates bla bla bla...
Anyway I met up with some of the coolest people thus far...
and I really hope we bloom as friends...
Introducing...
Kendrick from Hong Kong/America... Blanch from Myanmmar(the only one from that country)... Katy Lee(not perry) from Hong Kong and Michael from Penang, Malaysia.... and ME!
After our really nice chat we went to make our student ID card which was like instant. And Micheal's one sucked like hell as he was looking when the shot was taken... what the heck.. they didnt even check before print... By then we met up with more people...
We got to mean Jacklyn from Hong Kong and Emily from Taiwan....
Me and Jacklyn
Right after the documents were done we head back to the lodge where I crashed around for a while as I waited for Jaime to pick me up...
To be honest I had great fun.. really interesting people... cant wait for tomorrow and our Sydney Tour this coming friday!
These crazy people are US
silenced at 1/21/2009 06:04:00 PM