Friday, 5th January


mood boink boink

A holler from down under!

Reached Brisbane this morning around 7am Australian time (5am Singapore time) after getting only a meager 1.5hr sleep on the plane because they served the frigging breakfast at 3am sg time. Wayne picked us up and drove us back to his place at Gold Coast, which was a 45 min drive from the airport at Brisbane.

On the long drive back, all we saw were long winding roads dotted with a few cars, trees, grass, and more grass. Reminded me a little of the time when I was a kid and our family used to go on those relative-visiting trips to the other end of town. It was all rather significantly different from the Melbourne experience last July winter. Anyway, Wayne's car was scorching hot because he didn’t turn on the air-con and the sun was just glaring at us through the car windows, and for a fraction of a minute I actually wished I were in Melbourne.

However, the moment we got down the car, it hit me that the weather is actually really beautiful! Even though it's summer, there is the absence of that ubiquitous icky stickiness we used to get due to the darn humidity back in Singapore. Also, the cool breeze blows all day along despite the heat and it is literally and figuratively really cool! Yayness!

I am so excited!!! Wayne's place is located in a rather suburban area surrounded by plenty of grass and occasional hills. His house is really pretty! It has a genuine country feel to it and he keeps it superbly spick and span and immaculately tidy, it is just unbelievable. Maysan and I got separate rooms side by side and the rooms are great too! It really made me feel like I was in a mini hotel the moment I stepped into it. It is roughly twice the size of a typical hostel room, with a humongous wardrobe which can fit a whole soccer team inside lined in sardines' formation. It would cause any normal shop-bug-bitten girl to instantly feel that she needs more clothes just to fill the generous space. I tell you, I wanted to buy another 20 pairs of shoes together with a rack, more coats, and more dressy tops to hang just because there were so many friggin' hangers! I wanted to get 5 more havaianas in assorted colours and more shoes and more shoes!!

I wanted to frame ten pictures, put them in photo frames and hang them on the bare wall, spray girly linen spray, buy a ladybug rug and personalize the room with all the possessions I’ve accumulated for the 21 years I’ve been on earth, and make the room --- or rather, the house --- all mine. I wanted to buy a cute cocker spaniel and a golden retriever and let them roam around the house, after which I will subsequently get married, have kids and live here until I grow old.

SOMEBODY BUY ME THIS HOUSE PLEASE.

On to a less bimbotic and dreamy note, I start work on 8th January. Wayne will drive us to and fro work and that is awesome (insert irritating Australian twang) because we get to save on transport. Yayness! Our working hours are from 930-1730 everyday, except Friday, where everyone reports an hour earlier so that we can knock off earlier (and then proceed to go to the pub for booze, according to Wayne). Oh! Thursday is late-night-shopping day! Shops close at 9pm instead of the usual 5pm.
Wayne brought us to Helensvale, the nearest clusters of shops where there was also Coles where we did a bit of groceries. Well from what I see there wasn't much to shop, unlike Melbourne, but I can't honestly say that I'm majorly upset by this revelation because I really need to adopt this whole frugal living thing while I'm here.

Occupational trainees get an allowance of AUD$20/day, which adds up to slightly over AUD$400/month. I need to save money so I would have more cash to spare when I go up to Melbourne in May. Yay, can see Rudy! Sometimes I wish that I were rich and have a sack of cash to bring all around the world but I suppose sacrifices need to be made. Paid my building fund the day before I leave and it feels great somewhat.

Now I understand why SEP students always yak non-stop in their blogs and some write in a single paragraphs with little commas. Because there is so much to take in!

Labels: aussie