17-Feb-10 Today, I arrived in Melbourne. Taken a long haul of flight from SG. Upon the customs at SG, I was the last few to reach the customs and I was delayed at the customs as my laptop was placed in the midst of my filled hand-carry luggage. I had to unload the top pile of the deck and retrieve my laptop. On top of that, the laptop still had to be removed from its case to go through the scanner. After the customs, I had to try placing the laptop back into the hand-carry;, when intially I had a hard time putting into the bag to reduce the number of bags I have to carry, besides my twenty-over kilograms of luggage. During my flight on BA from SG to Sydney, my seat was in the middle of four seats. For worse or for good, my seat was in between of foreigners---meaning Causasians. In fact, the entire cabin as I walked through was filled with them. I don’t really have a personal distaste for them; it’s just that I can’t speak coherently in front of them. I tend to stutter and stumble over simple words and sentences which I did not seem of a problem in front of my friends, family or even strangers. Weird isn’t it? As I approached my seat row, all of the other passengers beside me have all already taken their seats. Lugging along the rows to my seat with the hand carry, the guy—which I realised later was a French, helped me to put the hand carry in to the upper cabinet. As he was putting the bag up, as it was so big in size—due to the laptop being reshuffled and placed on the top of the pile, he was tugging onto it to put it into the cabinet. At that moment, I was so worried that my laptop was going to be a goner by the time I reached Melbourne. The recollection of how my camera spoilt in Taiwan flashed in my head. Luckily, it slid in after two tugs. The lady seating beside me helped to clear my seat as I shuffle my way through. I never like the idea of people helping me. However, it does not mean that I dislike the intentions of people who are trying to help me. It’s just that like in the airplane situation, I felt so embarrassed when they helped me; and it was just ONE hand carry and my clumsiness that caused the commotion. Another thought; do you know that I dislike to the one that is stalling everyone who is behind me and just because I got caught with the straps of my shoes, bag, etc or like placing the hand-carry up into the upper cabinet? On board the flight, WOW. The drama unfolds. First, the plane had only some of its engines switched on and the pilot only realised it after I have settled down for some ten minutes; when I was perspiring through my shirt. Next, the stewards have problem closing one of the upper cabinets diagonally in front of me. The stewards then unload the baggages of passengers from the spoilt cabinet, placing them into the other cabins will available space. Ironically, the emptied cabinet was then able to shut tight and the lock was in working order. Woofus. The flight duration is seven hours and the plane only took off after 830pm. It’s 10.45PM. The lights are back on full and it was time for dinner. Just a note, my mum fed me dinner at 5.45PM. On the menu was Stir-fry beef noodles or chicken curry rice. Luckily, I took the chicken. The noodles didn’t look too appetising. The rice was the main course, with rice noodles as salads—did not suit me, sago jelly pudding with coconut milk—interesting idea and a bun. I took my time to enjoy the meal as I watched a movie, An Education, from their in-flight entertainment. Go figure the movie. The moral of the story is to place education first and foremost before having a partner of a lifetime. The French guy, who sat beside me was busily wolfing down his chicken meal and finished his in a matter of minutes. You should ought to have a look when he ate the bun. He practically threw it into his open mouth like how I flick peanuts into my mouth for the fun of it. This is no funny business. It’s a BUN. How I saw it? ‘Cause I was seating back in my seat enjoying both my meal and film, when I saw something like a spaceship flew across from the corner of my eyes. After dinner, the lights were out again and by that time my movie ended. How did the film and its cast got nominated in for the Oscars? There was nothing extricate in its production and there was no impression that I can make of it. The French was down after the meal. As usual, I can’t sleep in planes. So, I basically rest my eyes. Now, it’s 5.30AM. Forty-five minutes before landing. It’s breakfast time. How am I suppose to eat, when I have not burn off much of the calories in which I have taken in during dinner? For breakfast, the meal comes in a box with a cold, stiff Danish, orange juice and Meiji strawberry yoghurt. Again, the French aced me in eating while I was struggling with the Danish. Finally, I have landed in Sydney. The French helped me bring the hand-carry down before I even thought of asking him. Thanks a bunch. Went through and passed the Sydney customs smoothly. The custom checks here are really strict. Luckily, I didn’t have to open and filter through all my baggage. If they were to do that, I will take quite a while to pack them all back in again. Pushed my baggage and checked in with the domestic. Again, custom checks. Unloading the laptop in and out. Overheard that there was a recent scare somewhere with bombs hidden in biscuits and was being overlooked at customs. For crying out loud, the bombs can now be in biscuits too! Where’s next? Checked my baggage, took my hand-carry and boarded the shuttle to the domestic terminal. Apparently, in Sydney, the international terminal is Terminal 1, budget airlines such as Jetstar, Virgin are at Terminal 2 and finally, the domestic flights of Qantas are at Terminal 3. Reached the domestic terminal at 7.45AM. My flight out from Sydney to Melbourne is at 8.10AM initally and was delayed until 8.45AM. Thanks to the BA---my flight, that arrived late?! (My guess is that there was passengers that got caught at customs). Apparently, in Australia, there are many domestic flights with working people or travellers travelling interstate as the flight frequency is of approximately thirty minutes interval. It’s just almost equivalent to the waiting time of some buses in SG. Taking planes as if they are common buses, think about that.
Through the PA system, the pilot introduced himself and his crew. Further adding that due to the delay, he would try to reach Melbourne in the scheduled time. LOL. There you go, you have speeding planes. FYI, it takes approximately 1hour to fly from Sydney to Melbourne. Sorry, about the mistake I have told you. Then, it was the stewardess turned to explain the emergency procedures. As usual the same procedures as per normal. But, with one exception. This time round however, I observed that in this flight that almost all of the passengers except the few ones, including myself, were not listening the her explanation. They were either engrossed in their own personal heated conversion with their colleagues or dozing off in their seats. They only became slightly quiet and alive again when breakfast was served. The calories are increasing in me and I have not burnt off much. This breakfast was better in taste and healthier. Yet, there was a complain about it. This breakfast served a bowl of cereal from Sanitarium, a bottle of milk, a bun, orange juice and a packet of sliced apples. I cleansed the entire plate except the bun. Sick of it—the bun. Here’s the complain. When the stewardess came round to clear the trays as couple of the passengers didn’t eat much of the meal and only ate the apples. They complaint that in future they would like to have apples and such only as the other selections on the tray was not to their taste. They would prefer to have a trayful of sliced apples and the stewardess replied that the meals are set and they are not able to alter the dishes to be served. A trayful of sliced apples? I would rather opt for variety. Moral, please give good feedback. Finally. Really finally. I’ve reached Melbourne at 1015am. No customs to clear at Domestic. Came out to collect my luggage. OMG. This is Melbourne? The airport is so old. I thought maybe this sight only end with Domestic. Instead, it was the same with the international. They seriously need to upgrade their airport. It can’t be compare to neither Sydney nor Changi. Curious to know how I got my arm muscles strained? As I collect my baggage from the Domestic terminal, twenty-over kilograms of luggage with the eight-over kilograms of handcarry and backpack, I had to push them to the escalator and up to walk over to the International Terminal as my shuttle only waits at the International Terminal Arrivals. Walked through the rows of shops with me pulling the luggage behind me without the aid of the trolleys as there were none in the Terminal (only outside and it was quite a distance) and trolleys can’t be used on escalators. Took turns to pull the heavy luggage on one hand and the hand carry on the other and by stacking both luggages and pulling it as one. Reached the Departure Hall of the International Terminal and have to go down another flight of escalators to the Arrival Hall. Took a while before I found the representatives who are to take me to the shuttle and damn to Starhub with the prepaid roaming services. I could not call out or sms. It was a pretty desperate time. I was so worried that they might have left without me. Luckily, as I walked to the END of the Hall, I saw them, messed up with their schedule. I had to wait for a while before they register me to board the shuttle. Saw many other students like me having to wait and that they have more luggages than I do. But, they have trolleys as they arrived at the International Airport itself. While I had to lose the trolley because of the escalators. Board the shuttle. It’s a MERCEDES… bus. The bus carried three other students besides me. The bus was pretty much automated with the auto speed, airconditioning and updates about the status of the vehicle. The sights of Melbourne? Nothing to compliment. It will take many years before they can reach SG standards. It’s pretty much like California for the suburbs and Bugis-Chinatown for the town area. I have yet to travel to the beaches. Weather-wise, not too cold or hot. Pretty dry, heard there is a drought ongoing. My room. I have become an attic cat. My room is on the so-called “5th” floor that they made out. Worse, there is no lifts. I have to climb ten flights of stairs up and down daily. The hostel workers helped me to carry the luggage to the room and along the way up, my bag gave way. The strap holder broke. What a day I seriously have and it didn’t end. Into my room, there is a big row of gap under the window that I can’t get in or out with ease. What is that wasteful area for? Hide-and-seek? And for heavens’ sake, my telephone point or the internet point is in the middle on the inside wall of the gap. Do I have to bend and crawl my way just to fix my internet point? Even so, the cable will be dangling by my dress cabinet and onto my laptop on the table. So, on top of the hide-and-seek corner, I now too have a jumping “rope” corner. Jeez… Patches here and there. Hardly any ventilation, very humid room. I could no longer bear my room. I have the urge to pack and go look for a better place. But, I have very tight budget on my rentals so I can’t afford the expensive ones. To me, this hostel is already slightly over my budget. Instead of staying in the room and mop in the room for the reason of why I have to be living in such a place after my tiring flights and desperate time at the airports, I decided that there was no point in grumbling. To allow myself to live better and comfortably, I can make the changes to the room. The room is dead and aching for a change, but, I am alive and kicking, I will do the change to suit myself. So, I put down all my baggages, put aside the spoilt bagpack, changed into something more comfortable and went out to explore the city. The city is a stone-throw away from my hostel and school. I’ve never been to Melbourne, not to say Australia, and I am walking on my own with a map and phone that I can’t call out to. By that time, I was pretty thirsty too. Thanks to the liquid regulations on plane, I did not have a single drop of water with me and my co-tenants were not in. Along the way, I saw a shop selling Asian foodstocks. Consider this, a bottle of Pokka Green Tea cost here AUD$2.50 and similiarly for canned mushrooms or food, when all this can be simply purchased at a dollar or less in SG. I then bought a drink that cost AUD$3.50 (expensive), but I thought to try; since I have not tried their homebrand stuffs before. Interesting mixtures and variety of flavours of drinks they have. The one I bought was Goji and Green Tea enhanced with the fragance of Acerola and Passionflower as claimed to have the effects of de-stressing. Took note of the prices as I walked in and through the malls, the clothes very pretty expensive even when they are discounted as compared to the SG currency. I have yet to find the Melbourne’s Watson. Walked into one of the malls when I saw Kmart—their IKEA. Bought a bowl, plate, a thermal cup, some table cloths, wrapping paper, disinfectant, super glue, a stack of Tupperwares in varying sizes that was on offer, a can of Cadbury chocolate drink powder and a box of muesli bars that both was also on offer. Spent a total of AUD$65. Came out of Kmart and saw Woolsworth—their NTUC on the opposite. Went in and took a bottle of two-litre fresh milk (the largest size is five-litres), a box of their house-brand cereal and two packet of garlic breads that was on offer of two for five dollars. Total spending of AUD$12. FYI, in Melbourne, their fresh produce are slightly cheaper in comparison to SG. The apples and oranges here cost AUD$5 – 7 for a kilogram, a bunch of maybe 7-8 long and yellow bananas at AUD$4.75. Carried five shopping bags and on the way home. Took note of the mall—QV Square. Definitely lost my way back. I had strayed off to at least two streets away from the actual path I am suppose to go by. Thankfully, I had my map. I took it out and analysed my current location and walked in the correct direction. Just a note for people coming to Melbourne; all shops here closes at 5pm sharp, except night places such as pubs. Reached back my place at 6PM. My co-tenant is back. No time for rest. I set my bowl, thermal cup, plate to soak and wash in water. Kept the foodstuffs that I bought into my allocated kitchen cabinet and took one of the cloths to start cleaning the cabinets and table-tops in my room. Once the cleaning was done, the disinfectant came to work. Once all was done, I settled outside in the kitchen for a glass of milk and cereal. Rinse and dry up all the cutlery I bought and placed them in my room cabinet. Didn’t place them outside as the table-tops looked dirty and dusty to me. I guess my co-tenant is not into keeping the place tidy or clean. Off to work again as I shifted around the movable furnitures in the room and finally placed the my bed linen on the mattress. The study chair had blotches of cotton balls on it and it is so unsightly to me that I dare not sit on it until I get a seat protector for it. Sat on my bed, the only sightly and comfortable spot, I start to work on the wrapping paper I bought. Realised the wastepaper basket was stained and had strands of hair and used cottonbuds in it, I filled the wastepaper basket with water and drained it all down the urinal. Left the basket to dry and continued with the wrapping paper. As the cabinet drawers did not have a covering base and traces of the previous tenants were left in the drawers, eg. Strands of hair, rubber waste, dust. So, I measured and cut the wrapping paper to the dimensions of the inside of the drawers and placed them over before I put my own stuffs. Finally, after setting everything in place, I felt much better, although the room is still pretty spartan. I took a bathe. Again, my bathing liquids and toothpaste and brush are all placed in my room due to the limited shelvings and dust. Coming back to my room, I felt the room was very much liveable as compared to before. Settling down, I finally figured out how to call out and called my mum. The calls are freaking expensive, SGD$1.50 per minute, my call got cut off almost to the end and I have yet to get an Aussie number and internet connection. Just before I turn out for the day, I super-glued the strap holder of the bag. For tomorrow, there is school at 10am. The day was Damnation Day. -Charmaine-
P.S. I placed the photos and albums on one of the shelves. Wow. Yiwen really put in lots of effort for the album. Thanks for the hardwork. Thank you Yiwen, Huiyi, Hanni and Desmond for coming to see me off. Do take care and pursue your own dreams. P.P.S To my family, do take care and I will do so for myself too. Not to worry too much. I guess before the contract ends, I try to look for somewhere else. Btw, is your friend’s house there available for homestay? Hopefully, it is not too far from campus.
