#@%^*! grocery shopping in Australia

As the title shows, it is not a pile of fun.
Cancel what I said that supermarkets will take 5-6 minutes walk. It is more like 20-25 minutes.

Imagine carrying loads of bags, heavy with vegetables, bottles of sauce, milk and other weighty loads. AND THEN WALKING BACK (20-25 minutes mind you) WITH ALL THOSE #@%^* BAGS!

Can't imagine? Let me ease your imagination and stir up your sympathy for my poor knees.

MINUS

DOES NOT EQUAL

It not as satisfying since they are not clothes that girls would travel 50 miles and still be as happy. Besides, the heavier it is, the more the clothes.

NO, they are groceries. Vegetables, meat and rice that will enter your body and be excreted out in a non recognisable way in the future. Sure, they keep me alive, but they ARE NOT AS SATISYING. To walk so long, in the hot (not as hot as Malaysia, but still hot) sun, is like living in hell, and doing shopping for HADES. Gah...


I miss my CAR~ boohoo

Get a whiff of Goulash!

In Hungary, Goulash is called Gulyás. Gulyásleves is prepared as a soup (leves meaning soup). The dish Gulyás or Bográcsgulyás[2] was traditionally a thick stew, made by cattle stockmen. The Goulash can still be prepared both like a soup and a stew. The traditional Hungarian stews: Goulash, Pörkölt and Paprikas, sharing the same origin, as herdsmens stews, are considered to be the national dishes of Hungary.

YEah, I made that. (stop gawking)

awww, c'mon. Why ye of so little faith?

It was pretty good actually, the best I have cooked so far. Really tasty. Check this out for evidence.

simmering really mouthwateringly in the pot... mmmm~

not bad right? right? Riiiiiiight? lol

ITADAKIMASE! (shuddup if my spelling is wrong)

Of L.O.V.E and GRATITUDE

I love my brother...

He is always reserved and always will be. He doesn't express how he feels easily. Though that may bother people, I don't really let that get to me. Maybe it used to a little when I was young, but not anymore. The reason: I don't know. Maybe its because I got used to it. Maybe it is because I saw that through his veneer of cool distant reserve, he is closer to me than I thought. He is actually so warm, he is like golden honey (if that makes sense).



Slowly, I saw the underlying meaning behind the tiny gestures.

How he hugged me just a milisecond little longer when I was leaving from the airport. It made my heart tug.
How he just got me my first very own camera as a surprise (it was a shared present with Vaness, his wife)
How he paid for my Dell Inspiron laptop (I know my mom bugged him, but I don't think he was unwilling)
How he always gave me a GREAT BIG BEAR HUG (with such magnitude that I lift off the ground) when he comes home.
How he always listens to all my loooooong random thoughts and theories. (They all MAKE SENSE by the way. )
How he has the same fetish of Vitagen as I do. (it is better than icky Yakult)
How he always has an interest in whatever I do.
How we wrestle on the bed, and he always wins.
How he would squeeze my hand untill I cringe.
How I told him my beloved samsung mp3 player konked, and he totally searched it up on net to help me solve the problem.
How he will give me random calls in Australia even if the rates are busting the roof.

It is funny, because he is 11 years older than me, I will always be his tiny little sister. At 6, he would spank me on the hand like a daddy because I secretly borrowed his comic books to read. (I dont see how I was wrong, he was selfish not to even tell me he has Slam Dunk and Kung Fu boy comics to read. It is darn nice weeei). I dont see why he has to keep it all to himself.

At 18, he is still giving me advice, telling me what is appropriate and what not. I guess, he does in a little way fill the space of a father figure in my life?


We always have love around us, if we only care to look...

moving in, moving out

Yesterday, I moved into my new room in Kingsford. It has the perfect location, only 5-6 minutes walk from my current Uni, UNSW and 5-6 minutes walk for grocery shopping. With walking distance to Uni, I save about $25.90 per week! I am soooo proud of myself.

PEEERFECT!

Anyway, the place is lovely. The landlady is nice (a little particular, but I can live with that... I hope). She is the type of woman who will cringe when she hears "cockroaches" and sees uneven blinds. God, I will have to change as she has the absolute power to kick me out if I bug her. Then, I will be homeless. My mom laughed at me as she predicted that I will be a neat freak by the end of the year, wiping basins and shower stalls dry after use. Oh, the horror!

My first night over was a little cold, as there was no quilt, only a pathetic paper thin blanket to keep me warm. Have to go shopping for one while I do grocery shopping as well. Back to topic, I am changing rooms! I woke up in the morning, disturbed by chatter outside my room. Apparently, Teresa is showing the place around to another potential tenant. Guess what, that "potential tenant" is a girl from AUSMAT as well!

Small world

So, I was listening to Teresa giving details about the rooms. There is this huge room, meant for 2 (converted from a living room). It only cost $175 per week, cheaper than my tiny single bedroom by $15 per week! So that means, I am keeping close to my $150-$170 budget. Yippee. Believe me, it is not an easy budget to keep. I am so lucky to even find such a lovely place with such a tight budget. Other places were mostly ... pathetic at this price.

One good example:

I saw a place where it was advertised "partitioned room". I was like ok, it will be small, probably a flimsy wood wall to partition the room apart from some other space. As long as it is cheap, I can live with that. I went there, and was astounded. 3 big wooden cupboards lamely substitute as walls, separating the room from its living room! thats it?! And there was cockroaches and chocolate leaking and uncleaned in the refrigerator! Super DISGUSTING!!!!!

to top that up, the landlady looks like a real doofus, she looked as if she did not know what she was doing all the while.

Anyway, I think Teresa saw that I was interested with the room for 2. And she said,

"since you two already know each other, you guys should share this room."

And walaaa, there you have it, my new mega big room that is cheaper than before. My roomie looks like a nice girl, I only remembered she was in my econs class, and had the impression that she was pretty good at it. So I am going to move into my new room tonight. Check in out!

the current hong kie girl staying in the room is a little messy,

more than me at least. so ya, but check out the spaaaaaaaaaaaace. lol

Hopefully, I will get used to staying with a roomie. Hopefully, we get along well (we are in contract for 6 months, enough time to dig each other's guts out if we hate it).

thoughts in departure, and everything foreign

Its been a whirlwind...

Everything happened so fast, I think that leaving for Australia seemed surreal.

I remember saying to LiMay and SuPing in the airport,

"feels like I am sending someone else off."

odd feeling, not a very emotional one for me, just odd.

doesnt mean I will not miss my life, family and friends back in Malaysia though. I will, I was happy with what I have then. Content actually. Australia is just a means to fulfill another desired dream of mine, independance. It is not about being free from the watchful eyes of parents, just knowing that Australia can teach me to stand on my own two feet. No family, maid and friends to support me when I am down. Something like that...

Anyway, I decided not to be too hasty in declaring my new, simple blog. Never know, I might not be able to maintain one for long. Who knows, maybe I will forget the password again. So friends in Malaysia, don't freak out it you find out yourself. I just feel like I want this blog to age a little first.