New chapter

Leaving buckets of tears and warmly hugs behind in the South Bank building, a new chapter of life is awaiting me to open out. How should I write it and what should I write on it depends on my determinations. I really want to see how far I can go and settle as who I truly am. I don’t believe in astrology, but this year’s prediction is “after years of dedication, you are finally rewarded and start your career growth.” which I believe this time.

What do I want to see at the end of 2007? A new me who has actually done and achieved something in the year.

Three weeks before I leave Melbourne, I discover a cheap video rental store and started watching loads of movies. Z likes thriller while I loves art house. So my laptop plays gun shoots one night and sophisticated scenes another. I would like to explore more pictures beyond the Hollywood productions and pay back my lost of time in not watching enough films while I was studying.

Party animals

We had a pleasant day on Sunday on Chapel Street. City has run out its interested places for us to go, so we found ourselves wondering around this elite shopping precinct, admiring people’s half-a-million’s luxurious cars and the dazzling window displays. As we shuffled into Jam factory, we saw our adorable Barn Yard animals were filled in a lucky clamp game machine. As we had tried so many times in a machine in Hoyts and were not able to clamp one up, we started to persuade the sales man to sell us a toy. He glimpsed at the machine and said: “This machine is very easy to get (you one).” With disbelieve, we inserted a gold coin and started playing. Gee, we picked one up as easy as it could get! It was the pinky pig. We then went ecstatic, picking one after another. In the end, after six gold coins, we had got four of them. We were over the moon for the rest of the day; and I even hugged them while we were watching Apocalypto.

As most of the other Australians, my annual is always in negative. No worries, that is what sick leave is for. I took a “sick” leave on Monday, and went to have Yumcha with grandma and my two cousins. It was lovely to have a relaxing yumcha on a weekday. My cousins have grown up so much now. It is interesting to see how I have changed since the day arrived in Melbourne.

I watched tennis a bit; yet, I am never a fan of ball games. An interesting fact about tennis is its clothing fashions. Every player has sponsors and some of them wear special designed dress that could impress the world. The Russian girls, especially, are earning good money on and below the ground. They always have news for us to gossip and admire.

One day Sauna, another day Steaming

What is a common topic for people in Melbourne to talk about in Melbourne? It is, and only is, the pathetic Melbourne weather. Year 2007 summer seems to the worst ever, consistently above 30 degree heat with either hot breeze or steaming wave. I have to have shower three times a day to wash away my stingy perspiration. Sometimes I would think I am a Chinese “xia mai” which is in the food steamer being boiled and served hot.

This year is the year of pig – my Chinese horoscope. I have been fanatic with pig since I was young, and my apartment is decorated with pigs everywhere. Recently, I see swatch have this new watch for the year, which put my eyes on it. Hmm…… I only have this cycle once in 12 years and will only have a few in my life time, so I should enjoy a year of being a pig, respectfully.

Overheated

Melbourne was in chaotic under the consistent hot dry weather. Power was off, trees turns yellow before autumn, grasses are dying and bush fire pervades Victorian regional areas. In fact, the whole world shows its first sign of global warming. The heat made me sleepless and strained my nerves. Horrible situation to live in.

Three more weeks in Melbourne; maybe I should never commit anything here. I should belong to the drifting life and would not be content with living still in a place. I always have the confident that we can survive, but after the overheated night, I don’t believe anymore.

A kind heart

Nothing can be better than splashing water in a beach in a 38 degree day. I jumped into the South Melbourne beach immediately after I got of the tram. Embracing the coolness from sea water, a day’s of swelter was vanish and washed away into the Pacific Ocean. Mini waves were giving you natural massage while you were stretching in the water, relaxing your mind in the hands of nature. More 30 degree plus days are ahead; I would like to do this more often to enjoy the Australian cheeriness.

A squab just came out of the egg, and a breeze blowed him away from its nest and fell onto the earth. He was picked up and cherished by a kind human heart. He then rested himself in a rock glass with drops of milk came into its mouth every hour. He even had a nice afternoon siesta, which he dreamt of growing bigger and flying back to his nest. By the time he woke up, however, he felt faint. He was expecting his hourly milk to pour in. One hour, two hour … he never had a chance to wake up to count more hours. When the milk eventually dropped, he could not open his mouth to take it. He then felt the human tears dropped onto his feather. His grave was at the back of a garden, resting with ants and pest. A small hump of soil was the only marking of he had ever lived, for a few hours. The human is Z.

Hard labour

From time to time, I will run into people I know from Uni wearing business suits striding down in Melbourne CBD. They look not much different from Uni times, except for no more jeans and saggy big school bags. A big black business suit case is their access now. For most of the time, we won’t stop to curtsy each other, only a blink or a tiny nod says we have met before but have nothing to say now. Well, this is the real world.

I have been doing hard labour in the past a couple of weeks to pack and move my six-year’s of junk to my aunt’s garage. Now, my bookshelf and wardrobe is half empty. The next step will be moving my shoes and electronic device. Aii …… every time of moving, we have to learn to give up something in order to move on. A lot of tears have been shredded; more are expected in the remaining weeks.

New Year's Wish

I celebrated NYE in a dance studio far away from the half million crowds in Melbourne CBD. Initially, I thought it would be boring to dance for four hours under the unfamiliar New Vogue music with older age people. Yet, it turned out to be fun. We spent two hours chatting and eating before we hit the dace floor. The studio played conventional Dance music which made you engaged even you didn’t know how to dance under it. Time swiftly jumped to mid-night without notice. After the count down, with confetti and colour ribbon still flying in the air, we had this group dance thing - an alternative way of celebrating New Year.

2006 has been a tough and blank year to me; 2007 will be a new page in my life with me living in a tougher life in a new country. Anyhow, I wish all the hard work will be paid off in the end.