Monday, March 30, 2009

Life was too good back home.....

Life here has been getting more busy and hectic. My life now is just all about work, study and rest.I feel very tired at times.Because I'm working part time,this means that I have less time to study.So how?I sacrifice my time more than others....I rest less....I take shorter afternoon sleeps....I don't lepak-lepak and waste my time.I cannot afford to sit down and chit chat or hang out with my friends so often.

*That's why,I can't blog so often anymore.I will blog only once every 2-3 weeks.....if I'm really free,then only I'll blog once a week*

As you all know,I'm also supporting myself(in everything under the sun) apart from tuition fees,room rental and 3 meals a day provided by my hostel.As I reflect back on last year,I realised I really had a luxury life.Luxury life in the sense that I always have money in my wallet,so much that I don't even have to think when I want to buy something(usually food).

I'm sure all of us are like that......want snacks?Just buy.Feel like eating outside?Just eat.Feeling bored?Just go for a movie with your friends.No problem.Money has never been an issue in my life back home.It was more of.....am I lazy?Do I have time?Do I feel like it?.....when it comes to spending money.Money didn't seem so precious to me than now.

Back home,there is always food.Cereals,bread,maggie mee,fruits,biscuits,ice creams......Almost anything,you can have it at home whenever you feel like it.Besides that,there is a burger stall and a malay stall nearby my house....anytime when I feel like eating my hotdog or nasi goreng kampung,I can have them.Want to eat,just eat.Right now,I even have to budget eating maggie mee per week.Whenever I buy any snacks such as biscuits or cheese,I need to control eating them so that it is enough to last me for the month.

Thinking of it,it's a joke that I managed to spend only 40$ last month.Spending just 40$ last month????Back home,I spend at least RM200 a month!!This means even after converting,I still spend less than back home.Weird isn't it?Shouldn't it be the other way round??

It's also ridiculous for me to be able to support myself with just my working money.With just the money I earn,I am still surviving.....still able to enjoy with my friends....even after paying stuff like my internet,transport,laundry and handphone reload(total cost is around 120$ a month).

Last year,my parents gave me RM300 a month......And I spend it only on food,parking and maybe some movies.That's all!Apart from that,nothing else.......And I still take money from them during the weekends when I spend on food outside.I said weekend spending is not included in my allowance.Photostating books,buying some stationary stuff,going for a vacation trip with my friends,supper.....All these things.....I take money from my parents whenever I spend on them.I feel very embarrased with myself now when I think of it.Why did I do that??RM300 was more than enough(of course,I did save alot of money too).

Anyway, although time and money is pretty tight for me,I didn't neglect my social life.In fact,I really had fun last week going out with my friends.Let me tell you.....having friends from all over the world is the best thing here!


Last tuesday,24/3/09
I went out with my uni friends for lunch after class.There was 5 of us......me,Hiroki,Jane,Apple(her nickname) and Lallita.We had korean food!!!


This is me and Hiroki(Japanese)


This is me and Apple(from KL)


And.....this is Jane(Korean) and me....


*Sorry Lallita....I forgot to take a picture with u=P*



Here are some randomn pictures we took.....






In the korean restaurant.......


Know what is this??This is the korean alcohol....the ones you always see in korean dramas where the guy or girl will drink when they feel sad or depressed....haha=)



This is the korean way to whole ur cup when someone pour alcohol for u....it's manners.



Gunbae!!!!(means cheers in korean)



This is my food....the spicy squid....yummy!


Me and Jane again.....



I never had such delicious korean food before....it was higher than my expectations!

Yesterday,19/3/09
I went for a outing trip with my hostel friends.We actually had this trip because Yo,my Japanese friend is leaving soon.....in 3 weeks time.So we decided to have 1 last trip with him.It was actually a tour trip where we were brought to a few places.....There were 10 of us.


This was the group....I'll intro them individually as I go along....


Mount Lofty Summit
This was the 1st place we went.It's something like Penang hill.Here are the pics....



Cleland Wildlife Park
This was the 2nd place we went.It was like a small zoo.....


From right left hand side:Ying Sze,Ahm,Tushig,Me and Arthur


I met some kangaroos!!!=P





Some kuala bears too.....

Isn't this fella cute?



This is Ahm(Korean) and me....He lives just next to my room....My very good friend....A very nice guy,a very good electric guitarist.....Wurin hengzhe!(we are brothers!)

Toy Factory
This was the third place we visited.Nothing much really.It was just a place full of traditional toys.....I took this time as a photo session!


This was the place.....


Ahm and me again....


Another korean guy....Seong woon....Wurin jo en qin gu!(We are good friends!)


This is Arthur from Hong Kong.....Another good friend(hou pang yao)



Another girl from Hong Kong.....Kris....she looks innocent and shy here but she is not!!=P



This is Ying Sze from Sawarak.....


She's my luna(big sister)....So Hee from Korea....


This is the VIP of this trip....Yo(Japanese).....



Some other randomn pictures....


The person on the most right is Tushig,from Mongolia.....


Barrosa Wine Farm
This was the last place we visited....

This lady is busy pouring wine for people....we get to have free wine tasting!


Me enjoying my wine....


Cheers!!


This coming Saturday,4/3/09

Know who is he?Does he look farmiliar to you?He's Jonathan Douglass,the Hillsong lead singer.


He's coming to Paradise Church(my church) this saturday!I'll be seeing him live!
I hope I can get a chance to talk to him and take a pic with him=P

*To all my fellow chirstian bro and sis back home:Pls dun be jealous ya.....hahahah*

I'm sooo excited.....I can't wait!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

I'm home sick,guitar sick and football sick

I really am.I have been away from my home,my guitar and football live matches for almost a month now...how can that be?These 3 things are one of the closest and most important things to me.......


Home sickness
I tend to be different from everyone.People are usually very home sick in their 1st 2 weeks away from home before they gradually get better.I am the opposite.I'm feeling more and more home sick as every week goes by.During the 1st 2 weeks here,I was perfectly fine...excited...energetic.I was able to cheer my friends that were home sick that time.Now,it seems my friends are becoming more cheerful and energetic...and I'm going backwards.They need to cheer me up now at times....When I knew that I can't go back home until end of next year(most likely),it was like a atom bomb.


To my family:*As long as I'm here,I'll try to save as much money as I can so that all of you can come to Adelaide 1 day......I promise*



Guitar Sickness
Each time I go to church,I see the worship team play,I feel very gatal.I have not been serving in the worship team since 31st January.I miss serving God in the worship team,I miss jamming with my friends.During my holidays before I came here,I play at least 3-4 times a week.Now,I don't get to even see my own guitar in my room.*Thankfully,there are nice friends that are able to lend me their guitar once while....God knew I would die without it,so He provided me 2 nice hostel mates that are guitarist.....God is good!*



Football Sickness
I have not watch any live football matches since I came here until last night(I'll go in details later).I am still following live scores through the internet,but I don't get to enjoy watching the live games like I always do back home.I miss sharing the football passion with my friends back home as here,I think I'm the only passionate football fan.I have friends here that follow football too but not as much as I do.



We all have heard this old saying "When there's a will,there's a way"


I had a strong will.....a very strong will....to watch a live Man Utd game in Adelaide(that's be cause I've been deprived from Utd games for way too long).It's quite a joke to many people when I told them my will because football(they call it soccer here) is not popular here.Besides that,Adelaide time is 10.5 hours away from UK time.But I didn't care what people say.....I hunt around for channels and places that show live football matches.


After 2 weeks of hunting and research,I succeeded.I found a way to fulfill my desire.I decided to watch the big game.....Man Utd v Liverpool.


Well.....I'm not going into how Utd was badly crushed by Liverpool here.I'll just describe the experienced I had in the city when I saw the game.*Congrats,Liverpool fans.Your team was the better team that day.We were well beaten.But remember,the title is still in our hands=P*


I went with 3 friends.....Yo from Japan,Tushig from Mongolia and Frans from Indonesia.I was amazed when I saw how the city was like at night.....The shops were dead,but the live pubs were so vibrant and alive!There were many people in the city too.....And some of the city streets were closed so that people can walk.






We found a place outside the pub where people were just standing and watching the MU v Liv game....That's because the pub was sooo packed that they did not allow anyone else to enter.





This was my 3 friends.....


Me and Yo(Japanese).....


Toshig(Mongolian),me and Frans(Indonesian chinese)



Very cool to have friends from all conners of the earth rite?Football unites the world together...haha....=P



Anyway,the football atmosphere last night was great.You can hear people screaming,clapping thier hands,yelling,cursing....everything!It was typical UK.....But I didn't really feel safe there as well because you can see mini fights everywhere.....Aussies can become very violent when they are drunk....People were also very emotional during the football game....and after the game.After the match,You could see liverpool fans singing and dancing in the streets,waving their liverpool scarfs and flags while the MU fans left dejected(I was one of them).


Well...at least I'm not so football sick anymore....I know where I can see my live matches from now on.See.....when there's a will,there's always a way....it applies in everything in life=)

Sunday, March 8, 2009

The spirit of studying is back in me!

For the past 3 and a half months,I've been doing nothing.....apart from eating,sleeping and playing a fool.The last time I studied was the last day of SAM final exam which strenches back to last year,12th november.Yeah....I deserved this long break as I didn't had a break after SPM before doing SAM.It was 2 exam years in a row for me.

Well,my holidays are over.....and I acknowledge that.No more lazy-ing around,nor online-ing every night,nor sleeping 10 hours a day.It's time to study again!!!

And.....I'm up for it.I'm ready for the task that is laid before me.I have a desire again to do well in my studies,achive great results and accomplish my goals.Let me show you some proof.



My time table and self motivation posters(I made them) are up in my room again!



I always make these posters when I'm in study mood even back home in Penang.I feel those posters help me alot as each time I see them,I'm motivated to work hard and study.During my holidays,I've played hard,I've give my best in enjoying(it's true!).So now,I'll study hard and give my best in my studies.


Yesterday,I went to a supermarket and guess what?I saw my favourite cheese that I always used to eat back home with my parents.........Fruit cheese!!



It was extremely cheap compared to Malaysia.....I only bought in here for 3.85$ while back home,it's around RM18.



I also bought a box of crackers.It was only 1.87$......These crackers go well with the fruit cheese.....Trust me!=)


Each time I spend here,I convert.....that's because I'm using my parent's Malaysian riggit.I calculate every bit and take a long time to decide whether to it buy or not.Well in 2 weeks time, I'll be getting my own hard-earned pocket money!!!Woooohooo!!!Then I'll stop converting when I buy anything.

Well......I will patiently wait for my own pocket money!!=)