The Suburbs

My mom and I decided that we needed a break from being in close proximity to the Uni and Safeway, so we finally decided to accept my cousin's aunt's offer to stay at her MASSIVE house in the suburbs. But first things first :

Thursday, the 21st was the International Student Briefing. I met old friends! I think that Melbourne should be given to Malaysia or Hong Kong "=.= The Aussies are the minorities in this colony of ours. 60% are non-Caucasians!

The next day (Friday the 22nd) we met N (remember her?) for lunch, and we went to the Korean place next to my place. IT WAS REALLY GOOD. It's called Big Ma Ma!




The wind was so bloody strong that the paper bag I was carrying (which was filled with food) was flying out behind me. N took us back to her house to give us some home appliances she did not need anymore since she's moving.




One box load later, and also one Godiva box later (yum!), we got picked up in this AWESOME, BODY HUGGING, POWERFUL Mercedes R500, and were whisked away to my aunt's house. Let's call her S.

Ok. I won't be able to explain how big this house is on my own, so here's a case study :

On Orientation day, my host group leader asked me where I went over the weekend.

Me : Donvale.
HGL : Wow...Wow. I have a cousin who lives in Donvale, and she has a horse!
Me : Uhuh.


And their son's (my age) S500L.



Anyway, S's husband is quite well...to be nice and not use bad words, he's incredibly, unfairly controlling and strict. So, I didn't dare take any pictures incase it was against his holy regime. But here are some random ones (of roofs etc.)





It's a 5 storey house, with a fireplace with their initials engraved in gold, 2 entrances, 2 halls, 2 dining rooms (one a formal one), a movie theatre, a heated pool, a fully equipped gym, an outdoor and indoor jacuzzi, 6 rooms, an office upstairs, a pool house...need I say more?

I stayed there for 3 days, and on the 2nd night there was a combined birthday party for my 2 cousins. One turns 15, one turns 17.


Before the party I witnessed my uncles military regime. All 4 kids were given a task to do, even the birthday kids! And they had to be done so well, and according to a schedule. The 15 year old's job was vacuuming and washing off any dirt or bird droppings in the main garden. I helped with the latter, cause I was feeling sorry for him. And then they all felt sorry for me, and refused to let me do more than stand with the pail and slosh some water for him on cue.





S and another two of my cousins! :




My uncle, his son, and their Greek neighbours :






After a very resort-like stay with maximum comfort, style and pomp, we returned back on Monday. But on the way we met some relatives for lunch at a cafe.

But that's a WHOLE other post :)

Safeway (and my apartment!)

The first few days that we were in Melbourne I was kind of in a daze. I didn't feel depressed or sad, but I didn't feel like myself. It was as if some light inside of me had fused or been blown out. On the 3rd day I was back to normal :)

On the 20th we went to Safeway! I know you're probably going "What? Go supermarket also must blog ah?", but it's just the beginning of the post, and it's no ordinary trip to the supermarket.

Because THERE WERE SPARROWS INVOLVED!



We heard this frantic voice over intercom saying "all available staff please report to the front counter NOW!", and then suddenly there were sparrows everywhere! OK, I exaggerate. There were about 10 sparrows. Some flying around and some standing along the isles looking blur. They were just like the Malaysian ones - brown and small.

I bought a lot of stuff for my apartment! I didn't know where they would all fit, and I still don't know how they are fitting wherever they are "=.=.

Here's my apartment! Don't be shocked by the minuteness of it all!







It's already small, and the pics make it look smaller "=.=


Later that night my family friends picked us up and took us for dinner to Universal Pizza on Lygon Street. The food was really good, but the servings were monstrous! I really tried to force down the rest of my pasta but ended up leaving half. It was so cheesy and creamy - this was medium size - that if I forced myself to eat anymore, I think I would have been sick. But the pasta was good though!




She's the organiser for Monash :P





It was really good that they took us out because it was nice to have family and friends around again. It made me feel normal again - inside. Cheh. Soppy betul.

Till next time! - I'll leave you with pics of the hamper they gave me! It's so delicious. Yum.

Settling In & My New House

I love my blog song! Lots of pics in this post by demand!

Hey, so I'm back with another update!

The very next day after I arrived in Melbourne, I headed off to the uni to get my bank account and phone line! The uni is really nice - the buildings are a mixture of antediluvian and modern architecture.

I met Ching Ching and her parents at the bank, and later at the phone shop. The next day I met them at Safeway too! Our moms exchanged numbers! 'Cause we are afterall small kids they're leaving behind!

My credit card looks cool! I now have broken my own record of having the least used credit card in history! (since I have two now, and have not used the new one).

Later that day, we took a cab to N's place for dinner.

N's house is where I am supposed to stay for free for 2 years if I want to. It's really nice, and I'll be getting a $650 rent a week house totally free, along with free housecleaning twice a week. But it's a bit too far for me to walk - a 13 minute drive. My cousins are moving to Tokyo, so they need someone to house-sit.



Her two Greyhounds were there. They followed me everywhere, sat next to me, and stared at my head with their doleful puppy eyes even when I resolutely turned my back on them!





N's son Nathan was doing his favourite practice in the world! Cutting paper.



And later blowing out the candle centerpieces.




After a yummy meal of Cous Cous and Lamb, N's husband S dropped us back at the apartment. :)

Oh, and more details on the house. I really like it, but the distance is a problem I think!

This is my lil cousin's bedroom (it's so much bigger than my Malaysian room!) :



The kitchen leads to the hall :

View from the kitchen cabinets! :




The hall with a real fireplace!


The upstairs loft (Master bedroom and study room - fully equipped!) are up these stairs :


Can't see any stairs? They are so narrow, and are at an almost 90 degree angle. I exaggerate not! HALF my foot was dangling off one step! I had to hold on to the railing the whole time.



But nice right? Sigh! Stupid great Australian distances!

Till the next post!