I'm back.

I'm back, and sick.

Arrived at KLIA last Tuesday and nothing has changed. The many taxi touts are still there, annoying both tourists and locals all the way from the arrival hall to outside. While waiting for my ride home (who was again Malaysian-style late) no less than 15 touts approached me asking "nak teksi??". Eh after half an hour of standing in front of you do I look like I need your illegal services? Annoying thing number 2 - all their ciggie smoke. I came back not to humidity -- which is still tolerable, but to what seemed to be an open air designated smoking area. At moments like this, I'm ashamed to be a local when the tourists/visitors are coughing and belching in this haze once they get off their flights.

End of rant.

Yeah I'm sick. Starting with sore throat - flu - cough - heachache - cough. Started once I got off the plane and after a week I'm still sick. But it hasn't stopped me from going mamak though.. So far only been to Kayu and Tmn Tun, meeting up with some mates. That, has not changed. Its as if I haven't been away for 10 months.

It'd be good to be in Melb though. After only a day here, I was bored. OMG my boredom threshold has plunged. Maybe this's after half a year of busy-ness. Or perhaps without 24 hour access to fast Internet I'm disconnected from all my news etc (my current connection's at a sad 48.0 kbps --laugh if you will). Ahh the fickleness of the mind..

next to do -- check Streamyx

End of semester.

Drop dead tired. But life is good. Exams ended this week, and have been busy meeting up with people before leaving.

life's good - the why's:
~ Expect to get through all my units this sem.
~ Had a fulfilling year (more time spent "thinking" and "doing") rather than just turning one year older.
~ Desiyah has finished a successful year (by my expectations) -- we are runner-up for YAA's Company of The Year and won the environmental management award! =) pics from dinner up later.
~ I AM GOING BACK! (although I'm indeed having second thoughts about staying to wooooork...oh no the money!!!)
~ Melbourne weather just turned cooler this week (me likes cos me no-like humid weather)

Any regrets for the year? Not really. I don't like having regrets. Its one thing to look back and learn and its another thing to live in the past. The only niggly thing's probably on the personal side. Lazy to elaborate le.

Won't be blogging much over the next coupla weeks. Just heard about lightning busting my house's modem yesterday. Hence tak-de internet at home. So cham right?!

Ironic thing is while I've still got access to the net now, I'm too lazy/tired to upload/resize/re-upload photos of the past few days, which as expected was busy busy busy. Most time's meeting people for meals and pok-pek-pok-pek. I can almost hear you going "lazy bum lazy bum"...

Thurs - lunch with S.W. in the city, then to Caulfield, then to Oakleigh. Fri - lunch with Clayton girls, then awards dinner at Toorak. Sat - lunch with M.H. and L.I. in city plus teman them jalan-jalan at Bridge Road. woo hoo esp L.I. who managed to get a nice pair of jeans,tops/shoes etc. Tomorrow.. oops gotta call fellow blogger Jean. We're supposed to lunch? (reminder to self - check weather in case its crappy tomorrow).

Initially Monday was my "free" day - supposed to pack my bags etc. But Min wants to dine together before I leave. I realise I won't see her for quite awhile ("never" sounds rather awful hence I shall dismiss the vague uncertainties surrounding our ever meeting again and lets just use "won't see for awhile"). She's going back to Korea next month. Sigh.. I'm gonna miss her. Which is more than I can say for some others..

rambling..

I read a lot. Mostly when I'm in Melb, mainly because I (pay to) have access to uni's resources - its magnificent library collection and e-resources. Having access to collections at 7 campuses means being able to request for any book/article I can think of. Even Harry Potter or some obscure novel.

Current book I'm trying to finish by the weekend - "International Relations: The Key Concepts". Very easy reading material, concise and layman's English used to explain essential terms. Darn I'm only up to "G" concepts..now if anyone wants an explanation of "casino capitalism", let me know ^_^

Question always raised - why Malaysians don't read? Blame the obscenely high book prices. Here, a paperback retails for around AUD22, compared to some ridiculous RM35+ in KL. Dollar for dollar, cost of living in KL seems so high. Thats my common complaint these days.

Anyways, having 24 hour access to the internet helps too. I still don't have Streamyx back home (though on hindsight it might be a good thing since there're so many complaints these days), but here.. read read read read read read read when I can, esp the news.

Interesting news recently:
~ Pirates attack cruise ship off the coast of Somalia (personally found it very audacious, interesting la)
~ Manchester United 1 - Chelsea 0. Didn't think they'd win. (a-ha for those of you who think I gave up watching football, just a note - I haven't. Though I've been deprived of matches for a long long long time and have no idea how the team really plays now) :P One more week and I'll get to watch a live match at last!!
~ Riots in France spreading to Brussels, Belgium etc. Brewing discontentment erupting. Curfew? State of emergency? interesting developments..
~ not forgetting our Aussie news yesterday -- swoop on terror suspects in Melbourne and Sydney.
~ me finishing my finals! in less than 12 hours time!!!

On something else..was in contact with some old friends these 2 days. Darn it feels good to catch up with 'em. My perpetual disdain for superficialness means I stay away from A LOT OF people, both here and back home. Call me aloof if you will.

Let me say this - quantity is never a substitute for quality, especially in friendships.

Also in the space of 2 days, have heard of some interesting goss (slang for gossip la). Congratulations and best wishes for LK and LS and CS!

Initially thought I was gonna have fun at the fun fair at One Utama when I get back. But now I don't wanna be a "lamp-post" with LS on the ferris wheel. So who's free to teman me?? I heard it ends on the 20th or something?

One left

Last paper on Wednesday muahhahha =) Have sat for the tough ones, the final one's International Business -- imo its easiest of the lot, and only 40% -- which explains my hyperness over the weekend (as if I'd finish everything dy). Caught up with much needed sleep yesterday, since had very little over the past week (due to tax law and Advanced Financial Accounting Theory and Practice exams ---- even the unit has a longish tough name!)

I'm so gonna enjoy my hols. Haven't had one since the last break in June it seems. Bringing some shows back to KL to watch, plus my language notes and accompanying discs. I'm sure all my friends are gonna be "busy" with their work and all. Some others aren't even back in KL, how unfortunate..

Decided on the units for next sem. Its quite nice to be here, where there's so many choices for electives. Basically I can take anything from any of the other Monash campuses provided I meet the prerequisites. If I were back in Msia, I'd probably be stuck with only Business and Economics units as options. Browsing through Monash's list of units available, there's interesting ones such as the one on the Da Vinci Code, plus something on murders in 18th century England etc etc.

Nothing so grisly for me though. I want something "useful/interesting", not just something thats easy to pass. Poring through the list from faculty of Arts, I've decided on "Global Change and Changing Identities in Asia" and KOR1010 Korean. The former unit should be something related to the international studies I did this sem, while I'm still a little undecided on the latter. Only means I'll be spending some time on Clayton campus next year. Checked my timetable (yeah they're damn efficient, timetables available already!) and it looks good :)

Hmm..now I'm going back soooon. Checklist - buy stuff / pack / clean my room / box everything up / meet up with ppl I'm supposed to meet / clean my room sommore (super-duper-uber messy with papers and notes piled everywhere but wonder of wonders there's order amid the chaos -- i can find everything i need in all the mess) blablabla. Half feel like not going back so early now. Melbourne is home, though PJ is home too. I've been wanting to go back only because of the workload here, with all the deadlines and other stuff seemingly neverending. aiyer, see how le. I'm pretty sure I'll get bored by a week's time (due to my very low tolerance for "boredom")..

Melting in Melbourne (MIM)

Melbourne's been extraordinarily hot these 2 days. Possibly even hotter than KL. Max temperature around 32 degrees. Its very unpleasant, to say the least. Esp when one doesn't even have a fan in the room. Luckily for me, I went fan-searching around the house (yeah i stay in a big big big house here) and "noticed" one at office backroom. But still, I feel as if I'm MIM..

When the weather's hot, it seems Melbourne's CBD is full of tourists (and police today -- terror threat i think). Oh before I forget, do let me declare -----

I'm DONE with DESIYAH!!!!

We are finally fully liquidated. And that was the purpose for me leaving my house early this morning. All liquidations form submitted to the YAA office, annual report, awards submission (Vic), national awards submission mailed to Sydney, cheques written out, (almost all) records closed.

Forms 1, 2,3,4,7,12,21,22,25,26,27,28 etccccc i can remember it all. After a whole half a year involved with this program, its a relief that its all over. The only thing to look forward to now is Awards Night next week =) And yeah next year I'll still be blogging on and off about YAA. Signed up to be a mentor for next year's program.

Back to the Melbourne CBD today. Almost everyone I met has been going "eh, its hot today isn't it?", with someone even telling me it was supposed to rain "at 7.30pm". I went "wow your weather forecasts that accurate?" but no, it didn't rain just now. Seems as if everyone's in such a good holidaying mood. Maybe cos they all profited from wagering on Makybe Diva in yesterday's Melbourne Cup?!

But really, in Melb it seems strangers talk to each other much more. I've struck up conversations with people everywhere. On trains, platforms, post office, expos, buying coffee etc etc. Service personnel here (some, not all) are generally polite and pleasant. A coupla days ago, I believe I encountered the most polite bus driver ever. He kept on saying "thank you-s" to passengers getting off. Its customary for us getting off to just voice "thanks!", but this fella seriously is just so nice. He actually sounds happy we took the trip. Not being sarcastic here, just a reflection on a bus driver who actually enjoys his job, unlike the grouchy rude ones back home..

Cooked dinner just now - kurma chicken, asparagus + garlic shoot, briyani rice and roti canai :P Eventhough so busy these 2 days, felt like cooking properly. One can't live on instant noodles forever. And its quite nice to eat with other people (cos usually we all cook separately). Amber asked the first thing I intend to do when I get back. Me --- mamak!! er its realistic i think. Arriving at 8 plus, get out of airport at 9 plus, back home by 10 plus. So there's still time hahha..

So anyone up for mamak??