Sydney- Austrahliya.

I've been here since Saturday night. The flight was a bit drama lah- I reached the boarding gate when it was Last Call !_! which has never happened to me before in all my travels. So i panicked. NO LAH i didnt. I just had to run a bit and shimmy my way through the aisles to economy, all the while looking down but feeling the gaze of 100s of pairs of eyes. It was a full flight, and I was in the same section as not one, but TWO babies (!) Thank goodness they weren't too loud. Shara, I watched Rock On! But kept sleeping off alot, cos the aussie lady friends next to me wern't too friendly. I read all your lovely notes and did my best not to cry. About 2 hours into the flight, there was an announcement asking for a doctor cos there was a passenger who required urgent medical assistance. I swear I've seen an episode of House like this. But the passenger wasn't in my section lah, so didnt see anything. As we were landing, it was just before pitch black night time-ness, so the colour of the sky was lovely and all the major landmarks looked like little toys! It was beautiful. Landed at Sydney airport half an hour early, but couldn't get off cos neeeded to get clearance from paradmedics and quarantine. Didn't have any problems at immigration or customs. Managed by some superhuman strength to get my 20++kg bags off the luggage carousel *pats self on back, and rubs sore lower back* (i DO ask for help. i don't feel so hesitant to here, cos aussies are alot more willing to help than most singaporeans will ever be. oh look at me, i've started the comparisons already!) Met Uncle Vij and Nish at the airport and went home to some chicken curry and bread (hahaha).

Woke up the next day (sunday) knackered. Had about 20mins to change into my Sunday best, cos we went to Nish's school's chapel for compulsory service. Ok that's not accurate terminology. It's a once a year event that the year 11's organise for the year 12's according to what House theyr'e in? OK but nvm, there was a garden buffet breakkie and then we went in to the lovely, cottagey chapel (it was tiny and so quaint!) and there was a short and sweet service by the Chaplain, interspersed with violin quartet performances by some of the year 12 girls. Somewhere along my stay here I'll be going to a temple too, of course. There's a sydney Murugan temple that my grandparents say is beautiful. Either way, I think that was an appropriate way to start my time in Sydney- with prayer, seeking blessing and guidance, and giving thanks. Got my prepaid card at a mall, where we also had my first Oporto meal (grilled chicken "healthy" fast food. dude, their meals here cost minimum 8 bucks.). Then in the afternoon went on my first tour of the city :D Parked at the rocks and then walked down to circular quay, where you can see both the harbour bridge and the opera house. Plenty of buskers and plenty of sunshine. Thank goodness I was in a sundress, But MY GOD does it get hot here, Searing heat. I am burnt i think, but i haven't started peeling, so i dunno if I'm actually burnt or not. It got to 30plus and then in the evenin dropped all the way to early 20's range. Cold enough for this Singaporean to have to throw on a sweatshirt. I dont understand the temperementality fo the weather!! (wait is there such a word?). I have loads of pictures, but they're all in my phone..i'm having trouble transferring them over -__-. At night, Nish and I made our own dinner and then Herry came to pick me up and we went to below the harbour bridge to see the city at night. It was even MORE beautiful. All twinkly and poetry-inducing :)

OK next day, went to get my bus ticket. As an intl student I dont get concessions *curse and swear* so i gotta pay 15 bucks for 10 bus rides. But lucky its only a ten min ride to uni. I kinda missed my stop actually, cos i didnt expect it to come so soon! But i sorta ran up to the front of the bus and said i missed my stop and the driver let me off, heh. see jags! i didn't panic. The campus is MASSIVE yo. Along the main walkway (which stretches for kilometres and was packed with stalls of all the clubs and societies and helpdesks and whathaveyou), I saw a stall with the word "cricket" on one of the signs and gravitated towards it, cos I'd time to kill before my Arts Fac. Intro lecture. Realised after a while that it was the hindu society stall and they were trying to get me to go for the bollywood dance class the next day -__- NO ITS OK. HAHHA. ok i love bollywood dance and all, but that can take a break while I'm here now. Turns out that their cricket team has places for 4 girls players and that this combined team plays against Uni of syd in an annuall tournie-which they have won the last 9 times apparently!! I WANT TO TRYOUT PLSTHX-that's all i'm here for!, i told the girl at the counter.

Ok the ruuuushed to the Auditorium which was already packed and then found a spot next to this attractive dark-haired aussie fella in black skinnies and a white tshirt with graphic print on it-he looked like a toned down version of Sam Sparro, but less buff haha. At the end of the talk, we started talking and we hit it off yo. My first friend in uni is gay. And he's a fellow piscean, which is prob why we clicked- the water signs in the blistering heat. And he runs an italian restaurant with his partner, who's a professional dancer. And he works at a cafe as a braista sometimes. And he loves my name. I even accompanied him to the GLBT and theatre booths. And we were like, BFF's by the end of the day. Went on the campus tour together and all! so exciting. Found my way back to the apartment without getting lost, phew. Even managed to drop by the shops for a bit to buy myself some green tea (lol..I can't do this having fanta/coke with every meal business, srsly). I never thought things would go this smoothly on day one (i hope i havent jinxed it).

Housing is still a pain, so I'm gonna have to wait for D anneh to get to sydney so he can help me out. So after spending the last hour typing out this entry, i am now knackered and waiting for herry to get back so we can go do dinner.

fin.