Friday, June 20, 2008

This guy's my fav roo!

A Tassie devil


Cute lil' wombat


Me and my fav roo!




Encounters

Well, yesterday was an "encounter" day for me, as i've met with several cool stuffs as well as uncool people. I was in Bonorong Wildlife Park yesterday on a date with lotsa kangaroos, a wombat, a few Tasmanian devils and the koalas.

Kangaroos in the park were like cats in Malaysia. They were just all over the place, sleeping everywhere possible, although the majority chose to sunbathe in the open on a warm and sunny winter. Just feel free to go over and give them a hug or a nice scratch on the chest (the keeper told us that's the roos' favourite scratch spot). I was scared that they'll chew my hand off but after Lina gave them a nice pat on the head, i found out they're harmless like a house cat!

Most of the roos will be lazing under the sun but some will hop in your direction as we're given a bag of kanga food to feed them. The way they begged food off you, golly! It's like watching Puss in Boots in Shrek! Big, round, gleaming and sympathetic eyes... simply telling you to "PLEASE FEED ME!" haha!! I am sure they have tons of things to eat there.

Caution: wombats are EXTREMELY CUTE (!!!!!!!!) and they BITE. They're even cuter than the kangaroos!! The ones that the keeper showed us was still a babe (the mom died in a roadkill) with massive amount of fur (it's a total fur ball, round and fat). You'll just have that urge to grab that lil' fella and squish her in your arms!!

Unfortunately, the (rather handsome) keeper told us that wombats are not at all cute as they are FEROCIOUS and wild, chewing everything they see. The claws are deadly, so as their butts! The butt's a solid cartilage/bone, and if you knock on it you'll hear a hollow sound coming out of it like someone knocking on the door (it's not painful for them though). They use their invincible butt to kill their predators with just 1 knock under the chin. It can kill a dingo or wild dogs only by 1 blow! (that's for full-grown wombats). When it's turned wild, it cannot be seen during the day at all as they're nocturnals.

Next were the DEVILS. Contrary to popular belief, the devils were not at all that crazy, wild and insanely dangerous. They're even tamer as compared to the cute wombats! They can only run as fast as a chicken (haha!! That's what the cute keeper said), much slower than the wombats. They're great scavengers, and were the ultimate partner of the extinct Tasmanian tigers (the Batman & Robin of Tasmania), playing the role akin to a hyena. It can definitely climb up trees (amazing!) and their jaw strength's like that of a crocodile! We also hear they're always fighting and killing each other, but actually all their "devil-fights" are bluffs, coz they only have violent clashes with each other, but not really trying to chew each other off. They'll just "mouth" their opponent, not bite them. Occasionally, they get punctures on their butts from some pouncing devils from behind....

The koalas... not as i've expected. Seriously, they'll just hang onto their favourite spot on a eucalyptus tree and sleep on it for more than 20 hours a day, occasionally waking up to munch on their favourite eucalyptus leaves. I couldn't believe my eyes coz this guy was sleeping and "pooping" aka doing his big business at the same time. They seriously emit a lot of WMDs, even when they're sound asleep. They're bigger than i expected and i'm not sure if i could manage carrying one of them... Quite huge, like a 3 years old kid.

Another encounter was which a bunch of high school punks and i think the animals in the park were better behaved than them. So happens there were a few junior school kids in the bus with us so there you have it, American TV high-school flicks right in front of your eyes.

These punks were just picking on these 2 brothers (both were rather round with specs aka the "dorks") and it just made my blood boil!!! So i made a remark to Lina in BM, "I memang rasa sangat nak belasah diorang", and my hands were itching to do some damage. I know, don't be stupid. Even though they're still in their early high school years (13-14), they're still way bigger than i am.

The price of speaking up against them = harassment. All these punks/kids have no idea what they're doing, shouting and heckling racist remarks against me as a Chinese. But the good thing is at least they stopped focusing on the poor boy (he's only 7-8!!) and started picking on me.

So what do you do in such situation? Just shuddup and ignore them. The heckling became worse and worse (i think God's really testing me on my patience then) and if the bus driver didn't yell at them, threatening to kick them off the bus, i would have stood up and gave them a piece of my mind (not advisable). I would tell them whatever they're doing is so-not-cool (ala Paris Hilton accent, LOL).

They can only speak English (i bet it's full of grammatical errors & full of swear words) whereas i'm multi-lingua, I'm definitely smarter than them despite my size (brain matters) and I'm the only Chinese in the bus! What makes you cool is when you're different than others and that you have BRAINS.

Thank God my ordeal was over when these wannabe punks got off the bus earlier and i sure hope the boy wasn't traumatised. The brother tried so hard to protect him but obviously, he against a group of hooligans... Not a chance. Poor guy~ I would have stood up for the kids if they cross the line and i don't care even if it might cost me my life. Haha...so heroic pulak~ But you would've done the same if you're in my situation. I was playing over and over again scenes of me slapping them and giving them my Taekwondo treatment if they try something funny. Hilarious... LOL (according to Cle).

Living the American TV shows indeed...

Frustrating yet fruitful day. I'm not sure if i passed the "Patience test" God put me through.... hahaha

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Canberra trip












*For more pictures, check out my Facebook*

No longer Depress!

Despite the apple incident, i'm no longer depressed, thanks to Jesus! The Holy Spirit taught me something very important, even to those who don't believe it.

Always listen to announcements made on board, ESPECIALLY when it comes to things you can/cannot bring into that place. And don't listen to your IPod like me when announcements are made...

I've submitted my appeal to them (i made sure i made my friends proof-read it for me... can't leak out anything yet until the result's out lest i get into another trouble.) Wait for my good news then!

Another reason why I'm no longer depress...

Well, my exam results came out to be better than the last sem! Utterly shocking for me as i expected to to badly this time...hehehe... Seriously!! And i thought i'm gonna fail my Company Law... super duper unexpected....

My stay here in Tassie's now in it's final lap. When i think about the food and heat back home, can't wait to get back. But when i think about my friends and the beautiful land i've decided to call my second home, I don't wanna leave!!!

All good things must come to an end huh?

Saturday, June 14, 2008

1 Apple = RM360

I was super duper ultra depress yesterday. As i came back from Canberra to Tasmania in a fine mood on Friday the 13th, I was fined $120 (=RM360) for bringing in ONE (1) APPLE in TASMANIA. If you're planning to visit here, I suggest that you do not (!!) bring any food in, especially in your hand luggage lest you suffer the same fate I did.

The only options my fellow college mates told me was to write in an appeal letter to the authorities to waive this fine. I seriously have no idea all these things were prohibited as I brought it in with me from Sydney and Canberra to Melbourne.

So i hope my appeal letter would be APPEALING enough and i do hope God will have mercy on me, sparing me the $120 as He knows how I can't afford to pay RM360 for an apple.

Help me, God!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008



Freakin' COLD! Wind was howling!

Hobart from the top


*Disclaimer*
-Sorry, can't post too many pictures now. Will do it later-

Travelling light...

I'll be heading to Canberra for 4 days in another 40 minutes and i won't be able to blog for 4 days. (No internet access, sorry). After spending more than 2 weeks here in Hobart, i grew to love this place a lot and i don't really feel homesick at all, partly because there are so many Msian students around, thus all the Msian jokes and stories thrown around to annoy the other non-Msians during mealtimes in the cafeteria.

I haven't been posting photos lately, sorry. Been busy... haha!

Well, i was up on Mount Wellington yesterday.

Spectacular. Marvelous. Undescribable.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

There are a lot of things which i didn't understand about Msians studying abroad, and i am always very sceptical and critical on them. Questions like "why they never make the effort to mix around?", "rich kids, all they know is how to spend their parents' money like water" and the perception that most of them are spoilt brats were answered during my stay here in UTas.

I grew fond of them and i do understand their circumstances too. Not all of them are bad or bratty (a little but that's all) and they still accept all fellow Msians despite our backgrounds. Well, for me to elaborate on all the points i made above would take another day for me to do so. Let me just save my breath...

Everything is not like what we think it is.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Richmond

Getting colder and colder... i didn't wanna believe d ppl here when they said it'll get EVEN colder... n it's true! Was freezing yesterday, esp at nite! Thank God i survived d nite coz i was shivering even under my blanket... My dumb dumb heater x boleh pakai wan... Cis

There was this farewell thingy in Legal Practice (i'll post d pictures) and i was in Richmond yesterday. It was so............................................. BEAUTIFUL!! Words just can't describe it. Haha... impossible. You just got to see it yourself! (oso will post pictures)

Can't seem to type a lot now. Still groggy from sleep. The cold's and sun's been messing wif my system. Keep wanting to sleep coz of d dark n cold... huhu

Oh ya...Richmond. There were only 3 of us in d bus (me, Lina and Jason (Korean)). Jason's (aka Jae Shin) a really nice guy, chatty for a Korean and have been entertaining us with his traveler's stories. Took tons of picture together and he's been to India, working in Sydney on odd jobs, now in Hobart and next New Zealand. Haha... and he can eat for sure!! Asian guys here really can swallow a whole kangaroo down their throat...

Also followed Supa and Charlotte to Metz yesterday for a drink. On the way there, we got "bombed" with water by some punks! Sheesh~ I was lucky coz i was standing on the inside. Somehow, these white punks target Asians only... What racist!

ok...time for yucky dinner in cafe again!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

In the office. Andrew's d 1st guy at d laptop...

Sunrise

i know..!!!! FAT dy!!!!!!!ARGH!!!!!!


The musang/raccoon/possum/whatever...

Our neighbour 4 a week (Travis), b4 going back 2 Melbourne for good.


FAT

I'm getting fatter!!! OH NO!!!!!!!!!! The food here is really huge in portion and fattening (milk, cheese, oil, meat...) AIyo!!!! In Msia oso not like this!!!!!

Very SCARED dy!!!! *panic attack*

Overall, I'm getting better with the cold here already. I can bear with my hands being cold and numb as well as understanding the whole sentence when talking to an Aussie.

You see, when the Aussies speak normally, you can understand them but they have the tendency to speak fast and mumble when they get confortable with you. Bad news for me coz when i speak in my ultra Malaysian accent (with all d "lahs") both of us would be staring at each other and not understand what just happened....

This week had been boring and yet interesting. I spent my week here in the Legal Practice Centre, aka another chambering program for Aussie law grads. The people here seemed cold and formal at first (especially my fellow "cell" mates in the room) coz they're just busy with tons and tons of work.

But once you get to know them better, they're actually nice and funny! Andrew went bonkers today due to the accumulated stress and work. Haha... Another "cell" mate was Adrienne, very motherly and takes good care of us...

I also saw something like a cat but not a cat yesterday on the rubbish dump digging for food. It was too big and fat for a cat so first thought was "MUSANG!"...cute guy!! You know the Japanese cartoons, where they always draw a raccoon... Ya...something like that.

Another shocker came in d form of The Star online. Petrol gone up to RM2.70 per litre. Insane~ Everything go up but not our salary... How are we suppose to sustain ourselves? At least here in the small, slow and boring Hobart, the pay is extremely good!! Even a normal labourer at the construction site earns more than $2000!!!! Aussie $ summore le!!!

The Msian Government must be joking.

Looks like i'll have a good reason to go on diet when i'm back from Australia. Everyday eat roti saja... *sigh*

Monday, June 2, 2008

Pictures

Inside d Centre For Arts, UTas whr Legal Prac is

Lotsa birds (x idea wat species) @ Franklin Wharf


A fantastic view of Mount Wellington & the wharf


With new-found churchmates in Franklin Wharf


In Salamanca Market

Beauty and the Beast

Hobart and Tasmania are overall, a very beautiful place, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life. I haven't been to too many places but the view here is definitely breathtaking. God's creation certainly testifies all the way to the max in Tasmania.

It's getting really, really cold here (it was 3 degrees celsius this morning) and it was freezing. My room was so cold, everything else just felt like ice when you touch it. (My handphone, camera, cups etc). The thought of waking up and walking down to the faculty and to the city was impossible. I just didn't want to wake up!! And I don't know how long can my comforter keep me warm as it keeps getting colder and colder!! I've checked on Google and found out it's going to be 0c this Saturday! Oh dear... Help me survive the cold, Lord Jesus!

I've been walking a lot here in Hobart, more than I've ever walked in my entire life. To put the kilometres together, I think it can easily reach 30km. It might even be 50km!! Haha...crazy rite??!! When I had my scooter on I was complaining of the sun and rain. Now, I just wish I had something to transport me around instead of my legs. They've been aching and groaning for me to stop walking. Joints and bones were creaking already, especially in the cold. You would need to warm it up before you can start walking properly without the pain. Haha...

Legal Practice was a challenge today. We were given a legal pop quiz on 1st year subjects (i know!! I forgot everything) and tomorrow we'll be doing trust accounting (how exciting can that be...). We are to show ourselves at the office by 9am tomorrow morning too and I seriously wonder if I could pull that off....

In short, I don't think I am able to blog everything here so i'll let the pictures do the talking, aite?

G'day mate~

p.s. Oh yea, the title... Hobart's a beauty...i looked like beast from lack of sleep, being fat and bad hair day...