Gosh, you know the week prior to leaving I just couldn't sleep. I was so nervous and jittery. I even woke up early in the mornings! And I love to sleep in, so you see how bad I was... I just felt so scared, the reality was sinking in, I was really going. I felt like postponing my flight.
But I did all I had to do. And if I haven't, well stuff it. See you next year.
A very close girl first cousin of mine gave me an indesructible torchlight, Fenix brand (made in China but they're supposed to be bloody good). And her friend gave me a portable digital weighing scale, great for weighing my bags. I don't know how my cousin does it but she does. She gives me such awfully useful presents. For my birthday she gave me a Lonely Planet for Australia. My other cuz even knitted me (yes knitted) a scarf from some lurvely soft wool. It's too precious, I don't feel like using it on my trip. But I must, in her honour.
I was kinda disoriented entering the arrival hall. There was a long queue to get out cos I'd brought food (pineapple tarts, dried ikan bilis (anchovies) and dodol). But everything got through fine. I had packed all my food in the same place in one bag and replied confidently that's all the food I had on me. They were concerned about things in sachets though, they kept asking me, 'Have you any sweets? Any pre-mix stuff in sachets, like 3-in-1s?' Which I thought was pretty weird cos I figured, well that stuff must be pretty well processed and sterile no? I know they're fussy about stuff with milk in it but 3-in-1s might not even contain any cos it usually uses palm oil as a milk substitute (yes that's right - learn to read labels... or subscribe to the Consumers Association of Penang's (CAP) newsletter). Later I learnt the concern is that its been a method to traffic drugs. So remember that when you visit Australia.
The phone line I got here is pretty amazing. It's GoTalk prepaid. It's half an Oz cent to call Malaysia, 24 hours, to landline or handphone. I can't even call Malaysia from Malaysia for that price. OK granted, there's a surcharge of 30 Oz cents per call, but so what... cakap lagi lama jer lah baru berbaloi (just talk for longer and make it worth it)...
Like I said earlier, I was disoriented when I arrived. Walked into the Optus shop (another handphone line provider - they're good if you want to use the internet a lot on your phone), the visitors centre (which is the first shop you see when you arrive -how thoughtful). I took a free 'This Week in Melbourne' booklet which had a city map and the train and tram networks (yes they have trams here, macam San Francisco). Of course my eyes were trained for all things FREE. There's a City Centre tram line which is free. I think the whole ride takes about 10 min. There's a free city bus tour with commentary and that takes about an hour and a half. Looked around the shops in the airport. OK so a 6-inch Subway sandwich is about 4 dollars 95 not including tax. So not so bad lah, boleh hidup lagi.
Called my chief hostess, a Colombian, who was frigging worried about me cos I called her only about 4 hours after I told her my plane would land. Kan I told you, disoriented. She came to pick me up from the airport with her housemate, bless them. When I got to their home which is a nice little 2-storey 3-bedroom house in Essendon, about 22km away, the other housemate was there to greet me. The longest at least one of the girls have been living here is about 3 years. They all work with children who have disabilities. The two girls who picked me up at the airport work for a company that has a facility with all the necessary equipment and staff to do therapy and the like, while the other housemate works with the Oz government. Her specialty is music therapy. Her department contracts the company of the other 2 girls to provide their services to the needy public.
I chose a couch to call my own, its a brown soft leather type. The girls gave me a bedsheet and a towel. I said I'd use my sleeping bag as a selimut. I got a tour of the house. Then a friend of the girls who lives nearby (Corinna) dropped by with some drinks. I'd gotten some chocs for the girls from the duty-free so it was becoming like a real party. Anyway it was a Sunday ya. We sat outside on their covered verandah. The roof was in the shape of the zinc roofs we have at home, the undulating types you know, only theirs was made of clear plastic. Which is an idea I like. Let's the sunshine in.
We drove out to town, to Melbourne's CBD (central business district - aku pun baru learnt this term from the Lonely Planet) to this place upstairs an intermediate lot on icantremember street. Its called Workshop, it was roofless on the verandah, they played music which reminded me of Casa Del Mar AND they had a free BBQ. You'd never find it though cos it hasn't a sign outside. Can't figure why but Michelle says all the good places in Melbourne are like that. Hidden away. Have to go behind a building, down some little lorong or other... oh how I'm glad I'm staying with locals...
Slept in the car on the way home.
