Some random pics first. Including a shuai ge I spotted on the bus... haha! Loads of them here... and another one with the sign "Wrong Way. Turn Back." Made for me... some ferry pics as well. Hehe and a rare pic of me eating pancake (almost gone) in Sydney's Pancake on the Rocks. See the winter coat I'm wearing? Haha... It's not warm enough!!! But I really like this one... =D



















NOTE: Reading the following section may take some time and patience. Thus, I suggest that you may read aloud to keep going till the end. Read the way you imagine I'd say it with my mouth and it'd be like I'm reading to you. Haha... Not a lot actually... =D

Hehe! PAISEH LA!!! I noe I have not come and done the updates that I'm supposed to do in the holidays, but u noe, when I got back from Sydney, I was so tired and believe it or not, I missed Gippsland! Haha... oh no...I'm becoming the true countryside girl...

So, wat updates shall I tell? So much! To prevent my dear friends from turning cross-eyed, I shall break down in parts. Good idea? Hee... So today, I shall tell about how I find Sydney and Melbourne different.

First, the transportation! Ok, amazingly, Australia's different states are really different. Like in Melbourne, there is the tram (u noe what is tram, my dear Singaporean mates?) Well well, tram is something like a bus without wheels but goes where there are tracks on the ROAD and has some wire attached to their top and yeah, go see wikipedia for answers if u still dunno. Anyway, where was I... Oh transport. So in Melbourne, there's also trains. Trams ≠ trains. And there's buses...In Sydney, I thought there'll be just buses and trains, but no no... more than that! Got ferry! And there's double-decked trains and monorail! But I will say Sentosa's monorail from the past is better than Sydney's one...

And then of course, the buses, which I accidentally hopped on wrongly one fine day. You see, on the third day of travelling from my cousin's place to the city area by myself, I forgot all BUT ONE bus will take me there and I quickly crossed the road with this beautiful lady chasing the bus when traffic light turns green and next thing I know, the bus took a turn that it's not supposed to turn! Uh-oh... yes, wrong bus. Got down. Crossed road. Tried to take another bus to the city cos I know I'm quite near city, BUT only got that bus! And I tried walking backwards... and then, I realised it's kinda like a highway and no more backwards to walk to. So juz anyhow jalan jalan till I reached a bus-stop. And I saw more than one bus available there! Hehe...but when the bus came, driver said that the bus doesn't go to where I'd like to go, though it gets into the city. So nvm la, juz take. And then got down in city and took out map and walked to the museum... hai... so I woke up early planned to reach museum at 9.30am but reached at 10.30am... Oh well, at least haha I didn't get THAT lost! Hee... I agree when mum and dad and yen are so doubtful when I suggested I MAY need to drive to city every Monday. Will tell that story another day...

So yeah, haha, besides tram, trains, bus, ferry, I also took PLANE!!! Jetstar from Melbourne to Sydney and return as well. And you know what? Haha, you walk on the plane and down the plane like president!!! Haha... cool huh? But I was still tense when I took the plane. About an hour's ride from between the two cities... And Shunwen who took with me to Sydney kept asking if I'm ok when I was on the plane. Haha...come to think of it, I must have looked stressed up.

Last thing about the transport, and I'm so proud to say that I didn't get lost when I came back from Sydney, is that I can change 6 times in 1 day! From my cousin's place in Sydney, I took bus to city central. Then I met Shunwen, who helped me with my luggage on the train (double-decked =D and we sat on the top deck! Hee...). Then, I reached the airport and had to say good-bye to her. Well, she's a really really nice person... I was a bit of PMS when we were in Melbourne and Sydney and I feel a bit bad that dunno if I was too moody during the trips, but she's forever nice and mild. Ok, not very good cos will get bullied! But yeah, feel like some things just have to leave to fate. Who would have imagined I will meet her 6 years after graduation in Australia? =) So yeah, she was nice to have sent me off cos I panicked a little at check-in though my luggage was underweight (not overweight = underweight) and helped me got through the procedure by being with me. And then took the plane and it was delayed! I was really scared cos I planned my journey to be that I would catch the last bus back to my place (which is at 6.30pm. Yeah transport in countryside has always been a debatable issue...) So yeah, scared! And rushed to the bus when I was at the airport. See, the airport for budget airline in Melboure is different from the one people usually arrive at. It's the Avalon airport, which is damn ULU!!! All around the airport is just land. Plain land. Flat land. So, the panic is that if I happen to miss the airport bus, which is scheduled in accordance to each flight, I'd miss the train and bus back! But lucky, it's FOR the flights' passengers (but must pay la...) so the driver waited for us. And then the train! If I miss that, then I'd cry. Haha ok la won't cry but will have to wait for about an hour for the next one, so I went to the ATM machine (yeah, ppl, nxt time you travel, just keep lots of cash here and there so you won't encounter this...) cos I have no more cash! And the ATM not from my bank so to withdraw from there will have service charge! But no choice, so I withdrew money from there to buy train tickets and the weather is so damn cold! So I had to pee... and with one big luggage and a mini luggage (no other bags la... I travel light now... haha... in comparison to my past standards...) I just left it outside the cubicle when I was doin my business. Really, to travel alone, I will try not to if I can... Then had to take long strides to catch the train. And almost hopped on wrong train... Ok, to justify myself, there are 14 platforms ok! And they sometimes change train platforms last minute... but got on the right one. Oh speaking of platforms, haha I think of Harry Potter! King's Cross station...Hogwart's Express! Haha... I just finished the seventh book... Oh gosh, didn't feel like reading the last book when I bought last year. I received it when it was first out, but kept till now... Oh well... Not the best happy ending for me but I still think it's great. Ok, back to transport in Victoria state. Haha... so got on the scheduled train and when I also managed to catch the last bus to reach the place where I live, which is Monash Residentials...

Haha, realised this whole thing you are reading is just "First,..."? Ok, I've decided to come up with "Second,..." the next time. Promise it will be soon =D Last but not least, I really miss home. Miss family and friends and Singapore's hot weather (haha, ok, to be with you all I have to love the weather as well...). Before I end, have to jio ppl to join Singapore Marathon on Dec 7! Haha... I called Mak Kar Heng that day and he was saying Yiwei and Kaijie also asked him! Wah seh! We all telepathy ah! Haha... so yeah, I'm joining and contact Karheng to join together la. Haha I dunno how we'd finish 42+km but I suppose we can. Last year, I was at city hall when they ran and some ppl juz took cab, others took bus. So I suppose this is the backup plan, but I'm going gym now, so hopefully we can use our legs till the end. I miss all of you!!! *Muacks*

Luv,
Me