We have a practical test tomorrow, the final piece of assessment for Biomedical Parasitology and then its one course down and three more to go!
Pulex irritans - Human flea
Pediculus capitis - Human head lice
Plasmodium spp. - Malaria
Enterobius vernicularis - Human pinworm, (Female pokes its head out of your butt at night and lays its eggs...)
I remember when I was barbequing some steaks during a short holiday in Alice Spring, I was practically naming all the kinds of bacteria, worms and protozoa cysts that can possibly be found in the meat... And I still want my steak medium to medium rare. =D Well, that's the best way to bring out the flavour!
Xeonpsylla cheopis - Oriental rat flea, famous for spreading the pathogen Yersinia pestis or the black death causing plague
Pediculus humanus - Clothes lice, known to spread a few diseases, notably trench fever
Toxoplasma gondii - Quite prevalent in the human population, dangerous to catch it if one is pregnant...
Fasciola heptica - Sheep liver fluke, nasty little worm that infects humans as well
Someone once said that human beings are strange creatures of habit; what do I mean? Well, more often than not, we like to perform certain actions not because its an economy on energy or money, but simply because we are just used to doing things that way. Sometimes we just do stuff out of habit, without going through too much of our thought processes. And after many years, we just get too comfortable with these set of routine, we might just refuse (violently or not) any thoughful or useful changes made by somebody else for our own convenience.
I had refused useful changes or suggestions to my routine by thoughtful people before; and I would just like to say that most times, one should keep an open mind and perspective and not be too confined or boxed in by the "comfortable" routines/habits of our lives. Just keep one's ears open, who knows, that suggestion might actually be a great idea to save cost or time on the way we may have been doing certain things for years!
Ctenocephalides felis - Cat and dog flea that can be a vector for Dipylidium canium (dog tapeworm)
Bovicola ovis - Sheep body louse, huge production loss in wool when infected
Trypanosoma brucei - Causes sleeping sickness in human and cattle, nasty little parasite..
Dipylidium canium - Dog tapeworm, infects humans as well! Great way to lose weight! Right...
Right, now back to my notes.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Unwritten
This is a rather relaxing week for me thus far; just finished a major exam for one of the courses last Friday, and most of the lectures this week don't seem to be examinable, well or perhaps its just that I feel more relaxed since the exam. ;) Am now left with 1 parasitology practical test next week and 3 written examinations in November, and after that, provided I pass all my courses, and I am a university graduate! Woo! Hehe. And when I was younger, I used to wonder if I would ever be able to enroll into and graduate from a university. Guess I'm going to sort of fulfill some life goal of mine in a couple of months time.
Been thinking about all the kind of food in Singapore that I've been missing all these while; in fact, I miss all the kinds of food in Singapore, be it hokkien, teochew, hainanese, cantonese, malay and indian crusines, and even those that are imported like the japanese, korean, thai and indonesian crusines. The last time round I went back to Singapore, I got fatter! Must've been from binge eating all those kind of food I've been missing... =S
Being overseas for the large majority of the year has given me a unique insight of well, not just myself, but also the environment and people around me. Am I developing an attachment for Brisbane or Australia? Well, no, for the simple reason that not everybody I know in Singapore are here. ;) If I were to look at everybody I got to know more about in Brisbane, I would be able to find at least one thing from each of them worth learning from, be it something worth emulating or something that I should learn as an example not to follow. I guess it is the same everywhere, everybody we get to know or meet have at least one thing to teach or let us learn as an example of.
Heh. I realised today that for the past 3 years of my life, I've not really slept in my own room for more than 10 months perhaps? I guess this will increase for the next year, if I do manage to get a placing to do honours. Ah well, c'est la vie, c'est la vie.
Been thinking about all the kind of food in Singapore that I've been missing all these while; in fact, I miss all the kinds of food in Singapore, be it hokkien, teochew, hainanese, cantonese, malay and indian crusines, and even those that are imported like the japanese, korean, thai and indonesian crusines. The last time round I went back to Singapore, I got fatter! Must've been from binge eating all those kind of food I've been missing... =S
Being overseas for the large majority of the year has given me a unique insight of well, not just myself, but also the environment and people around me. Am I developing an attachment for Brisbane or Australia? Well, no, for the simple reason that not everybody I know in Singapore are here. ;) If I were to look at everybody I got to know more about in Brisbane, I would be able to find at least one thing from each of them worth learning from, be it something worth emulating or something that I should learn as an example not to follow. I guess it is the same everywhere, everybody we get to know or meet have at least one thing to teach or let us learn as an example of.
Heh. I realised today that for the past 3 years of my life, I've not really slept in my own room for more than 10 months perhaps? I guess this will increase for the next year, if I do manage to get a placing to do honours. Ah well, c'est la vie, c'est la vie.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Man and his dissonance with immortality
I may be touching on a rather sensitive topic here, and I probably sound like a hypocrite by writing about my thoughts regarding this topic, but then again, these are just my thoughts and observations. So read on, but don’t judge me for it, for we are after all, only human. ;)
I sometimes wonder why people feel sad or grief at the death of someone they are close to or somebody they know. Well, granted that I haven’t had someone I know well or am close to die yet, but I still wonder. Is it because being alive is much better than being dead? If it is so, then why are there more complaints in life than there are thanksgivings? All around us in nature, death is but a normal and, to a lot of organisms, an essential part of life. Bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and all carnivores, humans included, (The only exclusion being plants and certain chloroparasites) require the death of a life form to continue their own. In a sense, we “kill” to eat.
If one believes in an eternal God, an eternal life and a perfect resurrection (These are just some central beliefs in Christianity), then why should there mourning in death? Is it because we’ll miss the person? Or is it more likely we harbour a selfish emotion within us that still want that person in our lives, for our own fulfillment, whether we truly appreciate and love the person when he/she is living or not. But then again, this emotion is redundant. For if we truly believe in an eternal life after resurrection, we’ll have forever, an unlimited amount of time to spend with that individual. So in theory, an eternal life after one die is all nice and dandy, barring the circumstances surrounding the death of that individual.
Perhaps there is another reason why we’re all so sad; that man is essentially an immortal soul trapped within an all so mortal body. We feel disunited from death because our imperishable souls cannot fully comprehend or grasp the concept of a permanent death. To man (Who are essentially immortal souls combined with a body), we cannot reconcile death as part of a supposed eternal life. Perhaps that is why death is such a sad thing, for we think then that a person is forever gone; but at a spiritual level, it clashes (Subconsciously we just feel sad when somebody we know passes away) because we are just not meant to die.
Here, I would like end with a quote from Philip Yancey in his book “I was just Wondering”: “According to the biblical view of humanity, it is natural that we blush at excretion or draw back from death. Such actions seem odd because they are odd. In all of earth, there are no exact parallels of spirit and immortality housed in matter. The discomfiture we feel may be our most accurate human sensation, reminding us that we are not quite ‘at home’ here.”
(This article is written based on the assumption that all man has a soul, and that soul is imperishable. It is also based on the assumption that there is another, better life after death, and the author personally thinks that if there is no life after his physical death, then there is no point in living)
I sometimes wonder why people feel sad or grief at the death of someone they are close to or somebody they know. Well, granted that I haven’t had someone I know well or am close to die yet, but I still wonder. Is it because being alive is much better than being dead? If it is so, then why are there more complaints in life than there are thanksgivings? All around us in nature, death is but a normal and, to a lot of organisms, an essential part of life. Bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and all carnivores, humans included, (The only exclusion being plants and certain chloroparasites) require the death of a life form to continue their own. In a sense, we “kill” to eat.
If one believes in an eternal God, an eternal life and a perfect resurrection (These are just some central beliefs in Christianity), then why should there mourning in death? Is it because we’ll miss the person? Or is it more likely we harbour a selfish emotion within us that still want that person in our lives, for our own fulfillment, whether we truly appreciate and love the person when he/she is living or not. But then again, this emotion is redundant. For if we truly believe in an eternal life after resurrection, we’ll have forever, an unlimited amount of time to spend with that individual. So in theory, an eternal life after one die is all nice and dandy, barring the circumstances surrounding the death of that individual.
Perhaps there is another reason why we’re all so sad; that man is essentially an immortal soul trapped within an all so mortal body. We feel disunited from death because our imperishable souls cannot fully comprehend or grasp the concept of a permanent death. To man (Who are essentially immortal souls combined with a body), we cannot reconcile death as part of a supposed eternal life. Perhaps that is why death is such a sad thing, for we think then that a person is forever gone; but at a spiritual level, it clashes (Subconsciously we just feel sad when somebody we know passes away) because we are just not meant to die.
Here, I would like end with a quote from Philip Yancey in his book “I was just Wondering”: “According to the biblical view of humanity, it is natural that we blush at excretion or draw back from death. Such actions seem odd because they are odd. In all of earth, there are no exact parallels of spirit and immortality housed in matter. The discomfiture we feel may be our most accurate human sensation, reminding us that we are not quite ‘at home’ here.”
(This article is written based on the assumption that all man has a soul, and that soul is imperishable. It is also based on the assumption that there is another, better life after death, and the author personally thinks that if there is no life after his physical death, then there is no point in living)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Stayin' Alive
I am still alive. ;) Well, if you have been following my Facebook status, it has been raining for the past couple of days, although yesterday was relatively dry. (Until evening that is) The rain started on Monday evening, after our poster presentation. We got drenched on Tuesday and each got an umbrella (By various means). Our internet connection has been suspended, will see if we can resolve and get the connection back by next week, otherwise for the time being, I will once again resort to going to the library at nights to use the internet.
This is the 12th week of my academic semester already. Wow, that's fast! Next week will be the last week of academic lectures and we will enter into June, the whole period of end semestral examinations. Still have a couple of assignments to complete before June though, but am already used to the work flow here. Just a little strange that just when I am getting used to it, the exams are coming. ;)
The days are getting colder (Don't know how many times I have said that already) and most of the time, when the alarm (Courtesy of Siang Yew) sounds, I just feel like rolling over my bed and continue sleeping. (Of course, after muting the alarm first) After your body heat has warmed the sheets and pillow, you wouldn't want to get out anymore. =P People in Singapore would love the weather here now, but one must consider that one would only appreciate cold weather if you just arrived from a much warmer place. If you had been here for the past few months and had acclimatised to the weather here, you wouldn't be too thankful of the cold weather. ;)
When I was younger, I often thought it would be so great if I could just get into a university to study. I used to think that university students are so awesome and all-knowing. Well, now that I am here, that feeling has sort of changed. Is it because I am finally one of them that I have such thoughts? Perhaps, but now I am more impressed by some of the professors in the university, their knowledge, their remarkable acumen in their research and of course by some of their credentials.
Am going to go to Port Lincoln after my exams end on the 24th of June! It is near Adelaide, South Australia. Have an appointment with some great white sharks on the 29th of June, Monday! Going for a cage diving trip and I am quite looking forward to it, extra motivation for examinations. Well, to those who think that it is dangerous and to those who are hoping that I get eaten up by the shark or something [Russell, I know you are thinking it if you are reading this. ;)], let me assure you that it is completely safe. Divers (Technically speaking, it is not even diving) would enter a cage on a boat, and shut themselves in. Then the cage would be lowered by a cable to just below the surface. As no diving certification is required for this event, I don't think we would be lowered very deep. And of course, some of you would qualm at the fact that the sharks can break through the cage (Like in Jaws), well, the operator that we (Eby and I are going for this) booked with have been operating for 18 years. If there is a high risk or high incidents of tourist accidents, I don't think they would have lasted that long. ;) Furthermore, we are not even going that deep, only 2-4 feet (That's 1.3m maximum!) so I see no reason for any fear. And great white sharks only attack humans who swim on the surface because they look like seals. In this instance, they can see my 4 limbs flailing away, so I don't think they would have any incentive to attack.
Hehe. I seem to be an advocate of diving (Cage or otherwise) nowadays. Well, it it just that quite a few people in my life seem to think that I am in mortal peril whenever I go SCUBA diving, that I feel a need to explain that it is of no danger at all (Unless I dive when I am sick/drunk or didn't follow the safety rules) and that sharks don't attack every humans in sight. In fact, humans are probably the worst meal a shark can ever taste, because their normal diet are so much fatter than us! (Unless you are talking about herbivorous sharks) And statistically speaking, I am more likely to get into a motor accident than in a diving accident!
Okay, I guess that is enough said about the topic. SSee you again some other time! ;)
This is the 12th week of my academic semester already. Wow, that's fast! Next week will be the last week of academic lectures and we will enter into June, the whole period of end semestral examinations. Still have a couple of assignments to complete before June though, but am already used to the work flow here. Just a little strange that just when I am getting used to it, the exams are coming. ;)
The days are getting colder (Don't know how many times I have said that already) and most of the time, when the alarm (Courtesy of Siang Yew) sounds, I just feel like rolling over my bed and continue sleeping. (Of course, after muting the alarm first) After your body heat has warmed the sheets and pillow, you wouldn't want to get out anymore. =P People in Singapore would love the weather here now, but one must consider that one would only appreciate cold weather if you just arrived from a much warmer place. If you had been here for the past few months and had acclimatised to the weather here, you wouldn't be too thankful of the cold weather. ;)
When I was younger, I often thought it would be so great if I could just get into a university to study. I used to think that university students are so awesome and all-knowing. Well, now that I am here, that feeling has sort of changed. Is it because I am finally one of them that I have such thoughts? Perhaps, but now I am more impressed by some of the professors in the university, their knowledge, their remarkable acumen in their research and of course by some of their credentials.
Am going to go to Port Lincoln after my exams end on the 24th of June! It is near Adelaide, South Australia. Have an appointment with some great white sharks on the 29th of June, Monday! Going for a cage diving trip and I am quite looking forward to it, extra motivation for examinations. Well, to those who think that it is dangerous and to those who are hoping that I get eaten up by the shark or something [Russell, I know you are thinking it if you are reading this. ;)], let me assure you that it is completely safe. Divers (Technically speaking, it is not even diving) would enter a cage on a boat, and shut themselves in. Then the cage would be lowered by a cable to just below the surface. As no diving certification is required for this event, I don't think we would be lowered very deep. And of course, some of you would qualm at the fact that the sharks can break through the cage (Like in Jaws), well, the operator that we (Eby and I are going for this) booked with have been operating for 18 years. If there is a high risk or high incidents of tourist accidents, I don't think they would have lasted that long. ;) Furthermore, we are not even going that deep, only 2-4 feet (That's 1.3m maximum!) so I see no reason for any fear. And great white sharks only attack humans who swim on the surface because they look like seals. In this instance, they can see my 4 limbs flailing away, so I don't think they would have any incentive to attack.
Hehe. I seem to be an advocate of diving (Cage or otherwise) nowadays. Well, it it just that quite a few people in my life seem to think that I am in mortal peril whenever I go SCUBA diving, that I feel a need to explain that it is of no danger at all (Unless I dive when I am sick/drunk or didn't follow the safety rules) and that sharks don't attack every humans in sight. In fact, humans are probably the worst meal a shark can ever taste, because their normal diet are so much fatter than us! (Unless you are talking about herbivorous sharks) And statistically speaking, I am more likely to get into a motor accident than in a diving accident!
Okay, I guess that is enough said about the topic. SSee you again some other time! ;)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The warmth on my back and the cold sting on my face
It is 0930h in Brisbane, 0730h in Singapore, was trying to say "Hi" to a couple of people I saw online in Singapore, but they did not reply, I guess their computers were either switched on throughout the night and they are still asleep. ;) Am in the physical sciences and engineering library now (Seems like there are more engineering stuff here though) and typing this. Lecture ended about 30 minutes ago and we have another lecture in another 1.5 hours time. We had a test just yesterday, the funniest thing about this mid semester test is that the questions has been the same for the last 4, no wait make that 5 years (Including this year), but the snag is that there are so many things to memorise for the test!
I must admit though, I wasn't thoroughly prepared for the test as I would had expected to be. There was supposed to be 2 tests but I wasn't fully prepared for both, so should I be thankful that one of them was postponed (Due to unusual circumstances)? Ha, but the most ironic thing is that the postponed date is the same date as Part B of the test that I did manage to take today. Hehe, so I ended up taking the tests of both those courses together on the same day. What are the odds. I guess this is some sort of a second chance for me eh?
The days are getting colder, as I had mentioned in my previous post. The temperature now is about the low 20s in degrees celsius. Okay sidetracked a little, for a few years now, I had always thought that the SI unit for temperature is in celsius, however, when I went to Wikipedia to check out the word "celsius", I learn that the SI unit is actually "K" or "Kelvin"! Now, back to track... Well, I guess people in Singapore would just tell me "Good what! Better than the baking oven in Singapore.", and perhaps some of them do thrive better under such cooler conditions. But I think I would prefer the "baking oven" so that I could better appreciate the coolness of the air-conditioned room and the windiness of the fan.
Well, to those who do not know, but are interested to know what I am studying... I am in a program (Its called a degree program, not a degree course here) called Bachelor of Science (Such a broad term, the word "Science" eh?). The particular courses (Another naming difference, in Singapore it is known as modules) that I am doing entitles me to 2 possible majors. One is Biomedical Science and the other is Microbiology. Biomedical Science by itself is a very broad field, I don't even know how to explain it fully myself, Microbiology, however, is simply the study of microbes. ;) (Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi) After this academic year (Which ends in November), I should have my Bachelor of Science majoring in either of this field.
The previous paragraph sounds like a space filler, haha. Okay, for these few weeks, I have to finish up on my virology practical reports. (By mid-May I suppose), the 2 tests, a research assignment to be made into something like a scientific poster (By end of 18th of May) and that would be it for May I suppose. Doesn't sound like a lot right? Hehe. I've always wondered if it is possible to fill up one's computer with school work, but I guess not. I usually find my computer filled up with games. (I only brought one from Singapore!) Perhaps before I end off, I would just like to make a comment about something that we see quite common on Singapore roads...
We always like to poke fun at Singaporean drivers that they would always slow down near accident sites to look at what's going on. Some would call it nosy or in hokkien, kaypo. And we would always complain that that is a bad habit of most Singaporean drivers. Well, guess what? That habit is international! Hehe. About a month back, when we (Eby and I) were near the Gold Coast area, there was suddenly a congestion! I thought that was quite unusual, seeing that it was not peak hours yet, but when I look into the distance, I saw what looks like people clearing up from an accident! Ha! Evidence that it is not just Singaporean drivers! Soon after, we passed by the accident site and the road was clear after that! (Actually the accident was long over, some people were just picking up some debris from the road.)
So I guess it doesn't just happen in Singapore eh? ;) All right, that is all for now. I will be going for my last lecture for the day soon. Will post some other time then!
I must admit though, I wasn't thoroughly prepared for the test as I would had expected to be. There was supposed to be 2 tests but I wasn't fully prepared for both, so should I be thankful that one of them was postponed (Due to unusual circumstances)? Ha, but the most ironic thing is that the postponed date is the same date as Part B of the test that I did manage to take today. Hehe, so I ended up taking the tests of both those courses together on the same day. What are the odds. I guess this is some sort of a second chance for me eh?
The days are getting colder, as I had mentioned in my previous post. The temperature now is about the low 20s in degrees celsius. Okay sidetracked a little, for a few years now, I had always thought that the SI unit for temperature is in celsius, however, when I went to Wikipedia to check out the word "celsius", I learn that the SI unit is actually "K" or "Kelvin"! Now, back to track... Well, I guess people in Singapore would just tell me "Good what! Better than the baking oven in Singapore.", and perhaps some of them do thrive better under such cooler conditions. But I think I would prefer the "baking oven" so that I could better appreciate the coolness of the air-conditioned room and the windiness of the fan.
Well, to those who do not know, but are interested to know what I am studying... I am in a program (Its called a degree program, not a degree course here) called Bachelor of Science (Such a broad term, the word "Science" eh?). The particular courses (Another naming difference, in Singapore it is known as modules) that I am doing entitles me to 2 possible majors. One is Biomedical Science and the other is Microbiology. Biomedical Science by itself is a very broad field, I don't even know how to explain it fully myself, Microbiology, however, is simply the study of microbes. ;) (Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi) After this academic year (Which ends in November), I should have my Bachelor of Science majoring in either of this field.
The previous paragraph sounds like a space filler, haha. Okay, for these few weeks, I have to finish up on my virology practical reports. (By mid-May I suppose), the 2 tests, a research assignment to be made into something like a scientific poster (By end of 18th of May) and that would be it for May I suppose. Doesn't sound like a lot right? Hehe. I've always wondered if it is possible to fill up one's computer with school work, but I guess not. I usually find my computer filled up with games. (I only brought one from Singapore!) Perhaps before I end off, I would just like to make a comment about something that we see quite common on Singapore roads...
We always like to poke fun at Singaporean drivers that they would always slow down near accident sites to look at what's going on. Some would call it nosy or in hokkien, kaypo. And we would always complain that that is a bad habit of most Singaporean drivers. Well, guess what? That habit is international! Hehe. About a month back, when we (Eby and I) were near the Gold Coast area, there was suddenly a congestion! I thought that was quite unusual, seeing that it was not peak hours yet, but when I look into the distance, I saw what looks like people clearing up from an accident! Ha! Evidence that it is not just Singaporean drivers! Soon after, we passed by the accident site and the road was clear after that! (Actually the accident was long over, some people were just picking up some debris from the road.)
So I guess it doesn't just happen in Singapore eh? ;) All right, that is all for now. I will be going for my last lecture for the day soon. Will post some other time then!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
冷雨
Later in the week ended up becoming later next month. ;) Weather is becoming colder nowadays, my hands and feet are normally quite chilled, rain is quite frequent as well. And the rain is usually quite cold! But I guess the Australians are generally happier about the rain, because it might mean an end to the drought. But I think I should consider getting an umbrella soon, have been getting soaked more often than I would have liked.
Have a few assignments and practical write-ups that I need to clear within the next 2 weeks, so I guess I would be holed up in my room for the next few days until I clear them. (I'd better be doing that!) This coming week is a Easter break and next week is a year 3 study free week, so there would no classes for the next couple of weeks. After that would be 2 mid-semester exams and that would be the end of April and the start of the next half of the semester. Sounds pretty fast eh? ;)
My sister gave birth to baby Emma just last week on the 2nd of April! Her name is derived from the Hebrew word Immanuel, in Chinese its "以马内利", which means "God with us". I think it is a beautiful name, and I hope that as Emma grows, that she not just know the meaning of her name, but also live in the knowledge that God is indeed with her.
All right, I think that should be enough for now. Shall update another time!
Have a few assignments and practical write-ups that I need to clear within the next 2 weeks, so I guess I would be holed up in my room for the next few days until I clear them. (I'd better be doing that!) This coming week is a Easter break and next week is a year 3 study free week, so there would no classes for the next couple of weeks. After that would be 2 mid-semester exams and that would be the end of April and the start of the next half of the semester. Sounds pretty fast eh? ;)
My sister gave birth to baby Emma just last week on the 2nd of April! Her name is derived from the Hebrew word Immanuel, in Chinese its "以马内利", which means "God with us". I think it is a beautiful name, and I hope that as Emma grows, that she not just know the meaning of her name, but also live in the knowledge that God is indeed with her.
All right, I think that should be enough for now. Shall update another time!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Little Joys
I managed to take a few photos of the places I walk by or see daily, but I don't think it is enough to give an adequate picture of how this place looks like, but ah well, I guess you guys reading out there will just have to be satisfied with these. ;)
This is Forgan Smith Building, one of the most prominent buildings in the university. Of course it is bigger than what this photo shows; this is only the center potion.
This is a photo of the pathway which we would walk into the university take at night. I think it was close to midnight when I took this photo. Well, Eby and I were in the library that night, using the internet access from the library. Yes, one thing interesting about the library is that it opens till midnight on weekdays! I think I know where to go if I want to study in peace at nights...
This is the pathway leading up to our apartment, haha, I just realised that I have not taken a photo of our apartment either! Ah well, will take it if I remember.
Did I forgot to mention that there is a swimming pool in front of the apartment? Just like a condo eh? There is also a BBQ pit, but the swimming pool is more like a waterhole; it is so small! Haven't seen the point in swimming there, so don't think I will do that...
Quite a lot of people tell me that I seem to be enjoying myself here. Well, that is sort of true, if it wasn't for the fact that I miss a lot of people in Singapore. These activities and outings are just that, to tourist attractions. I mean if I were to come here to study and stay in my apartment the whole day to mug and people were to ask me:
"Hey Terence, you were in Brisbane eh? So did you visit Gold Coast or the Great Barrier Reef?"
"Nope, stayed in the university and my apartment most of the time. Why leh?"
"Wah... You study in Australia and never bother to go out and take a look at the country or the attractions, how can?"
Of course I am not here for just fun and games, but I believe there has to be a balance between work and play/relaxation. Going to Gold Coast, diving in the Great Barrier Reefs... These are stuff that we can only do if we slog and save up from or work over time and take a nice long vacation. I mean, since I am here studying, and it is not that expensive to take a bus ride or rent a car to take a look, and as long as I do it within my budget, it shouldn't be a problem now is it? Anyway, these activities usually amounts to one Saturdays, so don't worry about it taking up too much of my time. ;)
Not that I am ranting at people who seem to think that I am enjoying myself here; I do enjoy studying, and studying after a 3 years break, I find myself enjoying it more and more. The activities here are fun, but at the end of the day, when I lie down to sleep, the fact that I am so far away from everybody else I know comes crashing down on me and I just feel so alone.
I guess that is one of the things that international students have to face I suppose. Now I know how those international students that we see in Singapore feel, being so far away from everyone they know and are familiar with, in a foreign land with different customs and cultures. As well as being in a place that is suddenly filled with food that is so different and prices that are so steep. Ah well, I guess I shall stop here. Will blog another time, perhaps later in the week. ;)
This is Forgan Smith Building, one of the most prominent buildings in the university. Of course it is bigger than what this photo shows; this is only the center potion.
This is a photo of the pathway which we would walk into the university take at night. I think it was close to midnight when I took this photo. Well, Eby and I were in the library that night, using the internet access from the library. Yes, one thing interesting about the library is that it opens till midnight on weekdays! I think I know where to go if I want to study in peace at nights...
This is the pathway leading up to our apartment, haha, I just realised that I have not taken a photo of our apartment either! Ah well, will take it if I remember.
Did I forgot to mention that there is a swimming pool in front of the apartment? Just like a condo eh? There is also a BBQ pit, but the swimming pool is more like a waterhole; it is so small! Haven't seen the point in swimming there, so don't think I will do that...Quite a lot of people tell me that I seem to be enjoying myself here. Well, that is sort of true, if it wasn't for the fact that I miss a lot of people in Singapore. These activities and outings are just that, to tourist attractions. I mean if I were to come here to study and stay in my apartment the whole day to mug and people were to ask me:
"Hey Terence, you were in Brisbane eh? So did you visit Gold Coast or the Great Barrier Reef?"
"Nope, stayed in the university and my apartment most of the time. Why leh?"
"Wah... You study in Australia and never bother to go out and take a look at the country or the attractions, how can?"
Of course I am not here for just fun and games, but I believe there has to be a balance between work and play/relaxation. Going to Gold Coast, diving in the Great Barrier Reefs... These are stuff that we can only do if we slog and save up from or work over time and take a nice long vacation. I mean, since I am here studying, and it is not that expensive to take a bus ride or rent a car to take a look, and as long as I do it within my budget, it shouldn't be a problem now is it? Anyway, these activities usually amounts to one Saturdays, so don't worry about it taking up too much of my time. ;)
Not that I am ranting at people who seem to think that I am enjoying myself here; I do enjoy studying, and studying after a 3 years break, I find myself enjoying it more and more. The activities here are fun, but at the end of the day, when I lie down to sleep, the fact that I am so far away from everybody else I know comes crashing down on me and I just feel so alone.
I guess that is one of the things that international students have to face I suppose. Now I know how those international students that we see in Singapore feel, being so far away from everyone they know and are familiar with, in a foreign land with different customs and cultures. As well as being in a place that is suddenly filled with food that is so different and prices that are so steep. Ah well, I guess I shall stop here. Will blog another time, perhaps later in the week. ;)
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