Since i've been here(in point form)

I realized my last entry was freakin long, i'd even be lazy to read it, unless i was me, which i am, and therefore i wrote it, cos i've been told i'm long-winded. See? Doing it again. My introductory paragraph(this paragraph) is actually here just to explain that my entry was really long last time and so now i'll give you all the information in short sentences and point form.

-When i got to Brisbane it was so hot(35 degrees), we had to sleep with the thin blankets and no shirts.

-My dad rented a car and drove to Gold Coast from the airport, we reached the Santana apartments at about 11pm aussie time. Brisbane is 2 hours behind KK.

-On the fourth day, my parents found me permanent accommodation on campus(5mins walk away(uphill, from P block, where my classes are at) with an Indonesian couple around the age 50 or above.

-Rent is cheap and includes electricity and water, but doesn't include food.

-We share the bathrooms, which are the gross. My poor mom actually washed the bathroom, i felt so guilty afterwards but more comfortable with it.

-All the way, I've been filming, so i have something to look back on my journey here.

-The details of the trip are too long to tell, you'll just have to ask me about it if you really want to know.




New section here, I'll be completing this sentence like in orientation at QUT.

Eversince I've been in Brisbane, .....

>I've farted a lot more, I fart everyday, i think it's because of all the onions in the food here.

>I've had an ulcer with me because of all the fast food, it's still with me now, we have a relationship, it doesn't want to leave me, Dang...

>I've been drinking from the tap, cos the water's really clean here.

>I've seen three movies, Derailed, Transamerica and Match Point. All really interesting.

>I've learned to cook from my mom and learned to navigate the map properly from my dad.

>I've been living without internet connection which i was quite used to in KK(mainly cos i hardly used it not cos i don't have it). But it's hard to do that now cos i HAVE TO get all class handouts and note and exercises from the QUT site, bit of a problem.

>I've had more beer than i did in my whole life.





In school, ......

>I've gotten to know a Brazilian, Magaly, on my first day of orientation, interesting person. She's 20 and is married. She's in the 1 semester foundation program and i'm in the 2 sem one, so we don't get to hang out cos we have different classes at different times.

>I've gotten to know and since have been hanging with Alex(from KK, All Saints,18 after his birthday this year), Shairah(from KK, All Saints, yes she knows Alex, 18 after her birthday this yr) and Martha(also a year younger than me, from Colombia, has been here for 5 months, previously studied English in America). They are all really nice and easy to talk to.

>I've got a really nice spaced out schedule for class.

>I think the food is still satisfactory.

>They have 24 hr computer labs which are great for people like me, who don't have internet connection or is waiting for it to get installed.

>They're very strict about academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism.

>They do not take crap excuses like "my computer crashed" or "the cd or diskette doesn't read it"

>At the receptions(any reception or information centre for that matter), only the slightly chubby or fat ones are kind and helpful, forget about the slim or skinny ones, they're mean and bad tempered, not helpful at all.

>we have a guild(student guild) bar, that sells beer and stuff and you have to be 18 to get in, so it's kinda cool to have a bar at school.



My parents...

>cleaned my room thoroughly and repositioned the bed(given) and the study desk(also given).

>bought me enough food and supplies such as toilet paper before they left.

>bought me a tv and dvd player which i'm grateful for, if not i would die.

>left me last night(5th March 2006).

>are the best parents in the world.




Here comes a short paragraph.

In the words of Peyton, OTH, people always leave. This is a fact. My parents left me. I left my siblings. Peanut left me. You get the point, I'm just saying this cos i'm sad is all, it's not depression or anything. I have been dreading the day my parents would leave me eversince i got here(probably why I was always in a bad mood), and when it finally happened it was much better to just cry and let it out, holding back would only result in me being more upset. It's definitely not what i invisioned in my head, i thought that when the time came I'd be able to hold my composure and be happy about my parents leaving because this(studying overseas) is not a bad thing, in fact, it is a great opportunity for me. But it really isn't that easy. It's easier said
than done. Letting it out relieved me for a while, i guess cos i was holding it in all this time, but after my dad drove away with my mom crying in the rented car and i could see them go down the road to the traffic lights and then turn away, out of sight, a feeling of panic came over me and it started to sink in--- they were actually leaving me all alone here and i wouldn't be able to see them until end of the year, it was scary. For a while, i felt my heart sink to my stomach and i began to cry. It's really an overwhelming dose of responsibility given to you when your parents leave and you have to be in charge of everything. It's really worrying and scary. After crying for a while I forced myself to stop and focus on my Comm1 homework to get my mind off the situation. I couldn't sleep last night, i did fall asleep but i didn't sleep well, partly because my parents left, but also because i was worried that i wouldn't hear the alarm clock at 7.30am. Usually Char always wakes me up, most times i can never hear the alarm clock. It's really scary. I got into bed at 1.30am, rolled around and couldn't sleep cos i've always slept with my sisters and in Bris, my parents stayed with me, so i wasn't used to sleeping in my own room, alone. I woke up once at 4.15 am, went back to sleep, woke at 5.45am, then again at 6.20am, then at 7am, when the alarm clock rang at 7.30am i was hesitant to get up, but i had to, if not i'd be late. I had to prepare my own breakfast, use the bathroom for as long as half an hr like every other day(kev'll know why) and leave the house latest by 8.45am. It's a few minutes walk UP the hill to school, and they've started a "late slip" policy this year, if we get too many late slips we have to see the director, so i don't wanna do that. It's a stressful time it is, but i know i'll get used to it as i go... So wish me luck guys.

That's all for now, it's 5.45pm now and i'm my stomach's starting to growl. I'll post pics soon.