first week in my 2nd home

arrived and back to my familiar surroundings--unilodge brisbane..i said a big hi to the counter staff who still remembered me and breezed through the registering and checking in since the procedures were still fresh in my mind--haha, my memory is good ma...=P

the residential manager of unilodge brisbane is andy, a singaporean who speaks fluent cantonese. he smiled at me and said, "welcome back"..

my parents were so worried as to who will be helping me lug my luggage when they were not around anymore..situations that i possibly hv to lug my luggage alone:

1) taking it off the luggage belt after landing to load onto trolley
2) carrying it up the steps to go into unilodge brisbane
3) dragging 2 luggages into the lift in unilodge while scanning my card and pressing the button at the same time--possible only if i have more hands?!
4) getting them out of the lift at the same time so neither me nor the luggage is left behind to visit other levels..

but..i met reali nice ppl all the way so all of the above scenarios were easily solved and i thankfully did not suffer any back injuries..hee~

i had arranged for airport reception which is free and this aussie driver is reali nice..and STRONG too! he can actually carry 60kg all at 1 go and up the stairs through to the main door of unilodge! wow..my dad cant even do that..boy, and this aussie guy didn even pant..he was still smiling..

me? i could just manage thank yous and thank you very muchs all the way...

up the lift?the unilodge in-house repair man carried both into the lift for me and into my room too..me? i was just responsible for pressing lift buttons and unlocking the door..and this porter service has no need for tips! =)

the next few days after that was spent settling my credit transfer process..going to school and buying my groceries and sim card..

settling credit transfer is a real tedious and frustrating process..yt has a very nice lady to honour and praise..i also have one too..she is the international student admissions officer from the BEL Faculty in UQ and her name is Ms Laura Chaudhry. (BEL=Biz, Econs and Law)

Before I left UQ after my exchange, I went to see her regarding the chances of transfer..during my last sem at NTU, we converse through emails and now she is also the one handling the credit transfer for my econs subs. I have 7 subs for econs left to do b4 i grad with my BEcons and 9 left for my BArts degree.

Laura has been with me through the whole psychological, emotional and administrative processes of transferring to UQ as a whole..not just credits..She opens up and shares with me about her degree and student years in UQ and has the amazing ability to speak to your heart. I am so glad I got to know her, in fact I treat her as a friend. I remember meeting her to finalise my credit transfer on the 8th Feb. We shook hands and her first question: "How does it feel like coming back to UQ?" haha.., seems like coming "back"--"homecoming"? hmm, so this is reali my 2nd home after all?

hmm, i read all your entries and feel reali happie for you all tt your exchange life is so exciting and interesting =). it's good to hv frens with you ya? and to make new frens too..

for me, most of the things here are what i have seen b4..so the novelty is not reali there anymore..in fact, me reali kiasu la..so did alot of research b4 coming over the first time and i wasnt exactly a "new" student last time too..today when i was at the student centre in UQ, i met a sgpn girl who came up to the counter beside me and said to the lady behind the counter: "hi, i just came to brisbane and am a new student..what shd i do?" when asked for her passport, she said "oh ok (searching and searching) sorry i think i din bring..sori ah i am very blur (then laughs)". so the person asked for her driver's license or any photo id, she rummaged through her bag looking for her wallet and gave her IC in the end but her actions was so animated, it made me laugh..after a while, she said (hand in her bag) "oh, i think i found my passport already..." haha..

maybe i shd not read up too much before coming over or going to a new place at times? so i get to be blur and experience the feeling of being a "new" student who know nothing at all--who hasnt settled accomod when he/she arrives, who have no idea how to register for subs on the my SI-net account, who don't noe their way around sch, who don noe how to open a bank acct, who don noe their way ard the city...there are just so many uncertainties and don-noes for first time arrivers..

for me, my dad was the one who navigated the city streets for me and brought me ard when i first came to brisbane. even going to sch he told me where to take the ferry and how to walk from unilodge to there and so i, armed with the sch map, went on the ferry and walked ard the campus b4 orientation so i wldnt get lost. opening bank accts was also settled tgt with my parents who settled everything for me. so was accomod fees payment which my dad promptly paid..

hmm...i hope and wish..one day..i can reali be a "new" student in "new" un-navigated surroundings..i want to experience it first-hand myself..not guided..i want to make a fool and get lost and ask around and feel scared and panic..it's all part of the fun..right? when everything is all planned and secure...isn't this just like home? my second home?