June. 20th. 2011. Half a year has gone by without much warning. And honestly this year has picked up speed faster than a speeding electric locomotive. Unlike previous years when I used to marvel at the speed of time and wish that it just stopped cheating me off my age, this year I literally prompted the clock to fast forward to where it is at the moment. I gleefully cancelled out the days of the month as it slipped by and have no idea how I got to a point where the turning of time meant nothing more than a barrier to fulfill a holiday dream or a hindrance to spend time with a loved one. Perhaps the insecurities of where my future lay took me off guard ever since I waved goodbye to the small city where I spent three of the best years of my life pursuing my studies or perhaps it was the nervous tension that I felt each time I envisioned being in a long distance relationship? What I know for sure is that at present, and probably for the very first time in a long long while, I have no intention what so ever of slowing down the clock.
The year has gone by so far with many uncertainties on my part. First it was the issue of beginning a life in Auckland. Well that was until I found out how job demand in the country was against the good intentions of many job seekers that even my boyfriend had fled to find greener pastures in a more economically stable country. Then came the decision to stay at home and find a job versus go abroad on a work and travel visa and experience an independent albeit lonely life. I grappled with this decision for a while. Toyed with the idea and then decided that maybe at least a year at home wouldn’t be so bad now, would it? After all, I’m 23, if I really wanted to travel the world and start anew elsewhere, I should not be rushing to do it. Rather, I should give home a chance for a bit and see where it would take me. Only then, when I finally decide to leave home would I get to say that I truly experienced a work life that did not place utmost priority on work life balance.
Speaking of work, I have finally landed a position in a company that I am pretty excited to work for. Groupon, a multinational company that generates its income from the power of group buying has hired me as a business consultant responsible for negotiating some of the most interesting deals that we see on their website to date. The company is so young and dynamic and being the fastest growing company in the world, I don’t think there should be any reason to dispute my excitement. Since I’m only starting in July, I will leave all further comments/laments/rants/praises about my new position for future updates and cross my fingers that my first real job is everything that I dreamt it would be. For further information about Groupon in Malaysia, please feel free to browse the following: http://www.groupsmore.com/
A few significant events occurred in those many months during which I kept away from my blog. Or more precisely, events which I was too lazy to blog about because I was having too much fun savoring every moment of it. I finally set foot into Melbourne, Australia. The land that many deem to be a student paradise with its all too many trams and night life and entertainment. Truth to be told, I found Melbourne pleasant in all its wonders. The shopping would have been good if I had the money. The weather was very impressive throughout our entire week there. The company was splendid most of the time. The food was average - some too indulgent, others too large in proportion and others failed to live up to their name. But what Melbourne had in food was a variety. From Greek to Indian to Turkish. You name it, they have it. I can't say too much about the people because the city was a little too overpopulated for my liking and the people did not appear friendly. But perhaps that was because we came across some of the bad apples during our stay there. All in all I would sum up Melbourne to be a place you HAVE to visit but not one conducive enough for a person like me to choose to stay in. I'd happily settle and grow old in Auckland if I had to choose.
I summarize Melbourne with five of my favorite pictures or more precisely put, reasons why I would want to go back to the bustling city:
for the love of flea markets.
friends!!!
Artistic buildings ala Flinders Street Station
Graffiti Art
Food.Glorious Food.
Auckland was my next destination. I was greeted in Auckland by the familiarity that I had grown to love throughout all those years that I spent there. The friendly atmosphere, the ability to roam about without a care in the world, the abundance of friends who put a gigantic smile on my face. It was the perfect place to graduate, the perfect moments to bask in pride with the perfect people who made three years feel like three very precious minutes. Yes. I am finally A graduate. Hat on my head, scroll in my hands the whole works. And I could not have asked for a better way to receive the honour. My graduation day plays in my head with such clarity, I don't think even a diagnosis of dementia can take that away from me.
On the night before my graduation, I discovered that I had failed to do one of the most important things - make a booking and secure my graduation regalia. I initially thought that the university would provide this which was pretty silly of me really. Luckily insightful Andrew rang me up the night before and informed me of this very important piece of information. So there I was on the morning of my graduation rushing about trying to push my luck and secure a gown just in time to graduate. I missed the graduation parade on Queen Street and dragged my mom with me from the university to Aotea Square and to the Graduate Dress Hire place near the ASB tennis court where I was fortunate enough to secure the appropriate regalia with more than ample time before my ceremony. My mother fell sick shortly after but she was ever so supportive and was present in a pretty purple dress to watch me receive my scroll. It was definitely a proud moment for her to watch me go up there to receive a certificate that she had worked almost all her life to pay for and a prouder moment for me to prove that all that money, sweat and tears was well spent. But more than anything, it was a day that will forever be engraved in my mind because of all the people who came to celebrate it with me, because of the sheer panic in the morning that was followed by relief, pride and joy after and ultimately because I was with the people I loved in a city that I had grown to love and one that eventually helped me find love.
I will let these photos speak for themselves but I can honestly say that I have never seen a wider smile plastered on my face before.
me and the gorgeous fluffy pink hood signifying a Bachelor of Arts degree qualification.
in front of the business building where I spent many days and some nights all in the name of getting my degree.
some of the lovely people that came to take a picture with me. Uni would have been so dull without the people who made my days lively.
with my gorgeous mother who dons the same adoring smile on her face that I have on mine.
The entire family excluding sis who had to stay back in Melbourne due to uni obligations. Truly the happiest day of my life.
I also proudly celebrated Akash's graduation day with him while we were in Auckland.
Blue - the colour of his hood - signifies a Bachelor of Science qualification. I was only too proud being his photographer, running around taking pictures of him and all his friends on HIS day. Save to say, my boyfriend is definitely more popular than I am. Shucks!
As much as I wanted to stay with Akash for a while in Auckland, my mom, aunt and I dashed off to Queenstown soon after. And boy was I glad I went. Queenstown has some of the most amazing views in the world. Or at least in those parts of the world in which I've travelled to so far. The water is amazingly clear and the hills that encompass the lake makes the view even more interesting compared to any other location. I enjoyed strolling through the scenic parks and felt time slowing down right before my very eyes. It slowed down to the point that sometimes I (and my mother) found it hard to deal with. Especially in an uber small town like Queenstown.
Some of the popular destinations we visited were Aoraki Mount Cook and Milford Sound. Seen up here, even the damp weather failed to dampen our mood but it would really have helped if the rain cleared up a bit so that our view of the mountain was not as impeded.
We took the cable cars to the look out point in Queenstown. Felt like we were swimming amidst the clouds. And we managed to get many pretty pictures. I've uploaded a lot more pictures on Facebook if you're interested. :)
And finally, just like everywhere else, food in Queenstown is just as awesome. If you're headed down that way, I'd totally recommend the burger place right across the road from Base backpackers, the name has completely slipped my mind at the moment. And also for yummylicious desserts like the churros pictured above, one word : Patagonia!!! The churros were warm and served with warm chocolate/caramel. Perfect on a cold winters day. And tastes even better when it's shared :D
Heading back home after such an amazing holiday was both a relief and a let down. We used to joke about having a holiday from the holiday when we were there and boy did we actually need one. But at the same time, thinking about having to apply for jobs and being stuck in a daily routine of waking up and bumming around dampened my mood to head home. Plus, I was in a dilemma of my own on whether or not to work in malaysia or abroad.
Little did I know that I was headed to Perth just a few weeks after I returned to Malaysia. And much to my satisfaction as well. A romantic getaway with Akash was what I felt like I really needed and if Perth was a place that he was thinking about settling in, then I definitely felt like I had to scan the waters a little just to make sure that I could live there and make ends meet.
I found Perth to be a wonderful city despite all that is said of it. It's definitely not as buzzy as Melbourne but neither is it as laid back as Auckland. Which leaves it at.... perfection. With it's fair share of buildings in the CBD and scenic parks to feed my hunger for morning/evening walks, I deem Perth to be a wonderful place to settle down in.
Take at Rottnest Island where the sky was clear blue and the sun shone brightly. Akash and I explored the island on bicycles. Seriously, I never thought I had it in me to cycle up and down those strolling hills but we had a good work out and slept peacefully during the nights.
Clear blue waters at Parker Point. Definitely rewarding after a cycling marathon.
Being with my man again. Every moment was bliss particularly because those moments don't come easy. To my surprise, this trip was unlike any other trip where we talked senselessly about annoying the heck out of each other and playing house. This trip saw us talking seriously about future prospects. One conversation in particular struck me. The one where we sat in the blistering cold in front of the beach with it's waves rolling in, I heard him talk about all the dreams that he had in mind, for him, for his family and for us. And for the first time I felt so sure that I wanted to be a part of something. I love how we have both grown in this relationship and how we keep growing everyday.
Of course I didn't miss out on meeting up with this sexy miss while I was there. Feels just the same when I'm around her. Two years down the road and we still have a lot in common.
Had breakfast with Hoss by the lake where I had the best fruit toast ever. I love little eateries with sceneries. In fact, I'd like to open one if my finances allow it in the future.
All in all Perth was a balanced package in terms of everything. I returned with a heavy heart but also with excitement of where life would lead me in the future. If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that I never wanted to sit in a plane again any time soon.... Out.
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Christmas is in the air. I think I actually feel it this year. What with the overly decorated malls in my motherland and all. But more than anything else, I think I feel it because of the sense of togetherness that it seems to be bringing once again. Sister's back, Mike's back, friends from NZ land are back and I feel closer than ever to some people at work AND oddly, Skyping with Akash actually feels like quality time spent together instead of a quick exchange of updated routines. 
