At The Pub

Nice Mural

At The Youth Conference

Melbourne Streets

Discussion Meeting in Melbourne

YC5 in Melbourne

There was much laughter and some tears... Tears of joy, tears of gratitude and appreciation. And above all, tears shed with a common understanding that those who stood alongside you, would fight alongside you. No matter what. That was how it came to a close. The Youth Conference 2005, organised by the SGI Australia Youth Division of Victoria, Melbourne.

The guys i play with...

Homebush

Sky Blue

Moon Rise

Victoria Park

Modified photo of the Quad

Need exercise...

Sunday was great cos i met up with a good friend for lunch and a chat. Martin had come over to Sydney earlier this year but he's studying some distance away at Macquarie University. We played pool too at Broadway shopping centre.

Then it was down to Olympic Park for a game of soccer with the guys. The sun was just setting when we started playing and it got quite cold when the wind blew. Nevertheless, I had heaps of fun and scored a goal too. Really enjoyed making a few nice passes and crosses. The ball was lacking air a bit though.

Went for a small group study meeting yesterday. It was about Happiness in this World, but some of us got carried away slightly and we ended up discussing another topic. Overall, the meeting was good and it was interesting to see different viewpoints from people of different countries. We were from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India and the Middle East. It started out real slow, but it livened up towards the end. It was always thought-provoking though...

Today was not bad too. Got lotsa very useful information from the career centre in the campus. Got some exercise too...jogged round the park a couple of times and then went to buy groceries at the nearby shopping centre after dinner.

What a beautiful campus...can't wait to start classes at the main quadrangle...

Inside the campus

Relaxing

Not the Big Ben

Sydney streets

Too bad that's not my car

Sydney in the morning

First Week

It's been a great couple of days to round up my week in Sydney. Tomorrow i'm joining the guys for some soccer and i'm so looking forward to that. Went for the second day of orientation and made many friends from around the world. There's Oliver from Germany, Monica from New York, Kathleen from Wisconsin, Kelly from New Jersey, Chika from Japan, Carmen and Lili from Shanghai, Duncan from Scotland, Anna and Shirley from Hong Kong and Brenda from Singapore. There are a few more but I haven't yet registered their names... Spoke to a guy from Rwanda, Africa too. He's really into doing business! Studying taxation, that guy. I sort of heaped praise on my home country as a business and communications centre. Hoped he had a good impression...yikes!

Hmm...think i'll do my laundry after my exertions on the field tomorrow. Going to somewhere near olympic park...cool!

Attended a Soka study meeting just now at the Soka centre here in Sydney, the ACC. And it was wonderful. I learnt quite a few things like the difference between positive thinking and our buddhism, and how we can see things differently when we make a small shift in perspectives and attitudes. Really thankful to Tomo who invited me. He's a cool japanese guy whose wife just gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl! Truly blessed.

Volunteered my services to help out at Indigo, the local Soka publication here. Met so many members and leaders whom i've made friends with when i was there 2 years ago for a holiday. So nice to see them again. It was a small group of less than 30 but there was warm camaraderie all around. I guess i'm blessed too... :-)

Orientation

The first day of orientation...starts at 9 am i think. But when i woke up, it was already way past 9. And I had no idea what time the thing starts. So by the time i made my way down to usyd, it was past 11. Missed most of the orientation today, would try to make it for the next day...

Didn't know where to enrol... At first went to my faculty, then the international students office and then back. A few trips up and down. Then i had to get a mobile line and check on my bank account status. Collected brochures and information sheets on the way. Kinda exhausted. A MASSAGE...that's what i need.

Took some photos but stil trying to figure out how to reduce the file size so i can post them.

Met a few fellow Singaporeans around campus today too...all with very recognisable accents.

I guess future looks bright indeed.. :-)

Now i wanna lie down for a while...

Sydney

This is my first post from down under...

Taking over someone's hostel room, the calender here reads: "Each day the sun rises on new adventures and sets on wonderful memories. Life brings new promise with every sunrise."

A secondary schoolmate made a similar remark when we woke up at a chalet donkey years ago. How meaningful this is...

Just did my morning gongyo and 1 hour daimoku. It warmed me up better than the small heater I have in the room. I actually woke up thinking, "Gotta switch off aircon...cold..." Then i realised there is NO switch...

Everything has been very well taken care of. My uncle has lived in the hostel for almost 7 years now, and is probably like a part-time caretaker. I got one of the best rooms on the 4th and highest floor. Not exactly like a penthouse but if you compare it with other rooms, pretty close...haha...

Hmm...really appreciative.

On the plane, I sat beside an ex-Singaporean, a nice lady of 65 years. She has lived in Sydney for 18 years and is now an Australian citizen. She went back to visit her daughter and family. We chatted half the time on board and it was great to learn about her life. We talked about many things, but mostly social issues. Of course we raved about the food back home in Singapore.

One of the first things she told me, "Singapore is good...." I can't remember what topic we were on, but that was how it roughly started. The conversation. I went on to say that people might like it in Sydney because life is simpler here. Hmm...Is life really simpler here? I wonder...

I had superb century egg, lean meat plus salted egg porridge for supper last night. But it was expensive! Just imagine...the prices would still be scary even if they are in Malaysian Ringgit!

I got my internet connection set up without much hassle thanks to Kaiser, a cool Hong Kong friend. Thanks man!

So here I am...

Good Day Mates!

Lotus Flower

V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.

It was certainly the best of times...

The SSA Youth Peace Culture Festival 2005 for my team has come to a close. It marked the start of Racial Harmony Month organised by the North East CDC. More performances would be held over the next two weekends. And I sincerely wish the other two groups of performers all the best.

The euphoria at the end was palpable. There were cheers aplenty as the organising committee, trainers and soka leaders gave their rousing victory speeches. Like what an uncle of mine said, the spirit among the performers and the enthusiasm among the crowd were in tandem and an unspoken connection was bridged. The world would definitely become a better place with everyone sharing a common and humanistically over-arching goal for world peace and harmony.

I've made friends with so many wonderful individuals in the Youth Dance item that I took part in. It's really quite sad that I would be leaving them soon. I just hope that our ties would still remain when I return. Staying connected with technology is great but nothing beats the closeness one feels in the company of friends.

Au Revoir, dear friends! You have all been truly wonderful...

Will be missing you.......