Experiences from Down Under

Blessings are free, but when they cost no money it seems even more undeserved. Today I went to Tangalooma on Moreton Island for free   (backstory at the end of “ This is Magic! ” post) . A day-trip with three island activities usually costs $149, plus $36 transportation each way, making the trip worth >$200. I got up at 4.30am to meet the taxi in the city, but I could’ve slept in a bit more after I decided that taking the bus was safer than walking at 5am. The sunrise was beautiful (I’ve seen more sunrises the past two months than I have my entire life)!  Another Sunrise The ferry ride to Tangalooma took 1 hr 15 min, and due to the high winds in the bay, the waves were big and the ride was extremely rough. I got a little seasick and wondered how the wind would negatively affect the rest of my experience. But as soon as we got to the island I quickly forgot about the discomfort. Tangalooma looks like a picture: clear blue waters, white soft sand, palm trees, a...

It’s mid-semester break this week! I was originally planning to study, work on assignments, and catch up on material, but I don’t know how much time I will actually spend doing uni-related things. This past week, I got to hang out with Vivienne and her boyfriend, Wesley, once accidentally and once on purpose. I was walking home from the city Wednesday evening and decided to check out the Treasury Brisbane Arcadia set up for the Brisbane Festival, a three-week long “collection of art and entertainment.” (brisbanefestival.com) The Treasury is “festival central” with live music, food stalls, art installations, and a magnificent view of the river. Since it was dinnertime, there were a lot of people in line to get food, and I noticed someone who looked like Wes (I had only met him once before). The green cast on his right hand confirmed his identity, and I said hi. Turned out he was with Viv, and I ended up third-wheeling their dinner haha. But they’re both really great people, and i...

This post is long. I know everyone is busy, so I’ve formatted this post so you don't have to read everything. You can scroll through and just look at the pictures. The highlights have stars (*** being the most important) before them. Or you can read the entire thing (everything I want to share with you ^_^). Friday - At the airport. Keiko and I got back to the airport at 11.30am for our 1pm flight. Security took less than a minute, and no one weighed our carry-on luggage to make sure it was under 7kg. However, due to the windy conditions the previous day (see “This is Magic!” post), our flight was delayed, so we ended up hanging out in the terminal for almost five hours. At first we were estimated for a 3pm departure, but it got pushed back 15 minutes each announcement until departure time because 4pm. It felt like we were never going to make it to Sydney (the announcer started calling us “the patient passengers on flight JQ7409”). Everyone on the flight received an $8...

"And the men marvelled, saying,  'What sort of man is this,  that even winds and sea obey him?'" -Matthew 8:27 Sorry I lied. This isn’t about Sydney. I’m still in Brisbane.  There are ridiculously high winds in Sydney today (it’s a phenomenon that happens once every three years, kind of like El Niño), and over 90 domestic flights were cancelled. Mine was one of them. Everything went so smoothly; Keiko and I woke up at 5am, took the train, got through security in 1 minute (didn’t even have to take off my shoes or watch), and wandered around the terminal before getting ready to board. We were sitting there 20 minutes before boarding time when Jetstar announced that the flight in the next terminal was cancelled. People started going up to the flight attendant and were directed to the service counter to rebook their flight. We thought our flight was fine, but when the boarding time came and went and no one boarded, we began to suspect that something was w...

"In the same way, let your light shine before others,  so that they may see your good works  and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  -Matthew 5:16 So we left off last post talking about cooking for my fellowship. But before that, I had lunch with Aunty Jenny and Vivienne, and she took me to Roma Street Parkland (the park Pink and I stumbled upon before. See post titled “Contagious Generosity”). She took more pictures for me and told me stories about the park and the surrounding area. The garden pictured below is designed with the visually impaired citizens in mind. Even though they can't see the colourful flowers, they can still experience the garden through scent. So thoughtful of Brisbane. And for Aunty Jenny, Brisbane really is her home. She runs into people everywhere we go, lectures me about the history of different buildings, and tells me secrets about various corners of Brisbane. It makes me wonder if I’ll be able to give tours like...

"And whatever you do, in word or deed,  do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,  giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 3:17 Yikes just came back from a 6am yoga session hosted by my apartment. I thought I would be able to go back to bed after but yoga turned out to be more intense than I expected. I didn’t sweat or anything but those poses definitely woke me up. It's Week 7 of 13, which means today marks the halfway point of the semester (not counting breaks and exam period. Exams never count). Next Thursday will be the halfway point of my stay in Australia (already?!). As I approach these “landmarks,” I’m made even more aware of the fact that my stay here is temporary. I’m not in “normal” life, as this would never be normal life for me. But it’s also a good time to think about what I want my “normal” life to look like in light of what I’ve experienced so far. How much will change? I came to Australia with many goals, ...

This is much belated because I’ve been busy doing assignments (and procrastinating, not going to lie). I don’t think I’ve procrastinated so much in my entire college career. But then again, I’ve never had so much time to do assignments anyway. I had three assignments due last week (which is a lot by standards here, considering that each unit only has 3-4 assessments all semester), and I realised that I’m more productive academically when I have more to do! Maybe there is still hope when I go back to Santa Clara haha. But I had less time to FaceTime family, cook, practice piano, and hangout (nah, I still hung out. I was just constantly preoccupied and not completely there).  In the middle of the week, while I was running around (like a headless chicken) being busy, I was asked a very thought-provoking question: “Where is your heart now?” I had once again plunged into busy-ness and was responding to deadlines, not really set on a goal/direction. The closest analogy I ...