Somedays, I wake up feeling like I can conquer the world. Today isn't one of those days. I've been feeling a little more homesick than usual lately. I mean, of course living thousands of miles away from your loved ones, being homesick is normal and it occurs everyday. But today is just one of those days where I feel like locking myself up in my room and cry. It could be because I miss my mom's cooking? Dude, all I've been cooking the past couple of weeks are bland and dry (like my love life) mat salleh food. I miss having roti telur at mamak every Saturday morning with my family. I miss Nasi Dagang back home, miss hitting up Gula every now and then for their Choux Pastry. I miss Malaysian food so much.
But despite that, I did learn how to make Seafood Aglio Olio, which I'm really proud of. It tasted so good! It'd be ten times better if it the squid I used wasn't so... uhh liat (sorry idk the English word for this). I also made lemon & herb chicken with butter rice. I loveeed it and I gotta give credit where it's due; I asked my mom for her recipe so ya.
It's the little things I miss. I miss going grocery shopping with my mom. I miss opening my door and seeing my cats waiting outside my parents' room. I miss my big bed!!! Omg ok so, my bed here in Melbourne is a single. My bed back home is a queen sized bed. I like rolling around when I sleep. I've been so used to doing it that whenever I toss and turn in my sleep here, half of my body will end up on the edge of my bed. It's so frustrating!
You know, I thought I'd have the chance to explore Melbourne every weekend. But nope, all I've been doing is studying/working. Working my way to get the (H)Dssss hahahha
I really wanna get a job while I'm here because 1. minimum wage is so high compared to back home 2. I want more money for makeup..... I got myself 2 liquid lipsticks from Ofra and a gloss from Kylie last week. My parents have no idea... until now HAHA sorry. I'll stop buying makeup for the next 3 weeks ok, parents.
I can't wait for Spring break. Can't wait to give myself a day off and finally explore Melbourne. Exploring the city is all I think about.
But despite that, I did learn how to make Seafood Aglio Olio, which I'm really proud of. It tasted so good! It'd be ten times better if it the squid I used wasn't so... uhh liat (sorry idk the English word for this). I also made lemon & herb chicken with butter rice. I loveeed it and I gotta give credit where it's due; I asked my mom for her recipe so ya.
It's the little things I miss. I miss going grocery shopping with my mom. I miss opening my door and seeing my cats waiting outside my parents' room. I miss my big bed!!! Omg ok so, my bed here in Melbourne is a single. My bed back home is a queen sized bed. I like rolling around when I sleep. I've been so used to doing it that whenever I toss and turn in my sleep here, half of my body will end up on the edge of my bed. It's so frustrating!
You know, I thought I'd have the chance to explore Melbourne every weekend. But nope, all I've been doing is studying/working. Working my way to get the (H)Dssss hahahha
I really wanna get a job while I'm here because 1. minimum wage is so high compared to back home 2. I want more money for makeup..... I got myself 2 liquid lipsticks from Ofra and a gloss from Kylie last week. My parents have no idea... until now HAHA sorry. I'll stop buying makeup for the next 3 weeks ok, parents.
I can't wait for Spring break. Can't wait to give myself a day off and finally explore Melbourne. Exploring the city is all I think about.
Breakfast:
So I typically eat oatmeal every morning because a) easy to prepare b) tastes good and is super filling. Back home, I would always make baked oatmeal topped with chopped up granny smith apples. Sometimes I'd add honey or peanut butter to it too. Did I change my routine now that I'm in Melbourne? NOPE HAHA. I still have oatmeal every morning but this time it's the microwaveable ones. I bought Carman's super berry and coconut porridge from Coles and I actually really like it! If you know me, you'd know that I hate the taste of milk. So for me to bear the taste of milk, I like to add fruits in oatmeal. Hence, the strawberries! Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar and there you go. That's what I've been eating for the past week.
Lunch:
This is where I struggle a lot... because I don't know how to cook proper meals. I know how to make a few things like the one pictured above. Sometimes I'd have lunch on campus. But today I decided to make quinoa with grilled chicken & mushroom and broccoli! I prepped my chicken with some paprika powder, salt & pepper. I heat up the pan, drizzle some olive oil and then put the chicken in. After the chicken gets a little cooked, I added in some mushrooms and my favourite, Nando's hot sauce!! I swear, I eat Nando's sauce with everything. It makes everything taste super good! I also added some to the quinoa. Sedaaaap!
Dinner:
Sorry if the lighting isn't that great in the last two pictures but it was at night. The lighting at my place isn't exactly the most ideal. But hey, work with what you got right?
So I decided to make Seafood Aglio Olio for my housemates (who don't have a clue that I have a blog btw HAHA at least I think they don't. But if they do, hi frenz). I had the recipe I wanted to refer to in my phone on WhatsApp but my phone couldn't switch on when I wanted to look it up.... So I just followed my gut and it actually turned out pretty great!! Not bad for someone who has never dealt with calamari (squid). I was prepping the seafood and when I got to the squid, I macam "weh macam mana aku nak bersihkan ni"
I'm so proud of myself. Look ma, I can cook!!!
It is now the middle of week 4. Am I crushing on anyone? Yes HAHA and NO it's not my super handsome tutor. I've also got an essay about asylum seekers and refugees due next week which I really, really need to get started on. Why do I always procrastinate ugh
Dinner:
Sorry if the lighting isn't that great in the last two pictures but it was at night. The lighting at my place isn't exactly the most ideal. But hey, work with what you got right?
So I decided to make Seafood Aglio Olio for my housemates (who don't have a clue that I have a blog btw HAHA at least I think they don't. But if they do, hi frenz). I had the recipe I wanted to refer to in my phone on WhatsApp but my phone couldn't switch on when I wanted to look it up.... So I just followed my gut and it actually turned out pretty great!! Not bad for someone who has never dealt with calamari (squid). I was prepping the seafood and when I got to the squid, I macam "weh macam mana aku nak bersihkan ni"
I'm so proud of myself. Look ma, I can cook!!!
It is now the middle of week 4. Am I crushing on anyone? Yes HAHA and NO it's not my super handsome tutor. I've also got an essay about asylum seekers and refugees due next week which I really, really need to get started on. Why do I always procrastinate ugh
I got home from Sydney on Monday night, technically Tuesday morning because it was 1am when we got back to my cousins' apartment. I miss Sydney's weather already! Sydney was so warm and lovely. I did intend to do vlog whilst I was there but I don't think I have enough footage to make it into a vlog. Even if I do, it would be a very boring one. Hence, this photo diary!!! Also, some of these photos belong to my dad. I'm sure you can tell which ones :p
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| I think this place is called Mrs Macquarie's Chair? Correct me if I'm wrong. |
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| 11:15pm |
Also, minutes before we came to the spot pictured above, we kinda walked into Jackie Chan's movie set! HOW FREAKIN COOL IS THAT? I actually saw Jackie Chan!! They were filming Bleeding Steel. So if any of you plan to watch the movie when it comes out, know that during the fun fair scene, my dad & I were lurking behind the bushes HAHA
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| Martin's Place |
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| Town Hall |
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| Anzac Memorial |
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| I find the name of this restaurant hilarious because if you've been reading my blog since 2010, you'd know that I was OBSESSED with the band, Tokio Hotel. |
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| I feel like this photo sums up my lack of photography skills. I think this picture is terrible, honestly. |
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| The Gap? Watsons Bay? I don't remember. |
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| Dad's photo of Bondi |
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| Bondi Beach |
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| Dinner at Bondi |
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| Also, look at this picture I took at Brighton Beach here in Melbourne recently. SO nice!! I did not edit this picture. I didn't have to. Just look at it!! |
So that sums up my Sydney trip! Sydney was really nice but I still prefer Melbourne hehe. Melbourne is where I belong.
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| Sydney, somewhere near Bondi Beach. |
1. I miss Malaysian Food.
2. I miss my friends & my parents.
3. I don't like winter. Love layering but hate how early the sun sets. It's actually depressing.
4. I miss having Halal food everywhere. Clayton has quite a lot of Halal restaurants/butcher. It's so convenient but there's no places like Boat Noodle, Little Penang Cafe or the like. We have Papparich here though. There's one opening soon at my campus. Excited for that! They also have this Halal food joint on campus that sells fried chicken.... so I am happy bout that HAHA tapi harga bila you convert to Ringgit... $$$$$. I also miss Gula's Choux Pastry and Aglio Olio :(
5. WHY IS MAKEUP HERE SO EXPENSIVE
I ALSO MISS MY CATS MORE THAN ANYTHING.
My second week in Melbourne is almost over. I've got about 15-16 weeks left til summer break. I'm slowly adjusting/adapting to how everything works here. I love how polite everyone is. They're so warm and inviting, just like Melbourne itself. Still finding it hard to believe that I live here now. It feels like me fantasizing about living here was just yesterday. Fell in love with Melbourne two and a half years ago and look where I am now. I am so grateful to my parents, to God, to everyone.
This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Something so beyond my comfort zone. Like my best friend said, I'm always that one friend who likes to stay in on weekends and watch movies (i.e. likes having A LOT of me time) so moving to a different country IS going to be a struggle. I have cousins here so I don't exactly feel so alone. It really does help having family/people you know. As for cooking my own meals... Yeah, that's a work in progress. I can only make breakfast food - scrambled eggs, eggs in a basket, French toast. Malay/Malaysian dishes I hancur.
I have to say, emotionally, my second week went much better than my first. I guess it's mainly because I finally opened up to my parents about how I feel about this one thing that has been bothering me.
I've got a shit ton of essays to write, so many deadlines to meet. I can't wait for summer. I can't wait to go home to my cats. I'm working on my Sydney photos so it's gonna be awhile til I actually put up a Sydney Photo Diary.
Update on my handsome tutor: I finally figured out who he reminds me of! My tutor reminds me of Dave Freakin Franco!!! DUDE I MEAN IT COULD BE JUST ME BUT HE LOOKS A BIT LIKE DAVE FRANCO.
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| Florist in Melbourne |
apartment in the CBD - which is at the most prime location, I must say. Wish I lived in the city. When we got to my campus, it was so cold and windy. My legs were shivering as I was walking. My campus is huge, guys. HUGE. I'll talk about it and the rest of Melbourne in another post. Now, this weekend... My parents booked tickets to Sydney on Friday afternoon for that night. I guess you could say it was a 'spontaneous' birthday weekend getaway.
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| Sydney Harbour Bridge |
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| Town Hall, Sydney |
I turned 20 on Saturday. It feels weird to not use the word '-teen' anymore. I'm old, man. Anyway, Sydney's great. I can't decide if I wanna do a vlog or just a photo diary here. I've got some clips of the places I went to but I don't know if it would be enough for a vlog. Help me decide please?
ALSO OH MY GOD I SAW JACKIE CHAN. So I got to Sydney at 10pm. Checked into our hotel. Dad & I went on a walk to Mrs. Macquarie Chair to take pictures. It was almost 11pm when we got to that area. I noticed a lot of trailers and people in bright vests. And the first thing I said to my dad was "Ni mesti ada shooting ni. As in movie shooting" (I bet they're filming a movie here). Then, the guard told us "I'm sorry, you can't get through. They're filming a movie. Jackie Chan just walked by....." I couldn't hear the rest but my jaw dropped. The guy was so sweet and friendly - everyone here is! So he told us to take a different route and we did. We saw the set and JACKIE FREAKIN CHAN. They were filming Bleeding Steel. If you guys watch the movie when it comes out and you see a scene at a fair, just know that I was there!! Lurking around behind the bushes, I was there!!
I actually don't wanna open up about Melbourne yet. I mean, I love the city so much. But I've been having a hard time adjusting here. I'm already feeling so homesick right now and my parents haven't even left for Malaysia yet. I can't imagine how I'd feel once they go back. I'll get around to sharing pictures/experiences of Melbourne once I settle down.
'Til then!
Hi!! So I don't know if you've read my previous post about what's going on right now. But if you haven't read it, I am flying off to Melbourne soon. I will most likely be in Melbourne by the time this post goes up.
I thought of making a 'log' of the days up until I actually leave for Melbourne, what I've been doing to prepare for life abroad and how I've been feeling about it etc. I think I'll make this into a series! Mana tahu, boleh tolong orang or people on the same boat won't feel so alone.
19th July 2016
I went to uni today to get my student visa done. I was a wreck. I was so anxious and all over the place (gelabah) because I had so little time to get everything done. Here's the thing, I received my conditional offer and sent my acceptance letters back in May. Didn't hear back from my uni aside from receiving the auto-reply after emailing the acceptance letters to them (i.e. "We have received your email. Please do not reply to this email as this account is not monitored.") We planned to leave for Melb at the end of June/early July. But I needed a confirmation of enrolment (COE) from my uni to apply for a student visa. 2 weeks after submitting the letters, I still have yet to receive a COE. Was then told that I needed to wait til my results were released - 10th July - in order for them to issue the COE.
When results were out, they then decided to tell me that the insurance provider my parents chose for me isn't compatible or whatever. That got me so annoyed because they had TWO MONTHS to tell me that but chose to do so 2 weeks before the last date to enrol. TWO WHOLE MONTHS OF SILENCE. I'm sorry for cussing but what the fuck bro. Of course, my parents were upset. And that's how I got here today - anxious and worried that things might not be done in time.
Also, that evening, I came home to my Sephora order! After years of hoping and praying, Kat Von D is finally available in Malaysia!! I got one of the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. Guess the shade! It's a cult favourite ;) I also got a Sleek blush in Pomegranate not because I wanted it but because I needed to spend a certain amount to use my birthday discount HAHA. Girl logic!
20th July 2016
I left the house at 8am today and made my way to Bangsar South... alone. I wasn't familiar with the roads in that area so I was a little worried I might get lost. Got a chest X-ray, urine test (my first ever. I was so grossed out lol) and a physical examination. I bumped into an old friend from school who was there for a UK Visa checkup.
The entire checkup took about 2 hours? The place was nice. The people were friendly, spoke way too fast but friendly!
Went to Subang Parade right after to get more essentials. Went home and continued packing. How does one pack their life into 2/3 suitcases?
21st July 2016
Another day of refreshing my immi account to see if my Visa was granted. Ran errands. I think the only thing I have been doing the past 2 weeks is running errands! Anyway, I then went on a not-so-mini shopping spree at One Utama. Got quite a lot of stuff... Hey, they're all for Melbourne ok!
22nd July 2016
The last thing that I needed to do before I leave for Melbourne is to cancel my loan. As I was getting ready, I got an email....saying my student visa has been approved!! Despite my visa grant, it still hasn't hit me that I'm not going to be around familiar faces and places for a really long time. How am I going to survive?!
Anyway, I went to Menara MRCB in Shah Alam and dude, the parking structure was so dark. It made me so paranoid. I had to constantly look behind to see if anyone was following me. PLUS, their machines you pay your parking tickets were so difficult to find. I had to walk to the mall next to it to pay the parking!!
Went home and continued packing. Took me ages! It's 1am right now and I am 80% done with packing! All that's left are my PJs!
I am so nervous. I am so excited to be back in Melbourne but so nervous. I am not mentally or emotionally prepared yet for this.
I thought of making a 'log' of the days up until I actually leave for Melbourne, what I've been doing to prepare for life abroad and how I've been feeling about it etc. I think I'll make this into a series! Mana tahu, boleh tolong orang or people on the same boat won't feel so alone.
19th July 2016
I went to uni today to get my student visa done. I was a wreck. I was so anxious and all over the place (gelabah) because I had so little time to get everything done. Here's the thing, I received my conditional offer and sent my acceptance letters back in May. Didn't hear back from my uni aside from receiving the auto-reply after emailing the acceptance letters to them (i.e. "We have received your email. Please do not reply to this email as this account is not monitored.") We planned to leave for Melb at the end of June/early July. But I needed a confirmation of enrolment (COE) from my uni to apply for a student visa. 2 weeks after submitting the letters, I still have yet to receive a COE. Was then told that I needed to wait til my results were released - 10th July - in order for them to issue the COE.
When results were out, they then decided to tell me that the insurance provider my parents chose for me isn't compatible or whatever. That got me so annoyed because they had TWO MONTHS to tell me that but chose to do so 2 weeks before the last date to enrol. TWO WHOLE MONTHS OF SILENCE. I'm sorry for cussing but what the fuck bro. Of course, my parents were upset. And that's how I got here today - anxious and worried that things might not be done in time.
Also, that evening, I came home to my Sephora order! After years of hoping and praying, Kat Von D is finally available in Malaysia!! I got one of the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. Guess the shade! It's a cult favourite ;) I also got a Sleek blush in Pomegranate not because I wanted it but because I needed to spend a certain amount to use my birthday discount HAHA. Girl logic!
20th July 2016
I left the house at 8am today and made my way to Bangsar South... alone. I wasn't familiar with the roads in that area so I was a little worried I might get lost. Got a chest X-ray, urine test (my first ever. I was so grossed out lol) and a physical examination. I bumped into an old friend from school who was there for a UK Visa checkup.
The entire checkup took about 2 hours? The place was nice. The people were friendly, spoke way too fast but friendly!
Went to Subang Parade right after to get more essentials. Went home and continued packing. How does one pack their life into 2/3 suitcases?
21st July 2016
Another day of refreshing my immi account to see if my Visa was granted. Ran errands. I think the only thing I have been doing the past 2 weeks is running errands! Anyway, I then went on a not-so-mini shopping spree at One Utama. Got quite a lot of stuff... Hey, they're all for Melbourne ok!
22nd July 2016
The last thing that I needed to do before I leave for Melbourne is to cancel my loan. As I was getting ready, I got an email....saying my student visa has been approved!! Despite my visa grant, it still hasn't hit me that I'm not going to be around familiar faces and places for a really long time. How am I going to survive?!
Anyway, I went to Menara MRCB in Shah Alam and dude, the parking structure was so dark. It made me so paranoid. I had to constantly look behind to see if anyone was following me. PLUS, their machines you pay your parking tickets were so difficult to find. I had to walk to the mall next to it to pay the parking!!
Went home and continued packing. Took me ages! It's 1am right now and I am 80% done with packing! All that's left are my PJs!
I am so nervous. I am so excited to be back in Melbourne but so nervous. I am not mentally or emotionally prepared yet for this.
