One month

轉眼間 一個月就過了
從陌生到熟悉 慢慢地有了些不同以往的想法

就像昨晚和Mike談到一些事
有時候 當你靜下來時 很多想法一夕間在腦子裡轉著
紊亂的思緒總要經過抽絲剝繭後才能理出個頭緒

記得剛下飛機遇到一對台灣夫婦
他們說這裡的人很friendly
因為還在開發中 沒有像Sydney那樣大都市的風貌
相對而言 這裡的環境真的很適合移民者
走在路上 十之八九都是來自不同世界的臉孔
我都快分不清這裡到底是不是澳洲

在YHA一對英國夫婦跟我抱怨難懂的澳洲英文
對呀 真的有夠難聽又難懂
我以為是我英文爛到不行 所以搞不懂他到底在說啥
他們安慰我說 他們也不懂
他們說澳洲人說的不是英文啦
要學英文要跟他們學
哈~~可惜我隔天就要退房了
加上他們短期來澳洲遊玩 不然還真想結伴呢

聽說這裡買菜都在supermaket
全澳洲就三大家Woolworth、Coles、IGA
老實說 這裡的蔬菜還真的是又貴又沒得好選
只有lettuce、asparagus、mushroom、cabbage、capsicum、tomato、cauliflower、bok choy...
還有長的超怪的Asia vegetable
(梗超大的青江菜跟小白菜-Size是台灣好幾倍大喔)
我想Belina & Juanita一定吃不下去啦
妳們最討厭梗了 偏偏這裡的菜 幾乎都是梗呢

結果我就在超市裡左挑右選地 還是不知道買哪個才划算
一個澳洲奶奶跑過來跟我說 不要在超商買菜啦　
超商的菜是坑錢的 還跟我報個好康　
叫我去她家附近的fruit market買菜
當她跟我報路時 左轉再轉彎再直走...
聽得我都怕了 不知道是不是很遠
當下就說可不可以跟他一起回家
可惜他還有一堆事 好吧 就抱著冒險的心去走
結果走沒多久發現 其實也不遠
還是一間華人開的蔬果店
我上禮拜就買到地瓜葉 妳們知道嗎
這竟然讓其他背包客欣羨不已

這裡蔬果少 肉卻多到爆
牛羊雞袋鼠 什麼都有
剛開始 我還搞不懂到底要吃哪個部位的肉
看了半天 只覺得我們從小學的英文都沒教我牛羊雞各部位到底是啥
一個澳洲家庭主婦就來跟我分享雞各部位的口感
從此 chicken thigh就成了我買肉名單中的一項了
哈 不過最喜歡超市打烊前的discount-搶購chicken roast

這裡的銀行真的沒有像台灣一樣
什麼都要charge 但什麼都沒有多大保障
有人說銀行專員態度都很差
但是也有好的 至少我又意外碰到一個超親切的澳洲理專
儘管我的理專不在 也沒留下隻字片語
她也沒叫我改天再去 還是超有耐心的幫我處理

來到這真的遇到很多很好的人 只是還不足以讓我有愛上的感覺...


直到月初看到了微笑的天空 第一次才有喜歡上這裡的感覺
喜歡抬頭望著滿斗星空
喜歡陽光灑滿整室不准我賴床
喜歡夕陽西下 暈紅的晚霞將天空渲染了整片粉色系

但是 不喜歡lots of mosquitoes
不喜歡不請自來又愛撒嬌的鄰居的小貓
(郁敏如果是妳一定最愛了 我卻怕到不行呀)
不喜歡滿街都是華人的感覺
不喜歡「本是同根生，相煎何太急」這種另類的cultural shock
走在路上聽到的日文韓文中文都比英文多
Brisbane City seems like Taipei City.
我想 我還是不喜歡城市 期待我接下來的旅程

Thanks for Belina's, Mike's, and Tony's emails! You're so sweet that I'm very happy every time getting your mails!

Also, Sammi and Min exactly give me a big surprise! How can I decribe the feeling at the first time receiving the airmail in Australia? I will cherish it very very much!

謝謝James Hao今天的問候
讓我有點放寬了心
I felt anxious about jobs here! Thanks for your calling! Hope to see you soon!

Miss U

I miss you so much! I was so glad that we could chat online for a while. I know that you're always occupied with work so that we seldom got along with each other before I left Taiwan. Also, my dear sister, I was concerned about you very much because you told me how alone you are now! I really understand your feeling, but I hope you could try to find something you are interested and enjoy doing it by yourself. I consider that it is the best way to keep way from the loneliness. On the other side, I exactly take care of myself; therefore, don't worry about me too much! Please buy a microphone ASAP, and I want to talk with mom without any charge.

Besides, I miss you guys very very much! Of course, all of you are still in my deep mind. Christmas is coming. It usually reminds me that I celebrated the day through a wonderful show with Mike last year! Is the weather in Taiwan getting colder and colder? Be careful not to have a cold! Then, it seems the good timing for us to go to the shabu shabu! I miss those days we ate a lot of hot pot together! I realize all you guys are too busy working, studying,or preparing the demonstrations! As a result, I have sent my wishes to you lovely babies! All you must do is waiting for the surprises! Hope to hear from you soon!

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
Now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love
Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing
We're just one big family
And It's our God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Scooch on over closer dear
And I will nibble your ear

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
Please don't, please don't, please don't
There's no need to complicate
Cause our time is short
This oh this this is out fate, I'm yours!

Australia Hits

Opens Wednesday 26 November

A romantic action-adventure, Australia centers on an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a ranch in far Northern Australia. When English cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn driver (Hugh Jackman), only to still face bombing by the Japanese forces that had attacked Pearl Harbor only months earlier. (From South Bank Cinema)

One day, I watched the News about the storm on TV, and to my surprise, I found that Nicole Kidman as well as Hugh Jackman walked on the red carpet in Sydney. Actully, they were here to promote the new movie, "Australia," so there was a premiere in Sydney. In virtue of this film, the programme started to introdue the landscapes in the scenes, such as Home Valley Station, Bowen, Darwin etc.

Hugh Jackman is suitable for this charater because he's Austrlian. I'm not sure whether he lives in Sydney or not, but his father's company is beside Sydney Opera House. He had introduced some views and stores in Sydney through the interview before.

I can't wait to see this moive which describes an epic and romantic action adventure, set in Australia.

Horrible Storms

(The picture above is from ABC News.)

There has been a lot of storms since last Sunday night, and these horrible storms have seriously hit Brisbane repeatedly. It's hard to imagine when the stoms have gone because the weather is always fine during the day, but stoms come in the evening with much lightning, noisy thunder as well as heavy rain and ferocious winds. I think that the storms here are similar to strongest typhoons in Taiwan, and they seem like that plenty of typhoons come every day even though cause too much disaster.

(The video above was filmed from my backyard.)

Now, I want to talk about my experience of the horrile storm on Wednesday night. I awakened before dawn when the furious storm hit my house strongly. I could hear windy downpours clearly; consequently, I felt too frightened to be asleep. I suddenly thought that my English teacher told me to be careful with the storm as a result of the dangerous situation that the roof would be blown way. For that reason, I waked up immediately to check all the windows as well as doors in the house. After I did all I would do, I came back to my room and tried to sleep once more. Nevertheless, the worst of all happened. It rained INSIDE. I couldn't believe what I saw was that the rain was leaking in large drops through the roof. I wanted to tell my landlord, but it was so late that I didn't know it was polite to wake him up. Therefore, I just found a rag to prevent the rain from falling to my bed, and I prayed that the storm would cease soon.

Despite of the fact that I couln't remember when I was asleep again, I was very pleased to see the sunshine when getting up. Thanks God to protect me from harm.

Start my life in Brisbane

I live in Brisbane where a city belongs to Queensland, Australia now, but I was in Taipei two weeks ago. Everything for me is fresh and exciting when I look around Brisbane City. There are some differences from Taiwan and Australia. First of all, people in Australia drive on the right as well as the traffic here is much more strange than in Taiwan. Although I haven't adjusted the traffic rules, drivers here are friendly and nice to wait pedestrians to cross the road first then turn. I'm not sure if they have the rule to punish for without waiting pedestrians before turning like that in Taiwan. However, people here always drive very fast, so I felt excited on my first time of taking the bus from Brisbane Airport. It seems that drivers in OZ doesn't be severely punished for speeding.

Besides, the weather in Brisbane is so unusal that I felt too hot few days ago, but I feel very wet and cold these days. It appears that I was in summer yesterday then I am in the winter now! How weird the weather is! No wonder it is easy to get cold if you don't adapt the condition. As a result, my landlord told me that it seldom rains in Brisbane so that I' d better not waste water and take a shower in 4 minutes. But, there are a lot of rain these days I live in Brisbane, so it means that I'm so lucky to experience the unpridictable weather.

Third, the houses in Queensland is very unique as well as beautiful, so I love them at first sight. This common residential building is called them Queenslander architecture which is always contructed of mostly wood. Also, Queensladers are identifiable by large verandas and large double door, and they are designed to increase air-flow throughout the houses by the way of large doors and windows; therefore, there is no air-condition in the house I rent now, because it's not suitable for much hotter summer. If the temperature is too high to stay at home, it will rain later.

To sum up, the aspects above show cultural differences between Taiwan and Australia, and I'm so glad to spend my one year experiencing the life in OZ. I really feel that it is a big adventure and worth enjoying everything I have tried. Before arriving here, I was a bit of nervous but now I believe that everything will be fine as long as I make the most effort.