Sunday, 22 December 2013

Life Update

It's been a long time since my last life update, or even blog post for that matter. I've felt the urge to write many times, but somehow never managed to put fingers to keyboard (modern version of pen to paper). I guess I just don't know what to write, or how to articulate my feelings anymore. All I know how to write these days it seems is emails.

I'm going to start off my life update by telling you about the news that finally got me to write this post. I just got off the phone with my dad, and he has informed me that my grandmother's condition has visibly deteriorated. Its been exactly 3 years since she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and for a while, we all thought she was going to beat it. Usually if the person is still present after 2 years, its a very good sign. But I guess the sickness and the treatment combined just took too much of a toll on her body, and now her health is deteriorating fast and things are looking bleak. She has already moved back to XiAn with my grandad and uncle, as it is their wish for this city to be their final resting place.

I hope that there is still hope. When she was first diagnosed, the doctor gave her 6 months, and now its been 3 years. Who's to say she can't beat the odds again? I really hope that some miracle can happen and she would be alright again, and go on to live at least another 10, 20 years. I mean she's only 72, she still has many years ahead of her. She still has to see me get my first proper job and tell me how proud of me she is. She still has to see me get married and give us her blessings. She still has to hold her first great grandchild and giver him/her a name. I still want to be able to play cards with her. I still want to be able to eat her cooking. I still want to be able to watch TV with her or just take a stroll outside.

I know I am fortunate to still  have all of my grandparents present at my age, compared to people around me. I've also never lost someone close to me. Sometimes, I would actually wonder what it would feel like to lose someone close. Well, fuck that. I don't think I ever want to experience it, even though I know that as I grow older it becomes an inevitable part of life. Whether it be death or heartbreak, I know that somewhere down the road, I'm going to go through the emotional turmoil of losing a part of me. I don't really think about it, but in the back of my head, I know its a fact of life, just like how one day I'm going to die too. The thought of me dying on a hospital bed surrounded by my family when im old and grey doesn't particularly scare me. What scares me is dying in a tragic or horrible accident, especially a plane crash. Knowing you're about to die a horrible and painful death as you plummet 10 thousand meters into the ocean/land fucking terrifies me. This is why I have a fear of flying.

I wonder if it gets easier, you know, accepting loss. Perhaps as I grow older, and I experience all these things, perhaps more than once, it will become easier as I fully understand (not just know rationally) that it is a part of life, and that we just gotta take the bitter with the sweet. I wonder.

Anyways, enough about death, this is a LIFE update! So in terms of other things that are going on in my life, well, it's been 10 months since I arrived in Melbourne. In this short (long?) period, I feel I have really grown fond of this city, from the people to the architecture to the food to the trams. The only thing I still can't get used to is the fickleness of the weather. It literally can be 4 seasons in one day, or at least in one week. But other than that, I love Melbourne, and I think I will be staying here for a while longer. My contract at the EPA has been extended on a month to month basis, so I will be here at least for another few months. With the added experience and money, I also have a greater chance of finding a more permanent job in Melbourne, although I'm still open to the idea of living in other big cities.

In terms of my job, I am working 3 paid days a week, and on the other 2 days I often come into the office anyways to learn more stuff. I quite enjoy what I do, and the work environment is generally very friendly and relaxed. I wouldn't quite say this is my ideal job, especially given the area of work that I'm paid to do, but it's pretty close to it. I find the work very challenging, as it is mostly project management, but at the same time its allowing me to develop a set of new skills.

In other news, I have finally graduated! I don't really want to drown you with my sentiments here, but it has been a really tough year, in particular this last semester. Towards exam/assignment hand in period, I was working 3 days a week and still having to deal with 4 subjects. On top of that, I came down with a really nasty flu with 1 big assignment to go. It was the first time I truly felt the pain of living away from my family. I had to look after myself, cook for myself, and still do my assignment, while having a fever, body aches, cough, and bleeding nose. And I had to go to a job interview.

Needless to say, it was probably one of the toughest periods in my life. I felt like giving up many times, but somehow I managed to pull through, like I always do. But my grades did take a hit this semester, and I ended up averaging 87 across the whole year (first semester was borderline 90). I still got First Class Honours in the end, and this year has turned out to be my best academic performance so far. I feel like I have finally proved to myself, and my parents, what my true potential is. Im glad that after a disastrous Bachelor's degree, I have been able to turn things around and finish everything on a high note. It just goes to show, it's never too late to turn your life around.

Of course, I still have a long way to go. This is only the end of the beginning, for I still have to work hard for another 10, 20 years to reach anywhere respectable in my career. However at this moment, I am just content to bathe in the feeling of having no assignments to do. If you haven't already stopped reading or fallen asleep, here are some graduation photos to break up the monotony of my words:





On another note, as you know, the real reason I came to Melbourne is to discover and pursue my culinary career. I have had some requests (from Simon) to post up photos of my masterpieces, so without further a due:

Marinated steak with risone pasta

Marinated steak with spring rolls and steamed veges

Tomato vege noodle soup with cajun chicken thigh fillets
I have also made a lot of chinese food, but I never seem to remember to take pictures of them :/

The last piece of news is that my girlfriend came to Melbourne for a week at the end of November on her way back to China. It had been 4 months since we last saw each other, and it most likely won't be till Easter 2014 that we'll see each other again. I was the happiest I had been in a while (4 months) when she was here, and like all good things, the week went by in a flash. The fact that I had to work 3 of those days didn't help either. But it was a good week nonetheless. I guess that's the best part about long distance - that period when you see each other again. It's like the best time of your life. However, that's only 5% of the time; the other 95% is just hell, which is why LDR is still fucking shit. Sometimes the pain becomes almost unbearable, but I guess there's really nothing you can do about it, so you just deal with it (which usually means distracting yourself from it). In a way, i guess i'm almost used to it (if one can ever be). I mean, in the 16 months that we've been together, 12 of those was spent apart. It's like being single most of the time but having a girlfriend occasionally from time to time. It's clearly not an ideal situation, but I know how I feel about her and I think in the long term, it will be worth it. Just over one year to go till she graduates...Anyways, here are a few snaps we took in Geelong to keep you entertained:




Wow this has been a long post. To conclude this life update (and to make the post even longer), here are some photos of Melbourne:

From the top floor of the state library

An empty tram!

From the window of a corporate office

Melbourne on a dark moody day

A shot of the same day from other side

Panoramic view

Yellow, green, and red leaves in my backyard framed by a beautiful blue sky

Another empty tram! I love it when its just me on the tram

Euro Beer Cafe half price Mondays! So massive and so delicious...

Drinking european beer with my european friends ;)

Me under a boabab tree!

Our office when its empty!
Office shenanigans with my fellow interns :)

2 comments:

  1. Best post yet!
    I'm sorry to hear about your grandma. But as far as the theory of equivalent trade goes...
    Congrats on graduating!!!!!!!
    And congrats to having such a memorable year! I wish you all the best in your job hunting and all aspects of your life!
    I'll try see you in Melbourne next year!
    My friend Valantina is there, Eric will be there you'll be there, Jeannie will be there... It's only right that I be there too!
    Internet is a bitch in China and Thailand is stingy on the free wi-fi so I'm glad I finally got around to reading this!
    Love the food pics! If I hadn't just eaten this would've been a rage post about how much I hate seeing your cooking :P

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the condolences and congratulations. Lol why you wishing me all the best for all aspects of my life? It sounds like you're leaving to go somewhere far off or something xD

      You should definitely come Melbourne :) Not sure who Valantina is, but I think Nick is going to be here too next year.

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