Newcastle, Aussie!!!

Haha. This post entry doesn’t mean that I have already gotten my internet connection in my house. It’s just that I am too impatient to update my blog. So, I had to update this blog through the campus’s Huxley Library.

Well, I have already been here in Newcastle, Australia for a full 3 weeks. So I have dedicated this entry to fully comment and share my experience here. Haha, just like an essay, I will divide my comments into a few aspects.

WEATHER
Truthfully, I really think that the weather here is insanely unpredictable. From the day we 1st land here, the day was extremely hot when we were expecting it to be at least cooler than Malaysia for goodness sake. Maybe Allah thinks that we weren’t grateful enough that for da whole next week, the days were rainy, very wet, strong wind & extremely cold. Seriously cold!! I can’t even step on the marble floor of my house, just jumping over from one carpet to another. Alhamdulillah, we learnt our lesson and were grateful with whatever weather Allah decides for us. For the time being, the weather is just nice and we are loving it!!!

PEOPLE
The local community is VERY FRIENDLY!!! We really expected that the community is some sort of like the city people back in Malaysia. On contrary, the people here can just greet us no matter who we are, what religion we are in or what skin colour we have. I am very impressed.
As for the Malaysian community here, all I can say is: SUPER HELPFUL!!! The seniors here are extremely nice to us n very helpful too. They have made our lives, as the 1st year medical students here, going on smoothly. We are able to adapt with an ease with the help from there incredible people. To all the brothers & SISTERS in Newcastle, honestly, from my heart deep down inside: THANK U VERY MUCH!! WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT!! MAY ALLAH BLESS ALL OF U!!!

ZEBRA CROSSING
Hahahaha. This is another aspect that has made me ‘tabik spring!!!’ towards there Australians. Here, cars will immediately stop for pedestrians to cross the road though they haven’t even reach the zebra crossing as yet. I am totally amazed. I mean, when can we even see this happening anywhere in Malaysia. I’m not saying Malaysians are bad people but we can’t deny that most Malaysians can be very rude on the road behind the wheels. Here in Aussie, we even laugh crossing the road thinking that we are treated like royals. (We even made like sort of the ‘princess wave’ while crossing, haha! Very jakun people we are…)

CLOSSING TIME
This is something I don’t quite like about the lifestyle here. Everyday, all the shops & offices close at 5pm at most. Seriously!!! They don’t even have a ‘kedai runcit’ that opens 24 hours (no 7-eleven here by the way). Weekends are worst, some shops don’t even open on Sundays & close very early on Saturdays. During the weekdays, our classes finish at 5pm, making our shopping trip to be cancelled each day. But the daily groceries can be bought in Woolsworth n Coles (which open until 8pm, I think). But come to think of it, this culture is actually very good. There Australians really care about quality time with family. This is the main reason of this early closing time everyday. They make sure that all their job is done by 5pm that they can enjoy the rest of the evening with their loved ones.

ATTIRE
Most Australians like to wear casual attires no matter where they are going, even to campus. U can’t even recognize a medical student when u see one because most of them wears like they are going to the beach or doing gardening or something. Even the lecturers!!! Very simple people there Australians are. But sometimes, their simplicity is brought to a wrong level. Some people, can only wear shorts without t-shirts when doing their grocery shopping. What’s worst is that, they are some people, who I don’t know what is going on in their minds, don’t even wear any type of footwear going around wherever. Crazy huh?! They will just simply walk with bare feet on the hot pavement around the campus or even at the shopping mall. I even saw once that a whole family, the parents with their small kids, not wearing any shoes or slipper shopping in the mall. Up till now, I just can’t make myself to rationalize this behaviour.


I guess I will just stop here. If I continue, I think I might be taking most of my readers time. Hahahahahaha. Not that there are that much more comment. Is just that the aspects I have mentioned are the major ones.
Feeling very excited+anxious all at the same time now. Why?? Because my class officially starts tomorrow. Will be meeting more 1st year Australian medical students. Might feel a bit intimidated but what the heck. If other Malaysian can do it, of course I can too!!!

I will update more about my classes and Australian friends soon.