+61.

Hello from Perth. It's been almost five months that i'm here and all's been good so far. I have settled in and have adjusted to life here in +61. I must say that it really wasn't easy to let go of the only life I knew back home in SG and all the friends, family and my precious kids. I was torn, heartbroken and missing everything a lot at the beginning but I constantly told myself it was for the best, that I had to be fair to the kids especially, to finish up school for good so that I can give them my fully attention and focus. I wanted only the best for them and so I plucked up my courage to let go….for the moment. This decision to finish up my studies in UWA was also honestly because I was losing focusing back home. Being a part time student isn't easy. To juggle work and school can get tedious. Especially when I am someone who follows my heart more than my brain. I was putting my kids before school and it was hard to sit and focus on my studies. 

Coming to Perth, I had a few goals in mind of course. To do the best I can in uni and to get the ultimate lifesaving experience as well. How exciting it is, to be in the heart of where the one and only sport I love is a way of life here. It's been fantastic, watching kids even participating in lifesaving activities. I have so fun even just watching their carnivals and trainings sometimes and I am so eager to go home and try to make a difference to our scene. It's like I have a whole lot of ideas just waiting to burst out. The same for school, I love the learning here! The lecturers are great and very knowledgable. No regrets at all coming here and I am certainly proud to say that I have the first hand experience here. I feel more pride being a sport science student now that I am officially a student at Crawley. 

At the beginning I felt alone and homesick of course. I constantly wondered how everyone was doing back at home and what I was missing. I learnt to make friends and I learnt to deal with feelings of being 'outcasted' as well. I had joined board trainings at the club and I couldn't help but feel like I was unwanted there. It could have been me thinking too much and it could have also been because I joined them all of a sudden (without getting my bronze first) but I sucked it up anyways and just continued on. I can't say that things are good now but I've moved on and hopefully things get better from here on with the right pathway that I am on.

Just the other night my car got broken into. KR and I were having our theory lesson at the club. The car was parked just outside the club and it was a well lit area. The thief had meddled with the front doors and managed to spoil the passenger side door handle. There are now dents at the handles too. He (I am assuming that it is a guy) stole KR's wallet with $90aud inside and luckily the only important car inside was his SG's driver's license. That asshole also stole KR's new Adidias shoes, our phone cables and car charger and the most mysterious thing he stole was my swimming hand paddles. I am so frustrated because I can't figure out why he stole what he stole. My wallet and phone was in the glove compartment too and he didn't take them. But why? I am shocked for sure, I never would have imagined that I would become a victim to car theft. I have definitely been complacement and it is a lesson learnt. The feeling of having your privacy invaded is bothering and not nice at all. Till today my feelings of frustrations, anger and sadness lingers on and I am more paranoid now. Like I am afraid it will happen again and it would be worst this time around. I am trying to stay positive and move on, telling myself that it could have been a lot worst and thankfully non of us were hurt at all. It seems that it is common here because when we told our instructors they seemed so calmed about about it. But us being Singaporeans were obviously shaken. I now appreciate how safe SG really is. 

To be continued…...