I’m quite tired today. I woke up at 2am to try and see if I could get the free Air Asia tickets back to KL, but epic fail. Though I did find free tickets to and from to Singapore, which isn’t much use unless I’m actually in Singapore to fly to Malaysia. Spent from 2am till 3am trying to find alternative flights, but didn’t work.
I’ve been rather busy at work lately, travelling up and down visiting clients as well as dealing with the enormous amount of paperwork with each client. I’ve got to do some Job Start paperwork and boy, are they a stack of documents! It’ll be the 1st time I’m filling them out tomorrow, so hopefully all works out.
After work, I still have my exam paper to write, which is due next week *gulp*
I’ve written out the headings and I have a rough idea on what to write it on but having the time to actually sit down and write it, uninterrupted. Looks like I’ll be writing my paper over the next few days. Just need to pass this exam paper and finish up my prac and portfolio and I’m home free and ready to graduate! Speaking of graduation, I handed in my Intention to Graduate form today. So in 5 weeks, I can have my Letter of Completion! Talk about fast. I’ve got to get my Police Clearance and things sorted out and I’m good to go.
Feels like my life story has taken on a new chapter. Next I’ve got to go job hunting. I’ve had 2 JCs tell me that I should apply for a job. I love it and everything, but paywise is a bit less than hospitals. The thing I like here is that I have autonomy and its a brilliant place to work at, the place is full of friendly people and there are quite good job perks. I’ve yet to decide, but 5 weeks is a good enough time frame to decide 
Enough pondering about work and stuff, got to get on with life. Exam papers to write, paperwork to sort out! Goodnight
It has been busy week, but last week sure was a delightful week. Monday was the only night that I spent at home, doing work. Managed to take quite a few pictures from the dinners and lunches and outings.
*Warning: Picture heavy post*
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It is 10.10pm and now I’ve off to bed with a happy heart that I only have 6 more weeks to prac and 7 more weeks till I see my family again.
On a happy note too, I have dinners organised on Tuesday and Thursday
I feel a bit popular now. Not to mention that I’ve lost a bit of weight to fit into a bikini without looking like an ape. Hooray for small things!
I honestly feel like chucking something against a wall and smashing it to smithereens. I’m highly amused at how durable a stress ball is, doesn’t tear even with me digging my finger nails in it.
Need I say more?
Tell me if you will, what are the odds of this happening twice in two weeks?
I wonder where all these stupid bolts and screws are coming from.
These past week while I took good ol public transport to uni, I had quite a bit of time to think and to watch the world go around. I think the thing that got me ticking most this week was these people who were blatantly walking about as if the road belongs to them and the cars have to give way to them.
One of them yesterday didn’t look at the traffic lights and tried crossing the road, luckily the car was stationery since it was a red light. She stepped in front of it, looked on the opposite side of the road (at this point she was already on the road) and she just stood there. Then the lights turned green and the car wanted to go but stopped for her cause she took another step and just stood there. The bus I was in was just behind that car and honked and only then did she realise what she was doing. I think that is probably the stupidest way to cross the road. Taking 2 steps in front of a car and not even looking at it.
Today on the way to uni I saw another girl who was walking on the road even though there were pedestrian walkways right next to her. For those who don’t know, pedestrian walkways are on only 1 side of the road and she happened to be on that side yet chose to walk on the road. And the bus I was in had to stay in the middle of the road cause she just kept walking on.
I am constantly amazed at how stupid some people can get at times. Sad to say, those 2 girls were Asian and I guess I can’t help but wonder if the typical stereotype of Asians being ‘fresh of the boat’ and ignorant is really true. I can honestly say I don’t fit the typical Asian stereotype of speaking with an accent and having a flat nose. I think I’m probably the most non typical Asian girl, I speak with an Aussie accent, I know enough vocabulary to get by, I have a sharp nose and I have double eyelids. I sometimes think I’m not Asian but my hair colour tells me the truth. I don’t know whether to feel good or insulted when someone says I speak very good English and finds out that I’m from Malaysia and have grown up there.
I think I think too much. I should go to bed since I need to wake up at 6.30am to get to uni by 8am by public transport. But what do you think about the Asian stereotypes?
It was 34 degrees today, apparently the hottest spring day in decades. I was sweating bucket loads from attending uni and came home to nap cause it was too warm to do anything else. I decided against going to the beach cause I just recovered from being sick and I cannot afford to fall sick just prior to the start of my next prac.
I think I got a bit more tan from walking a bit in the sun, which is a great thing cause being pasty white isn’t such a great thing since I was in the office and at home for a while, hiding from the sun. I’m going to the MV Doulos thing in Freo tomorrow, so it’ll be a good day. Going to swing by uni and hand in my cover sheet for my assignment and then swing to pick up Amanda’s car and then go to Freo.
I’m looking forward to my day in the sun tomorrow before having to do my portfolio to submit and prepare for the next prac as well. The sun is shining, the sea breeze is blowing and I can smell spring is in the air. What more can I ask for?
As I wrapped up my last day at prac at AAWA yesterday, I couldn’t help but feel rather forlorn. After yesterday, I’ve got another 8 weeks and 1 day before I officially finish my 4 year degree. I’ve been in Perth for 5 years, which isn’t a short amount of time. But 5 years have flown by so quickly. I still remember the rather orientation day at Taylors College Perth 5 years ago, I couldn’t sleep the night before so I had something like 5 hours of sleep. I remember that was 29th January 2004 and that the was day I first met my course mates.
As I count down the days to my family coming to Perth, my heart soars. I haven’t seen them in nearly 2 years, which is probably one of the hardest things to do, being away from them. But as each second ticks away, it also means that I’m nearer to the end of my course. Which I will bid goodbye to assignments, lectures and portfolios. I guess I’m torn about the what to feel. I’m happy that its almost complete, only 8 weeks and 1 day stand between me and the finish date of my course. But that also means closing a chapter in my life, my student days. Undoubtedly I’m also sad, not being able to have 3 month summer holidays, not hanging out with friends between lectures and tutorials but instead going to work and put into practice what I’ve been taught over the past 4 years.
After the next 8 weeks and 1 day, I’m opening a new chapter in life and closing an old one. I’m a sentimental person and like to remember things the way they were. When my friends ask me if I am looking forward to starting my next prac, my answer is both yes and no. Yes because that means I’m nearer to being an OT, and no because I’m going to finish my undergraduate degree. After that, I’m becoming a research assistant and investigating the use of doll therapy for people with dementia. I guess you can say I’m very excited to start but also dreading finishing.
Yesterday I attended the Creative Approaches Workshop run by DBMAS which had the Research and Consultancy Manager speaking about assistive technology, the speech pathologist speaking about communication strategies, the dietician speaking about nutrition strategies, and Louise my supervisor speaking about sensory based activities. At the end of it, it was she was so sweet. She introduced me and what I did for DBMAS during my placement and gave me a present in front of everyone. I was so touched by her generosity and what they thought about me. It made me think that I am in fact good at something and being recognised for it.
So my 4 years of slogging it away has paid off. I now have a job and am in a position for using that as leverage to apply for OT positions. I could not have asked for a better outcome for things. I have a job while waiting for my PR to be approved and I get flexible hours doing what I do best. I guess my future is looking a lot brighter now
It has been a rather hit and miss week, quite literally as well as metaphorically. The week started with me being so sick that I was out of action in Sunday after church and on Monday, where I did not make it to work but instead slept most of the day away. I made it to work on Tuesday but got sent home after half a day due to my constant coughing and sneezing. Made it to work yesterday and gained back a bit of my appetite. I can say with glee that my clothes are now a bit looser and that the pair of shorts that I wore yesterday can be pulled down without being unbuttoned or unzipped. Though I would ask that nobody try to do that please, I prefer to be walking around with clothes ON thank you.
I was still feeling rather sick yesterday, my sore throat and sore nose from tissue burn didn’t help either. There was Found on last night and I was on the border of not going cause I thought I should be resting a bit more so I can recover quicker but I still pushed on and went, it was the first worship experience night we had and I felt like going. So I got there, I parked at my usual spot outside Amanda’s house on the sandy verge and went in. It was a great night last night, I admit I wasn’t really into it at first but it was after that I started doing a lot of thinking, about what each person had said last night. I could relate to what Sam was saying, there are many times where I try and grasp the concept that God is by faith and although I cannot physically see Him, He definitely exists and plays a huge part of my life. Sometimes I feel like God can’t hear me but when that happens, I see this chain of events that prove me wrong. Yesterday was just one concrete example of that.
As I said just now, I just wasn’t feeling up to going, but I thought I should go for support of the women’s ministry. So I went and I parked at my usual place, even though previously I’ve scraped the bottom my front bumper slightly while reversing I though it would be the same thing again. Not. As I left to go home after Found, I scraped my bumper, quite badly this time. As I reversed, I heard a snap and my heart dropped when I did. So I pulled over and saw that the left side of my front bumper had come out and was jutting out about 1 cm. Which is still 1 cm too much for comfort. So I drove home, contemplating my options, wondering why had I even parked at that spot, wondering where I could get it fixed for cheap.
I had a fitful sleep last night, I wasn’t too happy with myself, with what I had done to my beloved car, so disappointed that I ignored my own advice of not parking there anymore. So I got up extra early this morning and because I couldn’t find masking tape anywhere, I resorted to cutting up pieces of contact into strips and stuck it on my bumper to keep it in place for the trip to work. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of it just cause I was so distraught that I had damaged my Blue Lightning once again. I rushed out of the house, trying to beat the traffic and create less stress on my car and me and managed to forget my cough syrup and honey and lemon drink in the morning. I made it to work in one piece and managed to drive to my final evaluation appointment which was over at the other AAWA site. Had my final evaluation with Sue and I passed with flying colours! The team were very impressed with my work on the life history book sample I created as well as the sensory boxes and cataloguing of the resources and creating how to sheets for them. They even got Joel to take a picture of me with the stuff I had put together there on my placement and that will go in the November staff newsletter Jess said she will send me a copy when they get it, so it will be rather odd seeing my face with all the things I did over the past 7 weeks there.
Louise and Deb took me out to Floreat Forum and we went crazy at the Bali Beach shop over there, with me looking for items for the sensory rummage boxes that were seriously cheap, and Deb and Louise shopping for house decorations. Louise treated me to lunch at Gloria Jean’s, which was really kind of her. I’ve got some goodies for them at the office that I’ll be giving them tomorrow. As we sat eating lunch, Louise and Deb offered me a paid job over the summer as a research assistant for a research project they are interested in. I was stoked! I think I froze and they gave me the details of it and it was great! It fit in perfectly with my summer plans and I get paid and I have the flexibility to do things. It was a dream come true! Little need to say, I accepted it right away, I wasn’t going to let this get out of my reach. As I’m goins to be applying for PR and need something to keep me occupied before I get a real job and it looks great on my CV. I couldn’t have asked for a better job! All this while, I still had the thought of fixing my car, nagging at the back of my mind. I couldn’t exactly drive around on my next prac with a lose bumper.
I rang the Proton smash repairers early in the morning and they said that they could try fixing it, or if it is bad they have to replace the bumper, which will cost 500-600 bucks, but will be covered by insurance. So I wrapped up things at prac earlier and got off at 3pm and raced to Proton to get the bumper fixed. Got there at about 3.20pm and had a discussion with the mechanic (he’s brilliant! I would highly recommend him) about my options and even though he had a full workshop, he fit me in and got my car fixed in 15 minutes. While he took my car off me to bring round to the workshop and I was waiting in the waiting room, contemplating how much I would have to pay for all that, he walks in 5 minutes later telling me that I was lucky that I brought it in today. They found a nail in my rear right tyre and by the looks of it, it had been there for a while. He said it was lucky they caught it now, cause it would have meant that any day now my tyre would have gone kaput if it wasn’t fixed. He even recommended me a place down the road that could do it for cheap. So off to Richard’s Tyrepower on Scarborough Beach Road I went, in search of a puncture fixer. No wonder for the past week or so I have heard a tick tick sound everytime I drive, turned out to be the blooming nail in the tyre.
I got there and managed to get them to squeeze me in, even though that meant I had to wait an hour, I would wait. I think today was just great, I managed to get my car fixed at 2 places where both workshops were full and I got it down for cheap and quite fast as well. I got the bumper fixed for $25 and the tyre fixed for $30. I drove home in good spirits and was just thinking about the day. Then I looked at the bigger picture of things, that if I had never rocked up to Found yesterday, I wouldn’t have snapped my bumper, then the mechanic wouldn’t have found the nail in my tyre and I would have had a punctured tyre at a later date and a lot more expensive repair as well as a lot more hassles. God definitely had my back and always had my back all this time however stupid I might have felt or however useless I feel. This might probably sound stupid but I’m not ashamed of it, I prayed while driving back today, thanked Him for all His blessings and everything He has given me so unconditionally. That I now can see it is His hands in every facet of my life, even without me knowing, carrying me all the way, consoling me and egging me on the times I feel like giving up. So I was crying while I was driving and I must have looked like a downright idiot, but you know I don’t care anymore. What I do care about is what God means to me and I’m glad I have a God that is so loving and full of grace
So all in all it has been an awesome day! I got a job offer, I got my car fixed and my supervisors at prac were highly impressed with me. God is great Even when I thought this was such a horrible week, I’m glad that with Christ in the vessel, I can smile in the storm.
