4 months later...

I write: It's 6 a.m. here on Hamilton Island, about 4 months since that first letter. I was lying on my bed staring at the ceiling because I'm not working today, but my roommate woke up early for work (she's a chef) and she's not very quiet (not very considerate either eh) so I got woken up and couldn't go back to sleep. Lying there listening to music and reading through all my old messages made me so nostalgic! I suddenly feel so horribly homesick and miss you guys so horribly much. It's horrible! You guys (whoever's reading this right now) are truly irreplaceable and I will give anything to have you all here right now. I know I promised to write and email as often as possible, but for the past 4 months, I've been working non-stop (7 days a week, day AND night) 'cause I'm trying to earn enough to pay for my own tuition fees next year. I'm only having a rest this week till Christmas 'cause they don't really need me to work extra these few weeks, so I'm finally getting a day off!

I feel like so much time has passed and I've grown up so much since I came here, even though it's only been 4 months +. I've had to learn to cope with inconsiderate roommates/housemates (I moved out of that house with the 5 girls who party and talk sex everyday. I'm now staying with a chef and I don't really meet her much anyway 'cause when I'm home, she's at work and when she's home, I'm at work, so I pretty much have the room to myself, muahaha). I've had to learn to be all on my own on a strange foreign island isolated from all forms of civilisation (okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating slightly =D).

I've learnt that in the working world, ass-kissing may get you higher faster, but the satisfaction you feel if you get there by your own efforts is everything. I've learnt that people don't necessarily have to understand each other completely to be the best of friends. What matters is what lies inside (90% of my group of friends are freakn' koreans, and half the time they don't even know what I'm saying, but in times of need, I can be sure that they'll be there for me. E.g. If I need dinner, they give me food, teehee teehee.). I've learnt that those bitches we see in movies really do exist (and sometimes they exist in the form of big ugly slimy spawns of all evil thingies and spurt goo at you). I've learnt that out of a hundred people at the workplace, the genuine ones constitute just 10% of that (the remaining 90% have 2 switches: the "turn on fake smile 'cause asian girl is smiling at me" switch, and the "stare blankly and maybe she'll stop smiling at me" switch. I do love freaking people out, heehee). I've learnt that just being me is enough.. that I AM enough (of course I am, whoever thought otherwise). But most of all, I've learnt that I really should go back to sleep now because no normal person wakes up and jiwangs at 6 a.m. on their first off day in 4 months ! -.-

*tick tock tick tock*

ONE hour later...

But because I can't sleep, I'm gonna continue, hehe. Christmas is drawing near, and everyone knows joce is always in a Christmas mood. Oh, the love. =D I have 3 Christmas parties coming up and I only have dresses for 2. Oh, the horror! (because it is absolutely forbidden to wear the same dress twice within 3 weeks) And I'm gonna get presents. Oh, the love! I miss carolling and I miss going to church on Christmas! Even all the way here, I won't be getting my white christmas. =( But, I've set about on a little project: making my own Christmas tree from scraps I find here and there. I promise pictures once it's done. And I promise pictures of the whole island experience etc. once my laptop's fixed! (if ever)

Speaking of fixes, I have a sleeping disorder I really need to fix. Gone are the days when I could sleep till 11am. I'm no longer capable of sleeping till any later than 7 a.m. I wake up at 6.30 a.m. on the dot every single day, regardless of what time I need to get to work. (some days I start at 8 and some days I start at 9.30)

ANYWAY, I think this is a reasonably long (and boring) 2 posts after a couple months of non-activity. If anyone wants to send me anything that will reach me before the 23rd of January 2008, this is my add: PO Box 37, Reef View Hotel Hsk, Hamilton Island, QLD, 4803, Australia. My location after that date is still undetermined.

4 months ago...

I wrote this letter that I meant to post, but there's too many people all over the world to post it to! So, I kept it and here I am, posting it digitally:

28/07/07 Because I just finished Harry Potter and have no intention of starting another book just yet, I thought "why not write a letter?" I know, genius right. I just firstly wanna say, I MISS YOU GUYS HORRIBLY! Yeah, I really love you guys that much.

My life here is... dead. My work days consist of waking up at 6.15 a.m. (just to avoid my housemates and other girls living around me... & to beat everyone else to the showers cos we share 2 showers among 12 girls... & to walk to my friend's place earlier etc etc..), showering, breakfasting bla, walk to fren's place, walk to work, work work work, walk home, think about what to eat for dinner, eat, sleep. Occassionally I go over to my frens' places, but they live so far away! (because I live in the staff accom that's the furthest away from everything else -_-).

At "home", all I do is hide in my room reading/wuliaoing (eg. writing letter that im never gonna send =), 'cause my laptop's still sick and I can't watch anything on it/play games. Why do I hide in my room? Let me tell you a little something about the people I live with. They are the "hi-fakesmile-continue talking among themselves ignore asian girl" kind of people. The only conversation they frequently have with me is "How's work?" -_-. Their nightly activities consist of 3 things:

1) blasting techno music at full volume till the wee hours of the morning, disregarding the fact that there's an asian girl in the house TRYING TO SLEEP so she can wake up at 6.15 a.m. to AVOID THEM

2) drowning themselves in alcohol either in the house, or out at the staff bar (although I prefer it when they're out, so at least I'll get the house to myself, if only for a few hours) & screaming at the top of their voices for no reason at all

3) talking about previous sex experiences & wanting to meet guys to have sex. Yes the walls are like cardboard. I can hear everything they say/so.

OR

all 3 at the same time!

Moving on to the wildlife. The animals here sure have a sense of humour. If you leave your room window open while you're at work, cockatoos will fly in, steal your food, shit all over the place, and fly off. Yep, there may be a wide expanse of forest just outside, but the best place to go to the loo is in your room. If you leave your room door open and forget to close the house front door when you go to the toilet, you can be sure to find a possum or two sitting on your bed waiting for you when you return. Often, when walking to work, you'll find some voluntary walking companions: kangaroos and wallabies. Believe me, I am not exaggerating.

Honestly, the island is actually a pretty nice place la. I've been to the beach twice. I've been to the highest peak on this island (very VERY nice view), I've been to the mainland to get groceries (because everything on the island is double-triple the prices of things mainland). It's a nice place but the people around me... suck. I miss having close friends/family around me. If I had the money, i would import all of you here right now. On a slightly happier note, I've already put in a request to change accommodations so hopefully the officers at Staff Accom have some compassion and move me soon!

-the end-

Seasons' Greetings

from Hamilton Island! omg!!! Anyway, a quick QUICK post saying that I MISS HOME and I MISS EVERYONE and I will be back blogging by the end of January 2008, heehee =D