A further look at strike...

Defoe told me last night that there is actually a bus strike in Brisbane last year coz the drivers want their buses to be air-conditioned... It is actually the unions that coordinate the strikes in Australia... Guess what... it works... the government promptly added more air-conditional buses thereafter... This brings me to the point that some of the free postcards they have in Australia actually serve an important purpose... That is, to reject some of the legislations meted out by the government and/or John Howard... I signed one which request that the government return the oil fields to Iraq before... (Chee Meng passed the postcard to me and he sent it for me). The post cards are all printed with the parliament house address and is addressed directly to the Prime Minister, John Howard. Guess what... it works... Australia pull out from the oil fields thereafter...

Manage to hit 6 pages for the software process assignment... Yea... need atleast 4 more and diagrams do help... Not in terms of occupying more space (tho' it does to a great extent), it actually help me sort out my thoughts in a more explicit manner... Just had a Mac Oz burger at Indooroopilly shopping mall and did some revision... Gonna practise some C programming on Agave now...

Oh, some facts I have learnt about Australia:

(1) Highest mountain in Australia is in Melbourne - Mount Kosciuszko at 2228 metres or 7,310 feet (Chee Meng just reached it summit a few days back)

Extract of his email about the mountain:

The broad shaped valleys around the main range are a result of glacial action during the ice ages and make for easy access to the Main Range which offers fantastic cross country skiing. Other interesting activities for the adventurous are challenging downhill runs, cycling on the steeper faces.

Kosciuszko National Park includes Australia¡¯s highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko at 2228 metres or 7,310 feet. It is the largest national park in New South Wales, Kosciuszko National Park extends 200km north to south, from Tumut to the Victorian border, encompassing an area of some 6500 square kilometres. The scenery includes almost all of the high country, with ten peaks above 2100m, forested valleys and a treeless plateau with glacial lakes, as well as the headwaters of Australia¡¯s biggest river system, the Murray¨CMurrumbidgee.

Upon reaching the Thredbo, 1370 metres, I began my search for a shelter. Thanks to the helpful information counter, I manage to find the cheapest roof at $26.50 per night at YHA Thredbo. Appreciation of terrain started with visual followed by foot recce to the start point of Merittius Track. While there were patches and snow and ice on the slope and rivers, I was pretty lucky as the route to the summit seem cleared. I foresee little or no difficulties all the way up 1900metres.

On 7th June, I proceeded with the walk up the mountain at 0730hrs. The sky cleared slowly as the surrounding air is picking up speeding. After close to two hours walk, I was at 1900metres point. It was there and then that I realised the chair lift for skiing operates!? Nevertheless, I did not regret walking. I felt more relax when I saw the 6.5km route ahead was cleared. As I was at higher elevation, the ears and fingers staged a demonstration that they are feeling numb.

I fasten my pace on the plateau, and breathed Australia highest air at 2228 metres at 1055hrs. I enjoyed myself on the summit, looking at the surrounding peaks for 35 minutes. I saw more people while I was making my descent. Smarter people who discover using the chair lift is a better deal compared to waking up early.

(2) Lady Elliot Island is the first coral cay island of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from the south... It is too expensive to go there coz one need to take a flight from Bundaberg... But I guess I will be visiting Lady Musgrave Island which is cheaper as they have day cruise which bring you to snorkel too! =) I want to see the coral reef with my own eyes... I have taken a module on "Australian Marine Environment" but have yet to seen one (ie. a coral reef in its natural environment) for myself...

(3) Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world ( will be going there after exams)

Got to practise some coding now...

Impending Rail Strike...

Just gotten an email in my UQ mail, it goes like this:

Subject

Possible Rail Strike - Wednesday 15 June 2005

Queensland Rail has announced that a rail strike may disrupt all
suburban services on Wednesday 15 June. The strike is due to begin
at midnight on Tuesday 14 June and will affect services in Brisbane,
the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and west to Ipswich.

Students who attend all three campuses may be affected. If you have
an examination scheduled for that day you should, as a precaution,
make alternative transport arrangements so that the strike does not
affect your arrival time at a scheduled examination.

Linda Bird
Academic Registrar

Happening eh? ahhaz...

2 days ago while I was in school, I was handed a piece of propaganda flyer which ask me to oppose the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China... The flyer was printed with a list of atrocities they claimed that CCP has done... Oh, they have a website for you to denounce CCP... It is at

http://quitccp.epochtimes.com

Back to the books...

Good morning!

Before I went out for breakfast this morning, I realised that my msn dialog boxes are blinking... haz... One was from Nic who is now in San Francisco; he's having flatulence now... Ahhh..Hate that... Next was Wilbert's msg box which enquire about the place I am living at now... He will be on SEP in UQ next semester... We are going to experience very different things of Australia; looking forward to listen to your experience and see your photos when you are back in Nov/Dec... =) Oh, saw liyan online this morning... He's currently at Yellowstone National Park and it is snowing there right now!!! It is only when you are away from the comfort of home that wonders of the world begin to unfold in your eyes - be it spectacular works of Nature or interesting cultural differences...

When I do save up enough $$, I will love to go Europe and visit my European friend, Daniel in Oxford... He's a professional web designer residing in Oxford and the websites he made are really amazing! He told me that Oxford is about 70 minutes to London and Paris will be about 7 hours ride from London... Oxford seems to be a good 'base camp' to travel to the various parts of Europe as long as $$$ permits=). He has made a pact with me to take 36 photos of the wiered stuff in Brisbane while he will take 36 of them in Paris (he will be travelling there for one week)... You know what makes him stand out? He dare to be different... He said he will not take a single photo of the Effiel Tower - those touristy icons... Instead, I think he prefers the suburbs where authencity truly unfold in the people's way of life, actions and on their faces... You can view his photos at : http://www.djh-graphics.com . Look the 3rd column on the right to view his unique photographic works... Got to work on my long essay... Ciao...

Just had a dream...

It was my first dream in Australia... More often then not, I will promptly fell asleep till the next morning in Auz; but the dream this morning really jerked me up from my sleep... And I still remember the details now... Hope it does not happen; and anywway, people always say those that you dream of in your dreams will not turn into reality....

Past few days has been pretty busy... Finishing up the "Great Barrier Reef" essay, Peter Sutton's network lab (oh yea, thank ym for taking the effort to change the codes), Hong Ee's "Ayers Rock essay" (I added in about 600 words, you better treat me well when you return from New Zealand). Started revision for my Statistic and Probability module...haz... Still got one more assignment which I will start on in school in a moment's time...

I was kind of disoriented by the fact that my lappy could not read any web pages when it was alrfeady connected to the Internet... Almost put the blame on Peter Sutton's lab which put my laptop through so much hardship... There will be a special session for exam tips later for the stats module... Not going to be late manz.... hahaz...

Meanwhile, everyone do pray for Galvin's mum...

Oooo Hooo...

My days in Australia are diminishing day by day...haz... In the process of finishing up my assignments and studying for exams... My first paper is a "statistics and probability" paper which will be held next Friday. This week is the study week for UQ but I went back to school to get the forking done for my lab... YM and Mike have slogging out in the lab for the past few days... Australian marine essay will be finished soon... but the software process essay have yet to start... I should be able to get it started soon after today or tomorrow... Being taking things in my stride recently, savouring the little moments in life... taking that photo or taking a deeper breathe...haz...

Nic is in SanFrancisco now for the Apple conference, Eric is in Japan now for holidays, WQ, Eric and a couple of others will be heading for NUS Overseas College in late june of mid july... Everyone seems to be flying off... Yea... the world is truly a global village; it was only a vision in our human geography text book in secondary school... More and more people are getting mobile and physical boundary is no longer a barrier to opportunities...

Hong Ee and Cindy are in New Zealand right now... Arghzz... and here I am still with work to be done... esp with the network and operating system module... Nvm... I know my priorities and will plan my stuff according to it so that I will have no regrets=)

I want live my own creation...=) Life will be busy when I return to S'pore but nonetheless I guess it will be fruitful if things turn out well... Hmm hmm... Anyone getting married soon? =) Do contact me...-)