It's going to be the end of my 3rd week in Perth already. Well, i wouldn't say time passes fast, cos there's still 3+ months to go before i get to go home for summer holidays. But neither is it slow, cos it's 3 weeks already.. and probably cos the sky here darkens really early, like at 5.30pm. So it makes the day seem to pass faster. haha.

School this week has been quite alright. Made a few more friends. Starting to get back into the studying life already. Have been doing my readings and tutorials and i guess it is time to start on my assignments too. First one is due in 3 weeks!

So, my fever has subsided on tuesday night. Thank you all for praying (: Now i'm still left with the cough and running nose. Guess the cough would take quite some time to go away. But at least i'm feeling better than how i felt on monday. Monday was really terrible. 38.6 deg. haa. Thank God that i'm alright now. Someone (i seriously can't remember who) told me before that i am surrounded by many angels.. and i think it's quite true. God has blessed me with many "angels" who.. you know, care for me, pray for me, support me and all. I am very blessed (:

I think, ever since coming to Perth, i've learnt to appreciate much more the many little things that my family (my parents especially) have done for me. I've learnt not to take them or the things that they do for me for granted. There are days when i really really miss home. Like sometimes, walking along the street or waiting for the bus and i see families, parents with their children.. yeah.. And, you know, it doesn't really matter where your house/home is.. I mean, you can have a house where you live in, but a home isn't a home unless it is where your family is.

i have fallen sick - fever, cough, flu. It's a terrible feeling to fall sick in a foreign land with cold and dry weather... makes me wished i was back at home in Singapore... but thank God that yuexing is here. Thanks for taking care of me!

Pray for me ok? to recover soon. and for yuexing too, cos she seems to be having cough also.

it's been 1 week in Perth already. So far, quite good. The weather is still the same - cold cold cold. but, im slowly getting used to it already.

Yesterday night i skyped with my relatives (paternal side). It was really really good to see them again. Thank God for technology. Skype really helps a lot with the homesickness cos you get to talk to and see your loved ones and friends (:

Yesterday, i also went to Yuexing's church. It was quite alright. The people there were mainly UWA students. The sermon was about "Unshakable Faith". Even in times of trouble, uncertainty, grief, we just gotta hold on to our faith in God. People say that we see so that we can believe. But faith is about believing so that we can see.

True enough. Reminds me that i gotta keep having faith in God, to trust Him that He will lead my everyday. Especially now that im here in Perth, in a place that is new to me. There will be times that i face uncertainties. But like the song "Still" says "When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with You above the storm. Father You are King over the flood, I will be still and know You are God." So, i know God is always in control of everything, i just gotta keeping having faith.

Today, i went to angela cheng's church. Her church is very much like QBC. So when i went there, there was a homely feeling. And that was when i started to miss QBC, the worship, the service, the people back home. hehe. Today's sermon was about "Having ears, do you not hear?" - Listening to God. Sometimes, when we feel that we can't hear God, it isn't because God is not speaking to us, but rather, we are not listening. Like what the Bible says about being "slow to speak and quick to listen." We need to have a silent mouth so that we can listen to what God has to say to us. We need a listening ear and a responsive heart too. So, be patient and quiet, and listen to what God has to say to you.

School is officially starting tmr. It's just lectures for this week, tutorials will only begin next week. Kind of curious what is it going to be like.. Gotta get into the studying mood now. haa.

Some prayer requests:
1. My stomach. Cos this whole week, im still having mild diarrhoea. It isn't the food. Cos what im eating is the same as what Yuexing is eating. Perhaps my internal system is still adapting. yup.

2. Pray that i know how to manage my time and finances well. haa.

yep. so, thanks for praying! (:

Today's my 5th day in Perth. It's really very cold here. It's like constantly living in a fridge. haha. I'm starting to forget what it feels like to have warm weather :P I've been rather busy (well, yuexing too. haha) ever since me and yuexing touched down in Perth on Sunday afternoon.

When we were outside of the airport, waiting for yuexing's uncle to come and fetch us, i was looking at the beautiful sky, and i said to God, "God, this is the beginning of a whole new phase of my life. I know You'll lead my every step. Teach me to trust You even more." Yup. The feeling was kind of surreal, cos i still can't really believe that i've reach Perth. haha, and what's more, i'm going to be here for the next 4 months.. and well, in total, 2 years. I was really tired that day, cos we woke up quite early to go to the airport. So after calling my mum, i went to sleep already.

My orientation started on Monday till Thursday, which is today. Well, Monday till Wednesday there wasn't much going on. Mainly just talks, briefing and doing the admin stuffs. Today is the officialy orientation day called the "Kickoff". Orientation was quite alright, made a few new friends, from Norway, China, Malaysia and Singapore. haha.

The busy and tiring part was that from Monday to Wednesday, me and yuexing were like busy buying furnitures and groceries. Some of you might have seen the photos of the things that we bought in the back of the car.. haha. Yeah. That was Monday. Tuesday we went to buy furnitures like my table, shelve, mirror, etc.. super tiring. Cos we had to fix it from scratch.. but when we finished fixing the table and shelve, the sense of satisfaction is great. haha :P

I learnt how to travel to school on Wednesday. So now i sort of know how to travel around from home to the City and school. Not bad for a road idiot like me.. haha. Wednesday's orientation was mainly doing the enrolment and time-table. Took me in total like 6 hours.. 11.30 till 5+pm. But well, in the end, i will be doing 3 majors - Management, Entrepreneurship and Marketing. yep. cos i need to complete 16units (units are like.. subjects) and doing 1 or 2 major wouldn't be enough cos there are many overlapping units. So i end up doing 3 majors.

3 majors sound scary.. but actually, it is just like.. you know, sec sch, taking Triple science.. Pure Bio, Physics, Chem. and then under each Science, there are different sub-category. smthg like that.. haha. kind of confusing. well.. at least i know it'll look good on my resume :P

So, that's my life so far in Perth. Thanks to yuexing for bringing me around so that i won't be so lost and also cooking for me. haha. She cook, i wash. Thank God for everyday, cos it's really by His grace that i can come to Perth, study in UWA. The settling down process has been quite alright too, though there were just short periods of time that i sort of miss home. But well, God always send me His angel to encourage me with words, moral support and all... (: so the homesickness isn't that bad..

School is going to start next week. Lectures in the 1st week, and then tutorials will start in the 2nd week. Kind of exciting to start school yet at the same time, a little apprehensive cos i don't know what will be happening. But i guess that's fine. God will lead and take care of me (:

Missing everyone back in Singapore. Esp. my family, relatives and close friends.. but don't worry about me. I'm fine here (: I will try to upload the photos soon and update my blog when i have the time.

Finally, after many months of talking and thinking and preparing... the time to leave for further studies in Perth has arrived. The feeling is quite surreal.. can't believe that i am really going to Perth already. It's a mixture of excitement and anxiety, like having giant butterflies in my stomach.

I really don't know how life would be like there, being so many miles away from home, from the loved ones. There is a saying "Home is where the heart is" so true indeed. But God is good to me, cos i know i won't be alone over there in Perth. Yuexing will be there, so is Angela Cheng. At least there are people there whom i can turn to for help when the need arises.

I would say that this is a big leap of faith for me. I think it is really time for me to learn to be independent of men and totally dependent on God, to learn to trust in Him in every step that I take.

I thank God for the past 2-3 weeks, for the time that i got to spend with the different people - my family and relatives, Shimu, Carmen, Kat, Laiyi, tuanqi brothers & sisters, the aunties in church, my poly friends and sec sch friends, my poly lecturers. I have seen how much God has blessed me with so many people in my life. I am deeply and truly touched by their gestures. The meals that they treated me to, the advices they gave, their prayers, etc.. I really feel super duper loved and I want to thank God for each of you.

4 months do sound short, it's almost like an extended holiday. But i guess, when you're away from home, even 1 month would be long.. There are so many to miss.. my family and relatives, the weekly gatherings we have on saturday, the fun and laughters that we have, and also church friends - esp. the close ones, the comfort of being at home, being taken care of, being able to just sms/call/meet anytime anywhere with anyone.. So as my mum said, this will be a turning point in my life, for me to explore and experience. And of course, i know, everything is in God's hands, He is in absolute control.

I will definitely miss everyone back here, especially those whom i hold really dear and close to my heart. You all know who you are. Please take very good care of yourself, keep in touch with me. I will try to update my blog regularly about my life in Perth. See you all again in 4 months time...