Malaysia - Day 2

In which I wander the city, and try some local delicacies...

Arriving in Malaysia

So, my overseas adventures have started...

Last week in Melbourne

So, Wednesday was a beautiful spring day. Even though spring wasn't due for another week. However, since I'd be out of the country by then, it was my last chance to enjoy it. So I did.

Melbourne and Food

So, in my last post, one of my list of things to do was "Eat at my favourite places that make food that I won't be able to eat in Japan." And I did just that.
Warning: this video is basically just me going to places and eating food. Do not watch if you don't want to get hungry.

Om nom nom indeed!

My to-do list...

Time's a-running out! Here's my list of things to do over the next week-and-six-days!

1. See the doctor, and get a new script for meds.
2. Organise my International Driver Permit.
3. Officially change my address to my parents' place.
4. Send a box of stuff ahead of me to Japan.
5. Work as many hours as possible so that I have some money to tide me over until I find work in Japan.
6. Pack.
7. Attend swing dancing classes.
8. Organise my superannuation from various employers into the one single fund.
9. Eat at my favourite places that make food that I won't be able to eat in Japan.
10. Attend a 90s indie rock concert at the Palace.
11. Make a guest appearance at a cabaret show at the Butterfly Club.
12. Re-pack, taking out any unnecessarily weighty items.
13. Try and find time to do uni work.
14. Donate all extra clothes and stuff to charity.
15. Put what few sentimental accumulations I own into storage.
16. Chase up my tax return if it hasn't arrived by next week.
17. Hand out free graphic novels at Box Hill Station first thing in the morning.
18. Compete in a swing-dancing competition in front of a hundred-ish people.
19. Attend the Melbourne Writers Festival and meet Maggie Stiefvater.
20. Leave my old life behind.

The rest of the weekend in Canberra.

So, on Saturday, we headed into Civic for some public dancing in the mall, followed by a trip down to Lake George Winery, then the Mobster's Ball at Parliament House (!), and finally the after-party at the Polish Club.

Then, on Sunday, my video recording prowess was waning, but I still managed to catch the occasional moment during the day...

And now, I'm back at work. But only for 10 more days.

Two weeks to go!

I'll be leaving the country two weeks from tomorrow!

I've been using the time to enjoy the things that I won't be able to enjoy as regularly once I get to Japan. One of those regular pastimes in Melbourne is swing dancing, and I headed over to Canberra for a four-day weekend of social dancing. Here's how I spent my Friday...

More tomorrow...

WTFAID and other FAQs...

One month from now, I'll be living in Japan. As my imminent departure looms, I keep asking myself "What the fuck am I doing?" (or WTFAID?) Unlike S, I don't have anybody to chaperone me on my flight, organise my official documents, brief me on what to expect once I get to Japan, and, most significantly, I don't have any predetermined livelihood set out for me. No job, no support group, essentially - no purpose for my presence there.

And I ask myself again - WTFAID?

But, there is a far worse question I could be asking myself. Like "Why the fuck am I still here?" (or WTFAISH?)

The way I see it, there are three possible situations:

1. We're doing the things what we want to be doing with our life.
2. We're not doing the things that we want to be doing with our life.
3. We're not quite sure what we're doing with our life.

1 is the ideal situation. 2 is the soul-destroying situation. 3 is... well... confusing.

It's confusing, because when you know what you want to do with your life, then trying new and uncharted territory seems like the worst possible idea. Especially when we live in a society where we're encouraged to work hard in situation 2, keep our head down, do the hard yards, and one day all that hard work will pay off and we'll end up in situation 3.

But maybe we won't. Maybe we'll be just as frustrated in twenty years time.

Situation 3, on the other hand, offers no guarantees, but at the same time there will always be surprises. And some of them well be pleasurable, life-affirming surprises.

And so, I've resolved to embrace my fate, moving away from the library world. I need to let go of all the career-planning advice I've been given over the last five years because, as great as they've been in theory, they've just taught me that being determined and driven only leads to frustration.

Instead, I'm resolving to follow where the adventure takes me. I need to focus more on my experience, and do the things I want to do, rather than focus on the industry and try to bend it to meet my job satisfaction needs. Take advantages to be creative in new and innovative ways, and see where that leads me.

After all, I can't expect the world to change for my sake. I can only hope to change for the world's sake, and contribute where I can doing what I do best.

Leaving Ascot Vale

One of my least favourite parts of travel / relocating one's life is the act of moving house. This is what took up a heap of my time last week...

I'm glad that's over!

Selamat Berpuasa!

So, for muslims around the world, the holy fasting month of Ramadan begins today, and ends on the 30th of August, with the celebration of Hari Raya Puasa - literally "celebration day" where they break their fast and eat lots of good food for two days of festivities.

By a stroke of lucky timing, I'll be touching down in Kuala Lumpur on... you guessed it, the 30th of August. I'm looking forward to a couple of days of southeast asian noms...