The battle has begun...

My studies (a.ka. the battle) has begun. M now starting with my introductory academic program. Seryosong aral to mga tsong. As in, first day sa economics may assignment agad. So here is how my day would go for a month.

L have class from 9:30 until 4:45. IT matters in the morning, academic and writing skills at noontime and Economics thereafter. M most concerned about economics. M not really good at it.

As for the academic skills, it goves us a taste of what's to come when the sem starts. Dito pag sinabing magbasa... magbabasa ka talaga. We are not talking about one or two readings a per meeting... at least three... yay!!!

So much about my heydays... back to iskul bukol ako for real.

I will definitely enjoy this anyway.

Pray for me though.

The View From My Aparment

Aparment daw??? Baka dorm room. Obvious ba yung mesh screen sa pic?

Above is a snapshot of Canberra's City Center. Well, there are several "centers" in the city. In fact almost every suburb has. I initially thought its only the City Center that has tall buildings. I was wrong. Canberra was planned in such a manner that development of commercial and financial districts would be spread out in all suburbs, that are 30 minutes away from each other, at most. Walang peak hour ang traffic eh. Puro off-peak..hehehehe

At any rate, the ones in the pics are 5 mins away from me, in the same manner that our school is 5 mins of walk from my residence hall. :-)

Just imagine buildings like these with large parking lots in front.... EMPTY!!! That's Canberra ...........on Sundays. :-)

Prices in Canberra

( An egg sandwich we had in one of the afternoon teas :-) )

I just had a conversation with a Japanese student here in Toad Hall. She told me that accommodation here in Canberra is even more expensive than Tokyo. Take note, the latter has been the most expensive city in the world for a long time.

Well.. its really costly here. Come to think of it… m residing in the cheapest residence hall in ANU. My weekly rent is Aus$146. That’s $584 for four weeks which may not even be a month. That’s almost equivalent to 24,000 pesos. Aba, monthly amortization na ng buong bahay sa Pinas yun ha. Ang renta ng Condo sa Makati magkano lang. Compare that with my 9sqm room.

At hindi lang yan, ang internet dito, susme….per MB ang metro, as in 2 cents per MB. That’s 20 dollars per Gig, eh di 800 pesos na yun ! So much about YM, Youtube and Friendster di ba ? Buti na lang libre ang ANU sites. Now you know why i have to change my default email add. J

At ang paggamit ng laundry room, $2.50 ang laba at $2.50 rin ang dry. Eh di pag naglaba ako ng puti at de-kolor, $10 na. That’s 400 kaya. Ahuhuhu… ang mahal.

Well… in fairness.. maganda tumira sa Canberra. Tahimik, modern and very academic. Its worth the price.

Kasi naman eh, Canberra ito, hindi Pasig !!! :-)

Swiping ala-ANU...

Student IDs are very important in ANU. Loose it and trouble would definitely fall on your lap. Why.. everything here is “de-swipe”.

Angbilis ng sistema. On the same day I enrolled, my email account was activated and my student ID was made available for pick up. Mga taga-philhealth… hindi po siya simpleng ID card na gawa sa papel, pinirmahan ng HR Head, at ni-laminate. It’s a credit card type ID complete with electronically taken picture, bar code, and magnetic strip at the back. It’s like a credit card with an imposing picture of the student and a bar code in front. The big difference was…..it’s available upon enrollment!

At angbilis din ma-activate. Parang de-radar ang activation. For example, on the day I confirmed my accommodation at Toad Hall, my ID card was activated by the security services for the Hall’s entrances and exits. Opo, de-swipe po ang mga entrances at exits ng pinaka-lumang dormitoryo sa ANU. At ang susing gagamitin ng mga estudyante ay ang kanilang ID.

Ganun din po ang pinto ng mga buildings sa buong unibersidad. Nagsasara ito pag gumagabi na. Kaya para makapasok kailangang i-swipe. Ano ang isa-swipe ? Eh di ang ID.

Ngayon, lahat ba ng estudyanteng may ID ay mag-aaring mag-swipe sa bawat building at residence hall ng unibersidad. HINDE !!!! Isusuka ng swipe gadget ang ID mo kapag hindi ka maaring pumasok sa building.

Halimbawa, taga Toad Hall ako di ba ? Pag-register ko sa Toad Hall automatically in-activate ang ID ko para sa mga entrances ng hall. Kaya, pronto! pagdating ko dito, susi na ng dormitoryo ang ID ko. Ang husay ng sistema di ba? At eto pa, nagka-problema ako sa isa sa mga pinto. Hindi tinanggap ang ID ko. Ang sulusyon, tumawag ako sa Security Services ng University, while on the phone… the person on the other line simply encoded some things in his computer. Pagbaba ko ng phone, isi-wipe ko agad ang ID ko sa pinto… aba bumukas!!! Purrrffecttt ( in Lea Salonga’s accent) !!! lol

I could just imagine how will it be like in the Philippine setting. Malamang, ganito ang sistema kahit automated na ang proseso :

1. Para makapag-enroll kailangan mag-present ng Birth Certificate from the NSO, proof of financial capability to pay the tuition and two valid IDs with picture, signature and birthdate and four 1x1 ID picture against a white background among other things.
2. Upon enrollment, a temporary ID made of cartolina shall be issued. The permanent ID shall be issued after a month. To release it, you need to present the form you accomplished when you enrolled and two valid IDs with picture, signature and birthdate. Swerte mo pag tama lahat ng entries sa ID mo. Dahil pag may mali, you have to present at least two documents that would prove that the ENCODER WAS WRONG and you are right !!! Plus, you will have to submit an affidavit of correction. Lol
3. To activate use of your ID in entrances and exits of building you would have to go to each building administrator, sign a form and present your enrollment form. Activation will happen after a week…. kung mapipirmahan ng Administrator ang application nyo !
4. Pag pumalpak sa pag-swipe ang ID mo, you will be made to submit an affidavit of correction, an incident report signed by no less than the Dean, countersigned by the College Secretary and their respective clerks, and of course the Chiefs of Security and MIS.
   
   HAY NAKU !!! Ayoko nang i-visualize. So much about automation-Pinoy style.

Kensington Palace here I come…

I now have a new residence. Kensington Palace is the name… in my dreams… hehehe

The place was actually named after a Toad. It’s a residence hall inside the university. In Tagalog-DORMITORYO.

Yup, my new life as a student sunk-in when I move into this place. It’s the oldest residence hall in ANU. In UP this is equivalent of Kalayaan Hall. Maraming bagito sa ANU na dito tumitira gaya ko. Yung nga lang karamihan grad students at from a foreign land. As in when we get to see each other, parang may photo shoot for the united colors of benetton. :-)

The hall may be old, but by Philippine standards in-style na ito.

Here is why. 1) All residents have their own rooms, approximately 9 to 10 sqm with a large cabinet, telephone with a unique line (kaya may landline akong sarili), large cupboard, bed, heater, bookshelves, internet connection, etc. 2) The hall has function rooms – not for partying but for group studies. 3) It has a music room and a computer room. 4) All entrances and exits have “de-swipe” automatic doors. 5) The best of all, each room offers a great view of either Canberra’s city district or Sullivans Creek with all the trees and flora on its banks.

Yung nga lang dorm, pa rin ito. Here is the downside. 1) You have to share the kitchen, dining area and living room with 10 other people. Well.. equipped naman yung kitchen: 2 refs, 3 large cupboards each per resident, electric kettle, microwave, 2 sinks and two stoves. So pwede talaga mag-sabay sabay magluto. Ganda pa nga scenario kasi international ang pagkain at multi-lingual ang usapan. 2) The toilet and bathroom is shared. Well…5 people share each toilet and a separate bath. At least, all the common areas including the kitchen, cr and bathroom are cleaned everyday. Okay na sa akin ito.

I shopped in TARG... opps... TAR-Jay!

Yes, i am proud and would never be ashamed that i shop at Targ... TAR-Jay. hahahaha

OO na nga Target na kung Target!. O eh ano naman ngayon kung sa Target ako namili ng damit. Baket? Lahat ba ng tao mayaman?! Hmph! If i know naghahanap din kayo bargain. Wag i-deny dont tell a lie.. mag-shopping sa Tar-Jay!!! Lol

Sunday in Canberra

Having lived in Manila for quite some time, i both marvel and, to a certain extent, get bored at the sunday lifestyle here in Canberra.

In Manila, Sunday means malling. Punong puno ng tao ang mga mall at iba pang commercial areas. Here in Canberra, establishments, even those located in malls, close early. Yep, they close shop at 4:00 PM. Halah!!! Ano ang gagawin ng mga Manilenong gaya ko? Well... since baguhan ako dito at di pa nagsisimulang mag-aral, i roamed around. Nasa taas ang aking nakita. :-)

I took a shot of the street dissecting University Av. This street and also Univ Avenue is located at the heart of the City Center. Kaya nga "City" ang nasa baba nung signage. Its likewise located near a bus depot, a multi-level parking lot and a theater.

Its suppose to be busy aint?! I took those pics at 12:00 to 1:00 noontime. Ang daming tao di ba? Ang dami ring sasakyan, traffic nga eh. Buti kung makasegunda ka ng gear dyan?! At ang theater... pila balde. Nakow ayokong pumila baka abutin ako ng magdamag. Lol!!!!

So where are the Canberrans? Their either in their homes, in parks, or out of town spending time with their FAMILIES.

That's something that i admire with this City, it's both modern and laid back. Canberrans work hard but they make it a point to spend some time for themselves and their families. Talk about work life balance.

Sigh... what a good city planning can give.... :-)

My New Residence... for a week:-)

God has been so good. From living in that $47/night apartment (which is very nice but expensive), i transferred to.. guess what... a better place. Yep, id say a better place in terms of location and facilities.

From Liversidge Court Apartment, ANU, i moved to the condo of a friend's friend whos been very gracious to have me as "guest" for a week. As much as she wants to extend, she can only have me for a week. Why? Her parents are coming over from Pinas. Of course i will not have any more room once they are here. But a week of free accommodation is already so much of a blessing for me. I could not thank her enough.

So where is the condo located???

Think of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati (yes its Buendia, or Buenja if your sosy :) ). Okay... got it? Think of that spot across RCBC Towers. Parang yun ang location ko. Just make the buildings more modern but less taller. There are no skyscrapers in Canberra, guess their tallest building here would only have 25 storeys - a mid-rise building by Manila standards. Modern as in, automatic ang mga pinto pati na ang entrance ng parking, walang gwardiya dahil coded ang mga locks at machine ang house equipments and gadgets - opo walang nagwawalis ng carpet dito hindi gaya sa Pinas :-).

How convenient is it? Well, walking distance lang ang mall - Canberra Center. At walking distance lang din ang ANU. The university is located right at the outskirt of the City Center. And its free, libre, gratis et amore. What more can i ask?!!!

P.S. My stay here would be extended for another week. I shall house-sit while the owners are in Sydney in time for the arrival of their parents. :-)

My Fuhst (read as "first") Auhstrahlian Faux Pas

This happened when i arrived in Canberra, June 2, 2008.

As ive related earlier, i arrived late in the evening. My plane touched down at 9:00PM Canberra time. E di ba nawala nga bagahe ko. That means matagal akong tumunganga sa conveyor belt. As in, nandyan na yung pasahero ng sumunod na flight hintay pa rin ako ng hintay, hanggang sinabihan ako nung sumundo sa akin, "Harold, there are some instances where the luggage gets misplaced somewhere." Of course i reacted in a prim and proper way, even if i feel so nervous. The point is, natagalan ako sa airport. Twas already 10:00 PM or even way past that when i got into the university accommodation.

I was so everwhelmed then coz m thinking of what will i wear for the night. Tapos may binigay pa sa aking starter pack which i immediately opened. It contains several docs about the how to register in ANU, Canberra transport system, etc. Which added to the myriad of info i have to digest.

I guess its already way past 11:00 when i realized i haven't had dinner. And worse, I need to drink water. O my GOSH!!!! Stores in Canberra close early. As in 7:00 or at the latest 9:00 PM. Saan ako bibili ng pagkain? At saan ako bibili ng bottled water. Solve yung pagkain kasi may binigay na noodles and biscuits yung sumalubong sa akin. Pero pano yung tubig? A lot of thoughts ran into my mind.... 1) Bakit hindi man lang ako binigyan ng kahit isang basong tubig nung sumalubong sa akin, dont they know i need to drink? 2) Kaya ko bang hindi uminom till the morning, baka ma-dehydrate ako? 3) Sarado nang lahat ng shops san ako bibili ng tubig? 4) Nagbuklat ako ng directory, walang 7-11, mini-stop or any convenience store na nag-dedeliver. 5) Kahit may delivery, walang outside line ang telepono ng apt, it can only call numbers inside the university. 6) San ako pwedeng magtanong kung san may potable water? Sarado na ang lahat ng offices ng univ. The clinic is closed and even the operator is not around anymore. 7) Magmumukha akong bagito pag nagtanong ako sa security services, pero sila na lang ang bukas????!!!!

Out of desperation, i called the security services. Super paliwanag ako at try hard mag-aus accent, ayoko magtunog inosente... "Good ayvning sirh, m hayrold, i just arrived. M just kinda wandrin werh could i buy drinking wotah."

Sagot sa akin ng guardia... "oh... for that sir the wotah from the faucet is potable."

Nag thank you agad ako. Binababa ko na telepono. Nak-ng baka naman. Taga Pilipinas talaga ako. E malay ko ba naman naiimon yung tubig na lumalabas sa faucet!!!! E kanina pa ko nakaharap dun eh. Makainom na nga!!!! :-)

Dried Trees?

I got fascinated by these trees all around ANU. Its winter here, so a lot of trees have no leaves.
The lowest temp recorded from the time i arrived was 4 degrees centigrade. Prior to my arrival temp dropped to as low as -1 degrees centigrade, according to the locals. M up to colder days and nights i suppose, i.e. occassionally there is snow in Canberra at winter time.

I have to move out.....

June 6, day 5 in Canberra.....

I have to move out of this $47 a night apartment. Yes its nice but its way beyond what i allocated for my accommodation. Since there are no available place, i have to make a drastic move. I took the offer of a friend's friend to stay for a while in their condo. Mejo dyahe, pero kakagatin ko na lang hiya ko.

At least i'll have a week to look for a place where i could stay for the succeeding 4 weeks without having to pay $47 a night. Here is why mahirap maghanap ng accommodation ngayon sa Canberra:

1) The residence halls are still filled with students as the first sem shall end on the first week of July.
2) Canberra is experiencing a housing crisis.
3) Those who rent out their place requires at least six months contract, i only need a month as i will eventually transfer inside the university.

In view of all these thing, naghanap muna ako ng sisilungan.

ANU in my Mind

In the afternoon of June 5, i took time to go around ANU. The University practically looks like Camp John Hay with a big creek in the middle and a lot of buildings and statues.

Here are some of the nature pics i took while walking.

Black Mountain and Sullivans Creek, ANU.

ANU sign upon entering the Univ from Gate 4 (ako ung nature).

A typical pathway inside the University.

Lunch...

Eating in Canberra
Food in Canberra is way too expensive than in Manila. The cheapest meal i encountered costs $7.50 (round 300 pesos). That's only eight rolls of sushi. Yun lang, tubig ang drinks. Aba!!! Gusto ko magreklamo, nabibili ko lang ng 60 pesos ang 8 rolls ng california maki sa SM Hypermart Pasig!!! )(*&(*&^*^^%#$#@

Ergo, larga sa supermarket magluluto na lang ako. Well...... i spent an hour and a half inside the Supabarn (purportedly one of the cheapest in the City) staring!!!..... as in staring at the items sold. WALA akong gustong bilhin (what a miser little me). Aba, ang isang kilo ng saging $2.99 (120 pesos), ready to eat pasta for two $5.89 (235 pesos), 100g ham $3.29 (131 pesos), soya milk $2.50, etc. Susko ano toh? Wala pang palengke dito? Pwede bang dumiretso sa bukid para ako na lang ang pipitas ng prutas at aani ng gulay!? Estudyante po ako. :-)

It took me a while to stop myself from converting $ to pesos and condition my mind: "Harold, you're not in Manila," i said to myself.

June 5, Day 4 in Canberra. Now that i'm connected, ang dali nang maki-pagmeet.

12:00 NN. My first real lunch. Together with three other scholars, i had lunch at ANU's Union Square - sa UP ito ang version ng Shopping Centre, at sa CLSU ito ang Marketing. Yup, its much like UP's shopping center. Yun nga lang, two storeys, malinis, opo malinis po pati CR, at MAHAL pag kinon-vert mo sa peso and bilihin. Of course, i had the $7.50 sushi. In fairness, masarap siya. Its my first real meal in three days. Been living on tea, biscuits and sandwiches. Ang daldal ko na naman. I was hyper all thoughout lunch. Kasi naman, tatlong araw po akong walang kausap physically.

2:00 PM. Went around ANU. Read the next blog for that.

My First Real Day in Canberra

June 4, 2008. Finally m able to get out from my apartment and work on the preliminaries of my studies.

9:00ish AM. Went to the Crawford School of Economics and Government at ANU. The very kind people there helped me open a bank account where all my stipend and allowances would be deposited. They likewise gave some instructions on how will things go for the next week when the orientation starts. I was likewise informed (upon asking) that my temporary accommodation costs $47 a night!!! WHAT?!! That's 2K pesos a night. Yes i can afford it with the establishment allowance given me by AUSAID. But i don't think its practical for a Filipino student to spend that much for the roof on his head. Its just too much. The staff assigned for securing our accommodation explained that its the best deal they can secure. Indeed true. There is scarcity of lodging places in Canberra. We are fortunate to have been lodged at a fully furnished apartment inside the university. But then again for a Filipino student, $47 is just too much.

12:00 NN. After going around Crawford i was given a temporary password to the school's internet terminals. Gooddness.... in my mind i feel like jumping out of excitement... save for the people of Crawford, i haven't had contact with anyone for the last 36 hours. I've been feeling so isolated. Ergo, upon logging in to the net, i sent e-mails to as many important people as i can. Biglang ang daldal ko sa e-group ng Australian Leadership Awards Scholars. That pattern continued went home to the apartment. Secured a cable from the ANU's accommodation services. Such was needed for me to connect to the internet using the aparment's terminal. Pagkabit ng kable sa laptop.. hala sige... e-mail agad!!!

2:00 PM Real-life finally... Upon hearing about my arrival and my apartment's landline number, the other ALA scholars took the time to ring me. Ang daldal ko na naman. Parang isang taon akong walang kausap. It was comforting to know that some people cared about my newbie situation.

4:00 PM After conquering the net, ive set out to have myself connected thru a cellphone number. Hence, i went to the Civic ( City Center of Canberra) to buy myself a SIM CARD. I was advised by other Filipino scholars to just buy a pre-paid optus mobile sim with a $30 load. Purchasing one turned out to be as easy as buying a pre-paid sim in the Phils. Kaya naman, by 5:00 PM may bagong cell number na ko. Yipeee... Now m back to civilization!

6:00 PM Dinner and calls, calls, calls, calls... First while having dinner, an ALA scholar called to welcome me. She was very gracious to invite me for dinner the following day. Got another call from a PhD scholar who referred me to someone who knows a place i could get in lieu of the $47 a night apartment. Then, another call occupied my time. I had a nice chat for an hour and a half over the cellphone. Got several more thru the land line and cellphone: either to welcome and to help me get a cheaper accommodation ASAP. At the end of the night, my cellphone got drained. Take note, i just charged it before purcahing a new SIM. Haayyy... thank you Lord. I felt so blessed.

The Saga of My Lost Luggage

June 3, 2008. First day in the Australian National University, Canberra. I should have been excited about everything. Well.. i was.. but such emotion is practically overtaken by the agony of not having anything to wear and nothing to eat.

I was billeted at the Liversidge Court Apartments inside the university. The unit is has two bedrooms: one with a queen size bed and another with two single beds. It has a fully equipped kitchen, a combined toilet, bath and laundry room, a living room and dining area. The apartment complex is actually intended for visiting VIPs who would have to stay in ANU for several days, hence the hotel like ambience. Its nice, but m also worried how much it would cost me. But before worrying for that, i need to have my lost luggage first. Everything i need to get started is there.

7:00 am. The weather was gloomy. It's been raining when i got out of bed. I am more gloomy than the weather. I cant get out: i have nothing to wear an i have to wait for my luggage to be delivered. The document given me by Qantas states that it would be delivered within 24 hours. I was hoping it would be around by 8:00 AM.

8:00 am. No luggage. I havent had dinner. Shops in canberra close at 7:00 or 9:00 pm. Since i was able to get out of the airport at around 10:00 pm, i never even had the chance to have a decent dinner. So much about that. What will I have for breakfast? Well... there's tea and biscuits compliments of the Liversidge Court Apts.

9:00 am. Still no luggage, rain is getting stronger. Called the toll free number to follow-up with Qantas.

10:00 to 12:00 nn. Luggage found but not yet around. since i cannot make an outside call to non-toll free numbers, officials of the policy and governance department at ANU helped me follow-up my luggage with the airport staff and courier service hired by Qantas to deliver lost luggages. Got word that it will be delivered by 2:00 pm, hence i was advised to stay in the appartment. What about lunch? Well.. there were still cookies and tea.

2:00 to 3:00 pm. Luggage where art thou? i looked like a snow man walking around the apartment and its surounding looking for the courier who will deliver my luggage. a hu hu hu this is already getting hard. Ive not spoken with anyone the entire day, and i have not eaten any decent food.

4:00 pm. Where's my freaking luggage?! The kind people of ANU's public policy dept ringed me to say that the courier service called - saying they went over my place at around 2:10 pm and no one was around. What!!!!! I was here.... how could they not see my all-white ensemble which Qantas provided in the first place. Worst, the ANU people could not return call coz the number given by the courier lacks a digit. M so hungry, i went out and bought food.

5:00. I entered my dark apartment with a small sando bag of groceries. VOILA!!! May bagahe sa living room. AAHHHHH, here is my luggage!!! How could it be? I called the people of the public policy dept to inform them that the luggage has been delivered. WHEW!! Maghapon ako naghintay, kung kelan ako wala saka naman dumating ^%^%^&&%&%$%$%$!!!!

8:00. Still no contact with the outside world: my cell phone has no more load for roaming, my telephone line is prohibited to make outside calls, i have no way to connect to the internet... well... at least my luggage is already around (pakunswelo de bob0). I opened it..... it's wet inside and out. A hu hu hu!!! how could this happen to me??!! I laid down the docs in the bed so that they will dry and put my clothes (in three batches) to the drier. My dad sent me two consecutive text messages: "anak kumusta ka na dyan?" and "anak mabuti ba kalagayan mo dyan?". I can't answer..... I have no more cellphone credits. What a day its been. :-)

Losing my luggage

June 2, 2008, i arrived in canberra. An official of our school picked me up at the airport. The flight was peaceful ... everything went great, except for one thing .... my luggage did not come out of the conveyor belt?! WHAT?!

Ive traveled by plane so many times around the Philippines and once abroad. I never thought this would happen in my first travel outside the Asian Continent!!! I was terribly surprised.

I took a direct flight from Manila to Sydney via Philippine Airlines. My luggage was with me until Sydney. I checked it in for the connecting Qantas flight to Canberra. Alas, no luggage arrived in Canberra, twas raining and its cold. What will i wear???

Well... the airline provided me with an overnight pack - some small Netrogena Products, a shirt and boxer shorts. Hellooooo, the temp in Canberra is around 10 degrees celsius. At any rate,

went straight to the temporary accommodation arranged by the university after filling the necessary report about my lost luggage. Hay.... first time....