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.
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