It’s been almost a month since I’ve written anything and posting photos don’t count. A lot has been going on in this month. Looking back really makes me wonder how I got through it all but I managed it somehow.

My final report was due on the 18 of October, the same day as my mum’s birthday. Two weeks before the deadline, I was working at home, frantically trying to compile and complete all the bits and pieces. There was so much trouble with the internet and the modem. In the end, the modem broke down and Milo had to purchase a new one. Steph and I both had reports to rush so we packed our stuff and moved to Mag’s place for a night like refugees. Fortunately I was able to get my work done on time even with all the distractions. I sent the complete report to my supervisors for editing on Monday, two days before it was due. It was good that I finished it beforehand; all I had to do on Wednesday was to go to the lab to print and bind three copies and then going down to school to hand it up. On the same day, I had arranged to meet Milo and Steph in the city. We headed to Chinatown after waiting for ages for the bus to come. Apparently some of the roads in the city had been closed off because cracks were found and they had to fix them up. The traffic jams for the next few days were pretty bad. We made it to Chinatown after 40 minutes of waiting for the bus and we went straight to the noodle shop just beside Yuen’s supermarket. The lunch that followed was so amazing. The texture of the noodles was just right, the chilli was awesome and the company was great. After doing some shopping at Yuen’s, we went back to the city and headed to Harvey Norman. They were having a promotion for photos at 15 cents for each 4R print developed, so the three of us took advantage of this promotion to develop tons of photos. Milo must have printed over 400 pieces, Steph had around 300 pieces while I had about 200. The prints came out nice and clear but they are still sitting in the covers they came in. I’ll wait till I get home to sort them and put them into my photo albums.

After the report was submitting, I took a break and starting watching shows and playing games. It felt good to be able to do these without feeling guilty. I must say that I did go a little crazy with the games. There were days when I actually stayed up till the sun rose. Before I knew it, it was time to prepare for my final presentation. I admit that I procrastinated a lot before sitting myself down and putting the slides together. During this time, I starting my driving lessons, did up my resume and sent it to Subway. Then I did a practise presentation in my lab with a few of my colleagues. It went well and I took the comments and criticisms and edited my slides and speech. Gary approached me after this and offered me some work on his project. He would pay me to help him out with his work if I was interested. This was unexpected was such a great experience for me. I just need to wait and see if he can confirm everything with his boss. Hopefully, this will work out well. Another two days of relaxing before the actual presentation day came.

Yesterday, I was nervous but excited at the same time. At the back of my mind, I was truly free once the presentation was over but at the same time, I had to get through the presentation first. I was in the lecture room early so I tried to distract myself by looking through a Tasmania brochure. A few minutes before the session started, I saw a familiar face. One of my colleagues had come to watch me. I was happy to see her and chatting with her helped me calm down a little. At 2 pm, the session began. I tried to listen to the girl but I got lost. Her project was not interesting for me and I had problems understanding her accent. I don’t mean to sound condescending but her English was not the best. Still, I hope the examiners understood her and that she would do well. Gary and Milo came in just before I started my presentation. I was happy that Milo was there even though I got a little apprehensive when she took out her camera. Once I got up there, I forgot about everything else and tried to focus on what I was supposed to say. The presentation went quite smoothly except for certain times when I stumbled and tried to slow down my speech. Then we got to the Q&A part. This was what I was worried about. The questions came and I tried to answer as best I could. I can’t really remember what the questions were and what my reply was to them. It all just happened really quickly and before I knew it, I was done with my honours!!! Another colleague came through the door and congratulated me. He had been standing outside the whole time and didn’t want to come in as it might have disturbed me. I was really touched that my colleagues and Gary took the time to come, whether or not they were obliged to be there.

Although my honours is completed, I still have a lot to do before I return to S’pore. I need to finish my driving and pass the test as soon as possible. I have to plan a trip to Tasmania for my mum, my sister and I. I want to start brisk walking and swimming again. All these will go into my schedule from now till January. For now, I will take each day as it comes. I will wait for Gary to confirm my employment. I will enjoy myself as much as possible. I will appreciate my time left in Brisbane, in my home and with my dear friends.