Australia Road trip, Part 2

Too lazy to summarise my Aussie trip so as promise, I have decided to pull 2 entries from my journal. Some parts are a little exaggerated.

Recap of my journal before New Year's day...

(Dec 31, 2004)
One day more to the New Year and what have I accomplished? When I started off 2004, I'd probably didn't imagine I'd be out wondering like a vagrant across Australia. My resolutions if I made any was probably to settle down and to play with my grandchildren. The year however turned out to be quite different. Not that every part of the year was bad. Too many of my years have been spent doing things I did not enjoy, so in that sense this year was rather different.

Well the year sure turned out different. I am now cooped up in a Hyundai Getz on my way to Sydney. 2800+ kilometres. I have been sleeping in the car for the past few nights, taking showers at petrol stations and bus terminals. It has been quite a different experience from travelling in South East Asia. We've covered a lot of ground and it has been an experience of a lifetime - something to tell my grandchildren about. Now, if only...

(Dec 28, 2004)
We've been cruising through quite a bit of Eastern Australia - from Brisbane to Cairns and now Cairns to Sydney. We took the inner road away from the more popular coastal road as we will be taking that road back up to Brisbane, on our way back. Anyway, the trip on the inner road has been quite exciting. Daily we face the risk of adding to our road kill count as many of Australia's marsupials like jumping in front of our car. Up to date my sister has managed to hit kangaroos, koalas, numerous other little mammals, hundreds of tree toads and hundred of thousands of insects. This means that I am constantly worrying about how much the car company is going to charge us for the dents and scratches to the car. To be fair, I probably added a few counts to the road kill but comparitively (to the other driver beside me) I am quite a driving saint.

Quote for Students

Here is a quote from Ecclesiastes that I related to a lot while I was studying.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

Ecclesiastes 12:12b

I realise after my last stint at school, I am a little too lazy to study with my own schedule. I need some tests to keep me accountable.

Books and stuff

Kid sister at the park - Somewhere, Australia. One of the many stops that we went down to take a picture. I think beside this park is a beautiful art gallery. I just can't recall the town name.


I have been reminded to finish the story and I know I have been leaving a few hanging stories here and there. Anyway, the travelling is finish for now and it is time for me to get on with other aspects of life but fortunately, our life story continues. I will look through my journal for something on the Australia trip which I think will be again most likely about how my sister is messing things up.

Anyway, I started off the year reading Les Miserables. Yes, I loved the book but can't pronounce nor spell it. I like it because it is a book that helps me want to be better. I think about Jean Valjean and ever since his repentance from crime he has on both times that were important chosen to live true to his principles than take the easy way out of things. That is so difficult for me. Also, Hugo makes me want to do aware that I might be able to contribute something to society.

Another fiction I read was Pride and Prejudice. A painful read. I took such a long time to go through I was wondering if it would just be better putting the book back on my bookshelf. The english was tough because a lot of the words that author used are hardly used nowadays. However, I must admit I did love the ending and can see why and how it has been an inspirational book for thousands of women. Ah! so worthwhile an ending. Don't we all love happy endings.

I do realise now that I have a half an hour travel to my temporary job, I do get through books a lot quicker. Not that I have improve in reading speed, but because I get about an hour of uninterrupted reading a day. Unfortunately, a fair bit of my pay goes toward the purchase of books. Otherwise there are too many distractions to get to reading.

Dam Sen park lizard

Godzilla? - Saigon, Vietnam. Dam Sen Park in Saigon. No matter how much Lonely planet tells you to go, you would not be missing anything much if you went. I think I was the few foreigners who got con into going. Can anything be more cheesy than this lizard?