#debx3inAUS is a blog series detailing my international student life in Brisbane, Australia.
I brought more back with me from Australia than I brought over there. Namely, the experience of a lifetime, life-long friendships, personal growth and last but not least, a husband!
I first touched down in Brisbane Airport in the first week of July. I remember the day as if it was yesterday. It was Sunday, 10 July 2011 when I first stepped foot in Brisbane. With my 2x 30kg suitcases, I was picked up, alongside other arriving students for Griffith University, by a nice Australian gentleman. I remember making multiple pit-stops in Brisbane city before taking a fairly long drive to the Nathan campus. The thought that repeated in my mind while all alone in the backseat of the car was “I hope I’m in the right car!” Despite all my research prior to my flight, nothing could prepare me for Nathan campus.
Nested on the edge of Toohey Forest Conservation Park, the Nathan campus is one of 5 Griffith campuses and has been the University’s foundation campus since 1975. The drive up to the campus gets me every single time, winding roads going uphill, surrounded by bushes and an amazing view.
I was dropped off at N11 The Hub, a student office and campus gym. Expecting that I would get picked up by the KGBC* campus Resident Advisor (RA), the driver left me to continue with his Sunday. Though it felt longer than it probably was, I was left to wander around the open area of The Hub as I waited for someone to come get me. I remember trying to make a call to my Griffith representative using the phone in the gym to no avail.
*Map of Nathan Campus, KGBC - Kinaba, Girraween, Barakula and Carnarvon college buildings
Finally, a lady dressed in a red polo burst in the door wearing a huge smile on her face, introduced herself as Theresa, gave me a breathless welcome and apologised profusely for losing track of time. Seeing my massive suitcases did not help her regain her breath as we lugged them up the 6th floor of Campus block C of N15 Barakula.
Since it was 2 weeks out from Week 1 of the semester, apartment C6 was relatively quiet. I learned that of the 7 bedroom apartment, the other rooms were occupied by Australians and a Chinese student pursuing their undergraduate degree. I got assigned the room between a row of 4 rooms right between Theresa and Tegan, a sports enthusiast.
After a quick introduction to our Chinese flatmate and a brief tour around the apartment, I was left to myself to settle in. The room was compact but cozy. Each room came with a single bed with drawers under the frame, a large wooden desk, a hard chair, a couple of floating shelves, a cork board, some wall hooks and a fairly decent sized cabinet. There is also a small window covered with a mesh layer, overlooking the walkway up to the block. I was thankful for the little bit of privacy from being on the top floor of my building. 2 sets of coin-operated washing machine and dryer were down in the basement.
After several hours of unpacking, allocating my belongings to their respective living spaces for the duration of my stay, I made my way to the kitchen to figure out my next move, particularly around the area of sustenance. Australia's bio-security laws are extremely strict to protect their unique environment so, hard as it was, I resisted bringing any form of consumables with me from Singapore. That meant I had to get some shopping done by the end of the day. Everyone was allocated only a little personal cabinet space in the kitchen so I had to make sure not to buy too much food.
By the time I made up my mind to venture out of the apartment, there was not a single soul I could find for guidance. Guess the only way was to figure my way out of campus, to the nearest shop. I remember the following moment vividly as the interaction completely defined for me the ‘Aussie spirit’.
Remember where Nathan campus was located? Yes, in a fairly secluded area surrounded by nature. The only ways to get in and out of the campus were to drive, walk downhill or jump on board a limited number of busses that run less frequently on the weekends.
It’s a rather daunting experience to take public transport in a foreign country. Systems differ so much from country to country and especially for busses, there is always the anxiety over the need to figure out the whole system within the time span of the bus arriving at the stop and your turn to get on. As I studied the bus schedule at the roundabout designated as a pickup/drop off point, two foreign students walked up to the stop. A bit of relief came over me since at least now I don’t have to figure this out alone. Bus 120 that called at Garden City rolled up just then and I got on, thinking the driver could hopefully point me to somewhere, anywhere that I can purchase food and that I can probably buy a ticket for the ride.
What I did not factor in with the ticket purchase plan was the fact that I only had AU$50 bills on me. Here I am, standing at the front of the bus, offering the driver a AU$50 bill to pay for what was probably a AU$1 ticket that took me to wherever he could to get me fed. Great plan. He looked at me with both amusement and pretty sure a hint of pity and told me with a friendly smile to just get on. Probably feeling my embarrassment, he made conversation, gave me tips and advise on what to look out for in the public transport system and where to get a Go-Card, and the 15 minute ride to Garden City was quickly over.
Come to think of it, I was naively trustful and incredibly lucky then. For all I knew, I could have jumped on the Queen Street Station bus and took the 50 mins ride into Brisbane City. Thankfully, I ended up in Westfield Garden City, a typical neighbourhood mall that had many shops and supermarkets. A mall I end up frequenting during my time in Griffith.
Before I got off the bus, the driver pointed specifically at a bus stop and told me that was the stop where the bus back to uni will drive off from. I thanked him for the free ride and his kindness and went shopping. That, I didn’t need any help doing.
Featured photo by ZACHARY STAINES on Unsplash