Monday, August 02, 2004
Becoming Sydney-sider
Just 2 days ago, I was invited to an inaugural function hosted by Brisbane SIF
Bern's friend introduced me as "This is Benjamin, he's in limbo".
Well, can't fault his intro or anything, but it was then when it just impacted me how everybody around me was just doing the "Errm....", "Ahuh....", "What..." 'perplexed' slash 'are you crazy?' look when I tell them that I have not yet decided what I want to do this semester. And whether indeed was I of sane mind at all these few days.
It all started after graduations...oh wait, actually it all started when I decided one fine day in Singapore to pursue an education overseas and was considering the 38 universities in Australia (well actually just 7 of them). I picked Queensland because it was cheap, and then UQ over QUT because I felt a state university was a far better (government-sector recognized) choice and promptly, though painfully, threw out my other options of Canberra (ANU), Sydney (Uni Wollongong and UNSW) and Melbourne (Monash and RMIT). Notice carefully that the universities were categorised by state/city and apparently, choosing a university here in Australia involved more than just looking at reputation and prestige but also by looking at the choice of lifestyle.
This "lifestyle choice" has become very much apparent from my 1 year of residency here in Brisbane. It would seem that a different type or breed of people flock to the different universities. It would seem Brisbane is very much the 'budget' choice to people, and so when you innocently try to organize slightly bohemian outing to the cafe or to the movies, I seem to be plagued by responses such as "too expensive", "not enough money lah" or my personal favourite, "Siao, go download can already, what for go cinema and watch". Well I would agree somewhat if the movie was some talkie like Roger Moore's Fahrenheit 911 and certainly not some sci-fi action packed movie like I, Robot. The same seems to for when I ask them for dinner and/or cafe outings, or more cultural trips to the museum or to concerts. At this point I'd have to clarify whom by stating that it's mostly Singaporeans and Sinagporean course mates that suffer from this...aberration.
Having a slightly different ideology or outlook of life, I feel somewhat stiffled in the current environment. Is it so wrong for me to seek greener pastures then?
Again, this could be the "grass is always greener on the other side" phenomenon, and I guess after consulting with friends, it is already a belief that I hold that Sydney's a much better place for me. I'm just taking a risk of shifting states and putting that belief that I'd be a happier person being a city slicked Sydneysider.
Pray for my soul my friends...pray
Bern's friend introduced me as "This is Benjamin, he's in limbo".
Well, can't fault his intro or anything, but it was then when it just impacted me how everybody around me was just doing the "Errm....", "Ahuh....", "What..." 'perplexed' slash 'are you crazy?' look when I tell them that I have not yet decided what I want to do this semester. And whether indeed was I of sane mind at all these few days.
It all started after graduations...oh wait, actually it all started when I decided one fine day in Singapore to pursue an education overseas and was considering the 38 universities in Australia (well actually just 7 of them). I picked Queensland because it was cheap, and then UQ over QUT because I felt a state university was a far better (government-sector recognized) choice and promptly, though painfully, threw out my other options of Canberra (ANU), Sydney (Uni Wollongong and UNSW) and Melbourne (Monash and RMIT). Notice carefully that the universities were categorised by state/city and apparently, choosing a university here in Australia involved more than just looking at reputation and prestige but also by looking at the choice of lifestyle.
This "lifestyle choice" has become very much apparent from my 1 year of residency here in Brisbane. It would seem that a different type or breed of people flock to the different universities. It would seem Brisbane is very much the 'budget' choice to people, and so when you innocently try to organize slightly bohemian outing to the cafe or to the movies, I seem to be plagued by responses such as "too expensive", "not enough money lah" or my personal favourite, "Siao, go download can already, what for go cinema and watch". Well I would agree somewhat if the movie was some talkie like Roger Moore's Fahrenheit 911 and certainly not some sci-fi action packed movie like I, Robot. The same seems to for when I ask them for dinner and/or cafe outings, or more cultural trips to the museum or to concerts. At this point I'd have to clarify whom by stating that it's mostly Singaporeans and Sinagporean course mates that suffer from this...aberration.
Having a slightly different ideology or outlook of life, I feel somewhat stiffled in the current environment. Is it so wrong for me to seek greener pastures then?
Again, this could be the "grass is always greener on the other side" phenomenon, and I guess after consulting with friends, it is already a belief that I hold that Sydney's a much better place for me. I'm just taking a risk of shifting states and putting that belief that I'd be a happier person being a city slicked Sydneysider.
Pray for my soul my friends...pray
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