My Australian Journey (Part 12)

DAY 12 June 29, 2010
§ In the Middle of Nowhere §

Everything on earth (is) beautiful, everything, except what we ourselves think and do when we forget the higher purpose of life and our own human dignity.
(Anton Checkhov; 1860-1904)

This morning, I went to the campus a bit early…I didn’t know why…it’s just I wanted it. Crossing the road to Ormond Station, I stopped at the bake house. As usual, the shopkeepers (I guess they were Thai) greeted me so nicely…oh ya I almost forgot to tell that for the past 4 days I always went to this bake house just to have a cup of hot cappuccino…and of course a free doughnut. (So…Indonesian, right?). Arriving at the campus I went straight to the first floor where the computer library was. Today, I promised to give update to the parents whose kids joined the program. The parents were very anxious about their sons or daughter…but they were also happy because the kids were doing well. They could also communicate with them by phone or their own FB account. But what I told them was a bit different from those told by the kids. I rather told them about things behind the program and so on and so forth.
Today I was also scheduled to have a meeting with Liana and Louis to talk about the future program possibility. I went to Louis’ office and we had talked a lot about our family before Liana came. Basically, the talk was about how we would organize and set the plan on the program. I proposed that students were given more chance to interact with other students in the buddy class. Besides, we might focus on language for presentation and writing skills. Why is that so? It’s just because the visit to the city was an easy thing to do even the students could explore more than expected. Liana and Louis agreed to the plan and I asked to send me the proposal as quickly as possible along with the report about our students (which I haven’t received by the time I write this book)
Then, it’s time for the girls to re-perform the Saman Dance. This time, they would perform in the cafeteria …Daniel had already prepared for the place…why cafeteria??? It’s just because that’s the place where almost all students gathered during the break time…..And yes…that’s totally true…While the girls were preparing the dance..so many students came and wondered with what was going to happen. They asked each other…then Bret told everybody in that room that we were going to perform a dance. They were very enthusiastic with this…they took their cameras and recorded or just captured the picts of the dancers. They were amazed…I could see it from their eyes and opening mouth!!! They just couldn’t believe how the girls could make such quick and simultaneous movements.
This happy moment was destroyed by the boys, especially the XI graders. They refused to prepare the art performance. I was very upset with them..so, there was no other way to do but express my anger to them.
In the afternoon, we had additional lesson but I decided to stay in the students’ lounge until the class was over. At around 3, we went home. I tried the new route: Using tram, hoping that it would save my time. So I took tram from Kooyong Park. The driver told me that I had to get off at Caulfield Park and took the tram number 64. I did that…I took tram number 64. Unfortunately, when I asked the driver that I wanted to stop at Glenthuntly road, he was so sorry that the road was five or six blocks behind. What the…. I got lost!! Oh man….I had to get off…and what made me scared was…the place was soooo quiet…there was nobody even the clock still showed at 4.30. And finally, after 15 minutes wait, the tram which led me to Glenthuntly came. Not wanting to make the second mistake, I told the driver that I wanted to stop at Glenthuntly Road.
At last, I arrived at Glenthuntly Road. The second silly thing happened. I should turn right on the intersection, but I walked and turned left where I could hear the puff of the train coming (as I thought that might be the station). The worst thing was…even there were many stores there, I couldn’t find any single person…Was this a dead city or something, I thought? Until finally I found an old lady walking towards me…then I asked her where Glenthuntly station was…She was surprised and told me that I had to turn around and suggested me that I should take tram. Instead of taking tram, I walked. I thought it was a stone throw distance. I should have listened to the lady. It’s a long way walk….How could I be so stupid!!! Even finally I arrived at Glenthuntly….of man…these legs felt swollen and soooo tired.
After waiting for 10 minutes, the Frankston train came and I immediately got on the train and headed to Ormond. When I arrived at home, it was so quiet. It seemed nobody was there. Annie’s room was also dark, the kitchen was the same..and in front of the bathroom, there was a big sign, Annie’s hand writing “DON’T USE THE TOILET. GO UPSTAIRS”. Oh come on…what else, this time????
I was wondering whether there would be dinner or no because up to 7.00 Annie didn’t show up. I was so starving…..but thank God finally Annie went home with her brother, David with some take aways: Chips and Chickens. Then, here comes the old saying : “I was so hungry that I could eat a horse” the we had a big feast.
We really had a nice dinner. Kay told us that she would be leaving for China the following day as she would have a 3-week holiday. Therefore, I asked Yudi to take his camera and Annie offered herself to be the photographer. The four of us: Kay, Yudi, Febri, and I sat on the couch with Annie’s cat Fatsy, then Annie took our pictures.