For all Malaysian friends

Safe trip to home, everyone, and thank you for a wonderful year.

Love,

Mihiro

farewell to my two best Singaporean friends

Exam period is nearly coming to the end, and those who have finished their exams are heading to their home for the summer. The Halls are getting quieter day by day.

Varun and Ash, both from Singapore, have also left for their country for the holiday. They have been a great part of my life in Melbourne, and are also the first Singaporeans whom I become so close in my life.

Varun and I often hung out together with many others from his floor. He used to be my jogging buddy, and he was one of those few people whom I could count on in aussie booze although sometimes he was also quite intoxicated;P. His sharp wit and humor always entertained me and amazed me a lot.

Ash and I didn't live in the same hall, and it made us quite difficult to see each other often. But somehow I always felt connected to her, and I knew that she always cared about me,too. She was also the one who provided me well thought advice during moments of desperation.

Though I won't be here next year, nonetheless, it won't change a thing between us.

Thank you, Varun and Ash. One day, hopefully in near future, I'll see you both in your beautiful country, and we'll together miss this our crazy year at Monash.

Love and kisses,

Mihiro

Fitzroy Gardens

Floral Conservatory


Captain James Cook's Cottage

One of Melbourne's greatest assets is the sea of green that weaves its way in and around the city. Those picturesque gardens and parks are why this city is forever known as the " Garden City".

Their beauty is at their best now.

More to come...

Swanston Street

Federation Square

Bourke Street

Indigenous Art Exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre NGV Australia

Melbourne Zoo

Today I was initially going to Bridge road by myself, but I met Makiko on the way to bus loop and she asked if I wanted to go to Melbourne Zoo! Indeed, I was missing going out with friends (...People! I'm eagerly waiting for you guys finishing your exams soon!), so why not?

Makiko, Akiko, and Korean girl Young were today's excursion buddies:)

The zoo looked more botanical setting than the zoo in Japan, and we took almost 3 hours to wander through everything! Yes, it was big.

That meerkat (upper right) was damn cute! He (or she) seemed so used to humans.

...And of course, there has to be something Australian:) Kangaroos. They were in the mid of afternoon napping.

Humans were also sleepy...;P

Overall, I really loved Melbourne Zoo. And you know what! It was very very clean and I didn't even smell anything unlike our zoo in Japan;P!

Warrnambool

My first overseas experience was when I was 16, and I spent one year at local high school in a country town of Australia without even having any foreign travel experience. After 4 and half years, I'm about to end my second Australian year as a university student. I can tell myself that I'm now totally in a different place from where I used to be in 4 years ago, but it is almost impossible to explain what I am today without my first overseas year in Australia.

After several times of delays, I finally made a trip back to Warrnambool, my first home town in Australia.



The town warmly welcomed me with unbelievably composed weather ( since Warrnambool is a bay side town, the weather is usually very windy and unpredictable). I was already at the beach in 15 minutes after arriving at my host family's place;P

I was too excited to notice the fact that I came too far away and so hastily rushed back for dinner which was the first night with my host parents after 4 years of time.

It was typical Warrnambool weather on the second day; rainy and cold. I went down to main street and wandered around the shops as I often did after school:)

... A little greetings for some of my beloved people from the maritime city:) Have you got it yet?

In the afternoon, I made a way to my old high school. Indeed I was expecting to be a complete stranger since I wasn't even sure whether there were still people I know.











But there they were.

My two most favorite teachers:Ms. Okeef, my ESL teacher and Ms. Stacy, my Health teacher and also the one who always cared about me at school than anyone else. They were just as same as 4 years ago and heartily welcomed me with their usual smiles. Also these two women are one of the teachers with passionate souls whom I only know a few in my entire life.

By the way, Ms. Okeef unexpectedly invited me for her ESL class and made me talk about my personal experience at Warrnambool college as a guest speaker! Hope I could somewhat encourage current students.

...With three Year 11 Japanese students. Someone is getting old;P

At night, I caught up with my old high school friend Aimee and her friends.











Next day I accidentally had another reunion in the town. I was looking for a cheap place to sit down to write my journal and ended up sitting in McDonald's on the main street. Then I found Amy who used to hang out in the same group at school. She was working there. We've kind of lost contact after I left Warrnambool so it was so unexpected to see her this time. Indeed we were very very excited to see each other again.

It was so nice to see you Amy! We'll stay in contact okay;)!

I

Luckily the weather cleared up around the noon and I had a big walk to Logans beach, my most favorite place in Warrnambool.

By the way, Logans beach is renowned as a nursery for Southern Right whales. Almost every year between June and September, female Southern Right whales return to the waters of Warrnamnool to calve. I saw them twice last time when I was there.











Beautiful walk to the beach...

...And finally.

The view was absolutely stunning. I can only stand there and spend hours just looking at the ocean. I'll post a video here to share even a tiny bit of this grandeur.

At night, I was invited for dinner at my Japanese coordinator's house. Fumiko and her husband David took care of me for almost everything when I was in Warrnambool. Dinner started at 6:00, and by the time they gave me a lift to home, it was 11:oo. We had so many things to catch up:) Thank you very much for a fabulous dinner, Fumiko and David. I'm looking forward to seeing you probably in Japan next time.

Lastly, more than anything else, I enjoyed staying with my host parents during my visit to Warrnambool. Like a child's piety to their parents, I simply wanted them to see how much I have changed and hopefully grown up from 16 year old girl.

Thank you Christine and Jim. You have been always my first reason to come back to this town, and it will remain same forever.

I think this is probably true. " More time passes, more beautiful life becomes".


...I'm back in Melbourne again!