Dexter's Black Pussy

Steven and I did some socializing the past weekend. We had a lunch gathering with two gay couples and a straight couple. We were served excellent food by one of the hosts. I was just ecstatic because it was genuine Malaysian food. Most of the guests were complaining about the spice but I was loving it.

The hosts have some interesting pets also. They have a Great Dane and a boxer. I won't write about them because it is nothing new that I adore dogs.

But they also have a cat. All of my friends know that I had a troubled childhood. I used to torture cats for fun but I am now a changed man. I love cats although I knew very little about them.

Here are photos of Camacho. She is adorable. She is quite contented sleeping on my lap. Steven decided to put her on my head and she tried her best not to scratch me. I guess I am already forgiven of the crimes that I committed as a kid. Thanks Kerry for taking the photos!

Quenching Adelaide's Thirst

It has been ages and I have not written anything here. There are some developments in my life here that I cannot share publicly yet. There is one thing that I can say--things are going well but they are super slow.

One good thing that is happening here is the rain. South Australia is one big desert area so every bit of moisture is appreciated here. It drizzles and strangers tell me that it is a great day. There is half an inch of floodwater on the road, Steven gets a hard on.

In the past few days, it has been raining and raining. The plants are swaying and our windows are rattling. We cannot do much--Steven is with his choo choo trains and I am with my boring books.

Sedan Hills

On our way to Swan Reach, Steven and I drove some beautiful hills. I know the appearance of these hills are no longer natural because they are all cleared down. There should be more trees in this area.

I was tempted to climb to the top and let my body roll down the hill. But I was not that stupid. Besides, I might hit my head on a rock or get bitten by a snake.

All of my friends know that I love empty spaces and that is why I moved here.

Black Saturday Fishing

It was Black Saturday and Steven's brother invited us to go fishing along the Murray River in Swan Reach.

I had not gone fishing since I was 8 years old and that was when my father let me use his bamboo fishing pole. Last weekend, Steven loaned me his mum's fishing pole made of steel and rubber. His brother bought a couple of tubs of worms.

We did not get any fish although some of the local insects got to us. We hope to return when the river water is a bit higher.

Playing with the Light and Dark

It was the Good Friday night and the night was really really cold. It was around 10 degrees Celsius (12 degrees Fahrenheit) and Steven and I went to the look out on Mengler's Hill.

The moon was too bright to take dramatic photos of the stars so we decided to play with the torch on my mobile phone. Thus I made my very first attempt in light painting.

Poor Steven--he was wearing only a simple shirt while I was comfortably pushing the shutter button in my warm jacket.

Karoonda Farm Fair 2009

There are so many things right now that I do not expect that I will experience. I am not talking about my career direction. I am talking about my exposure to Australian country life. I am a true blue city mouse and everything changed when I shacked with a true blue country mouse.

Anyway, there was the Karoonda Farm Fair 3-4 April. I really did not expect anything but to see tractors and sheep. Well, I did see tons of them but I did not expect that there would be different kinds. I thought the only varieties of sheep were the black ones and the white ones. I did not know that even the white ones have different breeds. I was able to pat the rams but the ewes probably sensed that I love slapping them on the barby.

I was amazed to watch some sheepdog demonstrations. Those dogs must be very intelligent to be able to execute some very complicated herding techniques. I thought it was just barking and running around. Being a sheepdog involves calculations, agility and obedience.

I was also introduced to a platform where cars board on. Then, these huge planks of wood take the cars to the other side of the river.

Finally, I witnessed a real sheep-shearing competition. I have to inform all of my men-crazed readers--it is not as sexy as we thought. Most sheep-shearers are not muscular and handsome lads. Many of them are overweight and very unkempt. I should have let my fantasies come untouched. What a disappointment!

I hope you enjoy the videos and photos.

Got My TESOL Certificate

Finally, something interesting happened in my life. After months of taking online classes and spending lots of money, I finally achieved something on paper.

Yes, I already received my certificate IV in TESOL from the mail. Thanks, Chris W, for receiving the mail for me.

I wonder if prospective employers will be more interested now with this certificate in my hands.

Loving Adelaide Trains

I used to live in Manila and Bangkok--big cities with really bad traffic. It is undeniable that both of them have comprehensive and wide public transport systems. They have buses, trains, and the local tuktuks and jeepneys and many others.

I live in Adelaide now where the population is only a teeny weeny fraction of what Bangkok and Manila have. That means there is not a huge "market" here for a public transport system that is as big as the two cities I mentioned previously.

Unfortunately, I do not know how to drive.

I depend a lot on my partner to take me to places where I need to go but he has a full-time job. And I am a full-time student so I need to leave our unit almost everyday.

During the first few months, I had been taking buses. They are fucking slow and almost always late. Sometimes, they are 10 minutes late. Sometimes, the bus I am waiting for do not come at all.

A week ago, I made a new discovery: the Adelaide trains. They are on time and if they are late, it is only for 2 minutes. The closest (Alberton) station is an 8-minute walk from our unit. It is the same distance between my old Thai apartment and the Chong Nonsi station in Bangkok.

Plus traffic won't be a problem and I can read better because it is really smooth. I just wish that the crowds in Adelaide trains were as tight as the ones in Manila.