Early Christmas Present; Experiencing Melbourne (Part 1)

Happy Christmas everyone! How's your preparation for Christmas? I'm sure all of you have been so busy preparing all Christmas stuff such as cookies, christmas tress, decoration of red, green and gold, and so on. Yeah, Christmas is always like that as it happens once in a year so it deserves our greatest attention.
Talking about Christmas, I've got a story to share today. It's about my early Christmas present from santa to touch down Kangaroo country, particularly Melbourne, the most liveable city on earth (that's what people say about Melb). I should tell you that my preparation to visit this country was like playing gambling. Yes, gambling, because I've booked the tickets before knowing the schedule of my 'Prajabatan" training (a requirement for civil servant in Indonesia before getting their full position in government sectors). So you can imagine how I prayed day and night asking God to have mercy on me.. well, I was like a little kid asking her dad a bicycle for Christmas. And finally He did have mercy on me. He gave me the best answer by the end of September. I was called for that training. Yay!! So excited. Then, it went as scheduled.

at Flinders station

I took my flight to Melbourne on Saturday midnight, 12 December 2015 from Denpasar. Travelling alone made me feel a little bit nervous but thank God I got a friend. The mother of my boyfriend's friend was taking the same flight so we met up in Denpasar. Finally, I could take a breath easily when our flight touched down Melbourne International Airport.

Arriving at Melbourne Airport

On the way to the city

The temperature was quite cold and I felt a bit stupid coz I didn't prepare any jackets. I was thinking like it's a typical of summer in Indonesia. Yet Melbourne is different. My boyfriend said that we could experience the four seasons in a day, and that's true.

Day 1
The first day was half spent on the way home from the airport by taking all means of public transportation. We took bus from the airport to train station, then took train and then tram to the city. All public transports can be accessed using one card, myky. So we just need to top up the card for taking all means of public transportation. So glad to find out that public transportation is well scheduled. of course it's really different to my country. My first impression made me feel attached.

at the tram stop

Then, the first day was spent at the soccer field watching my man with his team "IndoMelb FC" played and had a barbeque for farewell. I didn't really enjoy as I was the only girl there, so while they were playing I just walked around the sport area and played with the birds. I really enjoyed the solitude, watching the birds flying and the kids playing their skateboards. It was quite perfect though the weather was freaking cold and my man and I had to walk home freezingly. Yay..what a romantic Saturday night!

Day 2
Well, the next day was more awesome because I had my first English mass at St. Francis Church. That's what I have been dreaming of because St. Francis is really famous there. I was really having a great time there. The church atmosphere was extremely heavenly with the best church choir singing joyful songs on the second Advent Sunday. I could feel the Christmas coming soon. The architecture is also beautiful with gold church ornaments, really classic. After church my man and I went to Queen Victoria Market for shopping and meeting up with his boss and friends. Jenny's Store sells beautiful hats, bags and winter stuff. My man had worked there for half a year and he just retired a few days before I came. I felt so warmly welcomed by Jenny and all his friends there and in my heart I was thanking God for placing good people around him. Thanks to the Lord.

after Sunday Service at St. Francis Church

in front of St. Francis Church

At the Queen Victoria Market

Marry Christmas

Day 3
The third day was the purpose of my visit; his graduation. The graduation ceremony of Melbourne University took place at Royal Exhibition Building. We got there by taxi with his friends. The graduation was really awesome. I was definitely proud seeing him in his graduation robe. During the ceremony, I never ceased lifting up my prayer, thanking God for protecting him till the last. The graduation ceremony was really really cool, classic, and effective. I love the procession which was not time consuming as I had experienced before in my university. I was enjoying every single second till the time when his name was called. I felt like I wanted to cry seeing him coming to the front and receiving his master certificate. God had given us abundant blessing by the end of the year. Thanks be to God.

Postera Crescam Laude "I shall grow in the esteem of future generation"

Mr. and Mrs. Tapun 'gonna be' ;)

From the Royal Exhibition building, a friend of him who is a deacon came to pick up us to Dandenong, the suburb of Melbourne, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central bussiness dictirct (wikipedia.com).  It was beautiful up there seeing the whole Melbourne from the high point, yet to get there Joseph had to suffer from car sick due to late lunch. Well, worth sacrifying, though! He couldn't survive without rice.. yup...Joseph is truly a rice lover! Then the day was closed at a chinese resto in China Town.

Day 4
The next day was just a plain dinner with the Wejak family. They live in Keilor Plains so we had to take train to get there. After getting off the train, we decided to walk to their house. We were enjoying the walk from the train stop to their house. Wejak's family has a wondeful house with two beautiful sons; Ama and Constantine. I loved spending the time with them because their house is full of love. I really like it. Mr. Justin Wejak is a lecturer in Asian Studies of Melbourne University and his wife is a Bahasa Indonesia teacher. His wife speaks Bahasa Indonesia very well. Mr. Wejak who Joseph and I call 'Kak Justin' is loving intellectual discussions that's why he and Joseph seemed to be seriously discussing politics while I was playing badminton with Ama and Constantine. When the food was ready, we had an early dinner. Melinda, Kak Justin wife cooked pork soup, roasted chicken, salad and of course rice for us.. She was married to a Lembatanese that's why she knew that Joseph needed rice. We had much fun there. after dinner we went back to the city and went to Flinders station to have a date in Yara River.

Birthday surprise for Kak Justin

 

Constantine is helping his mommy to serve the meal

Then the date at Yara... to be continued...