Day 1
5 Nov 2009
checking in: 5:00 pm, over-weight luggage by 9 kg!
Arrived at Melbourne -Tullamarine: 6:05 pm
- 5 min wait for baggage
- Kak Aidah + Kak Timmc fetch with their cute blue suzuki (or was it something else?)
- had claypot at Lazzat Cafe
- ate Durian + Lychee ice-cream at the parlor beside Lazzat (curious combo but real good)
- finally reached Ita's place, Parkville Avenue, block 54 , number 9
6 Nov 2009
Agenda: Find LOMO digital + buy mummy's jacket
- outing with Kak Aidah to the CITY
- Iced White Chocolate at Hudson's Coffee for breakfast
- Michael's camera - Russian guy didn't believe there was a digital LOMO- directed us to the 2nd hand shop at the end of hardware lane
- Interframe: JB Hifi- clueless sales people
- 2nd hand shop was still closed
- Interframe: Camera House - ignorant sales people
- Off to Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) to find mom's jacket
- Hopped on the wrong tram. Got a tour of the HUGE Melbourne Central Business District- caught a glimpse of Harbour Front Mall.
- DFO was huge. Scouted every store. Found 3 main jackets. Settled for a sweet grey jacket at Jeans wear.
- Interframe: Ted's Camera: Still no clues about the digital LOMO
- Went back to hardware lane. Chinese girl told us to find a place called FAT in GPO mall
- At FAT, the sales person-cum photographer enthusiast gasped. never heard of digital LOMOs. but was selling the film cameras at 88 bucks for the DIANA+
. told us to go to INCU at Flinders St. The guy over there should know. - It was the DUDE not the guy. We found our digital LOMO. but it was 10 times as much as my budget could allow. 300 freaking dollars. They were selling the DIANA+ at 85 bucks though.
- Spent 30 mins thinking about the pros and cons of buying the DIANA+
- Lost the internal struggle after being shown reason by Yasmine and Khira as to why the DIANA+ would not be worth it
- Visited Melbourne Uni. The Union building. and the Medical Museum. Awesome-ness! The gross-est thing was the tons of tapeworms coming out from a preserved deodenum. Puke. not to mention all the body parts with really bad cancer. and stages of a fetus' life in a mother's stomach
- Had dinner at Asriah, Mastura, Aisya and Soraya's place at La Trobe St. Lasgne and ginger soy chicken.
- Finished for the day. Dinner at Kak Aidah's place (Baitul Faidah): had fruit only. Slept over and watched an Islamic movie together. Met all the wonderful sisters in Melbourne
7 Nov 2009
Agenda: Melbourne Aquarium! LOMO at Melbourne Central or National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
- Outing with Kak Aidah (again!)
- headed to Melbourne Central. scouted for the stall that Asriah had seen selling LOMO cameras. none to be found. ate lunch at Kamil's Kebab instead. Had Pide (Spicy Lamb)
- one last place before giving up on LOMO: NGV. Bull's eye! They got the whole lot but no digital LOMOs. Settled with the LOMOLITO yellow flash disposable camera after much deliberation.
- Headed to ANZAC memorial. The building looked like it belonged in ROME. Took a LOMOLITO picture :)
- Getting seriously hot
- Melbourne Aquarium was ultra cool. Greeted with King penguins. It was like a scene from Happy Feet. Exact replica! Then oohed and aahed at weirdly wonderful creatures i.e. spider crab and the hairy angler fish. Last was the shark exhibit. There was a nurse Shark and tiger shark and a really aggressive looking one. Plus the beautiful manta rays gliding in the water. Absolutely stunning. Loved it!
- Late lunch at Bismi (Indian Restaurant).
- Crashed at Ita's place again
8 Nov 2009
Agenda: Sydney Road, tram stop 21 and Islamic Book Center (IBC)
- No Kak Aidah :( (off to do her clinical at this rural place in Vic)
- Took the tram to Sydney Road
- The day was really hot. Stopped at SAVERS. Got a good look around. Pretty cool, cheap stuff. I like! but determined not to spend any money.
- Bought new toothpaste+ toothbrush that got misplaced at Baitul Faidah.
- Walked along Sydney road. Tons of middle-eastern shops. Lebanese, Turkish, Arabian. Just name it. Bought some Baklava at different restaurants.
- Met Kak Marlina and her husband at Kebab near a car-wash. Got directions to go IBC
- Stopped at tram stop 31. No 'You can be the happiest woman in the world' book to be found. Met another Maryam! She was Somali. Studying Pathology.
- Wandered around at Brunswick. My own little piece of Heaven :)
- Took shelter from the heat in the Book Grocer. Browsed some mangas and books. Got myself 'The Done Thing', a book about manners. Supposed to be funny.
- Looked around some more. Wishing I could just move here someday
- Back to Parkville~
9 Nov 2009
Agenda: Brighton Beach picnic and visit Hannan in Clayton. but first, develop my LOMO film in the CITY!
- De-toured to Melbourne Uni. Miraculously found the Mechanical Engineering Department and the post-grad lounge. but could not find Kak Timmc.
- Headed off to find Elizabeth St. But got lost and wandered into an anime shop instead that sold ridiculously expensive FF7 key chains (that I already had by the way).
- Re-traced my steps back to the point where I got lost: Nasi Lemak House. Oooh Yummy. But one plate was $8.90. good Heavens, no!
- Met up with Kak Timmc. Walked back to her faculty. and her office!
- Had Chicken Tikka wrap. Filled it with so much sauce that the bottom paper ripped off because it was too soggy. Tried to staunch the flow. But hey, it just dripped all over my bag instead.
- A pigeon ate one piece of Tikka that dropped onto the floor.
- Zohor prayer at Melbourne Uni's new musolla. Absolutely beautiful
- Tafsir Quran one-on-one with Kak Timmc later joined by Kak Aini (I think that was her name)
- Met up with Kak Fazz at 3 pm. Got on the same tram as hers
- Headed to Clayton. From tram to bus to another bus. Kak Fazz was so delightful :)
- Reached Hannan's place. Russ House.
- Met up with Mysara! She was just one floor above Hannan's place
- After, rushed to catch the bus to Brighton. Took us an hour to get there. And the nerve! the bus driver stopped for a toilet break just minutes before the intended stop!
- Finally reached the train station. Waited a few minutes because of a delay. Hopped on, then off. Just in time to see the sun set!
- it was just... Masha Allah
- Walked along the stretch of beach and colorful boat houses.
- Settled down at a secluded spot to observe the Maghrib prayer. Most unforgettable!
- Train stopped at Flinders Station around 10pm. Kak Fazz bought us some milk shakes. but they weren't ice cold. which was too bad.
- Got on the tram to Parkville.
10 Nov 2009
Agenda: Melbourne Museum, Balha on Sydney Road and Comm-bank
- 10 am to Balha Pastry at stop number 27. Bought all kinds of middle eastern sweet pastries
- met up with Kak Aisha just after 2.30 pm.
- Visited the Melbourne Musem. Which was HUGE. The bug exhibit took a lot of time to cover. and it was so GROSS. but I liked it. Then there was the 4th first computer ever to be built. CSIRAC. and human and mind. everything was interesting
- Out to eat Sushi at Lygon St. Smoked salmon, roasted eel and brown rice tuna.
- Met Asiah. Who was surprised to see me.
- Headed back to Ita's
- Said our goodbyes
- Went to Baitul Faidah
- Met up with the peeps in Hobart! Prayed together as usual.
- Dinner Kak Jamie cooked was mee soba, seaweed, a special soy, shitake mushroom soup and egg-plant in kfc batter (the best!)
- Night-time around half past 10. Kak Timmc came with Kak Fazz to pick me up
- said our last good-byes at the airport.
- Met Sasi! Bought chocolates together. Who would've guessed he once represented Malaysia in Judo huh?
- 1.10 am boarded Air Asia.
645 am. Touch down. Alhamdulillah... I'm back!
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