I got my current car – the Mazda – from a dealer in Belconnen. Tony the salesperson is a Malaysian guy, also from Klang. He has been in Canberra for a couple of years now. He also happens to be an acquaintance of Theresa’s brother and had some business dealings while in Klang.

On Saturday I sent the car in for servicing and caught up with Tony. I can see he’s a young man seeking to make a life for himself here in this new country, and I can sense he’s perhaps wondering how his two kids would fare, years from now. He’s a nice fellow and if my stay in Canberra shapes up in any form I might get to know him better.

When the car was done, I did some grocery shopping in Belconnen and then headed home. Tress and Kiddo had been dropping hints about LBJ needing a bath and Tress had sent me screenshots of some DIY dog wash facilities so I decided to take the little fellow for a go. The weather was inclement and parking at the CBD is always tricky so I chose the one in Belconnen and headed back that way again.

LBJ washed, I was back at the apartment and made some lunch. Mic and Kiddo then had a chat to me and after putting the laundry to dry I was about to go help Jonathan with his house in Mawson, when I realised I could not find my house keys. I searched all over the apartment, the car park, the car etc but to no avail. So for the third time that morning/arvo I headed to Belconnen in an attempt to retrace my steps and find the keys. When I decided they were gone, I borrowed Kiddo’s and rode into the CBD to get one of them cut. The other needed a locksmith and when I got back to the apartment I searched on google and guess where a locksmith can be found? For the fourth time that day I went to Belconnen again. The website had said they were a 24/7 outfit but it turned out the shop front closed at noon on Saturdays.

By the time I got back to the apartment it was after 4pm and I was frazzled and tired. I decided to do some cleaning and then just talked to Tress on the phone/Skype. The night ended with Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, and I kept thinking where are those keys? And, of course, about the chat Mic and Kiddo had with me…

Sunday morning after walking the little fellow I got ready for church. I had googled the night before and decided to give a church in Curtin a go. Anglican of course. Good Shepherd Anglican in Curtin turned out to be another small Anglican church in Canberra and I wondered for the umpteenth time, how churches like these survive financially. Nevertheless it’s a good church – one that I’d probably go to in the foreseeable future, when I’m in town on Sundays. After church I headed home, put away the laundry, did some ironing and then headed to Jonathan’s to help him. I spent the afternoon helping him with some painting and left around 6.30pm, to give the little fellow some walk time before it got dark.

When his walk was done and my brekky smoothie, salad lunch and dinner were all done, I talked to Tress again on Skype. As I sat alone in the apartment with the little fellow at my feet, I talked to Tress, I was grateful the weekend was such an occupied one, as otherwise I would have probably spent much of the weekend wondering what I was doing on my own here in Canberra.

Tony’s effort in hauling his family half way across the world would likely pay off as I’m convinced his kids would have a better future than if he had remained in Malaysia. Canberra can bring him and his family as much happiness as Melbourne brought me. I had my family with me then. When I went to my room just after 10pm, Kiddo hadn’t come home and I was grateful at least I had that little fellow with me. As Farmer Hoggett would say, “That’ll do”