Tag: Australian National University

Weekends, soon to be different


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The VTAC offers are scheduled to be released today. Any hopes of Kiddo opting for a BA/LLB course in Monash have been reduced to a mere theoretical possibility, as she has been really excited about doing the PhB course in ANU in Canberra instead. I have in fact, paid a deposit for her residential college in the Burton and Garran Hall (“B&G”). Tress had also set Kiddo up with a supplementary credit card and got it activated and ready to go. We’re likely to be taking that long hike to Canberra again, around the second week of Feb.

On Saturday, we made a vegetable soup together. It’s a continuation of Kiddo’s cooking lessons. The class took place in between two hefty sessions of cleaning. After the usual vacuuming, Tress, Kiddo and I settled down for some soup, after which I went out and continued hacking down our overgrown Silver Stirling hedges. Well not exactly hacking down but bringing them down from a monstrous 3+ meters to a more manageable 2 meters or so. Earlier that morning Tress and I had gotten up early to get to Tullamarine again – this time taking a young lady doctor from Mulgrave who was going back to Malaysia for a short holiday. We got to her home just before 7, dropped her off at Tulla just before 8am and got to the Vic Market to get stuff for a barbeque we did last night. So all in it was a long and busy day and after prepping the communion spiel and other bits I had to do in church the next day, the 3 of us settled down to a game of cards for a bit.

On Friday we had gone to the Knox for a movie – a very ordinary Sherlock Homes sequel (“Game of Shadows“). It was a disjointed and messy fare and loads of bomb blasts and slow-mo running, jumping and fist fights… sigh.

Last night we had 3 families over for a barbeque dinner. Sort of 3 families – one still has her hubby and kids in Singapore for their holidays, and she had returned to Melbourne early to go back to work. We again finished up late – it was about 12am when we got to bed, and gym this morning was sort of tough.

If it sounds like we’re trying to cramp our weekend, I guess I am. 3 weekends from now, our weekends will be very different. I just want to keep the good thing firing on all cylinders while we can.

Telling moments


A mate of mine in church was back in Melbourne after his holidays in Malaysia and we caught up yesterday. He’s a politics buff so we spoke about it a bit.

Today’s an important day for Malaysian politics. The absolute farce that has been Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial (Mark II) has turned me off Malaysian politics completely and I have not been following it for a while now. The verdict is due out today and although his defence lawyer Karpal Singh remains confident of an acquittal many in Malaysia are expecting him to go to jail, again.

Najib Razak and his regime has been a putrid joke on Malaysia and the tragedy is that there is nothing in sight that would suggest Malaysia will be able to crawl out of this Aegean’s stable, anytime soon.

Anwar Ibrahim unfortunately, was part of the problem and his current mob was also from the old fold. Even is the next general elections in Malaysia brings about a new government, there is no real prospect for change for the better.

On the home front…

Tress took part of the arvo off on Friday to be at Docklands for her parents’ farewell dinner, on time. So when I got home she was already home. She was sitting on the couch with Kiddo.

I walked in and realised a bit of a momentous occasion was unfolding. I saw a letter from the UAC with an early offer for Kiddo to do the Philosophy Bachelor (PhB) course at the Australian National University. I was very happy for her but knew instantly that it would mean she would indeed leave home very soon.

Chances are she would also secure an offer to do the Arts/Law (BA/LLB) course in Monash University but it is very unlikely she would prefer this course to the ANU PhB one.
We have about 4 – 5 weeks to plan whatever she needs and then it would be just Tress and I here in Melbourne. I need to think about what I want to do with my time here…

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Post and Pre


Kiddo has wanted to do a course at the ANU called the PhB. Philosophy Bachelor is like a junior PhD program and she wants to do it with an eye on an academic career of sorts.

Earlier this morning she found out that someone has received an early offer via email. The usual offers are made mid Jan – 18th in this case – but apparently the PhB program works differently to other courses in ANU.

I sincerely hope she is provided with the option to do this course. It would surely make her very happy.

Sometimes serendipity takes its course and what someone ends up doing with his life really is for the better and what he thought he had missed out on was really for a good reason. Many Christians would say it is providence or special favour and I have no doubt God is in control but it happens to all sorts of people so I guess it is perfectly ok to view the phenomenon as simply a fact of life. One only has to work and do the best he can.

Personally, I would have loved for her to do a course in Melbourne – possibly in Monash University – and continue to live at home with us. I know however that she wants this ANU program. I just hope she either gets an offer eventually. I don’t deal with setbacks too well it pains me to think she might also have to travel the same path. I hope she never has to experience the pain of such setbacks.

Many would not see the alternative of doing a course in Monash University as a setback, especially a BA/LLB. Many have worked hard but missed out on this opportunity. There are some amongst her peers however, who have created a de facto elitist environment which views a Monash University law course as something for the masses. The bourgeoisie of the ANU PhB mob can be negative that way.

It is my sincere hope that if she does end up doing the PhB course in ANU, it would not drag her down that path. I hope she gets the course but even more, I hope she would maintain or acquire a sense of equanimity about it all and be happy and grateful to be given an opportunity to pursue the career she wants and not wear any sense of superiority for opting for and travelling that path.

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