At 4:30 PM, we went to ACMI (Australia Centre of Moving Image) with the aim to kill another 3 hours before meeting up with Hui Shan and Gordon for dinner. Also, since the centre is in Federation Square itself, we do not need to strain our pitiful feet too much.
The exhibition on Australian television and movie revolution was very boring to us initially. What kind of TV producer am I ? I guess being 'homeless' was the main culprit. The situation started to improve as we explored further. A few hands-on activities such as the flip book, time piece, shadow monster that allowed us to produce our own creative video clips slowly made us forget of our homeless status. The time piece technology (36 cameras capturing your action simultaneously), that was applied in the movie 'Matrix', really ignited Bernard's interest and he tried it so many times. There was also an exhibition for the upcoming animation flick 'Mary and Max'. It showed the making-of and the props used in this movie. I liked it very much but time seemed to fly and it was soon 6pm when the exhibition closed and we were politely asked to leave. Bear in mind, if you were in Melbourne and you happen to have nowhere to go, ACMI is an ideal place to keep you away from rain and shine. The most important thing was it provided information, fun and shelter for free.
Gaming session
We went back to Federation Square, and soon it started to drizzle. But we noticed that Aussies did not seem bothered by the rain. Many people, most of them alone were still sitting on the staircase, some staring into space, some quietly eating their dinner in their little bento boxes. The square was nicely lit up at night. There was a big screen, featuring Australian independent short films. Even reclining chairs were put up for public to relax while enjoying the movies. We grabbed 2 seats to watch the movie. It was a silent short film called 'Mirror, Mirror', depicting individuals with low self-esteem, how they hated and look down of themselves. The same film repeated for a few times while these two tired souls gradually fell asleep on the comfortable chairs. I was holding an umbrealla. It dropped and hit my face. Melbourne is a great city where you can do anything that you like as long as what you do does not harass anyone. No one would throw you any peculiar look. You can just be yourself, but do not forget to respect others.
.jpg)
Reclining chairs and the big screen.
.jpg)
Federation square did not have a specific main entrance. So, we obviously did not know where to meet Hui Shan when she said "wait for me at the entrance". While we were walking among the crowd heading to the 'entrance' that we had assumed, Hui Shan coolly walked straight into my face and caught us. This supposedly high-powered short-sighted lady was not even wearing any spectacles or contact lense, she said she just caught our shadows. Well, what are the chances of you catching someone in a crowded square? I recalled how Estee had caught me in a tiny sushi shop in this crowded city when I first landed in Melbourne 4 weeks ago and now, how Hui Shan caught my shadow in a crowded square on my last day in Melbourne . There was no need for any explanation. Just enjoyed the process.
Hui Shan and Gordon took us to Topolino's, an Italian restaurant in St. Kilda. It was a wonderful evening to catch up with friends. Hui Shan passed me her wedding invitation card. An elegant wedding in Albert Park on the coming perfect 10 (10.10 2010). We truly appreciate her invitation and was happy for her to finally found a compatible man to spend the rest of their lives together. How soon will we be back to Melbourne again? We will figure it out when we are back to reality again in 10 hours time.
After another familiar great experience with Skybus airport shuttle, we were once again at Tullemarine Airport. There were all together 8 check-in counters for Air Asia but the queue was still very long. The stringent luggage weight limitation at only 15 kg caused almost everyone to repack their luggage after the 1st check-in attempt. We were very disappointed with this system as it took us 1 hour to queue up even though we arrived at 10 pm, 3 hours earlier than the departure time. In fact, all these problems could be solved by providing scales before the check-in counter. So, the passengers can check the weight of their luggage and repack them before queuing for check-in. Just like what Wellington airport does. But, I guess if these facility was provided, they would lose much revenue from overweight charges. Money wins over convenience. If you choose budget airlines, you have to endure. Is it another fancy new tag line?
Australian custom, again was strict and you will feel humiliated if you have low self-esteem. So, get prepared, do not bring anything (like liquid) against the rules. Also, always be cheerful and confident, they tend to investigate you more if you show your 'frightened face'.
Air Asia's small seat and narrow walkway was indeed only suitable for petite Asian. I was lucky to fall into this category. I had an empty seat on my left all the while until in the middle of the night, I saw an aunty suddenly sitting next to me when I opened my eyes. Had she endured too much of her husband's snoring or they had quarrelled? Walking along the narrow walkway while everyone else was asleep with their heads and limbs sticking out from their seats was a real challenge.
The pre-booked nasi lemak was awful. Lesson learned here was do not order food that is not local to the country of departure. Anyway, a 20 something guy sitting on the left front row seemed to enjoy the nasi lemak very much. Slowly, his nasi lemak container was swept clean. When Bernard and I saw him using the plastic fork to pick his teeth openly and slowly, I knew I am not too far away from home.
Landing shortly. We had a wonderful vacation and it is good to be home again!
2 pairs of tired feet, a complete trip.
On Board Air Asia X
Malaysia Time 6:35 AM29 May 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment