Studio Seven

The Singapore Students Association organized a trip to visit a tulip farm at Table Cape, Wynyard. 50 odd students showed up on this frosty spring morning at 7 .30 am. Today is also the end of daylight savings which means we lose an hour of sleep. So essentially we were there at 6.30 am. The trip there was uneventful with a stop at ETC Cafe & Bakery. Everyone was sleeping on the bus.

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When we arrived there, only a small field was covered with blooming tulips. We were all disappointed. Someone commented that his backyard was bigger. Everyone broke out in laughter. Luckily, that was just a small private farm and our planned visit was to a bigger place down the road by the Lighthouse.

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The scenery was breathtaking with rows and rows of multi-coloured hue set amongst a backdrop of gently rolling hills and the Lighthouse with a glimpse of the sea. During the two hours there, the weather changed from sunny to a thunderstorm. It was just so sudden but everyone managed to capture a few nice photographs.

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We stopped for lunch at Wynyard but most eateries were closed. There was a little cafe with a theme of music from the 60’s and Betty Boo. The food was average but the price was reasonable and looked better than the rest. We supplemented our simple lunch with stopovers at the Anvers Chocolate factory and Ashgrove Cheese factory for tastings and something extra to bring home.

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Thank you to the people behind SSA 2007 for organising the trip. It’s really fantastic to see all the international and exchange students getting a much more memorable and enriching experience during their studies at the University of Tasmania due to the hard work you’ve all put in.

On my birthday, there was a total lunar eclipse too. It was visible from all parts of Eastern Australia and New Zealand. The eclipse began at 1754 to 2321 in Tasmania. Here’s a nice photo taken by Siew Yng.

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My birthday present was something small. Friends made me guess what it was before I could open it. I was given a few hints.

1. It ends with the letter ‘E’

2. The name of the item contains 7 alphabets

3. Color is orange.

Can you guess what it is?

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As Singapore prepares to celebrate it’s 42nd year of nationhood, students from all over Tasmania, Australia came together on the weekend for a huge party.

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The venue for this year’s Singapore Night was held at Wrest Point Hotel & Casino in Hobart. Everyone was dressed up in various traditional clothing of the many cultures that form a part of Singapore. The food was great with favorites from home like ‘fried hokkian seafood noodles’, ‘tandoori chicken’ and many more.

It was a wonderful day to spend in Hobart. The sun was out and a group of us had an enjoyable time browsing the eclectic stalls at Salamanca Market. The view of Mount Wellington was shrouded in misty clouds. Every now and then, we could catch a glimpse of the summit covered in white.

Just when we arrived at the foot of the hill, the barricades that stopped traffic at the springs (half way mark) was opened. We were greeted by a truck that had just cleared the roads as we drove up. The snow was falling gently and it was just magic.

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No matter how many times I’ve visited Mount Wellington, it always reveals a new side of itself.

The first day of semester 2 is also one of the coldest days this month. From our studio we could see the snow capped mountain tops in the distance. Last year’s winter did not have much snow and we decided on the spur of the moment to drive up to Mount Barrow. Friends around got excited too and we ended up with seven people going on this road trip.

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[newline]We did not own a four wheel drive or snow chains and could only venture up half way to the top. Even at this height, there was plenty of snow on the ground. We were so close to the summit yet so far. There was a nice view over all the forests and we could see the Bass Strait in the distance. We made a snowman and threw snowballs at each other. Oh well, typical stuff to do if you’re from the tropics. The sun was setting and we quickly made our way down.

Today marks the day when the results from semester 1 are released. Everyone from uni was online and ready to log in at 9 am sharp. All went well as everyone made it. It feels good to pass but it’s even better when all your friends struggle together and succeed together.

A huge weight and heaviness was lifted from my heart and I just wanted to hit the open roads in my car. L wanted to get out of the house too and we decided to go fishing.

We just kept driving for an hour up the Tamar River towards Beauty Point. Clarence Point is the name of the little town we ended up in. As we drove along the beach, we found a small public jetty that looked like a good spot.

The sky was just beautiful with a rainbow through the clouds. It was a bit windy but the sun was out. We caught 4 flathead but had to release one as it was 25 cm, below the legal limit. The other three was between 30 to 35 cm.

We ended the day celebrating with friends over dinner at home. Dominos Pizza did the cooking tonight.

I knew that today’s date was something special but thought nothing of it. Life went on as usual. I was working that day picking up new students arriving for the new semester. We had a barbecue that evening as two of our friends had acquaintances starting university.

Coincidentally, there was seven of us that evening. As Andy phrased it best ‘7 mates gathered on the 7th day of the 7th month on the 7th year of the new millennium.’ It was great catching up with friends you’ve not met in person for sometime. I hope the new students enjoyed themselves and not feel too sad about leaving family and friends behind. At least they got a taste of the Australian lifestyle and probably a little too chilly Tasmania weather.

*Thanks Andy for the wonderful pictures taken that evening.