15- Be With You
Meeting people is an interesting thing. Especially so when you have no one in a foreign land. We NEED to meet people.
When we first stayed in Gest Inn, a budget accommodation where 10 rooms shared the showers & toilets in one level, we were not involved in people's conversations. Partly because they seem to know each other and comfortably oblivious with our existence. Partly because the kitchen where the conversations took place didn't meet Lua's standard of hygiene and he just preferred to get out as soon as food is done. However, 2 or 3 nights before we were abt to move out, we saw some Chinese looking faces and they started asking if we speak Chinese, Lua decided to stay in the kitchen, eat and chat with them. Da-da. That means it wasn't just hygiene he was not comfortable with previously.
We went to a workshop where all attendees are holding the same vocational visa as ours. All participants, whether arrive years or months or weeks ago, didn't have a group to stick with. So after I approached some guys and started conversations, Lua started getting more comfortable with meeting new faces, and trying to understand them, and ...
We are appreciative for the first group of friends we met through couch surfing (couchsurfing.org). They show genuine sincerity and concern on our situations and just make us feel we are part of this place.
We just attended an event called New Residents Night. After a small game, people simply holding their drinks and get into conversations with whoever there. This was just wonderful. No format. No speech. Nothing serious and lengthy and bureaucratic. I guess this new residents night really works in the way that new people in town, like us, just get to meet new people they wouldn't have met through works or life .
This time, we were among the top 5 who moved from the furthest place. Many attendees were Australians from other parts of this land. I was in deep conversation with a lady from Sydney, whom I find it amazing that there were sentences she didn't need to complete and I can understand what she's trying to say. Learning foreign language. Traveling. Alone and away from family & friends is good. Etc. etc. Lovely time I had.
So far, the most uncomfortable 'meeting people' event for me was a social drinking session of Dubbo Professionals Network. Nothing bad abt it. Just I don't drink alcohol and it was probably the venue that makes me feel not so much at ease. Yet, I heard wonderful stories shared by this very very approachable lady. She shared how she admired her mum's courage. Here's what her mum did.
Brother came home from school telling mum that his classmates, two boys, seem to have been beaten by their daddy. Mum said, bring them home after school tmr. Brother brought his friends back the next day. Mum confirmed the classmates were beaten by their daddy who had separated with their mum. Mum call the boys' mum and informed her, asked if she wanted the boys to stay with her till she's back to the boys. And mum did. Kept the boys at her own home. Knocked the door of the violent daddy's house, demanded him to give her the boys' clothes and stuffs, told him off, told him not to come disturb them. ...
Isn't it wonderful to be alone in a foreign land? And meet people. And heard real things from real people out of your comfort zone.
The real life starts when you leave your comfort zone. This is true. I vouch for it.
Title of this post is title of a film by Sg director Eric Khoo.
