We visited Bradford College, located just opposite the city campus of the University of Adelaide, Eynesbury College, located a short distance from Central Market and also a private hostel run by a fatherly Malaysian man. A Bradford College staff also conducted a tour of the university grounds for us too. Adelaide is a city of many cafes, slower in pace than Perth. The staff of the colleges were very personable and similarly so for the staff of Taylors College in Perth, especially Principal Clive Keevil and Student Services Manager, Marian Hogan. Clive picked us up from Mercure Hotel, drove us around the suburb of Claremont, including the possible homestays there, Cottlesloe Beach, University of Western Australia campus and Currie Hall, UWA's hostel for students under the age of 18 years old located opposite the campus.
Finally, the decision was to be made by Sarah, and she chose Taylors College with homestay lodging as Iynee was not keen on her staying in Currie Hall, concerned with BGR issues. Back in Singapore, the application, acceptance, immigration, etc. frenzy started. I must have had super stamina then, getting everything required in super quick time as I was focussing on beating the deadline (we were already quite late) to get her physically over to Taylors College by 17 January 2006. By God's grace, we made it and I really could not imagine how, especially with last minute confirmations on lodging, etc - poor co-ordination especially on the accomodation and meeting arrangements by the college.
Sarah and I flew off to Perth in thee wee hours of 17 January 2006, catching a taxi direct from Perth Airport to the Claremont homestay located 600 metres away from the college campus. Guess what, the homestay family was not present to meet us, what a mess up and disappointment. We had no choice but to pull our luggages and walked all the way to the college campus. We were familiar as we had made the earlier study trip a month back and I had researched with Google Earth, thanks to my colleague, Teik Peng. They were of great help and I saw the aerial view of the college and the selected homestay's locations.
The homestay lady, a 50-year old Australian divorcee of English descent, whom we shall called Ms M came to the college at about 10.00am to pick us up. She had returned from a gym workout. She also informed us that she had not been notified by the college of our arrival. A pleasant lady at first look, she brought us to the nearby Post Office to purchase a Vodafone SIM card and to Bankwest to open bank accounts just before lunch. So far, so good. Well, first impressions might not be the real thing, as we were to find out very soon. Sarah stayed at the homestay from the very first day after she arrived in Perth while I stayed in Criterion Hotel.
On the second day, as in the days after where I would arranged to meet Sarah at her homestay or at the college, Ms M started to share with me her marital history and her family life. I was soon to find out that she also had some quirky moods and could be temperamental, which came more into light after I left Perth and to Sarah's horror a few weeks later. I thanked God then that Sarah is and still is a very strong girl with high tolerance for pain, similar to Iynee's character. When Sarah was a young girl, she would never cry even when caned (very seldom) by me. Some kind of "pride" in her, I believed. My younger daughter, Samantha on the contrary would cry as soon as she saw the cane.
Taking a break before the "horror episode" is being shared.
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