Melbourne : Incident and Miracle flight

Ep.34

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” - Nelson Mandela.

MEL – Melbourne, Australia.

8^th- 9^th February 2012.

Me and Macaroon

For so long had I prayed for an Australian flight (coz Andrew’s there), and the first Australian flight that showed up on my schedule is Melbourne. Well, I want Sydney, but no one seemed to be eager enough to give it to me, even I offered my day off for a week. Sad. But, I will keep praying hard for my Sydney flight later. First thing first, here I come, Australia. This journey added another continent to my “visited place” list. 

AUD and map

Melbourne. Whom do I have in Melbourne? No one came into my mind until I opened up my facebook, ran through my friend list and a “POP” sound came out from the home wall of my own page. Siska, my high school friend, is in Melbourne for her study. Yeay! She also went to the same university, different major though, as I am. Well, there was no trace of hesitation that I contact her directly through message. I asked her whether she was free and would love to spare her time to do some introduction to Melbourne for me. She agreed, even though she was supposed to have a reading exam week by the time I would come.

my personal panel

This Melbourne pattern that I got, was the shortest that the company has among other Melbourne flight. I arrived (after 8-9 hours flight) at night already, and all of the stores absolutely closed already. And thanks to the very tight custom of Australia that we were not supposed to bring any edible into their country (esp. dairy product) unless we declare them (still with many questioning), I didn’t bring any food with me. Lucky enough I have enough food on board already. The minute I checked into the hotel, that time I know how boring Melbourne is. Nothing such freebies in Australia. Nothing is cheap (due to the currency exchange nowadays). And everything closes early (shops, restaurants, café) as early as 5-6 pm and at most fortunate 8 pm if you manage to spot one. BOOOOORRRIIIINNNGGGG!! I would never be able to live in Australia. 

Siska and me

I went to my room, and it was not bad at all. At least I found an interesting item in the room. A single box next to my bed could control most of the item in that room. It was rectangular in shape, has some touch screen panel buttons on it and have a very clear instruction. I spent a few minutes playing with it and as soon as I finished my bath, I went down to the lobby to search for any freebies wi-fi connection. In anyway, I should be able to contact Siska (the in room wi-fi password would cost AUD 11 for 24 hours). The man in the information desk told me that if I sit close enough to the window across the lobby, which overlook to the plaza next to it, I would be able to get the connection from one of the coffee shop at that plaza (even the coffee shop has been closed already). It was true! I messaged Siska right away and agreed to meet her for lunch the next day.

Queen Victoria Market

Next on the list, how am I gonna spend my morning until lunch time? In my sophisticated room? In your dream! It took more than just a nice room to jail me, especially in a new place like this. Come on! I would make it count. It’s my first time to Melbourne, moreover my first Australian flight. I’d work it out to be as fun as I could. I browsed through the net, searching for any attraction nearby. I was so shocked to find all of the admission fees would rob my pocket away. Zoo would cost you AUD 35 for admission only (if you lucky enough, you will have a good picture of the koalas, if they’re not sleeping), Aquarium would cost you more or less the same at AUD 33, I even consider to go to an indoor wall climbing attraction, as it was only cost AUD 20 for the whole day. Luna Park, according to Siska, is a nice place to go, but as far as I remember, it was located quite far and the admission fee is nearly AUD 50. I almost ran out of idea and it nearly midnight already, and I was he only one (other than the night shift staffs of the hotel) that was still in the lobby.

Sunny Day

I finally came across a market called Victoria Market. It was quite near, could be reached on foot, few blocks away from the hotel. Okay! I made up my mind. I would go to Victoria Market the next day. Wait! The opening hour was…6 am – 2 pm. Excuse me? What kind of market closes so early? Anyway, nowhere to go, anywhere is better than just stay in a room. I fixed my plan already and I would make it work. I went up to my room, think about all that happened in a day and that was just not my day at all. Come and look through it. During the first meal service (at the beginning of the flight), I realized that the ring that was given by my grandma as my 18^th birthday present was not on my finger. I was panicking at that time, and as soon as I finished the first service I searched through all aircraft part that I touched before I realized it was lost. Checked and rechecked all the pockets, compartments, my smock, all gloves, anything, I even dug up the trash bin. My seniors even helped me looked for it, one of them even sent a direct message to each of the passenger screen that if by any chance they find a ring with an orange gem, please do inform one of the cabin crew. It was ended nothing. Even after the flight, I couldn’t find my ring.

whatever bridge it is

I was laying on my bed, starring at the ceiling of my room and was thinking, it might be because I was in such a bad mood that I drag all my attitude through all that happened at that day (even my bf got some of the tantrums). I was such a complainer of the day and I would say I wasn’t enjoying this flight like any other flight that I did. Anyway, I pulled up my mind and try to recover from it (it was HARD!). I grab my smock (sort of apron that we use during the service), and search it once again, all pockets, all inner part and none! Nothing was there. I gave up. I bound my hands and pray in my heart “God, I’m so sorry that I’m such a complainer today. I threw tantrums everywhere and still don’t satisfy of what I’ve been given. I lost my precious ring. It wasn’t because of the value, but more about the sentimental part. You know how meaningful it was for me and in anyway, forgive me. I believe that if it’s meant to be mine, You will return to me in any way (repeat: in any way). And please let me enjoy my time here in Melbourne. Amen”. 

the sunny room

The next day, I woke up at 7 am, got prepared and leave my room at 8 am. Not may of the stores have opened yet. Such a lazy (still complaining). I walked and walked and walked to the direction that have been showed at the map. I looked at some shops, even it was still closed, and aimed at some that I would love to visit at the return journey. I arrived at the Victoria Market at 8.30 or 8.40. And isn’t market supposed to be crowded? This one was none like others. There were just few shops open, and the section that is livelier was the meat and livestock section. The Market is probably best known for its huge variety of fresh produce. Almost 50% of the Market area is dedicated to the sale of fresh produce, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, chicken, seafood and delicatessen products. The remainder of the Market is used for variety and speciality goods, with Sundays being the most popular day for this category.

near a bbq spot by yarra river

Well considering that it almost seemed that I was the first customer of the day (read: only few have opened or more likely preparing to open) and I have no interest in buying some meats, I decided to grab some breakfast first. I usually get crankier when my stomach was empty, even though I know for sure that I’m not in my fullest fit state of mind. And where would we go when every shop still closed? Yup! The golden arches of McDonald just saved my morning. I bought a sausage egg muffin + hot white coffee for AUD 6.5 and took it slowly. As slow as I could, just to kill time and let the shop vendors took their time to open their booths and shops.

biggest train station in town

I went again to the market and found a T-shirt booth with some Australian souvenirs already ready to welcome its customer. I looked around and the owner of the shop, which occurred to be a Chinese guy, asked me a few opening conversation. He even gave me discount for the magnet I bought (AUD 5 for 3). He suggest me to go to a T-shirt vendor just a few booth from his own. This one owned by a foreigner and when I start to look around the t-shirts he displayed, he told me “you know what? why don’t you look around for 10-15 minutes in the market and give me sometime to prepare my booth?”. *#$%^( I was like WHAT? Okay! I walked just near enough (for him to see) to another booth selling t-shirts and buy some for AUD 5 each.

Enough of the market and I was more than ready to stroll the downtown Melbourne. I passed on a huge library, I went into a mall, that I couldn’t remember the name. I bought a dress that Afree asked me to buy for her using a gift voucher before it expired and I bought myself a pair of jeans shoes for AUD 4 only. I came across a sunny room at the upper floor of the mall and spent few minutes (oh how long can I put my fat butt on 1 place) sitting there enjoying the sunshine. It was nearly 12 noon that I walked my way back to the hotel, visited few shops that I aimed before. I arrived at hotel, dropped my shopping bags and went down straight to get internet connection. I went to the plaza this time, and it was crowded of business attire people (lunch time). I bought my burger for AUD 7 at a burger stall there and enjoy it while messaging with Siska.

Siska and me @ Lauren

At around 2 pm, Siska greeted me. We went straight out to the street and Siska started her tour guide right away. We walked further to the Federation Square, Siska shared about her life in Melbourne and I shared about my life in HK. We walked by and passed some buildings, some places that Siska explained to me what it is and what the stories behind. Where do people hang out, where were the most hip places in town and introduced me to her own top picked cafe and cake shop. By the time of 4 pm, we were on our way to one of Siska’s favorite cake shop called Lauren. It was situated in one of the alley in downtown Melbourne, actually not really far away from the hotel. The café’s interior was nice, sweet and very Victorian look a like. It serves macaroons, varieties of cakes and shakes. We ordered 2 slices of cake and 2 chocolate milkshakes for about AUD 26. I chose to seat on the second floor to be more private. We talked a lot lot of things regarding our recent past years, gossips among old schoolmates, and latest news about ourselves. And while we were enjoying our conversation and sweets, beyond our expectation, the entire café has already cleared up, ready to be closed. Damn! It was just 5.30 pm.

the cakes and the shakes

We finished our cakes and milkshakes and dragged ourselves out of Lauren. We strolled around the street on the way back to my hotel, as Siska has to do her reading for her exam (she was actually nice enough to spare some of her time during the hectic study week for me). We went to a no-brand shop where I managed to buy myself a maxi dress at AUD 6. I bid farewell to Siska at my hotel lobby and she made her way back to the library of her universities. I spent the rest of the day in my room packing all my things and went for internet connection in the lobby. The next day early morning, I have to operate back already to HK. I can’t say that I was more than eager to go back to HK.

the market sign

During the flight, a miracle happened. I was almost forgot about my ring already (thanks to Siska for making my day in Melbourne much more better). It was nearly at the end of the flight, when I pulled out my smock from my crew seat that suddenly (in a split of seconds), a yellowish object flew from my smock (the very same smock that I wear for the first sector, the one that I checked thoroughly during my first sector and in the middle of my first night in Melbourne). The yellowish object flew and hit one of the compartments and fell still on the galley floor. The next thing I realized, all of the people in my galley froze! No one moved, stared at the object on the floor. It was my ring! My ring was finally there. Out of nowhere! I backtracked my memory. Soon after I finished the first service I took off my smock and folded it and put it in my crew seat before taking my rest. And it just didn’t make sense how hard were we looking for that ring on the first sector, even I rechecked it in my hotel room.

Make it count!

It suddenly came to my mind, my prayer in the middle of that night. The line “I believe that if it’s meant to be mine, You will return to me in any way” was actually happened to me. I didn’t care much how did it come back to me. I was extremely happy that I guessed I could grin ear to ear. I took all the call lights and give what passengers’ requested without any complain anymore. I was so grateful. This flight might not be as fascinating as others, but it surely taught me a lot of experience. I might be did in half-heartedly at the beginning, but I was so grateful that I got my old friend there, had a great time chit chatted, and God shows me how great He is in His miraculous way. Thank You Melbourne flight!

NB : I always took off my rings before flight nowadays, I don’t want this kind of heartbreaking incident to be repeated.

“Whatever the world throws at us, remember, that our God is greater.” –Me.