Education
A Note From My Memoir...
‘Lessons’ is an exploration through my years in school, the university, and the TAFE. It encapsulates the stories and friendships along the way as I have undertaken a lifelong learning journey, expanded my learning method, and enhanced my knowledge in a range of academic pursuits in Chinese Medicine, Public Health, Community Services, and more.
School
There was nothing spectacular about my schooling ability. Farter always said I was an adaptive learner, but apart from my early grasp of mathematics, I was far from a fantastic student. Mother Dearest has reminded me that my year one teacher had run out of mathematical tasks for me, but this grasp of numbers soon left me as the teacher ran out of tasks, and my interest stalled.
My imagination was always my strength. Early on, my stories were longer than the rest as I got a head start with my literacy. I remember sitting down with Mother Dearest to author a story about a toothbrush. We typed it up on a primitive typewriter, and I was so proud of this story. In Year 5, my father moved us to Grose View, which was the best decision we ever made. I remember being asked to tell one of my stories to the kindergarten class, which was a buzz. Again, when I used my imagination, I shined.
The other teachers saw more of my talent than I did. My great year five teacher put me on detention for a week because I refused to complete the assignment on Bridge to Terabithia. When I finally did hand in the work, I topped the class. She was great. She put me in line when I needed to put in line, and I was rewarded for the effort she put into her teaching. My Economics teacher placed similar pressure on me, as did my science teacher in drumming chemical equations in my head. These were the only time I ever topped assignments in school other than topping music in year 10and a business studies assignment on Chantronics that I worked my ass off on.
My year 6 teacher was a bit of an ass. He would sit me under a fan for three months straight because he knew I would not complain. Then, when I did ask to move, he told me to 'stop complaining.' Although it is not a direct reason for my neurological issues, it was a starting point. That year I increasingly became more agitated, and as my teenage hormones kicked in, I became more perverted. He was, however, good for a story about the early days of Hawkesbury cricket and allowing us to play Olympic Handball at every opportunity. Many talented athletes were in this class, and these Handball battles were intense.
My high school years are a bit of a blur. We had a great cohort right from the beginning. There were few dropkicks, but a hell of a lot of talent. We were all great mates and, to a degree, still are. My year seven class set the scene for a love of ancient history as Mrs. Holloman demonstrated great enthusiasm and passion.
I had a decent teacher in year nine in my most memorable class, where my passion poetry and songwriting began. I began researching songwriters in year 11, including a TAFE course that expanded my love. I had missed many of the foundations because I was away from school too much with music and sport, which worsened my mathematics and science ability. I, however, worked my ass off in year 12, and we all did. I did a great HSC composition, of which I am still proud.
Our school cohort got the highest marks in Western Sydney for the year, a reward for all the students’ and teachers' arduous work and friendship. I wish I had leaped more out of Anna Manea's work ethic, which began in first class and worked steadily until getting over 99 in the HSC. Apart from the trauma beneath the surface and what was happening in my home life, my high school years could not be any more memorable.
My First Taste of Learning
I had only really taken school seriously in the last few years, so I was blown away by the wealth of knowledge available in your footprints in my first taste of university. Unfortunately, I missed my preferred university degree by 0.25 marks in the HSC. My dream was to follow in my dad's footsteps and study at the University of Sydney. However, I agonisingly fell short. I had been offered a spot at Charles Sturt University (Bathurst) to study Sports Journalism, and I desperately wanted to get my hands on philosophy books. So, I took the next best option and travelled to Canberra to study Bachelor of Arts at the Australian University. I was enrolled to study four subjects–Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology and Philosophy.
When I arrived at the university, I was more than surprised. There were people everywhere. Young people everywhere. Bikes everywhere. There were clubs of every type. Marxist groups, religious groups, language groups, political groups, culture groups, sports groups, and fitness activities for everyone. This was a hub of culture, knowledge, and learning. There was a certain buzz that I had never felt before.
The classes were fascinating. They were delving into subjects I had only ever dreamed of hearing about. I summarised Piaget and social psychologists in the dictation rooms, learning the rooms where all the lectures were. I had to fit into the extracurricular activities that I was hoping to become a part of. One of my favourite bands, Machine Gun Felicio, was playing, so I danced along to them. I joined a new choir, which was a real buzz. I had to ride 10 kilometres in and out of Queanbeyan on a dodgy bike I borrowed because my beautiful bike, Midori, that I had saved up for, had been stolen.
By the third or fourth day, I was exhausted. I was slowly getting back to Queanbeyan later and later as I was trying to get into a study routine, especially the night I did the choir. I was starting to get up earlier to fit in. Then I had to leave Friday afternoon after the lecture to get back to Windsor to play cricket. I fit a lot in, and I was exhausted by the time I got back to Kurrajong.
Things still were not great at home because Dad was still upset because he had to lend me $300 or so because I ran out of money in New Zealand. He was also upset with me because I had stayed in New Zealand too long and had not given myself enough time to prepare for the university. On the way back to Canberra on a Sunday, we had an argument, and I left in a rage. I was still angry when I got to Parramatta, so I thought I would seek help. On the way to the police station, a man tried to support me and hugged me to see if I was all right. The police saw us and started yelling at us, telling us that we were 'poofdas.' They took me to the police station, where I was deemed mentally ill, and I was detained for three days in a chamber. It felt more like fifteen.
I missed the whole second week of uni, leaving me behind in my studies. I tried to catch up but was so far behind I had to drop two subjects. I tried to study the subjects, but I needed help for them to sink in. I handed in a poor philosophy assignment with different versions of a rather crude response to Plato's work. The lecturer spent the next session marking my assignment saying how rude some of the responses were. I knew he was talking about mine as it seemed like a direct attack.
I had only read a little, other than trying to summarise the work that we were learning in class. The sociology tutor pulled me aside because he saw potential in my work. He gave me the textbook and showed me some of the significant theories we were learning about. Then he asked me to summarise the work as part of the essay. I spent a long time that evening summarising and writing up an essay of which I was proud. I got my first distinction for my arduous work.
The next semester was a waste. I was still recovering from the traumatic stay at the hospital. I ended up dropping all my subjects to attend a variety of lectures on all sorts of subjects concerning sociology, philosophy, religion, anthropology, and more instead. My aim was to surround myself with as many different subjects as possible to begin creating a comprehensive worldview. I was not getting assessed for any of the subjects and did not sit for any exams. But I learnt heaps.
I fell in love for the first time in Canberra and spent every spare moment with my First Love. We enjoyed exploring Canberra together and talking about everything. We had a few jobs on and off, such as putting posters on whatever we could find around that time. It was a lot of fun and took up most of my time. We played some music, and I got to know my First Love better than I had ever gotten to know anyone before.
Towards the end of the second semester, my mental health had deteriorated significantly, and my First Love's mother had asked me to head home to get some support. I spent 10 days in Bloomfield in Orange before returning to Canberra, where I continued attending lectures and spending all my spare time with my First Love. Eventually, I moved back to Kurrajong, where I spent my days studying several topics and trying to consolidate my knowledge. In addition, I did a reiki course. Because I did not seem to have any direction, my parents asked me to get a job. I searched everywhere and found a sales job in Parramatta that I decided to give it a try.
I had to get up early in the morning to walk to the bus stop, catch the bus into Richmond, and then catch the train to Parramatta. It was at least a 2-hour trip each way, depending on how long I waited for the bus and train. Once in Parramatta, we would get a 10–15-minute class in the morning, teaching us basic sales techniques before going around businesses in Sydney. We would be assigned specific areas and driven there or catch the train. We would walk around to different companies and give them a sales pitch on why they should buy the phone packages. As an upsell, we could try and sell a mobile phone, as these were the trendy things at the time.
The pyramid scheme worked like this, if you managed to sell three packages daily, there was room for promotion. The commission was 50/50. The salesmen and women got half the commission, and the person owning the business got the other half of every sale we made on the field. He stayed in his office all day while we slaved away. The package was making the business owner filthy rich while all of us workers struggled to make enough commission to survive. I barely sold a package in the week I persevered, as the purchaser needed more incentive.
One day we were walking around Leichardt, and I wanted to try my luck at a fancy building. When I went inside, everyone was wearing white nursing gowns. So, I rocked up to the office and gave the man my pitch. We talked, and soon they started telling me about Chinese medicine. I was fascinated.
I was at the Sydney Institute of Chinese Medicine. One of the students soon approached me and told me about Yin and Yang and other Chinese medicine concepts. It blew my mind. Sensing my excitement, the office man said, 'You could start next week if you want to.' He assured me I only needed to pay upfront if I had the money, as there were 'fee-help' options. I left so excited.
At the end of the week, I was exhausted from the travel and handed in my resignation. I was distraught by the pyramid scheme and felt it was almost impossible to make a sale. Only some of the thirty or forty salespeople had made any sales. I managed to sell one phone even though I was a persuasive salesman. It was just not for me.
I soon became unwell again and ended up in the Pialla psychiatric ward at Nepean Hospital. After three weeks, I spent 37 traumatic days at the private Norwest Clinic. I was then transferred into the Young Person's program at Brumby House in Emu Plains. I began in a group home environment and soon transitioned to a semi-independent unit at North Parramatta. I was supported to get on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and was provided with fantastic case management support.
On one of my trips down to Canberra after my stay, my First Love bought me a book on Chinese medicine, and I read the cover excitedly. Chinese medicine fascinated me, and I wanted to know more. I did not attend the school at Leichardt, but I went one better and enrolled in the Western Sydney University’s Traditional Chinese Medicine course. Farter came with me to the enrolment, and he was impressed with how focused the course was, not only on Chinese philosophy, which he knew I would be fascinated by, but also Western medicine. Farter seemed proud that his son was going to be a doctor.
I was so excited. Mother Dearest came with me to the city to get the textbook, Giovanna Macciocia, the Go-to-Guy in Chinese Medicine. I started reading the book. While it was all foreign to me, it looked so fascinating. It had excerpts from ancient texts and covered topics like facial diagnosis. I was hooked. Farter took me to North Parramatta, and we worked out the bus routes I would need to take to get to the university. It was not an easy commute, but my enthusiasm was palpable. Everything just seemed right!
My First Year of Uni
Although I had had a false start with my first attempt at the uni, I was highly motivated to make the most of my second opportunity. Although I was excited, I knew this would include long days. I was at university for four days and had one day off. So, I would catch the bus and train on my days at uni and spend the spare days studying and doing assignments on the old-fashioned computer I had at the time.
I started the day by waking up around 5:30 am. I would get dressed, pack my lunch for the day, and then walk 10 minutes down to the bus stop. I would catch the bus approximately 15minutes into Parramatta, where I would again catch another bus. Next, I would catch the bus to Liverpool, waiting for another bus before finally getting to the Bankstown campus in Milperra. I would later change this by catching the train to Granville and Liverpool as I became more familiar with the route. I would then have to do the whole thing on the way home. It became familiar for me to sleep on the way back, as it was exhausting.
I was highly frustrated but fascinated by the first class. I was introduced to the fascinating but slightly strange James Flowers, the lecturer for many of our classes throughout our degree. I was trying to absorb all the information in the first class, but I was distracted by many questions about topics that seemed utterly irrelevant. The class dragged on but explored topics as diverse as dragons and demons. The subjects seemed varied and different from any concepts I had ever heard of before. The class seemed fascinated by the discussion, and it was filled with fascinating people. Although I just wanted them to shut up and learn, I was hooked on the first session.
The first semester was a whirlwind. I was still adjusting to the new medication and was either tired most of the day or found it hard to focus. I was reasonably attentive in class, but I would nod off in some classes, and there was not much point in being there. The social life was, however, incredible, and I took to my new classmates. There were all types of people, and I quickly became close to a range of friends. I gravitated particularly towards Clare, with whom I soon formed a small group. The greatest thing about the Traditional Chinese Medicine class was that we were also joined by the Naturopath students, who shared many of the same classes. We were one big homogenous group that got along like a house on fire.
By the end of the first semester, I managed to pass all the subjects. I studied hard at Lake Parramatta in my spare time and was grasping the principles of Chinese medicine, but I needed to improve. I struggled through the other subjects and only just passed physiology. I was getting by. I was getting decent marks in my assignments, but I needed help grasping the subjects enough to go well in the exams. Many were failing, so I was doing well.
This trend continued into the second semester. I was trying hard but struggling to get the grades I deserved. Despite trying my hardest, I got two out of 30 in my first anatomy exam and ended up having to work my ass off to pass that class. I also focused too much on making beautiful notes in my first acupuncture class to grasp the subject. I failed that class and had to complete it again the following year.
I was, however, enjoying a rich social life. Then one day, my life changed when I related to two of my greatest allies and lifelong friends. One day at the bus stop, a young 17-year-old named Luke was waiting. He missed his bus a few times but was more interested in socialising and getting to know me than getting the right bus home. I remember how impressed I was with his knowledge of acupuncture and the wealth of experiences he had had for as a teenager. His wisdom was above his years, and he was wholesome fun. I connected with him that day and am grateful that we have formed a wonderful friendship ever since.
The other person with whom I connected strongly was Orlando. I had been catching the bus with him to and from where he was getting off at Moorebank, about 10 minutes away from Milperra. He had a big smile and had tried to approach me a few times on the way to school, but I had struggled to understand his thick Peruvian accent. His father was paying for him to have an adventure abroad, but he had worked to fit in despite excelling in Chinese medicine and learning it in his second language.
We ended up catching the train to Parramatta that day. It was out of his way, but he just wanted to make a meaningful friend. We talked about everything and anything. He taught me all about Peru and taught me a few Spanish words. He taught me about his favourite game, football. I told him about cricket. We talked about some things we were learning about in class. Now that I was talking to him, his Spanish accent was highly understandable. We never got anywhere we planned to on the train, but this one-and-a-half-hour on the train changed my life forever. I had a new best friend who would be my closest ally at the university over the next four years.
At the end of the year, many of the Chinese Medicine students had a little road trip up to Brown's echinacea herb farm in Walcha. Two short girls, the Blue Skye and the Mexican, picked me up. The five-and-a-half-hour trip was full of adventure and good cheer. We got to the property late at night and almost spun the car off the road, which was a bit scary.
The week was full of fun. I got to know some of the Chinese medicine family on a new level. I connected with them a lot better than I had in the other classes, as our days were filled with demanding work planting herbs alongside the tractor, and the nights were filled with tasty food and lots of laughs. It was starting to become less like hard work and study, and more about enjoying each other's company. It was beginning to feel like a small family.
Moving Onto Campus
Travelling to and from North Parramatta daily was exhausting, so I followed Az's footsteps and moved in the campus. It had changed his life, so it seemed like an excellent choice for me. A spot became available, so I jumped at the opportunity. I had been to a few campus parties at the University of New South Wales and had fun.
I was excited as I drove up the small yellow driveway. I knew my friend Luke was moving on campus also so that I would not be lonely. I was shown to my room and introduced to my roommates. The first person I was introduced to be a skinny girl named Nicole. The office lady was brimming with excitement when she introduced the other guy I was sharing the room with. She had told me that he was cool. With a firm handshake, he said in a thick Arabic accent, 'Hi, my name's Romi.' He looked extremely friendly and spoke with great confidence. Unfortunately, the third roommate was a fast-talking girl, and I do not remember her name.
That day, we got to know the rest of the people living on campus. My eyes kept diverting to a young girl with long brown hair who have big brown eyes. Her name was Lizelle, and I got to know her quickly. After that, other people, including a young Japanese girl called Saori, took my attention. These people would become my closest allies, and I would spend hours with them on campus.
Living on campus comes with many perks. Firstly, there were no train nor bus trips to get to the uni. You could jump straight out of bed, shower, and meander to class. And there was always someone interesting to talk to. Someone fun to spend a few hours with. Unlike living virtually alone, there was never any chance of being lonely.
We became a united bunch and had a few favourite things to do. We would either jump the fence or, as the wall slowly developed holes, head over to the Chinese takeaway shop, where there was an array of delicious dinners. Lunches were only six dollars, so you often got lunch and dinner simultaneously. The other was to head across and have a good kebab, but these were less delicious than the Chinese.
Luke and I often used to head into Bankstown to do our shopping. We had a system where we took turns buying things. I was surprised at how cheap the fruits and veggies were, so we would get a shitload and share them amongst ourselves. He loved his fruits and veggies as much as I did, so we bought a few other things, a few instant noodles, some bread, some rice, and some sauces, but they were simple shops back then.
As Orlando started joining Luke and me on our adventures into town, we enjoyed exploring the Chinese herb shop and buying all the herbs we were learning about in class. We used to try all types of things at the shops, like sugarcane juice and a range of items from Asian supermarkets. One day we tried our first-ever milk tea with pearls, which became a habit whenever we went anywhere.
Luke started spending more time with Saori, and soon we discovered they were an item. Philby had taken a shine for Saori because she was beautiful, but Luke took to her quickly. Lizelle took Romi, who was desperately trying to study his translation studies, but Lizelle would not leave the poor guy alone. Of course, he was a handsome guy, and she was a pretty girl, so I do not blame either of them for falling in love.
We would often go out in the city. We would catch the train to the city after class and wander around Darling Harbour, trying different clubs. We liked all types of dancing, so places like the Platoon and Lacita particularly, caught our fancy. There was something remarkable about spending the night in a salsa bar that made Lacita my favourite. I got to know some musicians and talked to them late into the evening about playing Latin music. We would come home early in the morning and walk back to the campus via a 10-15-minute walk from Revesby Railway Station.
I started doing better at the university now that I was not travelling so far, and I was getting the hang of traditional Chinese medicine. I still struggled during the first semester, but I passed acupuncture on the second time, and I understood the concepts for the first time. On one particular day, Farter picked me up to see Tim Freedman for my birthday present at the Opera House. On the way, I recited to him every acupuncture point in the body and its anatomical locations. For the first time, I knew something so good that I could recite everything word for word. It was a proud moment.
It was a memorable year, but not full of memories. It flew by so quickly. I made life-long friends in an environment that was always fun and exciting. There were not many stories that came out of this period of my life. It was a wonderful time of my life that seemed to flash by. I am incredibly grateful that I had the chance to move on campus because it changed my life and put it on a trajectory for achieving much greater things.
Moorebank
There was not a spot available for me on campus the following year. I forgot to submit an expression of interest to continue my stay on campus. Whatever the reason, I moved to a shared house with a few older men. The house was owned by a schoolteacher named Dave, who was always busy watching TV and doing his marking for school. It was in a suburb called Moorebank, meaning I had approximately a 15-minute bike ride either way to the university campus. Some days Dave drove me, but most days, I got there by bike along the freeway and then through the town.
I was in full flow at the university by this stage and was increasingly working hard on my studies. I was starting to memorise things more and get my mind around herbal formulas. The theory was beginning to make sense, and I was starting to do elective subjects. One of my elective subjects was War and Peace, which was a fascinating break from Chinese medicine. We were learning about sovereignty and the principles of international relations. The subject was highlighted by a United Nations-like conference where we had to place different perspectives on a human rights principle. It got heated and was a great way to present an assignment, arguing a topic from many perspectives.
I was starting to become better friends with the Chinese medicine boys. They were the most balanced young men, both physically and mentally. Physically, four or five of my Chinese medicine friends had black belts in different martial arts. This equipped them physically and mentally to be astute at many things. Physically, I was impressed by their endurance, strength, and stamina various tasks. This was most evident when we used to go on drives down to a park off Woodville Road. They would do chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats for hours. I was impressed. I could not keep up.
Occasionally, one of these finely balanced men, Hamish, would pull me aside after class to tell me he was meeting Luke behind the campus cottages. Hamish was a boisterous guy leading our Chinese medicine class in most of our subjects. I looked up to him. He had taught Kung Fu around Australia after deciding never to study again. He did decide to study Chinese medicine again and was excelling. It was to his parent's farm that we had gone to learn about how to run a farm in my first year in the university.
These battles between Hamish and Luke were fierce. Battles to the death, but because they were stealthy, they trusted each other that there would be no considerable damage. I would watch with fascination as one would attack whilst the other would defend, both waiting for their opening while defending for dear life. Hamish was more of a counterpuncher, whilst Luke was more aggressive. These battles would last five or six minutes maximum whilst I stood on cheering.
The best thing about living in Moorebank was that Orlando and Clare were just around the corner. I used to either go to Orlando's house to study, or he would sometimes come to mine. We used to enjoy going to Clare's house and had begun having dinner on occasion with her parents, Margarette and Tony. Now and then, Clare, Orlando, and our other friend Michelle would meet at the Moorebank Library and enjoy studying our subjects together, often reviewing what was coming up in exams. There was also a great Thai restaurant in Moorebank that was within our budget.
I used to ride my bike all around the area. Orlando used to catch the bus into Liverpool and meet me there, where he would show me some of the Peruvian cafés. He loved showing me about his homeland. We organised a dinner where he showed us a fantastic purple corn drink called chicha morada. It was sweet and tasted amazing.
As we had become increasingly better friends with Clare’s friend Natalie, Orlando and I decided to go to a go-kart centre in Ingleburn. I remember thinking I was so crap and how the girls showed us up. But we had a magnificent time and went home on a real high.
That night, I received a call from Orlando saying, ‘Clare has been in an accident.’ I first thought that Clare always seemed to be in an accident. She had travelled to India numerous times and had even made it to the base of Mount Everest. I thought it was normal for Clare to be in trouble, so I thought nothing of it. But Orlando called me again 20 minutes later, saying, 'You better come to the hospital now.' So, I got out and headed straight to Liverpool Hospital.
When I got to the hospital, Clare was already dead. Tony and Margarette were at her bedside with shocked looks on their faces. I did not know what to think. She just looked like Clare. She looked at peace. Her friendly eyes were not there to welcome me with her gorgeous smile. I held her hand and felt so empty. One of the most beautiful souls I knew was gone.
I sat there with Tony and Margarette, who were noticeably quiet. This was different from them. Their home was always full of happiness and joy. It was a somber moment. I tried to lighten the moment, and they respected that, but we were all missing our friend.
That afternoon I went into the piano room to practice and let my emotions out because they were flowing at this time. I played all the songs that reminded me of Clare. All the inspirational ones. But the cleaner had to close the piano room before I could process my emotions. So, I asked, 'Can you come back and close this up later?' But the cleaner would not budge. So, I walked home, trying to process what had yet to be processed.
The funeral was a depressing affair in which the priest barely mentioned Clare. It was so impersonal, as if Jesus Christ had died, not Clare. The funeral was an opportunity to share all the good moments we had with our friend and her brief moment on this planet. For someone who was 21, she had done so much.
She was recognised at the Botanical Gardens for her contributions to herbal medicine; a plaque was dedicated to her. All her close friends joined, as we were so proud the day this was memorialised at the Botanical Gardens. This was a small reward for all of Clare's wholeness to everybody she knew.
Orlando and I continued to visit Tony and Margarette for many years after Clare died. They began inviting us to trivia nights and special dinners at their house. They knew how much we loved Clare and how much she loved us.
As the year closed, I had a falling out with Dave, and he only let me stay at the shared house because exams were so close. It was hard to finish any study because the guy who lived next door always seemed to have a different girl over. Twice or thrice a day, sometimes more, I would hear him shag another girl, almost shaking the door off the hinge. Orlando always said he must have had skills because he was the ugliest man he had ever met.
One week before the final exams, Luke won a prize on the radio for us to attend an event in a strip club in Kings Cross. It was the launch of Fat Pizza's new TV show. We met all the stars, including Pauly, and talked to a few strippers. It was a crackling night.
The night before my exams, I was just about to go to sleep when my flatmate came in and said, 'Try this?' I said, 'I am about to go to bed. Can I try it tomorrow?' He baited me and said, 'Come on, mate.' I thought, why the hell not, and downed the shot. It was the most vital thing I had ever tasted. 'That was 80% moonshine you just drank.' I laughed and thought, 'That’d be right.' I slept well that night.
The exams came, and I returned to Kurrajong for the Christmas break. I had had a mixed year of fun, adventure, and grief. It had been a mixture of good and challenging times, but mostly full of joy and excitement. My life was gaining momentum, and I was looking forward to what the next year had in store for me.
The China Family
My fourth year of my university degree saw me return to campus to be reacquainted with many friends. A new group of Canadians had moved on campus, which had given the campus a different flavour. They were out in Australia for an enjoyable time, and it sometimes felt like a backpacker’s hostel. It was not the most conducive for study, but I was increasingly doing better at that.
The year seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, we planned to fly to China. The whole first semester was a blur. Once you are in the studying routine, the time seems to fly by. It is hard to explain but studying becomes easier at this point. I was dedicating increased time to my assignments so that they seemed to happen, and the stress was eliminated.
As you are not rote learning as much, there is not as much added information in the exams, and it is more about remembering what you do know and building on that. I only really liked exams once I started to get better at them towards the end of the third year of the four-year degree. By this point, the assignments were increased presentations, group assignments, or a mixture of both, and I was good at both. By the end of the last semester of the 4th year, studying has become enjoyable and less of an effort.
Two weeks before flying to China, I had an incident with one of my flatmates on campus. I could not believe her paranoia, as she always demanded the apartment door be locked, even if she and everyone else were sitting in the living room. I do not remember her name, but she was an avid Melbourne Storm supporter. After the semi-final, I mentioned how I thought a Cameron Smith tackle was the worst tackle I have ever seen and stated that he should miss the grand final for that tackle. She was so offended that she said ‘something would happen at the airport’ when I flew to China. I did not think twice about it, other than the fact that I knew that she worked in customs.
So, the semester ended, and I was excited to be flying to China for our placement at Jiangsu Provincial Hospital. I was excited when I jumped on the plane where I caught a six or seven-hour flight into Hong Kong. Some of my friends had jumped on the plane a few days earlier and had organised a small trip to explore Macao. I was happy to get to China and start the adventure. Hong Kong was foggy, and I had the whole night ahead of me, but I decided against catching the train into the city with the thought that I might get lost and miss my flight to China. I slept in the airport, awaiting my flight to Nanjing.
In the morning, I joined the flight with some friends who had also boarded the same flight. It was another five or six-hour flight with fewer luxuries than the earlier flight, but soon I descended above China. It was a magnificent sight as you dropped on Nanjing, seeing green pasture upon a green pasture with small communal cities amongst the rural setting. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.
I arrived at Nanjing Airport and met Orlando and Philby in the baggage area. Orlando was on my flight from Hong Kong, and Philby was already in China for a couple of weeks as he had flown to Beijing for the Olympics to support his friend Ben who competed in the sailing event. Unfortunately, Ben fell short of a gold medal after capsizing less than 200 metres from the finish while in the lead and the gold medal position. We were, however, disappointed with Ben as he failed to catch up with Philby, despite him flying over to China to watch him race.
After reacquainting with each other in this foreign land, we waited ages for my bag to arrive. Orlando’s g was one of the first bags off the plane. Mine was nowhere in sight. After the last bag was offloaded, we went to the official’s area to see if there might be a mistake. The official did a few phone calls and informed me that my bag was left in Hong Kong. He got the details of where we were staying and told us that the bag would arrive at the hostel in the coming days.
Brimming with excitement, we jumped in the taxi for the 45-minute trip to the city centre where our hostel was. It was a trip to remember. The driving was different from anything we had experienced before. There were no road rules. The driver just beeped the horn and swerved to overtake the vehicle in front. Orlando and I laughed nearly the whole way, as it was one of the most exciting things I had ever experienced.
It was the China that people see in the movies. It was like going back 200 years in time. Like the seven or eight-hour plane flight had taken us through a time warp. There were people on bikes pushing equipment piled up on their carts. There were carts full of chickens. There were people everywhere, and this was the rural area. There were substantial high-rise buildings in the middle of farms. And there were farms as far as the eye could see cut into every aspect of the landscape. This was the China that you could only dream of back home. It was magnificent.
We arrived at the hostel, and it was comfortable enough. We settled in and went for a walk. Then, we found an Australian Pub. The Mexican and I returned to this pub to watch the National Rugby League (NRL) grand final at lunchtime the next day. Here, we watched a Cameron Smith-less Melbourne Storm smashed by a red-hot Manly Sea Eagles side. At the Australian pub, we had a few Australian beers and a terrible meat pie and talked to the owner about Magnetic Mountain, a drive up to Bowen Mountain, less than a five-minute drive from my home in Kurrajong. I also got asked by the waitress if I would like some cold ‘cock,’ which I thought was a hilarious misinterpretation of Coke.
As we started exploring Nanjing a bit, the China Family decided to meet for our first of many wonderful Chinese dinners. Philby helped us order in Chinese as he had become accustomed to speaking Mandarin after spending one of his university years in the Southern Chinese city of Kunming. Philby ensured we had a table full of delicious food to devour, a luxury that we got used to in our two-and-a-half-month stay in Nanjing. Whereas Peking duck is the specialty in Beijing, salty duck is the specialty in Nanjing. This is served with most meals and is usually a plump duck cooked with salt. It is not as salty as it sounds and is quite delicious.
Nanjing was the capital of China until Beijing took over in 1949 when it became the People’s Republic of China. Whereas ‘Bei’ means north, ‘Nan’ means south, with ‘jing’ meaning ‘capital.’ Nanjing means the ‘South Capital’ and is a highly significant city for Chinese people. Nanjing was the site of the first university in China and in the world. The foreshore of the Yangtze River, as it winds through some of the city centres, is one of the most photographed sites for Chinese tourists. There was also a massive massacre of Nanjing civilians whom the Japanese brutally murdered in the second world war.
Not only did my bag not arrive on time, but my medications were nowhere to be found when the bags did arrive. I had to wait 10 days for my prescription to be shipped out, which I was extremely nervous about as I required medication to sleep. My coordinator Zou Shu arranged with one of her friends at the hospital to give me acupuncture to help me sleep. Blue Skye’s mother also had schizophrenia and offered to help me. I was highly grateful for this support as this kept me well during this period.
We were soon acquainted with the flat that became our home after the first few weeks since we arrived. It was a comfortable flat with just enough cooking space. I stayed there with two Koreans, a girl, Anna, and a guy, Jinguan, and Orlando. The problem was there were only three beds and there were four of us sharing the flat. I bunked with the Korean guy Jinguan the first night, but I did not trust him, so Orlando offered to share the room with me.
This was often a fun experience. Orlando and I respected each other’s space in the bed so much that it was common for one of us to fall out of the bed. We enjoyed spending time checking our emails. Clare’s death was still raw for us both, and Orlando had photos of her everywhere. She was his best friend. He still even had a photo of her on his screen on his laptop. It was comfortable sharing with Orlando. We even made it a routine to watch Orlando’s favourite Star Trek episodes.
Soon we were welcomed into our morning routine of going to the hospital. I would wake up, have a quick shower, and then walk the thirty to forty-minute walk to the hospital or ride the bus. I enjoyed the walk because of the delicious dumplings I bought along the way. I also often got tea eggs to go with this for breakfast and grabbed these delicacies as often as I could. They could be found everywhere.
Exploring the hospital was a fantastic experience. The Jiangsu Provincial Hospital comprised of many departments, of which I spent two weeks each in the Gastrointestinal, Paediatric, Facial Paralysis, and two Acupuncture Wards. My first two-week placement was in the Gastrointestinal Ward, where patients either experienced digestion or gut-related conditions, from diarrhoea to constipation to gastroenteritis, and even stomach cancer.
The system was a first-in-first-serve order, but just because one was not first in line did not mean he or she did not get a chance to be served. Patients would be diagnosed and given prescriptions. At the core of the process was the senior doctor who would diagnose and prescribe treatments like acupuncture or herbal medicines. They would then pass the information on to a junior doctor who would write up the prescription in Chinese. Once this was complete, another scribe would enter the diagnosis and prescription into the computer. This was passed on to the translator, who would translate the details for us. This would all be overlooked by people10 or 12 deep observing and participating in the process, trying to work out their own diagnosis based on the presented information.
Once the diagnosis was made, the patient would either progress onto an acupuncture ward or the herbal dispensary. The herbal dispensary was a sight to behold as it housed rows of shelves full of assorted herbal medicines. The dispensary was at least a football field length inside and was always seven or eight people deep. Behind the walls, the chemists always reached into baskets where the herbs they requested were placed. Seeing this process at work was excellent, as the dispensary was full all day, and the chemists were busy searching for herbs throughout the day. It was incredible.
My second placement was my most memorable, in the Facial Paralysis Ward. On the first day, the master said that if he trusts me enough, he would let me help him with the needling. Because I was so eager to line up and hand him the needles, he gave me an opportunity on the first day. This would become a memorable couple of weeks.
The system was simple. The apprentices, like me, would line up next to one of the eight beds and hand the clinician the needles. He would then put each needle into specific locations on the face to help aid the facial paralysis patients. The doctor would then ask us to do one or two points, usually Hegu (Large Intestine 4) or Waiguan (Sanjiao 5) and connect that point to the electro-acupuncture kit. We would then read for 15-20 minutes when the needles were taking their effect before the doctor asked me to disconnect the electro-acupuncture machine and take them out. Occasionally the doctor would ask me to do the cupping on the face of the patients, and which I quickly got a reputation and was dubbed as ‘Mr. Cupping.’
The week seemed to fly by in the facial paralysis ward. The seasons were changing from autumn into winter then when the temperature drastically dropped from around 26 degrees to minus eight degrees in less than a week. There were increased numbers in the ward because facial paralysis, such as Bell’s Palsy, is particularly prevalent during seasonal changes—the book ‘When the Wind Changed’ by Ruth Park is a story that highlights this phenomenon. We learnt a lot about weather in Chinese medicine, as it plays a foundation in the philosophy behind the practise. It was amazing to see it in real life.
I got a reputation on the facial paralysis ward for getting effective results. One day a woman who was an English teacher introduced herself to me. As I began putting the needle in, she let out an all-mighty cry. Thinking I had put the needle in the wrong point, I apologised, saying, ‘Are you alright?’ She said, ‘No, that stimulation was the best stimulation I have ever felt.’ I felt quietly chuffed.
Between sessions, I read The Celestine Prophecy, a book Clare gave me for my birthday. By this point, nearly the whole China Family met during breaks and had wonderful times together. There were 15-20 minutes in between duty intervals. Many of the Asian boys in the China Family took a fancy to the girls that were in my facial paralysis group and started to mingle with them. In these breaks, it was all fun and games until these meetups were stopped as one of the doctors complained that it was not a ‘hotel lobby.’
The rest of the placements came and went. As a group, the China Family enjoyed feasts nearly every night at one of the restaurants around town. We would fill the table with all types of dishes. We would spin a wheel so the one who won could get whatever dish he or she wanted delivered straight in front of him or her. We were also quite drunk quite often, as we would often accompany meals with the easy-to-drink Tsingtao beer. Because the glasses were so much smaller than the schooners we were used to in Australia, we were encouraged to have a glass or two. The problem was that, before we knew it, we were off our face.
Orlando got a reputation for being ‘The Finisher.’ He would always start his meal after everyone else were finished eating. In true Peruvian fashion, he did not like any of the food being wasted. So, the skinny Peruvian would finish off our leftovers. Often this would be quite a lot of food. At times, he would still be eating half an hour after everyone else had finished. We would all wait for him to finish. I was unsure how, but he never seemed to put on weight. Until one day, he pulled me aside. ‘I put on three kilograms,’ he said. I thought, sucker. Finally, all that food has caught up on him.
We also used to go out quite regularly. We met a fun young Brazilian, Tiago, studying at the University of Nanjing. We had our small group of myself, Tiago, Blue Skye, Nixon, and Heigan. Often, we would be joined by other members of the China family, but often it would be just us. We would find a club in the clubbing district and dance the night away. Then, I would stagger into bed, often requiring Orlando to open the gate at four or five o’clock in the morning. I would then sleep in until midday if I did not need to get to the hospital.
When we were joined by more of the China Family, we often got kebabs after our clubbing adventures, or Craig would shout us all dumplings. The kebab place would usually be closing but would stay open for our three a.m. adventures. What food did we get on those kebabs, whether mutton, beef, lamb, or dog? But geez, they tasted amazing.
On weekends, we often ventured to tourist destinations around Nanjing or went on a trip or two away. The Mexican and Blue Skye spent one of the weekends to see the Tiananmen Warriors, and once booked a trip for us all to explore Yellow Mountain (Huangshan). This was the highlight of the China trip, amongst many.
The trip began with a bus trip of four to five hours. About halfway, we arrived at a site where we did a bushwalk and some abseiling. We finally arrived at Yellow Mountain and began our five to six-kilometre walk up the mountain. I complained the whole way up, but it was much fun. Once we reached the top, I left the group to look around the summit. I only had a few minutes to look at this world heritage site before it became too overcast to see anything. I was lucky. I was the only one who got to see it. I, however, needed more time to take a photo before the weather became more overcast.
We then met as a group to decide whether we were to pay more for us all to be in the same room. This seemed like a better deal as we were all comfortable with each other’s company by this time and had no secrets. We grabbed a meal and settled in for an early night. We soon fell asleep as we drifted off to terrible karaoke singing in the next room.
At about midnight, I woke to two of my friends screaming. I, too, screamed, thinking that someone was harming my friends. A rat had crawled under Blue Skye and jumped over my friend Alicia before escaping the room. Once the rat made itself safely out, there was again a quiet calm amongst the group.
The following day, we woke early for a quick breaky before walking to the mountain’s peak. Sadly, it was still overcast, so it was unfortunate for us not to see the beautiful mountain from the top. I was, however, fortunate to have a glimpse for a few seconds of a giant golden monkey who stood in front of me for a little bit before crawling off into the fog.
After staying a while at the peak, we decided to return to the bus. About twenty minutes in, Orlando started running at full speed, and we all decided to follow him. We ran the whole six kilometres in about 12 minutes, only stopping to admire and take photos of these fantastic skinny men who scaled up and down these steep mountains at least twice daily. They thought it was funny that we even noticed them, but we were amazed by people who could do such a difficult job every day. Their legs were indented because the stairs were so steep.
After running virtually non-stop from the top, when we found the underlying cause of the mountain where we were met by some of our group who caught the gondola down, we were told that there were another two kilometres to the bus. I was exhausted, but the group continued running, so I followed. We got within 200 metres of the bus, and I almost collapsed with exhaustion. I could not go any more, but just as I was about to give up, I found a shop selling sugar cane. I bought some sugar cane, and my energy was restored. I jumped on the bus and enjoyed the trip home.
After our internships at the hospital, we had a brief exam period that brought together four years of learning Chinese medicine. Seeing acupuncture done daily, when needling was actually done on real people, was invaluable for my learning. Being a visual person and practising acupuncture myself meant that I learnt more in my 10 weeks in China than I did in my whole degree learning out of textbooks. The exams in China solidified that.
And then, after the exams, we were off on our eight to nine-hour train ride to Beijing. Everyone was in a good mood because studies were done for most of the China Family. This allowed us to let loose during our week in Beijing to explore the city and all it had to offer. Beijing was buzzing because it had recently opened itself to the world for the Olympics. This meant it had to clean itself up, and many traditions, such as spitting, was banned. Beijing was looking great.
Vincent, one of the Asian boys in the China Family, had secured a great backpacker minutes from the city centre. This was within walking distance of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall, where Moa is buried. The other way was some amazing markets where I tried everything from snakes to centipedes to starfish and sewerage lobsters. We went for long walks throughout the city, exploring grand parks where feral cats were the size of small lions. We went on train trips to various tourist destinations, such as the Temple of Heaven, and ended up in strange suburbs where we tried all types of street foods. Our adventures around Beijing were much fun and full of adventure.
One day we caught a bus out to the Great Wall of China. We asked the driver of a bus who said that it would be 50 Yuan. Nixon, our only Cantonese speaker, said no, and we walked around the next corner. The following bus offered us 35 Yuan. Again, Nixon said no, and we went around the next corner. Finally, another bus offered us 18Yuan, so we all jumped on the bus.
We arrived at The Great Wall on a freezing and windy day. It was at least minus eight degrees. Regardless, we were excited and started walking up the great monument. I was surprised by how steep and how well-structured it was. We continued to climb up, fighting against the wind as we reached the top. We continued a steep descent down and reached a point where I reached my exhaustion level. Not knowing how much time we had left, Nixon, Heigan, and I decided it would be best to climb back up to catch the toboggan to get down to the bottom. When our exhausted bodies finally reached the bottom, we realised that where we had reached our exhaustion point was, in fact, just 20 metres from the ending point and that if we had continued, we would have reached our destination. Regardless, we got a good taste of the Great Wall and an authentic taste of the genius of its construction.
For our last two nights in Beijing and the China Family’s last days of adventure, we decided that we wanted to find a club to finish on a high. We found a club that had an amazing reggae band from Ethiopia. I acquainted myself with the piano player I called Mr. Music and we danced the night away. We got everybody in the club up on the dance floor to the point where there was not enough room to have a band anymore, so they packed up their instruments, and Mr. Music became the DJ. We continued late into the evening. When I left, the female singer got into trouble with the bass player, her husband. I had no idea that that little thing was married to the bass player.
We had had an eventful eleven weeks in China and were uncertain about what the future would hold for us. The Mexican and Blue Skye planned to jump our cruise boats and travel around the world, learning their acupuncture trade. Neil planned to take over his dad’s animal acupuncture business. Nixon thought of starting his own business. I still had a year of my degree, so I was heading back to Sydney. Orlando planned to visit Japan and spend a few more months in Australia before returning to Peru. Many of the rest of the family were uncertain on what their next adventure would be. The reality was everyone had different plans about what they were doing next, so we knew that this was the last chance for the China Family to all be together.
For our last night in Beijing, we returned to the same club because it had been such a big hit before, but we were a little tired, and there was not quite the same buzz. After nearly four years of studying and then exploring a foreign land together, it was nice to sit back and relax to be together one last time as a family.
Campbelltown
After returning from China, I settled into summer at home before settling in for my last year at university. I moved down the Campbelltown campus of Western Sydney University at Macarthur. Luke also had a few subjects to do, and I was also moving to the campus, so I was not making a move alone. I was flatted in a five-bedroom apartment with four Muslim boys. Two were in their first year of university and were studying medicine, another was studying sports science, and the other was in his last year of osteopathy. They were all intelligent, fun-loving guys studying hard but also wanting to have a fun time.
I only had three subjects to complete, so I was freed to achieve in these subjects. I still spent a lot of time studying, but I would also go out most Thursday nights and explore Campbelltown, including having great meals and attending many parties. One particular party was an international guest party where I came dressed, well, virtually undressed as a sumo wrestler. All I had on was some undies shoved up my butt cheeks. When it came to awarding the best dressed, the announcer was trying to get another girl laid, announcing, ‘Who votes for this girl to be the winner?’ Bare anyone cheered. Then when it came to me, ‘Who votes for this guy to be the winner?’ And they all started chanting my name.
I often found a place to enjoy Blue Skye on Thursday nights. I had stared non-stop at the Blue Skye in the first year when her 18-year-old body merged perfectly with her pretty face, highlighted by her captivating blue eyes. In the first year, she and the Mexican picked me up on the way to Hamish’s farm, even though I could only see her above the windscreen. In China, she was initially frustrated with me but then enjoyed dancing with me into the night as we learnt to enjoy each other’s company. By the time we spent together after uni, we were already comfortable around each other.
On Thursday night at Cruise Bar in Circular Quay, while enjoying some salsa music, Blue Skye’s brother approached and asked me to ask her out. He said, ‘You often regret the things you don’t do, not the things you try to do.’ I never had the guts to ask her out, but I enjoyed being one of her closest allies for the next couple of years. She is now in Winnipeg, Canada, and I look forward to meeting her and her beautiful family in the future.
On campus, I used to enjoy going shopping with Luke. Whilst things had progressed from our days of taking turns to buy our groceries, it was just as fun looking for discount health products and the like. I was embarrassed one day he screamed, ‘Help’ on the way back from Macarthur Square. With the tourist threats that were happening then, and the fact that I was with other Muslim men, this was not the most fantastic decision. A security guard came running with his dog, thinking a serious crime had been committed.
Throughout my stay in Campbelltown, I was dating the Korean Beauty. This was a fun time as she would sneak into my room early and stay with me until class started. We would spend a lot of time in secret hideaway spots and parks talking, making out, and making love wherever and whenever it felt right. In addition, we went on the occasional drive that would take us to places around Sydney. We had a good group of friends then, doing all sorts of things together, including day trips to Wollongong and dinners around Sydney. With less pressure on studying, it meant I could enjoy myself.
As the last semester was ending, I focused one last effort on finishing the semester well. I had one final exam to do, diagnostics. I had assumed Orlando’s role, but instead of him teaching me, I was able to teach others. So, I studied the ins and outs of diagnosis and got full marks in the final exam.
I had now finished my undergraduate degree and planned to study Public Health in the new year. I had come a long way from the scared boy a few months before starting university, as I was now a confident, well-resourced, still young man. I spent an amazing three months in China and had many great friends. I was now twenty-five, had a degree, and was ready to tackle the world.
My Masters
Before I knew it, my master’s degree had begun. I had moved into a small flat with a Cranky sort of lady in Dulwich Hill, which gave me an approximately 15-minute train trip into Redfern that was virtually on the doorstep of Sydney University. Unfortunately, the administration staff had messed up my application form for some unknown reason, and no spaces were available in the Public Health course. Still, I was welcomed into the International Public Health course with open arms. This was the master’s in international public health or MIPH. It had been my dream to study at Sydney University as I had been told all the great stories of my father’s time there.
I was impressed straight away with several things in the course. First, the lecturers were great. In every class, I learned from one of the world leaders in the field. The courses would be full of content, and I would be buzzing with ideas. By this stage, I was beginning to connect ideas. And I often came out with various models as we explored different topics.
Second, I loved the workbooks we were given. Each subject had a workbook with four or five readings throughout the week. These were often cutting-edge resources and articles from the most recent literature, which blew my mind.
Third were the assignments. At first, I would brainstorm my ideas profusely with the professor. He would tolerate my ideas but also brainstorm ways that I could shape my assignments to better address the topic or research question. The projects got you thinking about topics such as the Millenium Development Goals, intervention priorities such as the diarrhoea epidemic in India, research proposals, health system issues such as service delivery and water crisis concerns in Gaza, how health promotion strategies reduced the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Uganda, childhood stunting in Peru.
As the degree progressed, I created more models and did more article evaluations. This ensured that I analysed all parts of the literature, from the title, authors, journal, year, volume, and pages to the literature review, objectives, ethics, data collection, sample, analysis, results, discussion conclusion, and implications of the studies. I got my best results in comparing the Australian, and Chinese Mental Health Systems and a discussion of a model called Perceived Behavioural Control in which I designed a brochure encouraging medical students to try and use it and refer to acupuncture. Unsurprisingly, the assignments I did best in were based on Chinese medicine and mental health.
The other assignments that I did exceptionally well in were the group assignments. I was influential in getting the group up and going in a presentation on ‘Development.’ I devised our model, which got us on the right path towards getting the top marks. I also enjoyed the group discussions, as many marks offered were in group facilitation in the tutorials. I entertained the participants in the tutorials on several occasions, facilitating fun groups on various topics such as ‘what is a community’ and ‘culture.’
The fourth thing that I greatly appreciated about the degree was the facilities. The facilities were world-class, and although rebuilt to be even greater, I cannot fault what was available. For the time, it was amazing to be able to print off as many articles as you wanted and to have access to world-class libraries. I took my research to a new level by accessing world-class computer labs that allowed me to use the computers for a more significant portion of the day. The university grounds provided me with many new experiences and being close to the city allowed me access to Chinatown whenever I wanted. This provided a lot of joy.
I particularly became close to one of the students. John was an American exchange student who was out in Australia to learn a thing or two about public health before heading home to focus on his chosen career to be a doctor. John entertained the class every time he got up in front of the class with his witty way of exploring public health topics. He was much more advanced in his worldview than I was then. One day, he single-handedly won a debate, leaving the audience in stitches. He also did a fantastic presentation that helped us get the highest marks in the group assignment I was talking about. The way he was able to organise his words and hilariously spin them baffled all the other students.
John would often give up what he was doing to join me in whatever activity I did at the time. I had desperately wanted to show John a game of cricket, so one day, he dropped what he was doing to come and sit with me and watch a game at the university. John also joined our family at a Swans game where the Swans played Carlton to go into the preliminary final. This was an exciting game in which Chris Judd almost stole the game from us. Seeing John get involved in a game he knew so little about was great. He helped cheer on the Swans as Kieren Jack eventually got the better of Judd and the Blues.
I lived at two places in the first year of my masters before moving in with my friend, Dougy, in the second year. The first was the grumpy lady I was talking about earlier. In our little flat in Dulwich Hill, she was trying to educate me about worldly things such as Che Guevera, Charles Manson, and the Spanish language. She was always cursing and was negative about everything. One day, I travelled from Kurrajong, which was not easy as I had to catch the train into Central to get on the train out of Dulwich Hill. This took me nearly two and a half hours on a Sunday. When I arrived, she had had a bad day and told me to go home again. This was the last straw living there, so I decided to find somewhere else to stay.
I moved near Rockdale into a tiny house I shared with a quiet-speaking woman. I did most of the second half of the year studying here. Although it was a bit further to commute to uni, I loved the diversity and culture in Rockdale. There was lots of good food from all different nationalities. Living with four Muslim boys in Campbelltown had given me quite a taste for Arabic food, which was fine in Rockdale. The lady here, however, was ripping me off with rent and was quite unpleasant to live with. So, I ended up moving out abruptly.
An old schoolmate, Dougy, was living alone and invited me to stay with him at North Richmond. So, I spent the rest of my master’s days here. My master’s degree drifted into a third semester, where I completed Biostatistics and Health Promotion, two subjects I had deferred. I needed much support with Biostatistics and technically got a conceded pass as I got 49%. Regardless, I had completed my master’s degree and grown. I was, however, feeling a bit lost, not knowing what my next adventure would be.
A Wise Teacher
Towards the end of my master's, I met an unlikely friend who became one of my closest allies and continues to be to this day. One of my school friends, Michael, whom I have previously called the Black Priest, invited me to his house near Elisabeth Drive between Penrith and Campbelltown. He invited me over for dinner because he had heard that I had completed a degree in Chinese medicine and that it may be suitable for a condition that was ailing his mother, Dercum’s disease.
I rocked up to the house expecting a good feed because the Goisissi’s were known for their hospitality. I had met his then-pregnant wife-to-be Tara, when Michael had proudly showed her off to his mates at RG Magees, potentially five or six years prior. I was impressed by how friendly and inviting she was and how well she complemented Michael's entertaining personality. Michael had been part of my life long ago as he was the one who had supported me to rehydrate on the school camp that began my traumatic three months when I was 15 years old.
We had a quick dinner, and I was quick to work. I took Michael's mother, Sigrid, into Michael and Tara's bedroom to see if acupuncture would be successful for Sigrid's condition. Dercum's disease is one of the rarest diseases in which painful lipomas (lumps) develop in bizarre areas. Because they establish nerve endings, these lipomas can be extremely painful and debilitating. Sigrid was not much older than my parents but appeared to be aging more quickly.
Once I inserted the needles, Sigrid said that she felt instant relief. She said she was surprised as little could relieve the constant agony. She fell into a deep sleep, so I went out to enjoy the company of Michael, Tara, and Michael's younger sister, Sophie, who had decided to join us. Sophie and Michael are incredibly close, and you had to consider them a pair since they were teenagers.
After the customary 20-30 minutes of acupuncture session, I came to check Sigrid's progress. I became worried and called out to Michael to come straight away. I thought I had killed his mother. Michael gently approached his mother, 'Mum, mum, are you alright?' Michael shook her twice, and still nothing. Our worries became more pronounced. What have I done? I thought. Then, out of nowhere, Sigrid jumped up in a startled response, screaming, 'That was the best sleep I have had in ages. I feel great!' The acupuncture had put Sigrid into a deep, healing sleep and supplied much-needed restoration to her body and mind.
We enjoyed a great meal and even better company that day. Sigrid discovered that my friend Reika was being baptised as a Latter Day Saint member. As an avid Latter Day Saint follower, she asked if she could join me in supporting Reika in her baptism. I asked Reika, and she was excited that a fellow Mormon was interested in her baptism, so Sigrid came along.
My relationship with Korean Beauty was in its border zone at the baptism. She seemed more interested in hurting me. She purposely flirted with the other attendees at Reika's baptism. Sigrid seemed uptight at the baptism, as everything seemed to be focused on her. I noted this but offered to continue providing her with the needed acupuncture to restore her nervous system.
I went weekly to her house on the corner of Comleroy Road at Kurrajong. It was a beautiful large house overlooking the Kurrajong Hills. Sigrid had a spot where I could permanently set up my acupuncture table and offered the room to start a small acupuncture business. I jumped at the opportunity and began advertising all over the Hawkesbury District. I had a small clientele flowing through the business, so I was spending more time at Sigrid's house. Of course, she was one of my clients, and the acupuncture provided significant relief.
When I returned from Thailand, things changed living with Dougy as he had recently gotten engaged. In addition, his fiancé, Rachael, moved in, and we did not get along well. So, within a few weeks of returning from Thailand, Dougy asked if I could move out. I was going to head back to my parent's home in Kurrajong, but Sigrid offered me a spot in her caravan. I would only have to pay seventy dollars weekly, giving me access to a shower and toilet downstairs. In addition, my acupuncture room was set up upstairs, so it sounded like a great offer.
I was consolidating my learnings from my master's, setting up my small acupuncture business, and soon decided to learn music at TAFE. I spent all my spare time at TAFE practising and with my girlfriend at the time, Amanda, and her daughter. She lived just around the corner. I could see her place from my caravan, which was convenient. Things were going smoothly for a while, except I spent all my time practising music and had little time for anything else. It was getting a bit much, so I soon stopped the TAFE course to focus on my acupuncture business.
This gave me more time to be. I would go for long walks into Kurrajong village or Kurmond. However, things fell out of favour with Amanda, and I felt a bit lonely. Sigrid was always good when you felt upset, so she offered to take me to see an old piano teacher playing at Marrickville Bowling Club. When we drove there, I met a fantastic woman, Sonia, to whom I gave my details. She called a few days later, and we decided to meet at her place at Dulwich Hill, just around the corner from where I used to live.
She greeted me at the door and let me in. We went shopping with one of her friends before heading back to her house. She asked if I could help her with her bra, so I helped her take it off and hugged her from behind. We stayed up all night talking and hugging. She wanted more, but I was not ready for more.
The next few weeks passed, and we stayed up early in the morning, texting and talking on the phone. Then, she came with one of her friends and stayed at my caravan, and we explored some of the Blue Mountains. Another day, we met a few friends in the Blue Mountains. We returned to spend time with my parents, where we enjoyed watching Mao's Last Dancer and had a beautiful dinner at the Indian restaurant in North Richmond. Finally, Sonia returned to my house, where we explored more of our bodies and enjoyed making out late into the evening.
The following day, we went for a drive through Weeney Creek and ended out at the back of Bilpin. We drove up into Katoomba, where she was eager to make out and potentially explore more, but I still needed more time to prepare for this. Next, we drove into Blackheath, where I met one of my friends, Dianne. Sonia was attending a Pentecostal Gathering. Diane and I were a bit confused as people were on the floor in hysterics and soon surrounded me, trying to 'raise my spirit.' They asked me to place my hands on people's heads to heal them. They asked me what I felt, and I started talking about some Chinese medicine healing mumbo jumbo, and they told me, 'You’re the anointed one.' Soon they started marching around the room, giving blessings to organisations in Western Australia and speaking out against 'devilish' organisations in the Blue Mountains. It was all a bit much. I must have seemed confused, or maybe I was not offering Sonia enough, because when I dropped her off at the station to go to another party in Revesby, it was the last time Sonia talked to me.
I spent more time with Sigrid as she told her traumatic life story. She began dedicating about an hour or two daily to her life story while I typed away what she was saying. At times, she would be in tears as she disclosed intimate details of her immigration to Australia and the sexual abuse that had impacted her physical and mental health. Some of it was difficult to hear, but it was highly healing to express the traumas that had affected her.
Most days, we would cook together in Sigrid's makeshift kitchen in her house. She showed great pride in cooking some of her German delicacies, such as cabbage rolls that she topped with the famous gravy she made from the scraps from the pan. I often cooked concoctions from the vegetables she had bought and mixed them into flavoursome meals.
Sigrid was highly active at the time. She would wake and take the six-kilometre walk through the back streets of Kurrajong Hills before swimming at the Oasis swimming pool in Windsor. This maintained her nervous system in reasonable order with regular acupuncture sessions.
Things were good for six to eight months before we fought, and my mental health deteriorated sharply. Finally, I presented to Saint John of God, where they told me I was having a crisis. The nurse asked me if I could drive home, so I returned to my parents' house with everything from my caravan in the boot.
This was, however, not the end of Sigrid and I's friendship. We went through a period where things were not going well, but we have maintained contact throughout the years. At a certain point, living in the five-bedroom house at Kurrajong with all the collectibles she accumulated have become too much for Sigrid to handle. Because Sigrid was known to be Australia's worst hoarder, clearing out the house took a small team six weeks to sort and order everything in the place before finally getting a local trader to take it all in one go. At one point, I threw a jar dated in the 1980s out in the bin. However, Sigrid got it from the bin, saying that 'dates are only a guide.' It was a frustrating process at times as it seemed that you would sort something out for it to be resorted out at another time.
We searched many different places for Sigrid to find a new home. She ended up settling at the Windsor County Village in Vineyard. She had to downsize significantly and had to justify what she had. Only when she was placed in the hospital for a lung infection did the missionaries sorted adequately through what she had and got rid of many of the things she did not need.
At some point, Sigrid stopped going to the pool daily after getting an infection. This affected her mobility significantly. Then, a few years later, she had an accident where her hands got caught up in the seat belt. Because she was suffocating, a passing medic released the seat belt and took with it two of her fingers. After this accident, she relinquished her license and could no longer drive.
Over the years, her mobility has decreased to the point where she now requires a wheelchair to get around. So, whenever I pick her up, I must wheel her to the car, she maneuvers herself into the car seat, and then I must pack her wheelchair in the backseat. We, however, continue to have incredible adventures, whether it is to the vegetarian Indian restaurant in Quakers Hill, to the Grills on George, for a feed at Riverstone Pub, to Scheyville, a drive to Pitt Town, or some other adventure around the traps. Although more challenging than once, the trips are full of enjoyable conversations and laughter.
Sigrid continues to be a source of inspiration and hope. She has reversed the trauma cycle and with her children and grandchildren, every chance to live an everyday life is remarkable. Her faith in Jesus Christ has kept her on a path of unconditional love where she has supported me through the good and the bad. I am grateful for my wise teacher whom I continue to share a fantastic friendship with as we travel through this life together. I drafted a poem called Self-Mastery on October 26, 2020, for my good friend Sigrid.
HAC
I spent much time at Hawkesbury Agriculture College (HAC), visiting my friends, Dianne and her flatmate, Kyla. While I was dating Amanda, we would spend two or three nights a week there handing out. I had been to a few Thursday night bar nights with Diane and found these were always good nights out. So, when I discovered that they offered affordable rooms for the public, I saw this as an excellent opportunity to move back in the campus and participate in the anticipated HAC culture I had heard so much about.
I enrolled in TAFE again to study Community Services. Initially, I was enrolled in Certificate III. However, because I had a master's degree, they fast-tracked me into the Diploma in Community Care Coordination. This gave me the qualification I required to work in a management capacity in any community services organisation. I went to Granvill once a week and received the diploma in six months.
While living at HAC, it gave me the perfect opportunity to study for the TAFE assignments that I found extremely enjoyable. It explored various topics such as termination, workplace issues such as bullying, drug and alcohol concerns, communication styles, leadership styles, supervision, conflict resolution strategies, and staff development and training. While I found the university very abstract and difficult to see where everything fit in, I found TAFE practical and applicable to the workforce.
Monday nights were a buzz. The class was full of people from many ethnicities, and the teaching was excellent. Living off the Disability Support Pension (DSP), I often spent my last dollar of the fortnight on an Arabic meal at one of the Arabic restaurants in Granville. Afterward, I would catch the train and systematically work through the menu. Once I got to the class, I listened diligently and absorbed the great content offered. Six months flew by swiftly and concluded with a fantastic feast featuring about 15 cuisines worldwide. I contributed some kangaroo steaks to contribute an Australian spark.
Life on HAC was a lot of fun. It was filled with many table tennis and tennis matches most days with John Bob and Wax, some squash, explorations over to the University and TAFE, and lots of parties. I joined the 100+ year culture of the HAC Rugby team, which joyfully filled my year. Unfortunately, my season was cut short by injuries as I was unable to walk for nearly 13weeks after injuring my calf on two occasions.
A lot of drinking involved as part of the 'Mott' culture. A whole lot of rhymes had to be remembered and learnt, word for word. Otherwise, drinking was required. Many rituals were followed that were passed down year by year from the century-old traditions at HAC. The university tried to stop these because they were seen as inhumane due to the amount of drinking involved. I found the traditions inclusive because regardless of who you were and where you came from, the traditions were the same for everyone. The first-year students were the 'motts', and the third-year students were the 'sirs.' The sirs were in charge of ensuring that the rituals followed the traditions, and the motts were in complete submission to the authority of the sirs.
The first ritual I was involved in was called 'Tunnels.' This involved being blindfolded and led down a pathway on my hands and knees, only knowing the 'mott' in front of you and the mott behind you. By the end of the pathway through a range of tunnels, my hands and fingers were bleeding from the roughness of the canals. When the group emerged from the tunnels, we were held in a circle where everyone was asked to spit into a bowl. It was then an exercise of trust as each of us was expected to drink from the bowl. I was gagging, thinking I was drinking other motts spit, but there was salt water in the bowl, not spit. Again, it was merely an exercise of trust. There was this sort of camaraderie in every ritual, and it brought the group of sirs and motts together. Although you were submitting to their authority, you had to trust the sirs a lot.
Grandstand to grandstand was my favourite ritual of all. Here, the motts had to run for two to three kilometres from the Grandstand at Richmond Oval to the HAC Grandstand. Here, one must choose to either run naked with socks to protect their feet or run without socks and protect their dignity by wearing an underwear. Considering the lack of shame of the motts and the fact that the road is harsh between the grandstands, most motts chose to run the route with socks and no undies.
There were naming rituals, bucks parties, and many celebrations in between. Life on HAC was one big party. My name from the naming ritual was 'Flag,' which meant ‘keep it off the ground, hung cunt.’ Other names included BUS, meaning big ugly slut. The poorly named RV, or rape victim. The person I became best friends with was Apple.
Apple was the person to whom I shared a flat with. She heard many things about me, but she went out of her way to make me feel welcome. After I lived at HAC, I moved in with Apple in a small flat in Richmond. We lived there for nearly two years and had many enjoyable times. We mostly lived separately, she stayed in her room, and I stayed out typing away on the computer, but we had a mutual respect that ensured that we remained good friends.
Apple is just Apple. She is warm, bubbly, and fun to be with. She did a fantastic master's degree after HAC, earning her a job as a scientist, where she worked in several labs. Her best friend is her mother, Christine, who is overprotective but extremely caring and loving. They are a perfect duo. We have had many magical dinners, especially when we enjoy pho together. I am incredibly grateful for every moment I get to spend with Apple, and it has been wonderful to see her grow into the confident lady she has become.
Lifelong Learning
Learning has always been an essential part of my life. It means that I have spent much time alone reading, summarising, and internalising what I have learnt. If you have ever seen me in a lecture, I was probably busy trying to write down everything being taught to ensure that I get all the words I could capture from another expert. I am constantly finding the connections in what I hear to determine how it fits into the bigger picture.
I did not read a lot when I was young, but when I did, I internalised a lot. Philby was more into fiction and would spend until the early hours indulging his imagination in fantasy. I was more into facts and used to read books on topics such as medicine. I turned up with Davy's doctor, Alfred, to one of his specialist appointments when he was getting an operation for his foot The doctor was impressed with my knowledge of feet. I knew everything about feet and spilled out a range of facts I read.
Growing up, I was more interested in reading and writing short stories. I reveled in the funny and compelling short stories of Paul Jennings. As I grew older, I spent more time reading cricket books and exploring cricket statistics. So, I knew everything there was to know about every player throughout their careers. I explored the lives of Dean Jones and the Waugh brothers, some of my heroes growing up.
In year six, we got our first family computer. This meant I spent fewer hours on the encyclopedias that Mother Dearest and Farter ensured that we always had access to, as Encarta 96 had all this and more on the computer. Nevertheless, I remember spending hours after school exploring the digital encyclopedia and doing search after search both for assignments and out of pleasure.
In my high school years, I mainly played sports, but in years 11 and 12, I started making computerised notes. I spent hours dissecting textbooks and the ancient history books. I learnt and arranged them into computerised notes. I also spent hours researching the United Nations and topics such as Global Governance. These searches were rather primitive, but I printed page after page to highlight them. I also did a 50-page assignment on alternative music and another 50-page Business Studies assignment that went to the next level in my learning. Many of my peers thought, why would anyone do assignments that comprehensive? I just loved doing it.
As I moved to the uni down in Canberra, I focused more on arranging my notes by hand. I did not have a computer down there. I spent hours typing my assignments in the computer labs. Still, I did not produce anything that was that impressive. I was unwell then and left everything to the last minute. I was working hard, but nothing was going in.
When I started my Chinese Medicine Degree, I focused all my spare time, whilst at home and on my days off from the university, doing my assignments on the primitive computer I had at that time. In addition, I did a few special assignments. I focused all my time on getting my notes together so that I was not internalising anything I was learning. For example, I had nearly 150 pages of notes in physiology, but I only remembered a handful of the information. My friends told my teachers how much work I was doing.
As I moved in the campus, I spent all my spare time researching the computers in the computer lab. I was starting to get better at using the Internet and was printing off swathes of pages of studies and papers. I was doing a lot of reading and now underlying the crucial parts of my reading. I heard from Hamish that you must 'make the big, small so that you can make the small, big.' This was my philosophy from then on. I summarised what I was reading to work out the main parts of the context and then researched all the areas I summarised as the key points. I also had a philosophy of starting assignments as early as possible in the semester and working on them gradually until editing the final details close to the due date. This worked because my assignments were getting better and better marks.
In my third year, I finally got my laptop. It was cheap, but it gave me so much freedom. It meant that I could take it with me everywhere and was not constrained to the limits of the computer laboratories. I was free to learn wherever the hell I wanted. I loved the freedom.
As my university studies progressed, I got close to full marks for all my assignments. Everyone started to want to do group assignments with me because I did all the work in the first week. Then we would refine the presentation afterwards. I also got better at making PowerPoint presentations. By the end of my undergraduate degree, I could have been better at delivering presentations, but they were graphic and full of content.
By my master’s, my ideas were starting to come together. I was not just learning anymore but was beginning to synthesise what I was doing and put together models. I enjoyed the fact that each week, we were given recommended readings that I summarised nearly every page on top of doing amazing assignments, which thrilled me. The lectures were next level. I came out buzzing, putting them together into models and theories that summarised everything being said. I moved from reading articles to reading increasingly the textbooks I discovered in the library. There was a special computer lab and we printed what we could for free. This transformed my assignments and my research. By the end of the degree, I had many theories and models, including a model of emotions, which is fantastic. We did a group presentation that we topped, and I was vital in getting the ideas off and running.
After I finished my master's, I spent three months printing off the work I had done in the year and a half of study and put them into large documents. I printed off so many notes from my time studying that there were over 40 such documents, each with at least 350 pages.
While at HAC, I spent a lot of my time studying in my room, but to mix it up, I used to go to the HAC or Richmond TAFE Library, two places I loved to study. Not only did I kill it at TAFE doing some fantastic work, but I also got my first Apple iPhone, which transformed my access to information even more than the laptop. I could read literally wherever I wanted, ensuring that I was now studying on the train, on the bus, and everywhere I was, not talking to people.
After I finished TAFE, I was worried about what to do next. I desperately wanted to do a doctorate degree but did not know how to do this. I was practising Chinese medicine at Hawkesbury Herbs and Healing and then moved to live with Sigrid at Kurrajong. There were two things that got me back on track. My boss recommended reading Bruce Lipton's Biology of Belief, the hypnotherapist recommended buying a book by Joe Dispenza, and I found a book at Sigrid's House. These books did not make sense to me initially. Still, they took me on the path of reading about science, spirituality, and religion and a lifetime of exploring self-help books. This gave me a new lease on life and a new avenue of research to explore.
Whilst doing the Global Now Project service mapping, I also created a website called Turtle Disability Hub, which mapped most of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers in the Nepean Blue Mountains. The website explained the NDIS and all the funded categories and supplied links to services and information for specific disabilities. This fantastic website was beneficial for co-workers and NDIS participants. I would alternate between mapping for the Global Now Project and the Disability Hub website.
Whilst working on these two projects, I was also writing my book. This meant I was reading, taking notes, and editing my writing. I found that I had duplicated a lot of information, so I started creating spreadsheets to collate the knowledge to help with any repetition in my notes. Whilst at Frangipani House, I discovered PowerPoint and started summarising the information in a very simplistic format, with visuals to create miniature books. I spent hours and hours making these PowerPoints and was obsessed with creating them, but it brought me closer to my dream of writing my book. This was fantastic work and made it very easy to understand. I would work until past midnight almost every night, working on one project or another, even at Uniting or One Door.
I read and summarise nearly every book that I purchase these days. I buy new books every week or two, read them quickly, and then have them summarised in the coming weeks. All this whilst working full time, doing my mapping, and sporting activities after work. While working at Uniting, I completed three mini-courses: one on Platform Development, another on Systems Thinking, and a Mini MBA in Emerging Technology. The last year has been primarily focused on Blockchain technology and its role in money. This demonstrates my growing understanding and recognition of the importance of technology in this modern world. I aim to make the technologies we have work for everyone by making information easily accessible.