Special Thanks to Farooq

I would really like to make a special gesture of appreciate to a friend of mine in the United States. His name is Farooq Tirmizi and he is currently studying at Georgetown university in Washington D.C. He is really committed and hard working, i wish him all the best for life and the future ahead. I also thank him for all the time has has taken out, over the past few months, this whole semester in particular to listen and allow me to communicate and express myself. Farooq i thank you for your patience, your a great bloke and a true Mate, God bless you.

Another semester comes to an end

It seems like just yesterday, that it was the end of July, i arrived at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Intnernational Airport. It was around 7 in the evening AEST, it was an interesting journey till my arrival in Sydney. It was probably my most relaxing long distance journey in a while, the world really is a very small small place. On my flight between Lahore and Singapore on Singapore Airlines, i was seated next to this bloke, he introduced himself as Ossam, he attends UTS, another university, coincidentially he brought to my knowladge that he has a cousin at my uni. He is cousins with Daoud khan, a Pakistani bloke i had been friends with for about a years time now. During transit at Singapore's Changi airport, i ran into this bloke i knew from the University of New South Wales, he was on the same flight and apart from him i ran into my Sri Lankan friend Roshni who over these semesters, i have had quite a few classes with, she had just landed in Singapore as well on a flight from Colombo.

This semester in particular has gone by really fast, i am not quite sure what it is about the Spring semester, which goes by every year in the blink of an eye, i guess it could have been the rather extended winter that we have had this year in New South Wales, its Mid of november and we still have a cool breeze out there and i am yet to utilise my table fan. This semester i have met many interesting people, including quite a few Americans who have come to Australia on a semester long exchange from places such as North Carolina, Texas and Rhode Island. At the same time, this semester would also mark a farewell to friends i have known for some time now, out of them some i have known since i first arrived in Australia in Feburary 2005. Over the course of the past couple of days including day, and the tommorow that will come, i have been saying good bye to friends as they leave for the airport, some who may return after the summer break, some who would not return. While some close friends are still around, i know i wont be seeing some of them when i get back, with only days to my departure from Australia, not looking forward to the flight though, it is rather exceptionally long with long transits at Melbourne,HongKong and Bangkok along the way. These friends include Krish aka Koshka ( Nick name ), who has been like an elder brother, a role model figure in International house for me, it is going to be really difficult to say good bye to him, he finishes his degree this semester and starts his professional life. Amongst others Rakz aka Rakesh, who has been a great friend over these past few semesters, and has always been there by my side, i still remember the time, he tried to neutralise a certain conflict i had with a lady this semester, from the bottom of my heart, i hope he has a great life and future ahead of him. Amongst others that i am going to really miss during the summer break, is my Southern American neighbour down the hall, who has been a good neighbour and friend all semester long, it is so good to have some one so nice and open minded to talk to on the floor, people on the 8th floor otherwise do not interact and socialise with one another so much. I have been a workaholic this whole semester, the guilt of freshman failures still haunting me, i sincerely from the bottom of my heart apologise to everyone for being a little bit anti social, especially to my neighbours on the 8th floor. Next semester, there will be a lot of new faces, many new people moving to the house, from what i hear the figure is close to a hundred

Now the time has come for me to depart, i have mixed feelings about going home. I want to go home, because end of the day, home is where our heart really belongs and my parents they really miss me and they really need me back home. I know the emotional sacrifices that they are enduring by sending me, their only son thousands of miles away to the land downunder, to the shores of the South Pacific. At the same time, i am going to miss my friends, i am going to miss Australia, even though as much as a deny it, has probably been one of the best things to have happend to me in life, one of the greatest experience of my life to say, i am yet to explore even Sydney itsself properly, theres a lot to do, a lot to see, many more new people to meet. On this closing note, i thank God for all the opportunities that He has given me in life, all the wonderful experiences that i have experienced first hand, all the wonderful people i have met first hand, for which i will be eternally greatful.