Australia: Going down the university memory avenue Part 2

This is where I stayed during my 3rd and 4th years at ANU (specifically, one of the blocks in the photo). It is a fully self-catered hall i.e. food is not provided. What's provided is kitchen and dining facility that unofficially doubles up as social meeting place i.e. it's where you meet and chat with friends and take shelter from the bitter winter cold lol. You see, although there is heater in each room, the heat is centrally made available (geez, I sure hope I'm not mixing up with my previous hall lol), which in turn is connected to the university itself. Apparently, it will only be turned on after the maximum (or is it average?) temperature of the day hit below a certain degree for 3 consecutive days. Meanwhile, we all get warmed up in the kitchen hehe.

Unlike in Singapore, you can save tonnes of money by cooking your own food rather than buying. The amount you need to spend, even if you shop around, on eating out or even getting take-away is easily at least twice the amount of money you would need if you cook.



I believed this use to my kitchen station. Nothing much has changed to the stoves and ovens.



There is now a separate bin for rubbish to be recycled. Also, I've found out from a current resident that instead of having microwave oven at each station, it is now either that or a toaster or a sandwich maker. That's a good idea, although admittedly the hall also gain by saving tonnes of money this way too.



It used to be conventional fridge, which is shared by 3 or 4 people. Now it's like a supermarket fridge!



One of these cabinets used to be mine hehe. Doesn't seem to be anything changed. Even colour scheme is still the same after nearly a decade.



Typical table and chairs in the kitchen. During my time, there are cleaners who clean everyday except for weekends. So by Sunday lunch, the place is already quite messy but I still have a quick lunch to save money (remember Asian Financial Crisis??). However, I cannot take it when dinner comes. It's just too messy for me. Hence, I eat out for Sunday dinner.



This is the conventional parking lots for bicycles. Cycling is a great way to travel around the campus and to Civic (which is Canberra's city centre). I bought a secondhand bicycle for AUD30 and then got a helmet (compulsory). Huge problem was that I didn't know how to cycle. My parents back in Malaysia didn't want to teach me and my sisters because they perceived it to be dangerous for kids to cycle in Malaysia (which I'm inclined to believe). A good friend then taught me the basics of cycling one night in what I thought was a place where few people passed by. After that, it was just me practising. Managed to cycled a few metres the next night before I have to stop because of bleeding from my legs :-) Gosh, those were the days...



This is new. Bicycle shade. I wonder whether it's reserved for some people only or perhaps via balloting or maybe fee based.