Australia: Going down the university memory avenue Part 2

B&G Hall

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.

B&G Hall kitchen 1

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

B&G Hall kitchen 2

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.

B&G Hall kitchen 3

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

B&G Hall kitchen 4

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.

B&G Hall kitchen 5

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.

Conventional bike parking lot

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...

B&G Hall bike shed

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

Comments

Little Dove said…
10 years??? Everything looked so well maintained. That's a very nice place to stay. If only local universities provide accomodation like these.
Alice said…
Yeah right Lil D!, by the time our local unis have these facilities, a week later, everything will be destroyed...

As usual...

sigh..

:(

L

:)
mikemathew said…
I lived in New York City from 1984 till 1991. I currently live and work in Norway - I have a printed picture in my office of NY harbour with the twin towers in the background a large container ship leaving New York clear blue skies. I watch it and it reminds me of the past a more innocent past. the prevailing cinematographic imagery, we always used to assume they would be the last thing standing after the inevitable nuclear war, and would joke that when they announced that the missiles were coming, we would go to the top to watch the city melt.
_________________________________

mikemathew

pass-along
Jaded Jeremy said…
little dove,
Yeah, nearly 10 years lah since I left uni. So shocking, meh? :-)

leonardo,
It is sad that Malaysia cannot maintain what they build. Gah.

mikemathew,
Nostalgia.

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