Ok, let me explain. Grace, she's Australian, but her family's been living in Brunei for the past few years. Her dad works at the Brunei University. She's the eldest kid, and currently doing the Occupational Therapy course at uni here. Met her during Orientation when we were in line for the "New To The Coast" bus tour. All I heard was, "It's near Singapore, just south of the Philippines." (Where have I heard that before?) And so, I ask, "Where abouts did you say you were from again?" And she replies, "Brunei, do you know where it is?" It went from there...
Anyhow, asked her out to lunch earlier today. She's going through a pretty rough patch at the moment, so, lent her an ear (as I normally do), and yea, I kinda enjoyed myself, and I think she did too (well, considering the message, "I enjoyed myself today..."). So yea, I think I'm getting to be firmly in the 'Friend Zone'...I'm pretty used to this place, even the wooden stool in the corner's beginning to get my arse cheek impression...hehe...
Now, 3rd night down for the Security (it's proper name is actually Certificate II in Risk and Asset Management). It's a bitch, because, quite literally right next door (well, up one flight of stairs) is the Pig and Whistle, a pretty decent establishment to drink at, cheap and all, and yea. Put it this way; Lee (who I'll introduce in a sec) and I did a module from class in the pub itself, no alcohol at the time, but I did get the garlic bread, which wasn't too bad...yup, it's that close, and Bill (the lecturer) is that cool about it...and he's a decent bloke too...
Right, so, who's Lee and Bill (or Mal, Max and Kim for that matter)? Well, Lee, he's built like a brick shithouse, but he's a true bloke. Works at a phone retailer in Kawana Waters area, and yea, since he lives near by, he gives me lifts to and from TAFE. Bill Dobson, he's our lecturer for the course. Ex Corrective Services and NSW Police Tactical Response Group (TRG), wrote a book called "The Sharp End", published by Pan McMillan in 2001, and an all around good guy. Mal, he's been in the industry for the past decade or so, and recently got his Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and etc etc, and has his Cert III in security operations, but can't get his license to teach because he doesn't have his Cert II (the current course)...a bit, glargh, but hell, that's bureaucracy for you...Max, he's a tradie, and Kim, only met her tonight, but don't really know her back story much...oh well...
Right, I've got to get some ZZZ's into me...last night, Lee and myself kinda stayed out a little later than planned because I made a mistake in thinking we were locked into the TAFE carpark (which we got a letter on the car windscreen saying "Do NOT Park Here After Hours, Or It's $100 To Let You Out)...but shit happens...
Peace.
N
Who Is The Black Chinaman?
- Nick
- Kuala Belait, Brunei
- Saving someone's life is like falling in love. The best drug in the world. For days, sometimes weeks afterwards, you walk the streets, making infinite whatever you see. Once, for a few weeks, I couldn't feel the earth - everything I touched became lighter. Horns played in my shoes. Flowers fell from my pockets. You wonder if you've become immortal, as if you've saved your own life as well. God has passed through you. Why deny it, that for a moment there - why deny that for a moment there, God was you? I realised that my training was useful in less than ten percent of the calls, and saving lives was rarer than that. After a while, I grew to understand that my role was less about saving lives than about bearing witness. I was a grief mop. It was enough that I simply turned up. Living and working back in Brunei, after a 14 year absence... Also known as: Brunei, NASA, Bruise-Eye, Bru, Cheesecake, Nick, BruNick, BruMedNick, Two Step etc etc etc
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