–Finally something not about people…phew!
–Sometimes I need a moment of solitary.
–When even a place can capture your heart…that’s why
New building
Our college is notorious for “having construction all the time” (which held true from Day One to the last day I returned for post-graduation meet up). The grand project that had been undergoing since my orientation day was the new building, done in March 2015.
As much as I loathed the construction noise, debris and nauseating odor that had been haunting me throughout my studies, I must say that this behemoth was impressive. Alas, this building was meant for university (not pre-U) classes. But this advent of new building was enough to fascinate me.
For a few times I behaved like a child and walked through the whole new building. At times I ascended from the Ground Floor and exercised for 3 minutes before reaching the 12th, then explored every floor to see the classrooms and labs tailored for Bachelor students. At times I simply lingered around the foyer with that hotel-style ambience, only to realize that there was one thing lacking that prevented myself from ‘being’ inside a hotel: the holiday mood. Sometimes we took our exam at the 10th floor, and adrenaline had always rushed in me when I knew that the venue was exactly the new building. When I looked across the building before our exams, the college building (a.k.a. old building) that contained our Pre-U classrooms just looked inferior.
The library
The three-story library was itself available for visit on the day of the opening, so not visiting it on the day itself can be the biggest regret in life. The two upper floors were mainly study areas, circulation counters, newspaper area, CD area and some computers. What amused me was the basement, with numerous meeting rooms like the 5 discussion rooms and a few training rooms besides what a library typically contains (i.e. shelves of books, computers, seats, photocopying services). The commodious basement area eventually became my haven of escape when I decided to stay with only myself.
The proximity of the library at Monash University or the residential study area from my dorm used to settle me down in these areas during exam periods, because they were nearer. But I found this new library extremely difficult to pass up, and would sometimes sacrifice my extra mile for it (and for the larger variety of food beside the campus). Besides settling down in the basement area to begin my day with exam preparation, I occasionally took the advantage of this space by rambling around the area whenever I became bored of my books, and unwound my mind with the picturesque scenery of a fountain located outside the library. It’s truly a privilege to take a short break from the books without going far from the place that you’re supposed to stay.
The dichotomy of thoughts then came to play as I wanted to have a moment of privacy, yet didn’t want to feel alone in my journey of study. Luckily, this could be easily resolved whenever there were close peers around me, engrossed in their own silent academic soliloquy as I did.
The lake
This is another haven of escape during ordinary weekends when I felt the need for exercising: the gym and the swimming pool in my residence alone no longer satisfied me.
Since the day I learned this as an option (thanks to a group of friends) to maintain my physical vitality, I had already longed for the next visit to this lake. It was best to have those friends to extend their invitations again, but sometimes I did call them for this blissful jog whenever I felt like doing so. These jogging experiences were best complemented with breakfast at a Mamak shop nearby, during which gaining extra calories no longer made us guilty.
The beauty of this jog wasn’t just the sense of tranquility of being away from hustle and bustle of daily schedule; it’s also a mini-adventure. Had there been better time to explore the world around us? I doubt so. Sometimes we just have to relish ourselves in what’s offered by the nature, and for me that’s truly enjoyable.
anzoteh96 