From the moment I stepped off the plane at the Adelaide Airport, I knew I would be leading a relatively different life from the one I had been living merely a day before. It is, after all, my first time being away from home and a far way away at that. Being independent has never quite found its way into my dictionary. Back home, I had always been chauffeured around by my parents, taken to and fro school, shopping malls and pretty much anywhere else I wanted to go. I have travelled by public transport a few times but those were rare occasions and it was only the LRT (Light Rail Transit) or taxi but taking the bus was never an option. All that would change over here.
Only a day after I arrived in Adelaide, I had to hail a bus to get to the city and that will be my sole means of commuting over here from now on. It is a huge leap from being driven around if I do say so myself. In addition to that, the process of taking the bus would involve my crossing a road outside the place I am currently staying at. Now I would just like to point out that back home, people could pretty much cross the road at any point; in other words, we could jaywalk and get away with it. Over here however, jaywalking is illegal – so I have been told – and in the event you are caught in doing so, you will be slapped with a $55.00 fine. This is certainly not a small amount and hence it would be wise to abide by the law and cross the road using the pedestrian paths provided.
My first two weeks here were basically spent exploring the city and learning up the bus routes lest I get lost. Well, then again, being lost isn’t really an issue. Just ask for help from anyone walking next to you and they’d be happy to lead you back in the right direction. I am enjoying every bit of my time as a student here in Adelaide so far and it has only been about two months plus since I got here.
G’day mates! :)