Wild Friday

Oh geez. What is going on? It's already the end of term 1 and I barely had enough of it. Things were just picking up so well and now, it has all came to a halt. Its holidays people. Something I had long craved for when I commenced the term and now it is here. It amazes me how the days past by so fast, yet it brings me fear. Fear of the day I dreaded for- the day I sit for my VCE exams. Yikes!

Yesterday, I wondered off into the boundaries of the wilderness. Since it was the last day of the term, I agreed to go to karaoke with some of my buddies. Which is a fact, I never been to one. I don't know what hit me when I agreed. 9:30pm it was, after dinner at one of Melbourne's worst chinese restaurant, we made our way to Hollywood KTV. At first, I thought I would not be able to enter because of the age restrictions and alcohol sold in the premisis. After reading the terms and conditions, I felt a sense of relief that at least I'm not doing anything illegal that could jeopardize my education in Australia and thereby sent home in a flimsy cardboard box. We then made our way up to our own private room and started pumping up the music... eh hmm,- with Chinese Pop. Well, I'm not a big chinese song fan. In fact, I never liked chinese songs. In my opinion, many of the melodies and tunes in a modern chinese pop song derives from english song for example, Michael Learns To Rock's - Take Me To Your Heart. I heard the same tune and melody when my friend sang a chinese pop song. What a baloney. So yes you guess it. I sat there trying to be entertained by my friends while they sang all the latest chinese pop hits. Soon, they realised I was the only person who hasn't sang a song yet. I wanted to go home after and hour or so, but it wouldn't be nice if I was there just to drop a charade. So I went over to the computer and chose something...

As you all might know, I was not born with a talent to sing. Even Donald Duck with his coarse voice could easily beat me in American Idol and not to mention William Hung. Once I open my mouth to sing the first note, Simon Cowell would throw me out of the audition room and tell me I'm a disgrace to the people of my great nation and want-to-be idols. I would then retreat to my lair in silence and would never sing again.

... after a few hours of listening to chinese pop and inhaling passive smoke, some of my non-smoking buddies needed some fresh air, so did I. We then went down to 7 Eleven to get a squishy and bought a deck of cards. While we were sipping away in the cold night outside 7 Eleven, a drunkard came over and ask us for some loose change. Being all Malaysians, we said we have no money that we could offer to him for his tram ticket. He stumbled a few steps away and said take care, he then came back and started to talk gibberish, he told us that he could steal a car... do all sorts...then asked us where Preston is, the reservoir. Only God Almighty would know what he was trying to convey to us in his wasted state. We told him again that we are damn sure we have no change for him, he then shrugged and stumbled away leaving us in peace.

That wasn't all the action that was going on for the grasps for fresh air. After the drunkard left, we stood in a circle and started talking. Because of my past experience being mugged before. Since then, I have been extra vigilant of my surroundings. I turned my head back for a glance from time to time to watch out for any suspicious characters around and I saw this fellow with medium length curly hair, black leather jacket and blue jeans like the 'Grease Boys' in the 80's starring at us from a short distance away. Maybe he was starring at something else I thought. As I was sipping and twirling my squishy away with a straw, one of my friends said he wanted to walk somewhere.

I looked up baffled and questioned him, "What is there to see at night when the shops are all closed?"

He looked at me with stern eyes and said, " Take a look at your back, lets go."

I took a glimpse as I walked away and saw the 'Grease Boy' walking towards us a few steps then he walked away as if he was walking the wrong direction. The city streets are definitely wild at night, and thank god my friend was also observant of his surroundings. We threw our squishy cups away and went back to our private karaoke room. We played cards while the rest where having a whale of a time singing their favourite songs until it was almost 4am.

We then said cheerio to some of our friends who where retreating home in the city. While the rest had no where to go because the trams and trains don't operate before dawn. It wasn't my intention to carry on the fun because I was pretty exhausted and I suggested to my hostel mate I wanted to go home. But my suggestion was not in favour, I wasn't 18 and I do not have the authority to enter the hostel after 11pm. My hostel mate who was 19, wanted to join the others and play games at a internet cafe. So off we went and played till our eyes could barely open...

My friend and I couldn't bare with it anymore, we paid, said our good byes to the rest and left the cyber cafe walking as quick as possible back to the hostel. Glancing back from time to time to make sure nobody was stalking us. A sigh of relieve and a prayer to God thanking The Almighty of the safe outing he had offered to us when I arrived back in my room. I took my shower and went straight to bed at 7 in the morning.