An Encounter with My Guardian Angel (a true story)

The bus arrived in Brussels thirty minutes ahead of schedule. It was around 3:30AM on a Thursday- the 24th of January 2013 when a Megabus from Paris dropped us off at the bus stop somewhere in Rue du Cardinal Mercier. Aside from me, there was a young couple who also got off but as the bus left for Amsterdam, the lovers instantly disappeared as they walked through the foggy, dimly-lit lane. The sloped street was lined with reasonably towering buildings but only few had their interior lights on.

I could recall that the bus driver announced earlier that the temperature in Brussels was sitting at around -4'C. Awkwardly wrapped in my modest, layered Australian winter clothes, I had my backpack on... I was alone- a total stranger left standing on a dark, shed-less bus stop with my Beerenberg greenbag (which I had been taking along with me all the way from Adelaide). I looked around... the freshly-fallen snow off-street was ankle-deep. That was my initial experience in Brussels, I was in the middle of the city which, at that moment- appeared exactly like a deserted, ghost town!

I started walking but I didn't know where I was heading. I didn't have a compass. After crossing a few streets downhill, I saw a 5-star hotel across the Brussels Central Railway Station that was not operating that time. I am a student, a budget traveler and can't afford to get a room from that high-end accommodation.

Luckily, in front of that hotel (the name I can't recall) there was a taxi waiting for any potential passenger. I approached and briefly told the young driver about my European adventure. Francisco, who, he said, had a sister in Perth, Western Australia told me to hop in his cab with a promise that he'd take me to a backpacker's district in the city. After a quick (maybe 5-minute) drive, the taxi pulled over the street and I saw a few signage indicating my preferred accommodation. I paid, thanked the driver, and alighted...

It was nearly four in the morning. I had pressed the door bell and spoken to four sleepy receptionists in four different backpacker hostels but the three were fully-booked and one was asking for Euro40,00 for a short stay! I walked off and explored around a bit, met an intoxicated young local who spoke to me in a language I can't understand! I was thinking to spend a few hours in a local coffee shop until it gets bright and the city comes back to life but there were quite a few customers inside who seemed drunk and at that time singing all their hearts out along with the karaoke!

I left and walked... and walked until I spotted a relatively presentable hotel- I think it was 3-star-rated. Tired and desperate, I pressed the bell and I was welcomed. I briefly told the receptionist about my European escapade and eventually he offered a room for Euro25,00. I didn't have a choice.

4:45AM. I got a small but clean, comfortable room with en suite and a free Wi-Fi! I set my alarm clock and while I was on my bed, I was still thinking about my Euro25,00! I initially thought that there was a spacious bus station in Brussels like what they have in London. I thought I could spend a few hours in a well-heated Belgian bus terminal, take a quick nap on the benches and start roaming around the city as soon as it gets bright. But no, there's none! I had spent Euro25,00 that was supposedly allocated for my Euro22,00 Brussels Sightseeing Day Tour. I was lying comfortably on that bed but I was left unhappy of what I had just paid. How can I explore the city of Brussels with my very limited budget? Then everything went blank... I fell asleep.

I checked out at 8:45AM and with the help of the city map and a few directions from the receptionist, I was able to get to one of the Métro de Bruxelles stations where I caught a train that would take me to the heart of Brussels. A series of connected passenger rail cars slithered through an old subway. The next thing I knew I was already in the middle of the freezing and bustling cobblestoned streets of the de facto capital of the European Union. I had seen export-quality chocolate shops and artisan waffle stalls everywhere!

In one of the stations of Métro de Bruxelles with my historic Beerenberg greenbag.

After a few free chocolate tastings, and after having a piece of Belgian waffle, I finally found the closest bus stop for the City of Brussels Sightseeing Tour. Even with a limited budget, I had to do this 'day-trip' hop-on, hop-off bus tour 'cause I only have until 3:30PM in Brussels (I need to catch another Megabus for my trip to Amsterdam).

9:30AM. A double-Decker, well-labeled, red bus came and stop. A few tourists were getting off, and I was one of those who were waiting to board to experience Brussels in a day (okay, in six hours only). Momentarily, there was this large-built woman (but not fat) who's just hopped off the bus- a Caucasian and looked like she's in her early fifties with a bright face and very friendly aura. She smiled at me and asked, "Have you got a tour ticket for this bus?"

"Uh?! Nahhh, I still have to purchase mine from the bus driver," smiling, I politely replied.

"Here, take my ticket, son. I have finished my tour," she said while agressively inserting her Euro22,00-worth Brussels Sightseeing ticket into my gloved right hand.

"Shhhh!" She gestured with her index finger in front of her closed, pouting lips. She winked at me and glanced back to the driver who didn't noticed what she had just done.

I looked straight into her eyes and said, "Oh, thank you!"

Then it's my turn to enter the bus. Before I stepped in to present MY TICKET to the driver, I quickly turned my head around to wave to that lady but she's mysteriously gone! ...vanished into nowhere!

I felt I was truly blessed! Earlier that day I was worried of spending Euro25,00 for my accommodation but now I got a city sightseeing ticket for free!

I believe that that lady was my guardian angel! Recall that at 9:30AM she said she had already finished her tour. Way too early because on her or 'my ticket' (that I still keep until now) it was printed:

PURCHASED 24.01.2013 09:36:36
Valid 24 hours. Keep your ticket.

This photo was taken after I finally hopped off the bus after my Brussels Sightseeing Tour- the exact location where I met the woman who gave me her day-trip ticket.

-end-

Bread and Wine

The picture below is a very good representation of how a happiest person in the world would look like:

Hermann Thumm Drive, Lyndoch, South Australia.

I know that the mood of this post is very different from what I usually write, but this time let me have the stage.  One thing more, I don't normally flaunt about my faith but now I'm so courageous to say that I've sung my praises to bring back all the glory and honour to God! 

Amidst all the disasters (especially in Equine Medicine and Surgery in the mid-semester exam) and complicated health problems that I had during my preparation for the final examination last month, I was so blessed to have conquered all the hurdles last semester!   Water can, indeed, be turned into wine!  Officially, I've already completed 50% of this 3-year DVM program.

The marks were supposed to be up yesterday but it didn't come up.  I don't know how I managed to sleep last night while anxiously waiting for my grades.  I got up early this morning, jogged, had my breakfast, checked my university account online, then took my lunch and checked again but the final grades were yet to be released.  I tried to keep calm; and to comfort myself, I decided to drive to the beautiful Barossa.

From Gawler, I drove through the winding the roads- uphill and downhill.  I saw a herd of Hereford on the rolling plains, then some blanket-covered Thoroughbreds that perfectly contrasted against the hilly grasslands carpeted with the golden blossoms of soursobs.     

The newly pruned vines somewhere in Lyndoch, South Australia. 

As I went farther afield, the pasture gradually faded... there were varieties of huge eucalyptus trees- left and right, which seemed to be rushing the opposite direction as I accelerated to hit the speed limit.  At the blink of an eye, those gigantic Australian flora were gone, and the scenery along the winding road was replaced by acres of leafless vineyards silhouetting against the cloudy winter sky.

My first stop was Chateau Yaldara.

The Yaldara Estate selling their award-winning McGuigan wines, Lyndoch, South Australia.

    
Now look at that!  When I saw the sculpture and the fountain, my memory transported me back to Rome... then I instantly forgot everything about my pending grades!  Surprisingly, the artwork was blending so well with the elegant French-inspired backdrop- a structure that was built in the mid-1900's by the bank of the North Para River.
   

This winery was founded by Hermann Thumm in 1947 who eventually sold it to McGuigan Wines when he decided to retire in 1999.   

The concrete stairs of this charming country house was so tempting that after taking a selfie (thanks to the 10-second self-timer setting of my camera) my legs had undeliberately taken me up and into the mansion.

There were two groups of wine-lovers enjoying their tasting session.  The gentle voices of the two lovely ladies behind the counter were faintly reverberating as they presented their award-winning  wines one after the other.

When one of the employees noticed me, she uttered a very typical Australian greeting and instructed me to proceed upstairs so, while waiting for my turn at the wine-tasting counter, I could enjoy the wood carving exhibit of an Australian artist whose name I can't recall.           

While I was standing by the window in the sala upstairs, I got a magnificent view of the fountain and the century-old flour mill (1867) below.




 

The wine-tasting counter of McGuigan Wines, Chateau Yaldara, Lyndoch, South Australia.

A few samples of McGuigan's wines...

McGuigan have Pinot, Verdelho, Sauvignon, Shiraz, Semillon, Chardonnay and many more but I opted to try their sweetest red and white wines.  The very friendly lady behind the counter introduced their moscato, tawny port and late-harvest Riesling.  The taste?  Beautiful!  International Wine Awards 2009, 2011 and 2012 judges really knew what a delicious wine is!        

The old flour mill (1867)- now a Greek Restaurant and an opal-souvenir shop.  By the bank of the North Para River, Hermann Thumm Drive, Lyndoch, South Australia.

The tastes of those wines were still lingering on my palate when I explored the opal and souvenir shop across the road.

Next door, there's a Greek restaurant known as Cafe Y- owned and managed by a family who could proudly trace their roots back to Greece.  I entered and chose to sit next to the glass panel overlooking the river nearby.  Then I started thinking about my final grades again... It was around 3:20PM when I bravely took my phone out of my pocket, turned the mobile data access on and logged in to the university website.  My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I saw the good news, and the rest was history!  

I was actually thinking beforehand to order a Greek meatball with roasted tomato and Greek salad but I instantly lost my appetite, probably because of joy.  The waiter came to take my order, I asked him to give me the simplest Greek snack available.  He left and came back with this biscuit on the plate and his mother who, he said, was the 'author' of this cookie.

Kourabie served with a 'handful' of icing sugar; goes very well with coffee. 

Soon after I finished it, the father came...  I told him I loved their shortbread!  He excitedly took a serviette, and scribbled the name of this food.  This is what he wrote: 

Kourabie (singular) 
Kourabiethe (plural) 
Greek Shortbread Biscuit

I took the table napkin and told him I'll write a blog post about it.  Then I drove back home...

So this is it, as promised.




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Conquering the Mountain

Life's been very challenging yet more interesting lately that, I realised, I missed updating my diary.  We've just finished our final examinations for the first semester.

Meantime, let me enjoy this freedom! Let me have this twenty-six days break from the university...

I, actually, almost forgot how to feel like a normal human being for the past four weeks as I tried to transform myself into a huge walking USB flash drive. I had to store heaps of information in my brain to jump across the hurdle examinations so I could continue this race.

Well, you can't blame me- with this endeavour to 'conquer a mountain' or if you like, 'build a palace'- it has been involving buckets of sweat, tablespoons of tears, drops of blood; almost exceeding my pain and stress thresholds... and honestly, I didn't think that it'd really take this long!

Don't get me wrong. I can stay on the plains, I'm used to it 'coz I was born and grew up down there. I can live in this humble hut 'coz I have been living here all my life. But I wanted to climb up the peak of the hills 'coz it promises a magnificent 360' view of this beautiful world! I'm dreaming to experience living in a palace so I could share it's warmth, space and richness to the people I love and care.

At the moment, I am traversing the darkest valleys and swimming the deepest rivers just to get to the peak! (Then I realised that building a mansion really takes time.) There have been boulders and dusts, there were times that I starved and thirsted! I have sacrificed a lot for this trek. I thought before that conquering this mountain would only just mean another piece of document, then I realised that it's not. The time and effort that I have spent and would still be spending are more than enough to make it a really valuable achievement.

The obstacles that I had gone through recently were not easy. Until this moment nothing's certain 'coz the result of that 'event' are yet to be revealed. Whatever happens, I am ready. With all the health and physical challenges that I had, I still tried to do everything I could during the preparation, and during the 'event'. I prayed very hard. Now it's my faith that's been keeping me alive 'coz I trust that whereever He leads me, it will always be a better path- whether up the mountain, here on this plateau, or even down the humblest plains.