Study Melbourne partnered with Melbourne Writers Festival 2017 to host a storytelling competition for international students. ‘The inspiration for my journey’ by Hung Hsin Ke from Taiwan was the winning entry in the TAFE category.
The inspiration for my journey
I once heard an interesting quote – “All journey is about escape”. That, I partially agreed to. My journey in Melbourne is an exciting one. One I can say is an escape, but frankly speaking, it is an inspiration.
Melbourne has a touch of art and culture. The diversity of it always amazes me. As an international student, I have lived in both main cities in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne. It is hard to say which is better, but to tell the truth, I like Melbourne. Not only because it has the magnificent Flinders Street Station, but also because of its infamously late public transport.
Where I live in Melbourne, I have to take two buses, and another train to get to where I am studying. I remember it was last week, I had a late night class and when I arrived at the train station, it was already pretty late. So I took the fastest train I could to come home. The train was almost empty and there weren’t any officers patrolling at the station or on the train. I was pretty scared because it was my first week in Melbourne so I don’t really know the city. I’ve heard all about Melbourne before I came here was negative about after dark. For every stop the train stopped at, I looked out of the window to see if there’s anyone suspicious.
When I got off the train, large heavy rain drops were falling down from the sky, and I didn’t have my umbrella on me! I hurried to the bus stop and took the first bus to my first stop. However, when I checked for the next bus’s schedule, it showed that the last bus at this bus stop left thirty minutes ago! It dawned on me that I now have two choices, either take a taxi home or, I can walk for another hour to get home. Just as I was weighing my options, the bus driver who was on the same bus earlier asked me where I wanted to go. I told him the address and then he said to me, “Hop on the bus, if I’m fast then I won’t affect the schedule.” So I did what I was told and he took me to a stop much closer to where I live. I thanked him for his generous gesture, but the only thing he said was, “It’s my pleasure.” Then he drove off.
In conclusion, I was inspired by this kind gesture of his. You can say it’s a small matter, but to me, for a guy who was caught in the storm and the cold, it meant the world to me. I am truly surprised to find such a nice and warm-hearted person in a city that changes weather at all times. This inspired me to want to help more people when I can. A small gesture could mean something.
