wandering home

I'm writing under a little time pressure. After recently fracturing my left pisiform bone from a bike-stack, I've been having neuropathic (basically burning nerve) pain in the inner part of the left arm, forearm and hand. In short, the night dose of amitriptyline makes me sleepy within 1hour: I took it 45minutes ago. I also need to rest up before a 12 hour drive with stop tomorrow.

We're moving to Melbourne for a year as of tomorrow. For work, for adventure, for learning, for growing, for closer relationships and for challenges, but ultimately for what? Why leave home, friends, family and most of all comforts? Things were, and God-willing, nice, easy and just right.

My family and Danielle's family have been families of wanderers. Not pointlessly, not unwillingly, but certainly big movers. Danielle had spent several years in rural NSW and San Francisco in her childhood; I of course migrated from Hong Kong with my family and have moved homes 4 times since settling in Australia. All the places we had been to were made "homes".

But as a Christian, I honestly never feel at home, not here, not there. Yes, I have a single residential address, I am an Australian citizen, a permanent citizen of Hong Kong. I also enjoy relaxing in a place that lets me put my feet up, like those Victorian husbands. But, I am still looking for home. Home is this collective memory that we hall have but all realise we haven't got. It's forever elusive. If the place you're presently at is home, then, why change, why modify, why move interstate? Why wander?

I'm not really moving in a sense, as we have our home in NSW still. We have plans to return, to rebuild and to provide stability for kids. That's because I want to give the children a sense of home. More than that, by the Grace of God, I wish they will see that the truest home for all people, not just Christians, is Heaven itself. Now that's HOME, a mansion with many rooms for the children of God, all having access through the Lord to the Father of the mansion, the Centre and Life of the party.

Once there, I will, we will, not wish to move out. It'll be a place where all, once made perfect, will enjoy perfection forever. Paradise, who wants in? And who would wish to leave?

For 2012, Melbourne will do just fine, and have I said that it is a better place than Sydney? As objective as I can be, it is better in many ways. But whilst on Earth, I have earthly vestiges, I linger on the idea of home, so Sydney, however imperfect it is, will be home for now. But I'm clear, that my longing lies elsewhere and further than here. I remain, inwardly, a wanderer.

Good night, the amitriptyline and Danielle are calling me to sleep. I can't even stay up to watch Federer lose to Nadal in the Australian Open semifinal.

A volcanic ash cloud, a taxi-ride and the job interview

 

This is a true story about how, by God's grace, I arrived at a job interview in Melbourne, Wed 22 Jun 2011.

On 21 Jun, Tuesday evening, I found out 15 minutes before my department meeting that all flights into Melbourne were cancelled due to the ash cloud from a Chilean Volcano. By the time the meeting ended, I was too late in securing train, bus or coach tickets. But with much supernatural help, I got to central station after some wavering; I prayed that some kind soul would sell their ticket to me at a good price.

But because of my wavering, I was too slow to the train, and I also missed the last GreyHound bus that had left for the night. I didn't like the idea of just driving up myself: a 1000 lonely km in the dead of the night, at least with a companion, I had the chance of broken rest in preparation for my job interview. I had found out from a colleague earlier that the going rate for a cab-ride to Melbourne was $1200 (AUD). It was 10pm, I was semi-desperate and I had the next day off so I chose the cab option, over hiring a car and driving solo (I was unwilling to disturb friends at this last minute).

After a few rejections from 3 Subcontinental cab drivers, I was down to a Middle-eastern and an Asian (Indonesian) driver at the taxi-rank. I asked this Indonesian cab driver whether he would take me to Melbourne? He replied "how much", and I said "$1200". Without a pause he agreed and said "Hop in mate". And so the deal was struck. It turns out that his cab had just been tuned up, he had relatives in Melbourne that he had wanted to visit and had always wanted to visit.

The terms were I would take the wheel when he got tired, so after a long, rainy, cold journey - including 3 stops and 2 cans of coke - we got there. He drove 750km and I did about 200km into Melbourne. I was dead tired as it was very hard to sleep: the taxi made much turbulent and high-pitched noise throughout night at high speeds.

He even took me into his relative's place where I was served tea, used their shower, shaved and even got some reading done. They didn't serve lunch, but I had 2 more Cokes and LCM bars.

He was willing to stay the whole day for extra $350, since he had to pay his boss, who incurred losses from a day's worth of cab-rental. But when I got to the hospital, Melbourne flights were back on that afternoon. I paid him, a handsome total of $1550 (AUD) as promised and bade him Godspeed.

I then wandered into the anaesthetics library, looking a bit under-the-weather. I had a friendly yarn with someone there, with whom I had to share the tale of my awesome joyride. I showed him the docket, and he said I was crazy.

Soon, I found out that I was chatting to the director, who was on the interview panel. He shared the story with the Deputy on panel. They were somewhat impressed, but definitely bemused and humoured by this.

A couple of hours after the interview at 4:15pm, whilst I was at the airport, they offered the Fellowship Job in Cardiac Anaesthesia! Thank God!!! I definitely don't deserve it, but I will receive it with a smile.

I talked to my closest and dearest first, mentors, department head and others before I said yes. So Melbourne is the go for 2012 : D. There is a great cost in going, directly for others and so indirectly to me, but hopefully God will provide. A very sad thing will be leaving our present church, which is gospel-centred, loving and our home.

But I thought it was a $1550 well-spent. God even gave me a new friend! Although the next time round, I'd just hire a car, because it's near impossible to sleep in a noisy cab, or I would call-up some bored friends to come down with me.

Anyone for a Joyride?

p.s. It turns out my driver is also a Christian, and he repeatedly asked me to pray for his strength on the way there! He rang me to make sure I did get a job offer, commenting how much we had both sacrificed to get me there. I hope it has encouraged him in his faith.