I still remember my first flight. I was only four. My senses were heightened and each new discovery an amazement. I don’t remember much about every detail of the flight itself but I do remember that I didn’t sleep for the entire 8-hour duration flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney. When I arrived in Sydney, I didn’t sleep for the rest of the day till nightfall. Only then, I rested.

I would have more flying experiences after that, much sooner than I realised. On the 18th of January 2003, I would have taken my first domestic flight from KL to Kuching (West to East Malaysia). In March of 2003, I would have taken my second. Since then, I have taken many domestic flights, too many to count, might I add. The reason I flew that much was because I had to travel back with my family to my hometown to visit my grandparents and relatives. In a year, I would fly to and fro at least three times, making the airport a bittersweet place.

When I first arrived in Kuching, I don’t think my classmates like me a lot because they know I am from West Malaysia. People in Kuching don’t really like people from West Malaysia because the people from West seemingly tend to look down on East Malaysians as they think they are better and have the wrong perception that East Malaysians still live in treehouses and use wifi made from leaves.

Thankfully, as ten-year-olds go, we got past our differences and the South China Sea could do nothing to stop us from becoming good friends. Of course, I would feel different from everyone else every now and then. My Hokkien (Chinese dialect) would be Penangesque and not the same as Kuching Hokkien. My Christmases would be spent in Ipoh rather than Kuching. I was never able to spend Chinese New Year there as well as I needed to spend it with my grandparents instead which isn’t a bad thing. Just different than most Kuching people.

As I grew towards coming of age, I fell in love with Kuching more and more. Eventually, Kuching became my home. Friends of my parents and of mine became my family. 8 years down the line, I was saddened to leave the place as I needed to go to Sydney to start my tertiary education. Honestly speaking, I don’t remember much from the day and I had to go through my Facebook archives to remember how it all unfolded.

My sister posted this on my wall back then:

Let the countdown begin — survived my first wk back to work… one more week of work and i get to see Augustine Peter Chong

🙂

A week later, she posted this:

Augustine Peter Chong ONE MORE DAY!!! Are you excited??? LOLz… better go eat ur kolo mee, tai wun kung, seo bee, etc…

=P

In the comments, she wrote:

15 hours!!

Five hours later:

10 hours!!

Classmates of mine posted this:

Heard your leaving today. Have a safe journey. Take care bro

🙂

Have a good time in Australia man! Stay safe! Keep in touch!

Take care my best friend and brother!

=) Gonna miss you lots man

I kept in touch with a lot of classmates over the first year I was here. Overtime, as we all got busier with our own lives, we didn’t connect as much but whenever we see each other, especially during the summer break, we always have a good time.

Back in Sydney, I would grow in my spiritual life as I took up leadership positions in the Catholic Asian Students’ Society. I would learn to understand the importance of faith and God. I would struggle at times but I would also learn that we need to help and accompany others in their journeys too no matter how hard it is.

I would also grow in my professional life as I made my way through my aerospace engineering degree. I would sit next to the pilot and he would fly me around the Bankstown skies, teaching me about throttle and pulling several Gs. I would learn about aircraft design. I would cry at times because it was so hard, but also knowing it would be all worth it in the end. I would eventually end up in the aviation industry.

I would be mesmerised by the red orange sunset skies of Sydney. I would also experience hail and my umbrellas being blown away. I would be introduced to avocado brunches and the difference between a perfectly poached egg and a not too poached egg. I would learn how important sausage rolls; bacon and egg rolls; BBQ sausages and beers are. I would walk through the seven bridges of Sydney, 28 kilometres in length with my sister.

I would make the best of friends whom I will cherish for life.

I would also meet the most amazing and beautiful girl and call her my girlfriend.

Coming here to Sydney was scary, bittersweet and exciting. I was given an opportunity to explore a different side of the world and although reluctant at first, it grew to become such a blessing.

I have my sister to thank for that. She cares for me like a second mother and loves me so much. Without her, I don’t think I would have been able to survive in Sydney. Without her support, guidance and love, I don’t know if I could have made it through all these past years. In a world away from home, Sydney became my home because of all the amazing people I have met and the most important of them all is my sister.

All throughout my life as I move and flew from place to place, I have always been searching for some sense of permanence and belonging. The truth is I am never going to be completely like a Kuching born person and be able to stay for the whole Chinese New Year. I am never going to be like a Ipoh born person and know all the famous and must-go-to eateries. I am never going to be like a Sydney born person and understand the Australian culture completely.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

In my shift across cities, I may not be an actual local but thanks to my friends and the people I have met, they welcomed me in as a local. Their love for me was so overwhelming that the cities became my home.

Kuching became my home.

Sydney became my home.

And as of yesterday, I am now a permanent resident of Australia.

Imagine that.

Permanent.

Seven years and three months since the day I first left Kuching. 11 years since my first flight. I am now a permanent resident of Australia.

The truth is that I have felt like one for a while now but having my status actually changed in the eyes of the Australian government, that is something incredibly special and fortunate.

I still remember my dad’s words till today. On my last day of school, I told my dad, “Dad, I don’t want to go to Australia. I want to stay here and be with my friends and you all.”. He replied, “We all would like that, don’t we? But life is composed of a variety of colours. You want to look back and say, I have lived all these colours. And what a great life it was.”

Indeed, what a great life it was and still is.