by LuLu
Few months ago, I finished my
diploma and had a four months break after that. Since I had worked really
hard for my finals, my dad awarded me a trip to Melbourne, Australia and the
best part of the reward.. I didn't have to go with any of my parents, they
couldn't make it, I had to travel with my bunch of friends. Ohh... My god.
This trip was going to be really sweet.I was so looking forward to the trip that I even made my dad pay extra for an earlier airline ticket. It was more expensive as it was peak season then. Anyway, I boarded a night plane, went airborne and 8 hours later I landed in the Land of Down-Under, Australia.
I had to shack up in my friend's apartment, as hotels there were not cheap. On the other hand, I was planning to stay there for more than three months. The lifestyle of an Australian differs to the ones we Malaysians have. It was winter at that time, going for supper in the middle of the night, like what most Malaysians do, would be a nightmare. You would probably had frozen to death before you reached the café and besides, most restaurants are close after 10 and there were no such things as "mamaks" there.
We visited many interesting places and snapped up tons of pictures. One night, my friend whom was studying there, brought us to The Crown Casino. As the legal age there was 18, we had no problem getting in the casino. There was a big bunch of us, so we decided to split up and meet back later on. I wondered along myself, checking out every corner of the gambling den.
As it was a Friday night, the place was packed and to make matters worse, tons of people kept pouring in from all entrances. As I strolled along the blackjack tables, I spotted an empty chair. In fact, the empty chair was next to another empty chair. I was feeling lucky that day, so I sat down and changed my share of casino chips.
I placed my bets, and placed a dollar chip on the bonus column. The bonus column only takes effect when you get a Blackjack. For those of you who don't know what's a Blackjack, it's a combination of getting an ACE with any other picture cards, (JACK, QUEEN, KING).
The dealer then waved his hand across the table, indicating that no more bets could be placed. She then dealt the cards to all the players. My first card was a JACK, not too bad I thought. Then my second card was opened, it was an ACE. "Ahhh. Blackjack!" the dealer said. I was thrilled, but my greedy mind kept wondering why I hadn't place a bigger bet.
The dealer then place this
button before me, it was the bonus button. I pressed it and the computerized
screen spun while it made funny noises. Numbers kept appearing one after
another, as the spinning slowed down. Finally it made a last halt and the
number on the screen was 7500. The crowd seemed my excited than I was, but I
figured out why after a few minutes.I had won 7500 Australian dollars, that was like RM15,000. Can you believe it? Neither did I at that moment. The manager hurried to my table and congratulated me. He gave me about 2000 dollars worth of chips and a check for the remanding amount. I was floating with joy. I continued playing for a short while more then I left the table after spending a round of drinks to the players.
What a day, what a day. What a happy moment. I still have that money with me, mind you. I didn't spend it all, just a little though. That moment still lives inside me..:)