Two months have been passed since we arrived in Australia. Other contestants from different countries arrived in those months at irregular intervals. All of us had allotted houses in the same area, but strangely though, I never had any interaction with them. I learned the local language in the meantime. Mr. Lee taught me till my proficiency was high enough for conversation. I could easily talk with the locals within a month of beginning learning. I was allowed to move in and out with fewer restrictions and interact with anyone I felt like, given that Mira and Rita were with me. It was July 1, 1999, and the date for the group battles was July 15. I was in my room tinkering with my battle suit when Mineva and Mr. Silvia came in. I stood up and greeted him, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Silvi

