Archive for October 2011

My drive to work takes 35 minutes to and 25 minutes fro. It's just a normal drive, nothing spectacular but it tells a lot if you take a closer look. In Singapore, we are brought up to work with constraints. Every time we wanted something, we would be told of the constraints. Constraints, constraints constrains.

Of course in life, there must be constraints. It serves as a moderating index, keeping things in order. That's the way it should be, keeping things in order - not keeping things limited. People say life is relaxing in Perth. Work life is ruled out but for life outside work, I got to agree.

I would be hunted down driving my Renault Kangoo on the right most lane down West Coast Highway at 110km/h like I used to. Over here, you can be driving a multi-combination heavy container truck at 100km/h if you like it. (and they do that all the time)

I have vans such as Toyota Highace overtaking me on the right lane all the time, and they kept staying on the right. Who restricted vans below 70km/h in Singapore? He's one dumb ass, whatever crap he is.

They take care of cyclists here by giving them a huge lane instead of a double yellow line to cycle on. Lack of space in Singapore? Oh yeah, contraints contraints. And they made it illegal for cyclist to cycle on pavements in Singapore? How the hell do they expect young people and elderly folks to cycle safely on double yellow lines? More like "you-die-your-business-foreign-talent-coming-to-replace-you". Space constraint my butt!

Wide unobstructed views. There are times with not a single piece of cloud in sight and the sky is deep blue. Amazing. It makes you gaze dreamily and calm down for a while. Always do. That's what we need to do once in a while. Slow down and smell the flowers. Or gaze at the distant hills.

No house to live in Perth? No problem. With a decent car with enough horsepower, you can pull your house with you if you like, in the form of a caravan.

They allow vowels here and a personalised plate cost no more than AUD$150. Cheaper ones available at around AUD$50++. It is no big deal? Not really. It is fun to see funny and weird car plates every now and then (almost everyday in fact) and have a short laugh about it with your wife.

Isn't laughing a good thing?

All in all, little things adds up to loosen life a bit. So far, I find it refreshing. I'm still discovering the little differences here and there. Little cons such as places close at 5pm and stuff are not bothering me the slightest. I don't even shop or visit pubs in Singapore anyway. In fact, I wish the streets will be cleared of cars and human by 6pm in Singapore. That would be heavenly.

It seldom rains in Perth, I heard. I don't know about that. Tonight was not the first night I had a harrowing drive. It was the second. Like the first, the rain pelted mercilessly on Barry White throughout the journey. Tonight however, was something different.

I did not have an anemometer with me. I could only estimate the wind speed tonight on the highest point of Roe Highway to be at least 90km/h. It could be higher but I couldn't be sure. Very often, I had to hold the steering tight as the wind hit Barry White from the sides. Yes, sides. It could come on the left or right and the pressure on the steering wheel would switch accordingly. There was no moment to rest my laurels.

I past two cars stopping at the side of the roads. The drivers were probably waiting for the rain to stop or the wind to slacken. Naive. Not with that torrent rain. It was already 0315hrs. They could wait until daybreak then.

My windscreen began to fog considerably, taking away more of my already limited vision. I scanned around for a defogger button, almost instantly realising if there was such a function, it would not be on a 1995 Toyota Corolla anyway. I tried wiping but it was no use. The temperature was way too cold outside and the shroud returned within moments.

"What the *beep, Barry White?!" Barry blinked and gave a back pointing thumb gesture, mocking.

You could always join them

No way. I would rather make my way back than to risk being hit by drunk or blind drivers. I intended to spend my sunrise comfortably in bed. There was deep puddles of water along the rest of the journey. All of them were challenging as I couldn't anticipate them. Two of them particularly caught me by surprise. They swerved us quite effortlessly, making our drive like an plane going through heavy air turbulence. These were not times to apply the brakes however close the puddles forced you to the kerbs, or it would be kiss-the-bush time. Maintaining my foot on the accelerator paddle and a firm steer in the opposite direction negotiated these invisible puddles. With that, Barry White took everything thrown at him and we managed to make our way back using the road reflectors as our only guiding light.

Not every storm ends with a golden sky, more especially at night. At times, a makeshift warm sanctuary would do.

I have great ambitions for Sunday. After working hard for 1 week, all I really wanted is to go for a relaxing sightseeing with Jenny. We have not done anything like that since we arrived, come to think of it.

I wanted to go Canningvale Market. I heard it is a huge vibrant market with items on crazy low prices. I love the sound of it. We need to make a trip to Subiaco market to top up the fruit and vegetable supplies. I probably need to get a bit more ginger. Tonight we are making Black Vinegar Pig Trotters, substituting trotters with leaner meat. I wanted to visit King's Park to view flowers of Spring.

1330 hrs - I woke up, still feeling very tired. I rarely felt this tired. I couldn't move my body and my palms without feeling sore. Did I miss the fun? I guessed so. In the end, I went nowhere.

Lunch was not prepared. I chided Jen. She is still marginally underweight according to the maternity baby weight gain tables and she is not performing her role well enough in my absence. If there is anything wrong with the baby, I have to be blamed for making this move to Australia. There is no one (mothers) around to put the necessary pressure on an inexperienced mother who don't really like reading up. I have been teaching her what to do and what to take note as much as I can. Before I started working, I could do the fussing role. Now, I have my limits to ensure Jens sleep early, eats on time, adequately and nutritiously. I need her to step up a bit from now until her mother comes over to Perth to help out. So far she is learning fast and she actually cooks quite well for a beginner.

Meanwhile, my mobile pre-paid card was recharged last night. My bank account had been recharged this week, still awfully low in power but at least it should be heading north for a change. I tried recharging and resting myself but something's not right. Despite sleeping adequate hours (i think) I'm still so tired now. I need to sleep very early tonight. It's a special and important Monday coming and I'll have to wake early as compared to normal working days.

I have no religion and I don't know who to pray to but I hope everything will be fine.

211

The song was blasted from the workshop's sound system as I strolled in for my second day of work. It was a special song. Once upon a time, I performed on stage with my life long buddy. We were only 16, we played the guitar, sang out hearts out and that was the song.

The story behind the song was about a failed relationship. Back then, I was too young to understand. We sang soullessly but our guitars gave the performance the life the was required. Since then, this song remained special. The title of the song holds the impact on me. The lyrics were meaningless to me, though it brought back memories of a failed relationship relevant to the story in the song. Like a prayer, I sang that song to myself whenever I thought I could do with a little patience.

From the time that instant noodles was invented, you knew that the world had very little patience. So much as that we expect noodles on the table in not more than 3 minutes. The rice wine we made is continuously bubbling from its corner, audible from this bar table where I am sitting, penning.

Some things can not be rushed. No one expects instant wine. No one expects instant babies. No one (should) expects instant returns from investments. No one expects plant cuttings to root instantly. All the more I should give myself more time to settle down. I need patience.

I should be wise enough to know. I broke two pencil grinders in my first day of work. The weld was hard and thick and it was not going the rate I wanted it to be. I wanted to finish that part of my work faster because my lower back was aching from the continuous bending. The pencil grinder rebounded upon the extra strength I exerted, I lost control of the machine and broke the tip. It happened twice. That would probably be a feat that was last achieved a long time ago in this company.

Pencil grinder came to its solemn end

I want to break even on the costs incurred since we arrived. I want to recover the opportunity losses. I want to start saving and move on with our plans. I'm in the eye of the hurricane. Everything is moving so quickly around me but I feel stationary...

Somewhere else, through the workshop sound system, Axl Rose crooned, "All you need is just a little patience."

I looked back and realised it was only one month ago since I arrived.

1 July 2011 - Points Test for Certain Skilled Migration Visas

The points test is a mechanism used to help select skilled migrants who offer the best in terms of economic benefit to Australia. The points test creates a selection process that is transparent and objective, awarding points to the skills and attributes considered to be in need in Australia.

The 1 July 2011 points test is designed to select the best and brightest skilled migrants who will make the optimum economic contribution to Australia. It does not give undue weight to any one factor and
recognises a broader range of skills and attributes, focussing on:

• better English levels
• more extensive skilled employment
• higher level qualifications obtained in Australia and overseas
• better targeted age ranges

Points will no longer be awarded for specific occupations, although all applicants must still nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and have their skills assessed in their nominated occupation.

The pass mark is the total amount of points needed to be eligible for grant of a visa and will be set at 65 points.

A table summarising the points awarded can be found at the end of this fact sheet. The points test only applies to applicants for the following visas:

• Subclass 475 Skilled – Regional Sponsored
• Subclass 487 Skilled Regional Sponsored
• Subclass 175 Skilled Independent
• Subclass 885 Skilled Independent
• Subclass 176 Skilled Sponsored
• Subclass 886 Skilled Sponsored

Information about eligibility requirements
To apply for one of the above visas, applicants need to satisfy the following threshold requirements:

• be under 50 years of age at the time of applying for a visa.
• meet the threshold English language requirement of competent English.
• nominate and hold a skilled assessment for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List at the time of lodging their application.
• provide evidence of recent skilled employment in a skilled occupation or have recently completed the Australian Study requirement.

Applicants eligible for 8 February 2010 transitional arrangements

Transitional arrangements apply for certain students and former student visa holders announced on
8 February 2010.

They may also be eligible for points for an occupation on the former Migration Occupation in Demand List (MODL).

See: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...ansitional.pdf

Last update: 16 October 2011

The challenge: Move and survive in Australia bringing AUD$1,000

Get Qualified
Get a VISA which allows you to work in Perth. Skilled migration (Subclass 175) is the most common visa that Singaporeans. However it is not the only working visa you can obtain. For example: Subclass 176 and Subclass 457 are also possible to obtain.

Note: Subclass 457 would be irrelevant to this challenge because it would mean you already got a job secured before you leave Singapore. Work Holiday Visa (subclass 417) is only available for citizens of the countries listed below. It is not available for Singaporeans, so this option is out.

Get Free Lodgings

With AUD$1,000, if you want to get anywhere in Perth, you will not last very long. The only possibility to avoid a quick return to Singapore is to get free lodging.

Couch Surfing - There are people offering free lodgings from time to time in return for either company (elderly), housekeeping duties for a few hours per week or even housesitting while the owners are away. Occasionally you will find couch surfing offers in websites such as Gumtree.com.au but you got to act fast as they are very popular. Some motels or back packers inns also offer free rooms for a few hours of cleaning per week. Surf around the net for more options.

**Tip: Call them from Singapore. Ask ask ask. Don't feel shy about it. If you get a deal, it's the first ticket to your success.

A typical advertisement may look like this:

AUSTRALIA - HONEST CARETAKER required for a beautiful, unique, heritage property in the Perth. Common sense, experience in farming and gardening are essential. You must be clean and tidy. Business skills are an advantage. 1.5 days work in exchange for shared accommodation and use of a car. There is also room to earn extra money. This caretaker position would be suitable for a mature minded person or University student. Sorry, no indoor animals are allowed.

Homeshare

Other than Couch Surfing, look for homeshare opportunities such as this one:

Buy A Bicycle for $90.00

Go to Big W, Target or K-Mart, you will find a range of low end bicycles for a good price. You will not be able to buy a car yet, a bicycle will be a great help for a start.

Get A Prepaid Calling Card

It will cost you an average of AUD$30.00 a month. You could get a plan which you give local calls, overseas calls and mobile broadband at the same time. This is very important in your job search. No one is giving someone a job without a local contact number.

Cook Your Own Meals

If you cannot cook, you're a goner in Perth with AUD$1,000. Raw ingredients should not cost more than $50.00 per week per person if you are clever in your buys. For example, buying your vegetables in Canning Vale Market on Saturday morning and Subiaco Market on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check with your housemates or friends in Perth or even any local strangers while waiting for a bus, they will be very happy to give you some valuable directions. You will probably not be able to enjoy these advantages at first unless you live near to such places. Meanwhile, just buy your stuffs in the hyper-mart nearest to your location.

Look For Night Fillers Job

Whenever you buy an item from the hyper-marts such as Coles, Woolworths, K-Mart, Bunnings etc; you will find the Store Manager of the mart and his office number. Call them straight and ask them if they are in need of any Night Fillers. The duty of a Night Filler is to replenish the stock in the hyper-marts at night to prepare for business for the following days. This job pays about AUD$18-22 per hour, the older you are, the higher you are paid.

If you are reliable, hardworking and enthusiastic, the Store Manager will start giving you more hours. You could be looking at 25-30 hours a week in this job. That works out to be an average of AUD$500-600 per week. If you scrimp and save and cook your own meals instead of dinning out, you should be able to save at least AUD$1,200 a month.

**Tip: NEVER, EVER reveal your previous occupations in Singapore. If you are over-qualified, you'll never get a sniff. You don't have to be dishonest and say you have super market work experience previous but don't tell them you were a Senior Project Manager or a Research Engineer either.

***Another Tip: If you have the Singaporean mentality, you'll find it very difficult or slow to get a job, even a casual job. You'll need to be thick skin and very aggressive in job hunting. Call them, call a lot and even walk up to the store in person to ask for a job if you are up to it.

Meanwhile send in a lot of job applications everyday. Since you are doing Night Filling, you should have time to attend job interviews if any company calls you up.

Casual Jobs

If you could not find Night Filling jobs, you can try many other Casual Jobs such as car cleaning, gardening, house and commercial cleaning, dog walking or even laborer jobs. There will be quite a selection in www.seek.com.au or www.gumtree.com.au.

Fruit Picking

http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/documents/nationalharvestguide.pdf

If you saved a couple of thousands from doing casual jobs, buy a used car for around AUD$2,000-3,000. You have to do a lot of homework to understand the market. If you are in Perth and at this stage, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to assist you in this.

If you are fit and adventurous enough, some farms offer accommodation in return for work. You should still be able to earn a small excess of money from around $50-$100 a day. With a car, you will be able to travel to farms and do harvesting work. The following document will show you where work will be in high demand during certain part of the year. If you follow the harvest, you could find work all year round. Check this out for more harvesting job information.

With regular income coming in, you'll be at least able to survive until that full time job comes in. Meanwhile, plan your own time, juggle 2 jobs if you are able to and save as much money as you can. Meeting people is extremely crucial. From them, you'll learn a lot that can help you avoid pitfalls or even refer a job to you if you are lucky. Moreover, you need some referrals when you attend a job interview. The locals call them referees. The employers will feel uneasy to give a job to someone without referees.

With that, you will be able to sustain long enough until you find that full time job.

Some references:
http://fruitpicking.backpacking-aus.com/
http://www.backpacking-aus.com/fruit-picking.html

A Singaporean In Australia

Past Rants