Fight against homesick

Homesick is one of the biggest challenge for migrants to overcome especially on the early years and adjustment stage. There were some migrants who did not successfully battle over this struggle and resorted to go back to their respective home countries. There are some who passed through this and able to overcome though I think that this is a continuing challenge that all of us migrants have to get through each time. We could really not get away with this as it is really hard to forget where you had your roots grew up and where your being was molded. To help you fight homesick, here are few tips that I could share with you.

1. Always think about the reason why you migrated. Having to bear in mind the reason and the goals you set out in migrating could be very helpful whenever you are being attacked by homesick. For as long as you know that you've got so much things to do to achieve all these goals, your mind is kept busy and could block negative thoughts. If you are a parent, think about the future that you can now offer your kids and the global exposure you are giving them.

2. Building relationship to other people. Meeting new people around your area and building good relationship to them can also help out. Having some people whom you can spend some time out and enjoy the company could make your weekends busy and enjoyable. Again, block you from negative thoughts.

3. Keep the communication line open with your family and friends from your home country. There are cheap and convenient ways of keeping the communication line open. You can chat via YM (Yahoo Messenger), talk lively via Skype or even emails. Being updated on what was happening could ease out the feeling of homesickness. Talking to your friends and family very often could make you feel like you are still with them as you are totally filled in with much information about them.

4. Spend time discovering and exploring the country you migrated to. Devoting time to explore and discover about your new home could be a very interesting activity. Everything is new for you. Bear in mind that you have to be socially conscious and aware of your surroundings and event to cope up. There are so much to learn and discover which I am sure you will like especially that you migrated to a first world country.

5. Think about the benefits that you now have which you never had before. These are the things that we should be grateful for and one of the factors we considered before migrating. Examples are government subsidized health care and school fees, family allowances, more organized transpot system, workplace safety and some other free services being offered. Thinking about all these could make you realize how lucky you are to get to wherever you are and that there's no reason to turn back.

There's nothing wrong to be grateful to our mother countries. It will forever be part of who we are and what we have become. This is just a matter of moving forward to where we are better off and where the future looks brighter.

Picking up Dad and Mother in law at Melbourne Airport

Last Monday night, 25th of August at around 10.30pm, we picked up dad and my mother in law at the Melbourne Airport. It has been 10 months since my father last visited us. He's staying here for 30 days vacation but my mother in law will stay here for one year.

Its my fourth time to be picking up relatives at the airport. Each time I do it, it seems getting easier and quicker. The first time I did it, I was quite scared. I can only suggest that you follow the signs going to the parking area. If you are just picking up someone, just go to the short term parking area. It only cost us A$6.00 for a good 40minutes park. You can also use your credit card on the kiosk. If you will just gonna take a taxi cab, it would still be alright because there are heaps waiting outside and won't take you long to wait. Inside the airport, there are also a lot of coffee shops you can go to. There's also Krispy Kreme donuts as well that can make waiting a little more pleasant.

Picking up relatives or friends from the airport is always an exciting task. Just need to make sure you are quite familiar with the parking areas and waiting areas before you do so. For more information about parking fees and relevant information, you can visit this link.http://www.melbourneairport.com.au/to_from_airport/parking/short_term.asp

Using A Migration Agent

Using a migration agent to arrange your visa application may also be a wise decision if you are in these situations.

1. You don't want to do it on your own. The aspect of migration is a very tedious process, we could say, from filling up the forms to writing some correspondence to the embassy. You may want to get the service of a professional migration agent to handle all of these matters. They know exactly what to do in every situation. Bear in your mind though that all documentation requirements like birth certificates and academic records should still be completed by the applicant. They will tell you what you need in your case.

2. You are very busy person. If you are working and has family of your own, you may not have enough time to visit the Australian Immigration website. It takes time, determination and enough excitement to study all those requirements. The informations you need to know to process your visa are all there. The website explains clearly the process you have to go through and fees to pay for. It is really possible to do it on your own as I did it on my own when we processed my family's visa. However not everyone I know is capable as it really eats up too much time especially in getting on the website. It has to be visited very often as legislations keep changing.

3. You want it quick. Getting a migration agent will definitely hasten the processing because they know the process better than you do. They know what forms you need to fill in, the assessing bodies that is suitable for your skills if you are applying under skilled category and all other requirements needed in your case. They will also guide you on what documents and paperworks you need to accomplish beforehand to save time and get things done simultaneously.

4. You want some level of certainty and assurance. Migration agents conducts initial screening during the 1st stage of the process. They will tell you if you have a chance to successfully migrate or not. Though the outcome still lies in the hands of the migration case officers, you can basically rely on the assessment of the migration agents as they are experienced enough to know.

5. You're after a good quality information. If surfing the web still doesn't satisfy your curiosity, you are better off getting a professional advice. Joining social forums on the net about migration process is also a great way to gather information especially if you are applying on your own. There's no better source of good advices but the professional ones.

There are a lot of migration agencies in the market today. Be sure to study them first. Look at their track record. Be sure that they are also registered at the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). Agents registered at the MARA are bound by code of conducts. You can be assured that they'll conduct business in a professional manner. MARA imposes sunctions to agents that breaks the code of conduct.

Just a word of advice though, even if you get the service of the professionals, you still have to do your part in providing necessary documents in order to make everything flow so smooth and in a faster phase.

Moment of Truth

Finally after 5 weeks of waiting, my mother in law was approved for the one year visa we have applied for her. It was worth all the effort like having to write a letter to the embassy with attachments of some proofs, her undergoing to a medical test and completing the rest of the paperworks. We didn't know what to expect while we are waiting because there was a finding on her X-Ray in relation to her heart. We thought though, that it won't be a problem to them as it is not something contagious like Tubercolosis, which we believe is one disease that Australia is really conscious about. It turned out to be right when we got told that the request was granted.

As I mentioned on previous article entitled "Moment of waiting", this is really a big relief for me and my wife not to worry about who's looking after my 2 year old son. We both could focus on work without thinking what's going on with our son while we are away working as we know that he is in good hands.

House Hunting

After 15 months here in Australia as a migrant, me and my wife, like anyone else are dreaming and looking forward to buy our very own house. Prices of a basic house with 3 to 4 bedrooms range from A$290,000.00 to A$350,000.00. Monthly repayments range from A$1,800.00 to A$2,400.00 on a 30 year plan. Most of the banks requires 10 to 20% downpayment. I would suggest to go for 20% downpayment not only because it could lower down your repayments but you can also save heaps of money by not paying the Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). It is an insurance to offset losses of the bank when a borrower is not able to repay the loan and the lender is not able to recover its costs after foreclosure and sale of the mortgaged property. The premium payments for this insurance range from A$500 and could get as high as A$10,000 plus depending how low your deposit could get. It's basically for banks/lenders' security. So why would you spend such amount if you could pay off 20% deposit?

Australia New Zealand Bank (ANZ) and some other banks could also help with the processing of your First Home Buyers Grant if you are entitled to. Government grants range from A$8,000 to A$12,000 depending which state you're in. This grant is very helpful for those who are just starting.

Now if you're in a tight budget, you can buy a 2nd hand property about 4 to 5 years old with 3 to 4 bedrooms for A$220,000 to A$240.000 in Melbourne which is really not bad at all. Monthly repayments should be somewhere A$1,600 to A$1,800 depending on the interest rate. I reckon that its also practical to leave an allowance of at least A$100 per month for the fluctuation of interest rates if you are computing how much based on your earnings and expenses, you are able to pay for monthly repayment on a home loan.

You can google for properties and estimated montly repayments at http://domain.com.au/ and http://www.realestate.com.au/

Hail over Melbourne

It was a freezing and raining sunday afternoon when I noticed a heavy drops falling on our roof. It was not a usual sound of a rain drop but something seems to be in it. We went out to find out and we were so thrilled to see droplets of ice falling on the cement and on the roof of our car. It definitely hailed in Melbourne. The top of the car's boot was so white with hailstones and so are the grasses. My family really enjoyed the view as it is not so frequent that it happens.

It was a nice experience to feel on my palm as I clumped the hailstones together. They were just pea size that's why it was still fun to see them as they don't cause any big damage when they fall off. For migrant's information though, hailstones could vary their sizes from the smallest of 6 mm to as big as 128 mm. When they go beyond the small sizes, they could be really damaging to car's or any property's roof and to a person's head.

You can always watch out for a possibility of a hail through weather forecasts if you want to see one. We just hope that it will always bring in a pea size hailstones rather than a bigger tennis ball size hailstones.

Saving Tips

Most of us migrants are aiming to see some bucks sitting on our bank account. But, how could we do this considering that we are starting a new life and a new living being a migrant? Well, its not easy but its even harder without extra amount to pull out when the need arise. Below are some tips that might help you bring in some excess on your pocket.

1. Be wise in shopping for your food and groceries. Try to shop on wet market for your weekly food. You won't only save heaps but you would also take home fresh goodies. There are also some Asian groceries that offer cheap prices of commodities.

2. Be resourceful in finding the cheapest store for stuffs you need to buy. Compare prices on catalogues if you need to buy something brand new like computers, satnav, and some useful technologies. It often happens that different shops may have different price on the same item and its up to us to find that out. You can also buy some stuffs from Ebay which will truly save you some amount. Buy only those that you truly need at this adjustment stage in migrant's life.

3. Think of a more practical family activity or leisure. Going to some parks and having some picnics could be more practical than going to shopping centres and dining out. Australia, as I mention on my previous article, offers great parks with no fee at all. Plan your destination before hand to avoid going back and forth places to save petrol.

4. As much as possible, save money to buy your own car and pay it in cash rather than pushing through a car loan. In doing so, you are save up heaps from interest as it is not worth paying for considering the fact that cars are highly depreciable.

5. Set up a bank account separate from the one that you access daily for your expenses. If it is possible, plot your weekly expenses against earnings so you would have a clear picture if how much you can save and transfer to the other savings account.

These are some tips that we found useful and I hope that you did too. These may not be applicable on certain cases but at the end of the day, I still believe that you can still think of some other ways for as long as the will to save is within you.

Navigating Your Way

When we arrive in Australia, everything we saw was new for us. Even the names of the street sounds different as what it is in our country. Its hard to travel without the help of a map. In the state of Victoria, we use Melway. For NSW is Sydway and QLD is Brisway. I know there are other maps but these are the more popular ones.

I frequently refer to Melway in Navigating Melbourne. I remember the times when I used it just to go to our local church, Centrelink and Medicare office near our suburb. I use it when I bring my family to the parks during weekends and even more when I am applying for a job. In short, its a must for a migrant to grab a map whatever state you are in.

But now, we can use an even easier, faster and more convenient means of going from one place to another by using a satnav. Satellite Navigation or Satnav for short, uses global positioning system that locates user on the road in the unit's maps database. So when you're driving, you can actually see yourself moving in the screen.

What is very cool in using satnav is the optional voice navigation that you can set on the unit. Just simply input the address where you want to go and the satnav will calculate your route and display the 3d map screen and it will guide you turn by turn until you reach your destination. I remember last April 08 when i drove from Adelaide to Melbourne 750 kms from our place. I virtually relied on my satnav and did not bother to bring the traditional map with me. It was a splendid drive without worries, tensions and stress because when you know where you are going and the satnav is saying that you are on the right track, you can spend your time not worrying but enjoying the sceneries, the music on the radio and the conversation to whoever is travelling with you.

I purchase the NAVMAN S30 Model not only because its one of the leading brand here but it also got a good price tag, more features and a sleek design as well. Its a good product to buy for starters.

5 Important things to do before coming to Australia

At last, most of those who have just received their PR visas are now preparing to come down to Australia. You might be thinking of what you need to do and where to start. Here are some tips that could possibly help and guide you on the way.

1. Settle all money matters. This might include pooling enough money to use while looking for job. Knowing that you still have something on your pocket to pull out could give peace of mind somehow. Cancel all credit cards, if there's any so not to be charged with some fees like annual and membership.

2. Get contact details of those people who you think could be your references when hunting for a job. Let them know that you are putting their details on your resume and that someone might contact them so they could be prepared enough to say good words about you.

3. File all important documents that you want to bring like marriage contract, birth certificate, baptismal, employment certificate and etc. Just think about all documents that you want to have a copy of because you would be far from where you would normally secure them from.

4. Shop for useful clothes depending on the weather upon arrival. If you think you are arriving in summer, buy more summer clothes that would fit on the allowable baggage. This could help you initially considering that you just came in and still looking for work. It might just be in time when you get your first job and be able to buy new clothes that winter outfits are on sale. In packing for your clothes and stuffs, it's more helpful to use boxes rather than briefcases as the latter will eat up much weight allowed for you.

5. Lastly, enjoy the remaining days and spend time with the people you love as it might take long before you see your mother country and those people again. Take note than when you landed on to a job, days will fly too fast for you because there are so much things to do not only at work but also at home.

I do hope that this list has helped you planning. Start ahead of time to avoid cramming and forgeting some stuffs important for you. As much as possible, do your own list of things to bring and things to do. Happy migrating!

Melbourne Trains

Most of the locals of Australia, regardless of their jobs and status of living, rely so much on trains for public transport. My wife works in Melbourne CBD and she would definitely need to get on a City loop train to reach her workplace and Sydenham line to get back home. It is more practical to use trains than drive your way to work. It is cheaper to pay for the Metlink ticket which you could already use on buses, trains and trams rather than spend on petrol and parking spaces. It is a lot convenient as well to get on train, put your IPod on, sitback and relax than to drive on the busy streets of the city. My wife spends $160 for her monthly ticket to enable her to travel within zone 1 and 2. Connex also offers an option for those who come to work early and would like to save more. If this suits you, Early bird ticket can be availed of for free provided you reach your destination before 7 am. You only have buy 2 hour ticket to get your way home for only $5 something. So, roughly about $100 per month and could make a saving of $60. Melbourne's Metropolitan trains start from city's Flinder's Lane and stop from suburb to suburb. There are also VLine's interstate trains that travel from different states which for obvious reason is cheaper than the airfare but could provide comfort on your travel as well.

My wife's experience on trains is not always pleasant particularly on peak hours. How many times has her train been cancelled? Too many to think of but not more than the times that they were delayed by 5 to 10 minutes. In times like these, you won't be surprised to see a fully loaded and crowded carriage. People are standing againt each other and squeezed in the middle and on the doorside. You could hardly move and talk. These scenarios have already been part of one's everyday journey to workplace and I think people get used to this. However, there are still some people who complain and swear on what hassles these have caused them.

Who would not ever get annoyed to be late on an appointment or a job interview? But think about this, there are a lot more things to be thankful for rather than dwell on this annoying situations. People tend to be inappreciative of things around them when they haven't seen the world outside. We forget to be thankful of the benefits we've got when we haven't seen other people's suffering from the lack of it.

My wife and I migrated from a third world country where you couldn't get both convenience and savings together and where transport system is far uncomparable to what we have in Australia. I won't elaborate more on this but it's really far behind in terms of comfort and safety. If only Aussies would have a feel of what it's like commuting on our country, then they would realize how lucky they are and they will be more appreciative of the service that Connex trains give them. Migrants like us, who have seen both world, are also lucky to be where we are and that it gives us chance to be more conscious of our thoughts.