Jump to content

"See you in the Under Down" - our journey of arrival after drifting


Toitjie

Recommended Posts

The title of this journal is for my daughter, who told my brother that we will see him in the "Under Down".

Tonight is our last night in South Africa. As usual...I cant sleep and hubby is snoring away. Bless his soul...but men need their rest while we women conquer the world :)

I am so overflowing with emotions that its quite difficult to pen them down. Its a mix of everything, and they are competing for attention! I still find myself thinking in wonder...I am actually leaving this place in a few hours. For good. It still feels very unreal.

This journey is truly one of growth and self-discovery. We have been living in a country without living....drifting and going through the motions. With this move I hope that we will find the peace we are so desperately searching for....

I will try my best to start writing on this thread about our arrival and everything surrounding that...I have seen that people stay a little under the radar after landing which I assume is because there are so many things to do and its hectic. Hopefully I can fit the forum in somewhere :)

see you all soon!

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey there, Toitjie. Congratulations on finally making it. The emotions you will go through are the strangest and most varied emotions that you will ever experience.

When I first met you guys I kinda felt sorry for you that you had your visas and had to wait so long to get here and then when we sold our house so quickly and were able to leave I felt even worse but now I can say I am absolutely thrilled for you guys that you can finally get on that plane and will be able to start your new and exciting lives "under down".

You need to write that down somewhere because it's just so damn cute and something that will bring a smile to your faces when times are tough.

With your determination and attitude you are all just going to be fine and dandy in Australia. We will be thinking of you guys while you are in the air. The end of one chapter and the beginning of a new and exciting one lies just around the corner.

Safe journey.

P.S. If you can't fit the forum in for the first couple of weeks we will understand.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Travel Safe! & Enjoy the jetlag through all the new sites! Hope you guys find yr feet quickly when you arrive & hope the weather is all on yr side! :ilikeit:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Safe travels and soft landings ! Hope you love Canberra as much as I do - even though I don't live there ! Will look you up on one of my visits and we can go to Koko Black a devine chocolate salon and maybe get some of the other Canberra forum people there for a meet and greet !

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have a safe journey.

HEOJ, I've sent Toitjie my mobile number so even if she can't get online, if she can just send a text saying, all good, then I can relay the message to you all if she is unable to.

Toitjie, don't worry about us, it is hectic at first...........we will all be waiting for that 'first' post.................possibly one of my favourites because it lets me see Australia through fresh eyes and helps me remember our early days.............and memories are what will make up the history you tell your grandkids about one day, so cherish them.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

the getting quit is due to life getting hectic at first and then settling down. An then you suddenly find you don't have anything to bitch about :P:D

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best wishes. This is a great place to live.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

May you always have...
Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you
And all your heart might desire.

Thinking of you Toitjie, wishing you a peaceful, safe trip, no jetlag, a smooth landing, lots of deep sleep, and a wonderful, wonderful new life in the Under Down!

HUGS!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 November

Today has finally arrived.

I have started this process way back in 2008. Due to tight funds I could not do all the things at once, so vetasses, IELTS and all the rest were done months apart. Then it still took about 13 months before we got the visa. But that year, 2011, weeks after we validated, hubby's 24 year old son passed away and this event rocked all our lives and temporarily stopped the process.

There were so many ups and downs, most of which I have shared here, and I know that most people thought we were not really going. My work colleagues and family didnt believe it was going to happen. Many time I myself did not think it was going to happen. There were just so many things still in the way. But little by little we climbed over every stumbling block. As we encountered problems, we solved them and moved on.

I still cannot believe this day has come. We have just gone through check-in and passport control and customs and what-not and is now finally sitting in a lounge somewhere, the kids drinking hot chocolate, waiting for the Qantas aerie to land. We will be boarding in an hour and I have this peaceful feeling. I know somewhere that there might be shock still to come but for now Im content.

The airport scene was really ok. My parents and brother were here and they were really good. We have 12 pieces of luggage and almost all of them are a little overweight. The girl at check in only charged me for 1 kg which was R 416 and not everything. To smile broadly and be friendly without be obvious about it I think helps a lot! She was very nice with us...everyone was staring at this circus going past them....2 kids on top of the highest bag of course.

To be this side of the airport is really peaceful, the noise is less and the emotions are getting under control.

I have actually not cried at the airport once today...ok once when my daughter was crying when her grandma was crying...I started too.

But the worst was when I greeted my best friend and confidante...we both cried like babies. She was my person.

ALERT - the aerie has landed just now (16:13) so right on time!

This is a new beginning...and to those still on their way...try to enjoy these moments because its such a mad rush that you will forget the little things. this is why Im writing about it now because tomorrow I will be a zombie.

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will only read this much later. But I hope you had a safe flight and that Canberra is everything that you expected. Cannot wait to hear your impressions, and hopefully we will have our visa and heading to Canberra soon as well. Must definitely meet up then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best wishes in the land under down.

Your comment about children on top of bags reminded me of when we did our LSD and I put my daughter on top of a bag only to be chastised by someone walking past. I was offended at the time but now have to smile to myself about what a South African thing it is to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Toitjie

You guys really deserve a soft landing after all you have been through and still finding the time and energy to help others.

Good luck with your journey and we will all be thinking of you sending you positive vibes and air hugs. :hug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Toitjie, GOOD LUCK and travel safely. I am in Canberra so please feel free to PM me if you need anything!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Toitjie!

Good luck and enjoy every moment! You'll see, most of the Australians are so helpful and friendly which is soo welcome and appreciated! At first, things are unfamiliar but yet familiar. I personally think it helps that you've been planning and working on this entire experience over a long period of time and sort of mentally and psychologically been prepared for it.

You'll be okay and I'm looking forward to seeing your first posts and it is always nice to hear from those who've landed recently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 November

I have internet! jippiee...first page to open is the forum :)

The flight was horrible, as was expected...we sat in the row right behind the baby basinetts and the parents were real pieces of work. Firtstly the mom decided to let her chair back all the way the whole trip. I was eating with her practically sitting in my lap. TIP - wear a black shirt because I had food all over me due to her ignorance but fortunately it is black so no stains showed. Then dad decided to change baby's nappy right there...the smell was unbearable. I will admit there is not really any other place to change nappies, but sitting there I really did not feel overwhelmingly happy.

Other than that the flight was relatively uneventful, we tried to sleep a little, food was ok. 12 hours later we landed in Sydney, 3pm local time. Weird thing happened - as soon as we wanted to disembark they let us know that we should stay seated as customs would be boarding the plane as someone on the plane has reported someone else had seeds...or thats what it sounded like. But 2 minutes after that they let us out so Im not sure what that was about.

My biggest fear was nearing - customs in Australia. This was the last hurdle to get through. We were overweight and had a lot of things that were risk items.

I packed a suitcase ful of spices, sauces and medicines. I also have a yoke (those wooden things they put over oxen in the days of ossewaens...the one I have is more than 100 years old and there were leather straps around them. The container guys said the yoke can go but not the leather. Its very very old and looks untreated to them, so I decided to put them in my suitcase and declare them and hear if they are ok or not. If not they would be confiscated and destroyed but if they are in the container and not ok, it will cost be a lot of extra money for their inspection fees. At the airport at least its free.

So we approached the customers officer and he asked me about every item I declared....I said spices, sauces and leather straps and medicine. He said that's all right, see ya later! So there we went....honestly I think when he saw this bedraggled family with 4 trolleys packed with 12 cases, most clingwrapped, he knew this was going to be a long day... :) Im happy...there was no trouble and we were ok.

We got the rental from Hertz - a Kia Carnival. It took all 12 of our cases plus the 4 of us. Unbelievalble. What an amazing car! Cost me an arm and a leg but it did the job - it got us plus 200kg's of luggage to Canberra.

I have to add here - we had the smoothest of landings ever. I cannot thank my friend Ina enough. We worked together at the Council and she and her sister made it very bearable. They picked up our rental's keys from the agent and on Friday and Saturday put a lot of things there for us, bread, butter, mild, cheese, cutlery, linen, towels, toiletpaper, washing stuff, soap and a lot of other things. This made a huge difference!

For those coming you have to do this if you are not going to a furnished cottage directly. It helps that someone is there. I was so tired driving the 274 km to Canberra I dont know precisely how we got here but we did.

I have only seen our rental's pics and didnt know what exactly what to expect but I was so surprised, in a very good way! The rental is very nice, we are very happy with it. I gave everyone Melatonin when we went to bed and we slept like the dead. Interestingly, when we were in Sydney on our activation trip, everyone woke at 2am. This time it happened again, exactly 2am but everyone could go back to sleep immediately and then we slept to 8am...so very little jetlag so far :)

Today we did some shopping. I got a sim card for my phone but of course the Blackberry wont accept it so just now I thought, lets try and put it in the laptop's 3G - voila, it worked! So I still dont have a phone but can at least use the internet.

Services are connected, and we bought a TV today, and Tuesday The Good Guys will deliver our fridge and washing machine.

So far I have only had good experiences with australians but they are serving customers so I dont know if that is just work related or not. I will admit though that I have this irrational fear of ozzies. I dont know why, Im a little scared or daunted by them...maybe because Im afraid of the reactions after reading everything that was said about how they perceive us. Im really scared of the work situation now that Im here. I hear more and more that its tricky, that bad relationships between you and your boss will probably force you to resign because if you are disliked, the world will be made unbearable for you. I really hope I can sidestep this...its scary and Im an introvert, not really big on the sucking-up thing, but apparently that is what you have to do.

I love the smell of Canberra. I have mentioned this previous times as well. Its the sweetest cleanest air you will ever taste!

I had a lot of things I wanted to post but my mind is still in so much turmoil..I think Im just tired....

The kids are driving me nuts. They are exuberant which Im happy about but they are loud! Good grief...I feel in the shopping centre that everyone is watching us because they are like 2 little monkeys. I was amazed at my little one, 8 year old son - they way and manner in which he makes friends. So easy, and the little ozzie he befriended was practically eating out of his hand. Now if I could make friends as easy as that, life would be great. To this little ozzie our language and accent was intriguing...they dont yet have any preconceived ideas about immigrants ;)

Tomorrow I am hoping to activate my bank account, register for medicare and centrelink. Then Im hoping to pick up my X-trail.. I hope they will give it to me with my SA driver's licence...I also want to convert but as far as I can remember, they will post the cards and I will get my ozzie license only later. So will see tomorrow.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, what an arrival !! So happy for you guys that you're through this and had a first night's sleep !! :ilikeit: Don't be too scared for yourself, relax and be yourself, people like people who are 'themselves'. We all have our personal quirks, it's our honesty about ourselves that attracts people. So enjoy and relax.

Keep the updates coming, we're waiting eagerly :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome, glad you arrived in one piece. Find a local park and start chatting to the other mums. Ask where age appropriate parks or entertainment are in your area. Preferably free. go to your nearest library and ask about their holiday program. You might have to put your names down for the most popular activities, but it too is free.

By the way, on the plane, there is a fold down change table above the toilet. No excuses for changing a (poo) nappy at the seats! The air hostess should have said something. Very unhygienic. Yuck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to a fresh, clean aired Canberra.

I can remember also feeling a little odd around the Aussies, felt like a fish out of water, but remember that Canberrans are used to hearing many different accents, having a lot of foreigners around due to the consulates, and most will be friendly and engaging - so just be your lovely self.

Happy settling.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lovely story filled with feeling on the last night.

If you've made it thro the whole migration process so far, despite the hurdles you've needed to overcome, then you're the sort of stuff that Australia needs.

Just two things . . . . .

As an Aussie, don't be "daunted" by Australians. If any Aussie requires you to suck up to him, my advice is to kick him in the nuts and tell him to get a life. . . . . . or is that too "Australian" for you?

Don't be intimidated by anybody. It's not their place to make you feel inferior, out of place or not needed / wanted.

With all the vast spectrum of immigrants landing in Australia nowadays, South Africans would have to be some of the most easily integrated migrants around and able to mix in well with local Aussies.

We both enjoy a cold beer, a good barbie / braai, have a love of the "great outdoors", play rugby and cricket.

What else in life is there?

Secondly, you'll go thro the "honeymoon" stage with Australia at first. This might last a few days, a few weeks or a few months, but sooner or later reality will kick in, the routine of life will occur and you'll start thinking of all your family back home and your old mates in South Africa.

Tell yourself you can always go back for a holiday to see them. You are not an exile never to return to South Africa to catch up with them. The world is a whole lot smaller today, with Skype, FaceTime and whatever else compared to all those years ago for others, like the Ten Pound Poms that came from war-torn Britain to Australia in the 1950s and 60s. There was only mail, taking a week each way in those days. A phone call was done in extreme emergency by booking thro an operator who would connect with overseas, often ringing on your home phone in the middle of the night to tell you that you had a dedicated call patched through several operators on both sides of the world. It was ludicrously expensive, too.

Give yourself the privilege of staying two years before entertaining any idea of going back. You won't regret it.

I remember a young bloke many years ago, seeing a workmate sharpening a chainsaw. I asked him how his part time job at selling firewood was going? It didn't get off well, but he persevered and now sold lots of firewood and it was a good little income on the side.

My workmate told me something that I never forgot.

His father told him never to give in when times were bad, because you have nothing left at the end of the day.

Things will eventually come good, and if you stick to it, you'll reap the rewards that come with hanging on in there.

I've told the same saga to my kids.

My son is now newly married, has a thriving motor mechanic's workshop which is his own business.

My daughter is sitting her very last exam to qualify as a dentist today (Monday) . . . . not bad for a kid from a country town.

All the other kids in her 5 year dentistry course have rich doctors and lawyers in Melbourne and Sydney to see them thro the years. She worked her way thro to support herself.

Australia rewards the battlers in life.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toitjie what are you going to do with that yoke :D?

Welcome to Canberra! I hope that you and your family feel truly at home here. Pls let me know if you need a hand or if your kids feel like coming over to burn off some energy on the trampoline.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

YAY! I've been thinking of you all weekend, glad you landed fine though the flight sounds ummm... interesting! ;)

Just want to say: you are Aussies. You belong... you are home... don't be daunted by your fellow countrymen/women. :)

Wishing you - just so much joy! as you settle in. Thanks for sharing with us, I've so enjoyed reading all your posts. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As McCabes says, don't be afraid of your fellow countryman, they are accepting, friendly and generous people. I have realised that as long you are not expecting to be treated differently because you are South African and try and fit in with the culture around you, you will be fine.

It does not mean giving up our unique identify as South African's it just means we need to accept that we are not the only ones that come from bad political and economic circumstances.

Toitjie, from what I've heard, seen and read, your head is screwed on just fine and you guys will do great in your new home. Let things happen as they need to and enjoy life. It's the Australian way.

The thing I find most refreshing about this country is the fact that people here don't care about who you are, how much money you have or where you come from, they care about the type of person you are and the values you have.

Good luck and I look forward to reading more about your adventures in Canberra.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...