SDTCPT Posted September 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Hey! It's been a while... Well damn, you close your eyes and 2 months have gone by... So what have we been u to? Well to tell the sad truth, not much. Still looking for a job for myself...seems that it is not that easy for me to get into the accounting field here. So have widened the search to include other options as well. BUT that just leads to the question WTF do I want to do with my life... kind of like that Baz Luhrmann song Sunscreen, except I don't think I am that interesting... With the job you do being so tied up with who you are as person (I my case, our mileage may differ..) sitting on my arse for the 5 months has not really been that good for me. I think I need to find something to get me out of the flat because I know this feeling that is starting and it does not en well... Hopefully something comes from the assessments I had to do last week for a possible job... or maybe I should take a look at the opportunity that came out of left field (to borrow a baseball term) today from a contact I received through Seek. Just don't know if I am enough of a people person for it... Enough of that sob story... So 5 months into our big Aussie adventure/why the hell did we do this again trip, we are still waiting for our stuff to arrive (should be here by the end of September, hopefully) My wife and I have been able to spend more time together actually doing stuff (mostly the stuff she likes, but hey, like they say Happy wife, Happy life ) but that has been good. Both of us just got over a bout of cold/flu/drowning in your own... well you get the idea, just in time for Cirque Du Soleil this weekend. Just another of the things we are able to do (with a little planning) here that we might not have been able to do back in RSA. Oh yes, I have succumbed to the (excuse the Afrikaans word...) lus, for some good old South African fare and have supported a local South African shop. Will just have to see how good their Boerewors is, or I will have to star making my own. Will have to make my own biltong, because damn! I don't miss it THAT much Will start that little experiment when our stuff has arrived... Anyway, hope you guys are doing well... Cheers vir eers 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geite Posted September 1, 2016 Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Hi @SDTCPT, Do you think it is only the accounting industry that is slow? Hope you get the Boerewors & Biltong - Sterkte met die "job hunt"! Groete G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 1, 2016 Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 (edited) Good luck with the job hunt, yours (typo, should have been ours) has just started. On the plus side, our stuff arrived a month ago, and we're happily settled into our rental. I think you'll find biltong making easier than boerewors making. (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.) There is even a thread on the forum advising how to make a biltong drying box. It'll take your mind off the quiet. We have also found that this period before finding a job has given us a lot of relaxed time together, and we are working through the national parks in our area at a great rate of knots. (they are all free, so that is excellent) And the exercise is good for morale, we walk and cycle. I recently had a chat with @EmNew and she told me that it really helped to do a local course related to her field of work. The new employer liked the idea that she tried to do something constructive to improve her chances of finding work (which it ended up doing). Like I said, we are just at the beginning, so we'll see how it goes. Baie sterkte! Aanhouer wen! Edited September 2, 2016 by RedPanda 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted September 1, 2016 Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 Good to read an update Sorry to hear that the job hunt continues though......... The feelings I had in those 4 months of job seeking are still fresh in my mind . It was the most demoralising experience. Seeds of self doubt in my abilities, questioning if I even wanted to remain in an industry determined to reject me etc..... The courses @RedPanda are referring to that I did are the Xero Certified Advisor course and the Certified Tax Advisor Foundations course. The former is a lot cheaper than the latter and can be done more quickly too. I had competed the Xero one before I had my first and only interview ( after over a 100 applications ) and had registered for the second. I get the impression that it helps to show you're trying to integrate into the local workforce as best you can while you look for employment. Wishing you all the best for the continuing hunt for employment .......... Hope that your efforts to quell the 'lus' turn out well ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted September 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2016 Well it's official... the wife and I know each other too well or something. Yesterday just after I posted about wanting to buy some biltong (and even though I did not mention anything about biltong to her) she came home with some she bought for me at the Friday market at The Rocks Where is good old Spock when you need some training in the ways of the Vulcans... this can become dangerous 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted September 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 Poof, just like that another 3 weeks go by... Damn, time goes by fast when you are not looking. So, what have we been up to the last couple of weeks... Kooza was great. The wife really liked it. They sure gave you a couple of heart stopping moments The job hunt is still ongoing, but I still have my feelers out (went through a bit of a slump due to not getting anywhere, but I think that's over. Jury is still out on that.) and I might have a good shot at something that is not in the accounting field. More on that if it pans out. We had our first trip outside of the city a couple of weekends ago. We took a day trip (thanks Groupon) to the Blue Mountains and the Jenolan Caves. It was a nice trip. Just helluva long. Will definitely have to do a whole weekend in one of those small Blue Mountains towns. The caves were beautiful, but I feel that there were just too many people on the cave tour. I think that if they limit the numbers on the tours, the tours itself might be more enjoyable. But that's just me. Now that it is starting to get a bit warmer we plan on exploring the city a bit more on foot. The new picnic backpack will get some serious use Just received a mail from the removals company to say that our stuff has arrived at their warehouse. So now it just has to undergo a quarantine inspection and then we can have it delivered. Hopefully the strike I heard about does not delay it too long. Customs clearance was no problem fortunately. Got clearance even before the ship docked... And that about covers they interesting stuff since my last post... How long does it take for a new rut to form? About six months. Damn. Well I hope your journey is going well. Till next time. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted October 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 No going back now... Well even if we had any thoughts of maybe going back (which we don't), we can't anymore. Our stuff has finally arrived and I am NOT shipping them anywhere again. Only problem is we have to much in this little 2 bed apartment now. We still have a lot of boxes to go through but the decision has been made to get rid of a lot of stuff. Once we have a list I will post it. I don't know if it was the fact that we slept on our own mattress or the fact that we were wrecked from the move or both, but we slept like the dead yesterday. Now I am gonna have a bit of a lie down...every part of my body aches. Hope it is better before my medical assessment of Monday... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuvi Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 12 minutes ago, SDTCPT said: No going back now... Well even if we had any thoughts of maybe going back (which we don't), we can't anymore. Our stuff has finally arrived and I am NOT shipping them anywhere again. Only problem is we have to much in this little 2 bed apartment now. We still have a lot of boxes to go through but the decision has been made to get rid of a lot of stuff. Once we have a list I will post it. I don't know if it was the fact that we slept on our own mattress or the fact that we were wrecked from the move or both, but we slept like the dead yesterday. Now I am gonna have a bit of a lie down...every part of my body aches. Hope it is better before my medical assessment of Monday... Regardless of big or small, its great having your stuff here. As you said, i think we had the best sleep when our stuff arrived and was unpacked. It just felt like home again. Best of luck, which area in Sydney are you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 The best sleep is in your own bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted October 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2016 What a week it has been... Last weekend was one hell of an unpacking marathon, but we did it and by Tuesday we had all the stuff that had to go out of the flat. All that is left is one 2 seater sofa that also has to go. Now the place is starting to look more like ours. All our stuff is (mostly) arranged the way we want. I am glad to report that both pc's and almost every piece of glassware except for 3 bowls made it (even the small hand blown glass ball oil lamps). We are missing a camera bag and some shox mini speakers, but I can't say where these were lost...all the boxes on the list did arrive so I don't know... Also had my first birthday in Aus on Friday. We kept it low key did not do much, but I did get a very very good birthday present. I finally got the nod for a position as a trainee train drive with Sydney Trains. It is a big change in careers, but seeing as I have not had any luck trying to get a job in accounting (not to cast a bad reflection on the job prospects of the industry, I think it was just me...) to say I am over the moon is putting it lightly. I think it will be an interesting change... lets hope for the best. Anyway enough for one post, I have to go sign and return my acceptance to make it official PS Just in case anyone is interested in a very lightly used sofa. Here is the link to the gumtree ad my wife put up. Price can be negotiated... http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/sydney-city/sofas/2-seater-sofa/1127517409 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted October 24, 2016 Report Share Posted October 24, 2016 Great and apt update to read on my homeward train commute . I think now that you have employment sorted , your things unpacked , the settling in journey can truly begin . Happy Birthday for Friday and what an awesome present to get - great timing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted October 24, 2016 Report Share Posted October 24, 2016 My husband and I were watching some Australian train driving programme on DSTV this evening (can't recall the name) and he made a comment about what a great job that would be. Every boys dream ..... Looking forward to more updates. Seriously like the idea of reinventing oneself. Good luck and happy birthday for last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 On 24/10/2016 at 3:25 AM, SDTCPT said: I finally got the nod for a position as a trainee train drive with Sydney Trains. It is a big change in careers, Well done! I really admire you for having the guts to make such a huge career change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJSA Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 On 10/24/2016 at 3:25 AM, SDTCPT said: I finally got the nod for a position as a trainee train drive with Sydney Trains Congrats SDTCPT! This is wonderful news and it also shows that anything is possible in the land down under! An inspiration to us all! Enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted April 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) A bit more than a year Down Under... Damn time sure flies... the 9th of April marked 1 year since we set foot on Aussie soil. And what a year it has been... We moved from 1 end of Aus to the other (if you can count a week in WA...) I was unemployed for about 6 months (not that long I know, but it was the longest I was unemployed since I left Tech). Luckily, my wife landed a job 4 days after we landed, (hence the move to Sydney). Found a place to rent (still in the same place, even with the road noise it is just too central an area to give up at the moment) I finally landed a job (as a trainee train driver), which was so far out of my comfort zone, I never even dreamt of doing it before. I must tell you, next to moving halfway across the globe, changing carreers must have been THE hardest ting I have ever done. The training is still ongoing and there are some days when I just can't see myself staying with it, but then I just put the old saying into practice, Kyk Noord en F** Voort (if that even is an official one). We had a big scare with my wife's grandma health over Christmas, but that has been resolved for the moment. My wife landed a permanent job with a big International company at the start of 2017. She is still finding her feet in the new role, but she enjoys it (most days) I was able to buy my first car (I know it's sad to only be able to say that now at my age, best I could do previously was buying a Honda bike). Let me tell you, getting behind the wheel of a car again after not having driven for a year and doing it in what is basically Sydney Inner City, was interesting... now I just have to find a weekend in my roster where we can take the car on one of the two normal Aussie holiday trips, Up The Coast or Down The Coast... So ja, a lot has happened to us, with us and for us this past year (much more than the couple of bullets I put up here, but damn it, my mind is mush and I can't recall more than those at the moment...) We have had good, we have had not so good. We miss our family and friends back ho.. (well not home anymore really, this is Home now) in RSA. We have had days (weeks) when we (I) have thought what the hell did we do (I do to my wife) coming to this damn place... But then you sit back and think about all the things that you have here that you would not have had back in RSA, what your life would have been like there compared to what it is here. It makes you think, This place might not be all sunshine and rainbows (well come to think about it, the weather was so weird this summer here in Sydney, there were lots of days where we did have sunshine and rainbows on the same day , but you know what I mean), but this is Home, I WILL make it work no matter what life throws at us. So here's to the next 12 months, may they be a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. May we actually find the time to do the things that were the main reasons for our move here... To those still waiting to make the move, Good Luck and All the Best. To those that have made this mind-numbingly stressful, yet awesomely adventurous move, may your time here be filled with more happy days than not so happy days. Edited April 18, 2017 by SDTCPT Not finished with post 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 2 minutes ago, SDTCPT said: A bit more than a year Down Under... Damn time sure flies... the 9th of April marked 1 year since we set foot on Aussie soil. And what a year it has been... We moved from 1 end of Aus to the other (if you can count a week in WA...) I was unemployed for about 6 months (not that long I know, but it was the longest I was unemployed since I left Tech). Luckily my wife landed a job 4 days after we landed, hence the move. I finally landed a job (as a trainee train driver), which was so far out of my comfort zone, I never even dreamt of doing it before. I must tell you, next to moving halfway across the globe, that must have been THE hardest ting I have ever done. The training is still ongoing and there are some days when I just can't see myself staying with it, but then I just put the old saying into practice, Kyk Noord en F** Voort (if that even is an official one). We had a big scare with my wife's grandma over Christmas, but that has been resolved for the moment. I get the feeling this post just posted itself before you were done with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 But good on 'ya for making it this far And 'sterkte' for the next year... just keep ticking them off till you get your kangaroo passport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted April 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 Hi Red, Yup you are right on the money... I blame the fact that I have not posted in so long, the server must have thought it was being hacked by an unauthorized user or something... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) Glad to get the updated one, it's good to hear about your wife's work. And regarding the new car, well done! Don't worry about when other people get their cars, I'm sure you did different stuff (like migrating!). We all have very different journeys through life, the best thing is not to compare and just be happy with what you have, and work for what you want. Thanks for sharing with us. Edited April 18, 2017 by RedPanda 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonny Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 Well done to you SDTCPT, that must have been one hell of a stressful time. I can only imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted June 17, 2017 Report Share Posted June 17, 2017 Glad to read that things are turning out well overall! How is the train driving progressing? Do you miss number-crunching at all? Enjoy the adventures in your now not so new set of wheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted December 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2017 And the beat goes on... Well, shi...ft work. You blink and another couple of months go by. Move to Aus they said, change is good they said. Hah! What do they know! It bloody amazing how quickly you fall back into your old rut if you are not careful. And I am sad to say I was not. During the first couple of months we were here in Sydney we made a point of trying to go and explore the city and spend more time together, but sadly (at least in my case) we have basically just changed the scenery, the routine has come back. We are back to being so damn knackered be the end of the week that we just stay at home and veg. Having said that. It's not all that bad. It all means that we have jobs that keep us busy. Jobs that make our new life here possible. It means we are not as stressed as we were at this time last year not knowing if my wife would still have a job at the start of this year. If we would be able to keep going without her salary. But damn, she really does need a bit of a break. She has not really hit the pause button since she got here. She has started a new job (again) at the beginning of October. She seems to be a bit happier in the new company so far. She can do what she likes to do (even though she does bit... complain about not wanting to do it anymore. She is not being a spoiled brat, she is just tired. She does not really mean it. I hope that after she has had a little break over the Christmas/New Years holidays, she will be in a better head space.) As for me... well my training has finally ended and I was let loose on the unsuspecting Sydney Trains network as a qualified Driver. Shift work still sucks, but at least now if I don't like the start times a can swap the shift for something more to my liking. I am working over the holidays (unfortunately I will not be going near Circular Quay on New Year's, would have been awesome to see the fireworks from the cab of my train...) while my wife is on a break, so that sucks a bit. It has now been a year and 8 months since we have moved over here. We have not really met too many people yet ( refer back to my comment about being in a rut...) even though neither my wife nor I, are real people's persons the fact that we are actually alone at the moment is really starting to get to us I think. My wife really wants to get back to WA so we can be closer to her brother (part of the reason for our move). Hopefully, the new company can make that happen down the line (part of the reason she chose to move to them is the fact that they are a massive international firm with office all over, including Perth.) We are thinking of going back in March 2018 for a visit (I just need to get my head out of my ar#$ and put in a request for leave). I am looking forward to it I must admit. I have not seen my family since our move. My wife has been able to see her family for a short time, they all went to Disney World in Hong Kong for her niece's birthday. Well that was a bit of a short and rambling update... but it will have to do for now (Uber Eats is on the way...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted December 18, 2017 Report Share Posted December 18, 2017 I've found one of the things that takes the most of our time, and is the most sneaky about it too, is the fact that we got here and now we need to setup a whole lot of things from scratch that we had 'all sorted out' in RSA. This eats into weekends. I'm glad you have work, and that it's progressing, anything is better than nothing I'm sure if you keep going for a little while you will start to settle other things one by one, and then you can start to look around and change the bigger things you want to. Like look for other work, if that's something you want to do. I do think it's important to a person's happiness to want to live in the place where they are. So if you really want to live in Perth, work on getting there, and good luck and sterkte with it! Here's to a 2018 that gives you more than 2017 did (Merry Christmas, and Happy, Prosperous New Year!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TamTam Posted December 18, 2017 Report Share Posted December 18, 2017 8 minutes ago, RedPanda said: I do think it's important to a person's happiness to want to live in the place where they are I couldn't agree more - if you don't actually want to be somewhere you'll poison it in your mind and stop seeing reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDTCPT Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 All hail the Necromancer... (no I have not taken to ressurecting the dead...just dormant journals 😀) Damn, can’t believe it has been three years since we have arrived. Well a lot has gone on in the almost year and a half(bloody hell) since I last posted on here. Life as they say happens while you are making plans. So the plan was to get back to WA. Took us a while but it looks like we will actually make it this time. My wife just accepted a job in Bunbury. Can’t belive it, but she actually found something in the same town as her brother. I must say it took us a bit by surprise as it happend pretty quickly after a long wait without any kind of possibilities. She starts at the beginning of May. So we have a lot of stuff to sort out to get the move done. It is gonna be hectic and almost as bad as moving to Aus in the first place. At least this time one of us has a job to walk into. So after 3 years in Sydney we will be saying goodbye to the hectic Harbour City and hopefully we will be slowing done some in WA. Have a good one guys. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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