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Right decision


JLE

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We will be in a rural area near Perth in less than three months. I got a sponsored job and my husband will look for work after we arrive. The reality is now creeping closer and the anxiety getting bigger. Most of us immigrate for a better future for our children, but will they really be better off? We are immigrating with three kids - two teenagers and one in primary school. I am worried how they will adjust at school. I am thinking of so many things right now - will they settle in quickly, will they be academically ok at school, will they have the same opportunities to participate in sport, will the universities really be better and will they really have more opportunities there? What if my husband doesn't get a job soon enough and we can't cope financially etc. I am sure this is just the fear of the unknown, but is it normal to start to question yourself if you are making the right decision? 

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In order to help we need more info and by you asking specific questions.

Let us know which rural area? 

What is hubbies background, skills and experience?

What age are the kids and which sport?

What will be the household income if you the sole income earner?

etc

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Most of us have these: "am I doing the right thing" moments once the reality of a life in a new country kicks in.  It's absolutely normal and I can tell you now that your concerns about your children's academics and education, is one thing you can take off the worry list with confidence.  There are so many helpful threads in the schools & education sub-forum - have a good read and if you have any questions, post it there as you're more likely to get more specific responses.  You'll also find many links, resources, tips and tricks to make the adjustment easier, especially academics.  If your home language is English, the kids will obviously adjust easier and quicker than if it's Afrikaans - particularly learning scientific and mathematical terminology but even for that, there are many resources.  They'll be OK. 

 

Adjusting in a rural area may be a bit more challenging but that depends on how rural you'll be... Is it a one horse town or a big town a few hours away from a capital city? It also depends a lot on whether you're a rural type person or a city type person.  You may feel a bit more secluded and lonely initially but once again, there are things you can do to settle down and build a new social circle and support system.  Just don't withdraw yourself because you don't "fit in" or feel that you don't belong - get out there and do things: volunteer at the school canteen, attend school events, join a sports club, mothers group or something where you can socialise with other parents & adults.  The smaller the town, the more close-knit the community and it could go both ways: they could either be so protective of their community  that they don't allow "strangers" in easily or they could show you real small-town hospitality and friendship.  It's up to you to put yourself out there.  

 

There are no guarantees so all you can do is get your mind in the right space and let go of all the negative feelings as it can really consume you and even make you blind to the opportunities you do have.  If you have a glass half full approach, you're halfway there.   

 

Cold feet is normal - just breathe! 

 

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Hi, we are just over 3 months in, so still going through a little bit of the culture shock phase. My best advice would be not to compare everything with South Africa. If I compare my son's school in South Africa to his school here I liked his school in South Africa more, but saying that he is actually more happy in the school here (although he learned more academics for his age in South Africa than he is learning here so far). He also had a lot more exposure to sport and we were able to afford a few extra murals in South Africa. Here we are only able to afford one (for now) and they don't do any sport at school. Saying that, it was still the best move we could ever make for him and his future. The freedom and quality of life we have here far outweighs the few negatives. I'm able to walk with him to the park from home, go to shopping centres with him without worrying about his safety. I can drive late at night without a worry of being hijacked, also not scared of staying at home alone with him, if the husband is working late. We don't have any burglar bars on our windows or a security gate at the front door, we don't even have a fence or gate outside and I still feel that we're safe. After the first few weeks my husband and I both said that it felt like a weight has been lifted off our chests, there were no more stress or paranoia like we were used to everyday in SA.

 

We do miss a lot of things from SA, especially family (which makes some days difficult), and then things that are not available from an expat shops here (Tropika, Woolworths Chuckles, Tinkies, Whispers, Sir Strawberry Juice and all Ceres / Liqui Fruit juices, Speckled Eggs). We miss the familiarity of the roads, shops, cafes and restaurants that we loved and were used to in South Africa. Australian food is something that we are still getting used to and eating out is a luxury for maybe once a month. Luckily there is so much free stuff to do here, the ocean is a few minutes drive away, the parks here are super awesome for kids.

 

On the job front, we can't really comment on what Perth or rural WA is like, but so far since arriving in Adelaide my husband secured his 1st job within 10 days (3 month contract), and after the contract ended a few weeks ago he got 2 job offers within 5 days (both contracts), he accepted a 6 month contract with possible extension. So he was lucky enough to get a job relatively easy (just not permanent yet). I'm working from home at the moment for my South African employer, will only start looking for an Oz job next year.

 

With universities, we've only had a walk around through the University of Adelaide and 1st impressions were really good. Can't comment on the quality of education but the overall feel and atmosphere was really nice. I think my son will enjoy going there in the far future :)

 

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Whispers = Maltezers in Australia. If you still prefer the original, you can order them online in Australia from several South African shops - they're available here for instance: https://www.springbokfoods.com.au/cadbury-whispers-65g You can also get Ceres, Liqui Fruit, speckled eggs etc. online in Australia.

 

Here are a few other South African stores in Australia where you can buy online:

 

http://www.satooz.com.au/

https://www.biltongandboerewors.com.au/

https://thesouthafricanshop.com.au/

https://southafricanonlineshop.com.au/

 

This one operates from South Africa and if they don't have something on their product list that you want, they'll get it for you.  I've used them before and it went very well although the parcel obviously takes a bit longer to get to you than it would in Australia. They were very helpful and friendly and with my postage costs, they told me how much weight I could still add for the same postage cost, to make it more economical etc.

 

https://www.expatshop.co.za/

 

No need to be deprived of your favourite treats 😊

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank you @Riekie

I've found a few of those online shops but not all of them you listed and I'm glad to see some of those have more items than the ones I've visited already.

Yes, Whispers and Chuckles don't compare to Maltesers unfortunately :(

I've asked about Tropika as no-one seems to have it on their online stores or at the expat shops, apparently they are having issues with customs rejecting it in Australia.

We've actually emailed Clover and they told us that they are working with an Australian distributor to get some Clover products over to Australia (the guy said that if talks are successful they will put Tropika in the basket to be distributed here). Might take forever or maybe not even happen, but I'm holding thumbs.

It's also so strange not to get Strawberry juice anywhere. In SA you could buy it anywhere. Here I haven't found a single shop or brand so far that sells 100% strawberry juice. Will have to start making my own...

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Definitely more things available in Australia now than 15 years ago so there is hope... 😊 I doubt they'll get tropika through as it contains milk and they're VERY strict on protecting the dairy industry in Australia.  On the other hand, we used to get Oxtail soup here and now we can't because it is now banned.  So are ghost pops! 😯 Must be some preservative or colouring that does not comply with Australian health standards.  Many of these bright colorings are now banned in Australia - you should see how faded the Aussie fruit loops look!

 

The good news is that after a few years, you would have developed a palate for the Aussie tastes and won't miss nearly as much about the South African goodies as you do now 😎 I remember ordering boxes full of stuff online but now I mostly buy mayonaise (and copious amounts of dröewors!) from the South African shop.  Oh, and senties...  ADDICTED to those! Chutney is everywhere now (Woollies, Coles...) and we make our own biltong (although, the chilli biltong from Biltong & Boerewors has no rival!) Shockingly enough, I do not like the south African wines anymore! I've gone from having shares in Drostdy Hof Adelpracht to walking right past it.  I find the South African wines too fruity and sweet.  I'm now a NZ Malborough Sav Blanc or Pinot Grigio girl!  (Never thought I'd see the day!) 

 

So many things I didn't think I'd be able to survive without and now it's not even on the radar anymore 😇

 

 

 

 

 

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On 10/16/2018 at 9:57 AM, Riekie said:

Whispers = Maltezers in Australia. If you still prefer the original, you can order them online in Australia from several South African shops - they're available here for instance: https://www.springbokfoods.com.au/cadbury-whispers-65g You can also get Ceres, Liqui Fruit, speckled eggs etc. online in Australia.

 

Here are a few other South African stores in Australia where you can buy online:

 

http://www.satooz.com.au/

https://www.biltongandboerewors.com.au/

https://thesouthafricanshop.com.au/

https://southafricanonlineshop.com.au/

 

This one operates from South Africa and if they don't have something on their product list that you want, they'll get it for you.  I've used them before and it went very well although the parcel obviously takes a bit longer to get to you than it would in Australia. They were very helpful and friendly and with my postage costs, they told me how much weight I could still add for the same postage cost, to make it more economical etc.

 

https://www.expatshop.co.za/

 

No need to be deprived of your favourite treats 😊

 

If you're shopping in WA, make sure to check CapeToCairo (http://www.capetocairo.com.au/).  They even do Boeredogs and Vetkoek on Saturdays!

 

They have opened several stores in Perth and further down south (Bunbury etc)

Woolies and IGA also cover RSA essentials such as Ouma Beskuit and Protea Biltong. :)

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On 10/7/2018 at 10:18 PM, JLE said:

 will the universities really be better

Compare world rankings for universities and you will see that Australia far outranks SA. Having said this, the competition to get into your chosen Uni/course is fierce. 

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On 10/25/2018 at 11:20 AM, ChrisinBris said:

Where are you going JLE? 

 

How many horses are in your town ;)

That’s what I want to know also! We live semi-rural and we have about 1,700 people in our town. And quite a few horses. It’s fantastic. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

My son saw this in Woolies and we bought it, after trying it he said it almost tastes like Tropika... I tried it and sure enough it does have similar taste and texture to Tropika.

So it was happiness for him to find something that tastes close to Tropika.

 

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/794497/berry-nice-multi-flavour-creamy-ice-bars

 

Our Woolies also has a lot of SA products and not a lot of people here seems to buy, so we usually look for the 'marked down' items (close to expiry date), as its usually 1/2 price then. Got NikNaks for $2.80 a few weeks ago, also Pronutro for about $3.

 

 

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