Ray51 Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 A dear person is very close to moving to Perth !We understand that many Saffers are very happy there ?Nevertheless , would any of you , living in WA , comment on some aspects of everyday life e.g.- mosquitoes , flies worrying you ?- eating out : very pricey ?- fresh fruit and veg , wine - expensive ?- if you don't like a Holden or a Ford , what would be nice and not astronomically expensive , for one to drive? ( some stylish , safe , well-built automatic...? )- doesn't the heat get to you , after a while i.e. don't you miss real seasons ?- the Brits all seem to complain about prices of pharmaceuticals Down Under - how do you manage , if you have a need for certain medicines on a regular basis ?- dentists ?We value any and all comments , thanx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hi there Ray, How have you been ? I wish I could do more to help your friends ! I have been able to find the following in answer to some of the questions. Don't know if they have seen most of it already, but I found the articles by expats very interesting :Expat articles on living in Perth :http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jht.../29/expatoz.xmlhttp://talesmag.com/rprweb/the_rprs/pacifi...sts_perth.shtmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jht...26/experthx.xmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jht...5/ixportal.htmlBuying groceries :http://www.freshline-groceries.com.au/http://www.smh.com.au/news/icon/deliver-us...1539077408.htmlWine :http://www.treetonestate.com.auhttp://www.janebrook.com.auShopping in general – online shops with websites : http://www.apiqld.com.au/shop-save_wa.aspCars :http://www.metromotors.com.auPharmacy :ePharmacy Discount Members will get their first ePharmacy order delivered FREE OF DELIVERY CHARGE (a saving of $5.50) regardless of the total amount spent and thereafter members need to spend only $50 to get their order mailed free of charge by Registered Post. Here’s how to register STEP 1 - Go to http://www.epharmacy.com.au (or, if you don't have internet, call API on 1300 130 566 and we will register and order for you).STEP 2 - Click on "Create New Account" to register. STEP 3 - Complete your details and then click on ‘Affiliation / Membership’ and ‘ API’, then this will automatically ensure you get your exclusive discount on postage. (first order postage free then all subsequent orders over $50 are postage free - delivered to your door).STEP 4 - Click on "Register" at the bottom of the page. Place your order.Dentist :Dr RJ Childs Periodontist34 Hanlon StreetHamilton HillPerthWesternAustralia 6163t:031-466-1340f: 031-466-2452 Hope this helps a little until someone from Perth can cover the rest for you !LoveSeoul Sister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 Thank You , for the splendid effort , Blonds !Yep , I looked and looked , and then looked some more again , websites'n'Aussie daily papers'n'all !I focused on looking for positives , I re-read Bill Bryson's travelogues , I suffered parts of Neighbours on the telly , I tried to think of any Aussies one gets to see/know of ( Bryan Brown , Kylie , Michael Hutchence , Mad Max , Men at Work , Mel Gibson , AC/DC , Danii Minogue , Peter Costello , Jelena Dokich , Leyton Hewitt , Rod Laver , Viduka , Crocodile Dundee ...)remembered Rachel Ward from Thorn Birds to Against All Odds and to On the Beach , I even priced some houses and cars...( anything nice-ish seems v.v. pricey ! )For Kryssakes , what is wrong with me ? Jis can't get excited enough , to even semi-start any plans of actually GOING thereto , to the proverbial "back of beyond"...although this still might be the only probable , remaining Destiny , of an ageing expat ex-SethEffriken ???O.K. , but simultaneously : the fellow Brits of advanced age/s have also been helluva helpful ( besides being just Sooo Pooositive about their blessed new existence Down Under ) and have kept us abreast the many latest developments ......not least the new Bill on taxation of temporary residents...which has passed its 1st reading , and could become published as a Law , before our summer here ( if , indeed , summer Ever re-visits here again , hoor ? ) ;that's when , IF/When that happens i.e. , many cookies will have to crumble , one way , or another...?Stay in touch , you input always is : much valued !Grey & raining in Bru today , TGIF , much trouble from mad Yankees vs. Moolahs pending...Ciao 4 now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 Hi guys, It had been a while since the three of us met up on a discussion. And I have to admit, I miss your company ! I know what you mean when you say - if summer ever arrives. I have been a positive glow the past week, with a whole week of + 0 temperatures and the odd enthusiastic tree showing a green bud or two. On Friday, I was very chuffed when my little one and I were outside and came back, to leave our jackets at home since we had hit the +10 degree mark, and spring was obviously in the air, with loads of sunshine and warmer weather. Oh boy, was my enthusiasm crushed yesterday morning at 12 when upon leaving the house I discovered the return of our old Siberian friend *wind* and -10 degrees !! Within 12 hours the wind had turn and brought about a temperature fall of more than 20 degrees ! Cherry on the cake was the snow this morning and traffic jam upon traffic jam in this huge old city of ours. So, I can report from the home of Taekwondo, Kimchi and Kia, that indeed summer is still at least a 5 hour flight away on the island of Guam !With regard to your resistance, perseverance, emotionless state on your move to Australia, I can completely relate.. It's not a good place to be in, shall we call it ambivalence ? Is it possible that you have researched and reviewed your options a bit too well ? That you have so much information on what to expect and the negatives and positives that there are actually very few things that can still surprize you ? I am also wondering whether it is Oz in general that you are unsure of as the right choice or whether it is Perth specifically... I have a thought (and for once it wasn't a painful experience, hehehehehehe ). Have you thought of perhaps joining the Ozzies in Belgium and letting it develop from there ? Is there a possibility that closer contact with them in a social environment might spark some enthusiasm, or once and for all eliminate Oz as a viable option ? I have found the American Women's Club of Seoul a really valuable source of information, not only in terms of chatting to the gals, but also in seeing how their social structure works, what they talk about, what the important issues are in their minds (you'd be surprized how much you can say about Bush over and over and over and over) and the differences in the gals from the different regions. It has helped me a great deal in seeing what I want and don't want when moving to the States. Maybe more social interaction could do the same for you ? This way, you will have Belgium in common with them as a starting point or common ground ?Just in case of interest : Australia Society in Belgium1000 BrusselsTel.:: 0495 360 841Meetings:: VariousMeeting Location:: Australian EmbassyAnnual Dues:: 20.00 Euro per yearE-Mail: chris.chugg[at]skynet.beWebsite : http://www.aussieworld.com/AUSocWe are a social organisation for Australians living in Belgium. We get together once a month for social drinks at the Australian Embassy in Brussels and organise various events throughout the year. These are a combination of dinner's, family get togethers, Christmas, Australia Day and Anzac day.Anyone with ties to Australia is more than welcome to join our group. Fees are Euro 20.00 per year per family and entiltles members to our bi-monthly newsletter, called the Boomerang, as well as our Electronic Newsreel every month. Members also receive invitations to our functions and social gatherings.Australia Society71 Rue Saint Quentin Guimard 6-81000 BrusselsTel.:: 02 230 67 48Meetings:: AGM - Feb 1, 2000Meeting Location:: Australian EmbassyAnnual Dues:: BF 500E-Mail: admin[at]aussieworld.comWebsite : http://www.aussieworld.com/ausoc/We are a non-profit organisation run by volunteers primarily to benefit Australian citizens and their families living in Belgium. Membership is also open to those who have family ties with Australia or those who have strong links with the country,at the discretion of the committee. The purpose of the society is to offer a forum where members can meet in Belgium through social and cultural activities. We currently have a toddlers’ group, tennis on a regular basis, functions arranged for special days (Christmas party, Australia day, Spring BBQ, Melbourne Cup, etc.), regular coffee mornings and cultural excursions to enhance our knowledge of Belgium.Then there is also of course a group of Ozzies online on Expatica's Belgian wing :http://www.expatica.com/ Click on Belgium, Click on Join a discussion Click on Australia ForumI had a look, but I couldn't find an Australian Women's club, which could have been something nice for your wives to do, could have kept them out of the shops for a morning. Hehehehehehehe. Lastly one more word of wisdom, then I'd better lie down for a while, has been an intellectually draining day, with all of these thoughts flying around.. Hehehehehhe. I am a great believer in trusting your gut feeling. I know men don't generally value their gut instinct too much, and tend to rely more on cold hard facts and figures. But I want to say : trust your gut instinct. If your gut instinct is telling you Perth/Oz is not the place for you and you need to continue the search, then do so. It's often something we can't explain, it's just this little nagging voice/feeling that is saying don't... It doesn't have to make rational sense, sometimes it just a summary of a lot of feelings and facts, and more often than not, it's worth listening to ! Hubby and I have to make up our minds for our plan B, incase our visas for the US end up taking 18 months.... Oz is an obvious choice, yet I don't find myself waxing my surfboard or prancing through the meadows at the thought. Some compromises just seem a bit TOO big in my mind...Good luck my friend. I hope you get some answers soon ! And hope to see more of the two of you on the forum, I miss our chats on life in Benelux-country. *Bought me some Gouda cheese at the Hannam-Dong foreigners market this morning, US$ 17 for 250 gram !! * Lemme know if I can help somehow. Love from SeoulBlondi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Blonds ,Thank you so much , for your interest , thoughts and all your trying to help!For the THIRD day running , we have a Transvaal kind-a-day here : bright , blue'n'sunny skies , ample sunshine , up to 9C ...suffice to say : it's Joy to the World out there everywhere , we got people sitting outside the ( many ) cafes and bistros basking in the sunlight and ultra mini-skirts seem to have made a timely come-back...Someone from Calgary wrote , on another forum I think , that without surviving Canadian winter , they'd never really appreciate another summer again ; how true - and I wonder if the same's not the case with all cold plekkies , up here in N.-W. Europe ?No surprise , then , that the Dutchies are quite happy to schlepp , for untold boring days and nights , down to warmer climes , as we had previously started to describe ?A colleague from work is trying to talk us , into going to N. Spain - and this is how his story goes :the man is in early 40's , Londoner from Hounslow , loyally married , 4 ( four ) children - no , not priapic , first they had a daughter , 6 yrs later the triplets "happenned" and so : you can see , the financial and other-life implications can be/are : grave , indeed ; once he was an ( horror of horrors ! ) estate agent in U.K. but had had enough of that con-game and slavery long ago and took up a new career , in Qatar ;the glory days ensued , in true expat/Middle-Eastern style ;his tax-free income regularly exceeded 10 and 15K sterling monthly even , the 400 sq.m. villa was freezingly-Airconditioned , a low-paid Phillipine pretty young chick took expert care of the children , even-lower-paid Jinglie man took some so-so care of the garden and of the washing , daily!, of both the new 540 Beemer and the new Nissan Patrol 4x4 , the wife took taxies : to shopping/hairdressers, pedicures/manicures/aromatherapy/masseurs/gym/cocktails/teas/skinner parties with all other expat bored wives and concubines and then some more shopping...The fairy-tale ended abruptly , shortly after 9/11 ; on Yankees' demands , the Middle East Governments took many licences away from expats who could be suspect of doing anything akin to money-laundering , be it in law , finance , trade , whatever ; thus , my mates lost their permanent residence in Qatar: automatically.Then they struggled again awhile , back in the U.K. , then came to here , Bru - which turned out to be much better , all around , anyway !Last year , they moved again : to Sitges , a small town near Barcelona ; a mod , Air-conditioned villa is reasonably affordable , to rent , or even buy ; the weather is very nice ; a chilled San Miguel premium 5,4% beer costs 1Euro50 ( compared with 3 pounds , or more , in U.K. ) and they give you some Tapas to nibble with it , free.A passable glass of red wine starts from 1 Euro , Tapas also included : olives , or anchovies or tuna-on-biscuits...A no-frill airline brings my mate to work here , at Euro80 per return flight , all told - so , he arrives Monday a.m. , slaves away all hours God gives until Thu p.m. , when , at 18.00 , he flies back to home & family.He thinks : "Nirvana , found , signed , sealed and delivered !"Has even influenced another friend of ours , working in Amsterdam , to practise the same trick !Found another lekker , affordable , luxurious new villa in same neighbourhood , did a bit of fancy footwork , you know : Freixenet Cava + braaing the prawns , also : exploring the Ramblasjust before dawnbreaks -and : hoopla ! The other friend was , so easily , persuaded !So now , the expat-wives have re-created the scene (of shopping , being pampered , more shopping et all ),albeit : inside the EU ; and my amsterdammer friend does Barca-NL , frequently and cheaply , and everyone's happier than ever!Spanish tax-authorities seem to be extremely easy-going , too , at least : for the holders of ( preferred ) EU-passports.Are there lessons in this , for any of us ?Sayonara , Hasta Luego and all that jazz ...A. (moi ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 He thinks : "Nirvana , found , signed , sealed and delivered !"So now , the expat-wives have re-created the scene (of shopping , being pampered , more shopping et all ),albeit : inside the EU ; Are there lessons in this , for any of us ?Bonjour mon ami, Hola and Konichiwa,Thanks for that very interesting, thought-provoking peek into your friend's life. My favourite highlight was of course the deliciously decadent expat lifestyle that so many have hoped for Middle- Eastern style * eventhough I am sure a specific, very disgruntled co-forumite will not approve of my obvious materialistic nature !! * And oh boy, what an ingenious plan for recapturing some of that on The Continent !! True expat innovative thinking. From your posting and your usage of "trying to talk us into it" I deduce that you are not hook, line and sinker yet ? I see very few flies on this plan, mi amigo, especially from your wife's point of view. Anything specific keeping you from doing this ?Love from hereBlondi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Shame : unadvertently the thread has been hi-jacked , again , ek se.Apologies all around !P.S. to S.S. : will respond by e-mail to yr yahoo.com address , a.s.a.p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 O koek !!Dear Ray, Friends, interesting and interested readers,Sorry for stealing the thread ! Humble apologies, hope you get some worthwhile answers Ray !!Sure thing, ands !Love from here, sorry for the inconvenienceBlondi PS. Andie, you and I should really one day find a forum where our discussions will actually be relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Love from here, sorry for the inconvenienceBlondi PS. Andie, you and I should really one day find a forum where our discussions will actually be relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I think you are on to something worth investigating !Just imagine the networking possibilities ! Will mail you later.Love from hereBlondi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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