Wolf Wanders

[GenDemo]

So lets me get back to some people on their questions - I am going to be "dwars" and answer people's questions and comment on their opinion, whether they were answered by another person or not. Why? Because I want to, because I can, and because I would like to give my own views and experiences. Hence I don't mean to offend if I don't agree with your view/opinion.

Also...I am going to stick with my bullet format for topics as I think that could make it easier for someone who is reading, to skip a topic that doesn't interest them...? Also, because I am not telling a day-by-day type story regarding my immigration process, but rather picking on certain topics. Also, it is difficult to convey emotion in words - so even though I might sound...sour or bitter, I am writing this in high spirits, with a smile and a sarcastic mind.

 

• Polony : @RYLC thank you very much! I will definitely go looking for that, and hopefully not end up with dog food. As a big fan of polony (and I don't care what people say about it, I love it) I will ask around. They make a killer burger!
• Internet : wow, I see the internet drew much attention here. So I am not sure if I understood the comment @monsta made fully, but yes there might be a monopoly on the grid and the internet architecture. However, there are a number of different utility suppliers and providers/distributors, as well as ISPs. Good luck to those who need to pick a supplier for the first time. As soon as we got the go-ahead on our rental, I started researching the utility companies - and oh my word! what a confusing cacophony of chaos! Immediately I opened up an Excel sheet to compare and try to find the optimal one. For those who have yet to encounter this system (and yes I was quite intimidated by it), it goes like this: you pay a daily supply charge, irrespective of who you pick - so you pay for, say the electricity, even if you use zero. Then you have 3 types of plans (some have 4 types) to pick from: what I call a "Flat" rate ("Anytime" or "single rate"), a peak/off-peak plan and a "flexible" (peak/shoulder/off-peak) plan. So lets see how well everyone follows my mathematical explanation....... The flat rate means you pay $X until A kWh are used, then you pay $Y after that A kWh - sounds simple? I thought so too...but some quote A as per day, some quote A as per month, some per 91 days. Ok, shake your head, lets go on. Peak/off-peak means you pay different tariffs for on-peak and off-peak times. So now you pay $Z for the first B kWh per day/week/month/91day (whatever) during off-peak, and $Q after the B kWh; then you pay $R on-peak for the first C kWh and $S after the C kWh on-peak. I am getting confused again just by writing this. Ok, then we have flexi...which is the same concept as peak/off-peak, but now you have 3 time brackets - peak, shoulder and off-peak. So you pay $T on-peak for the first D kWh, $U thereafter, $V in shoulder time for the first E kWh with $W there after, then $M off-peak for the first F kWh and $P (no, not Poké-dollars) there after. Confused enough yet? Good, because now you repeat this whole thing for gas. Then comes the cherry on the cake. Put your account on as a debit order and you get x% discount on you bill and y% for the gas. Take electricity and gas from the same company and they give you z% extra discount. And I looked at 6 or 7 companies... and ...then I gave up. AGL gave me the biggest voucher, so I went with them...  Some of these companies you pay more for the peak/off-peak deals than the flat rate deals, so I have no idea how they compute that. Then you get different distributors in different areas, these are the people who physically supply the grid to your house and work on the electricity. This, as far as I could figure out, has no impact on your rates.
        the cheapest I could find was Powershop (http://www.powershop.com.au/),but they don't do gas. GloBird seemed good (http://www.globirdenergy.com.au/). Have a look at this...its a good start (https://compare.switchon.vic.gov.au/)
  So I haven't really spoken about internet have I? Ok, so yes, there might be one internet architecture, but they are many ISPs, just like in RSA. Telsta is your equivalent of Telkom, in the sense that they are the biggest and are/was government run. But I have no dealings with them, so I have no idea. Many of these ISPs also supply NBN (or fibre) (some only supply NBN). However, we are with TPG who does ADSL & NBN, we don't have NBN in our suburb yet. They also can't give you a time line as to the roll-out of the project. But there seems to be minimal difference in price between ADSL and Fibre, unlike RSA - which is really cool.
  Regarding my comment on the speed: We had Telkom FTTH in Centurion (see attached speed test) with a 100mbps line and <10ms latency. It was, however, very intermittent...but boy oh boy when it caught speed it was lightning fast! but our mobile devices really struggled with it. Now we have an 11.5mbps ADSL line with a quite constant 19ms latency. And....it performs better than our Telkom fibre did. It is rock solid and consistent. So my comment last time, was more regarding that I was hoping to get a faster line, not because it is not adequate or anything. Anyway. It works really well and I am happier with it than with my Telkom line....probably the happiest I've been with internet in my life...oh no wait Tuks' T1 line beat it...but that is besides the point  
• Sizzlers ...or whatever they call these silly things. @odendaal , I completely agree. Ek trek my neus op vir die simpel goed - a sausage in a slice of bread! what a stupid idea! I am not paying $3 for that. It looks like poor man's food - no man. I want a roll, with onion rings, and relish (or tomato sauce at least). So I have yet to try this foreign food. If you (@Yuvi) found a Bunnings that sells them in rolls, I think you need to commend them on it.
  The food here in Auz is great. Everything is extremely delicious ... and we have yet to have a bad cup of coffee - even from Starbucks. We had delicious coffee at the Starbucks in the Melbourne CBD.
• No price tags : this is something that I find really annoying. You'll often encounter it here - coffee shops with no prices on their items. I have no idea why this is so, and I would love to know. Perhaps it is a conspiracy to make people spend money? You'll see all these delicious things in the display cabinet in a coffee shop, with no price tags. Sure you can ask...but if there is a queue, the other patrons get annoyed at you. So often, we've just ordered stuff and just payed the bill. But yet again, the food is amazing! And I've never been upset about the price...but it's not nice.
• Different types of cafés : here is something that it seems even the settled migrants are still struggling with. It seems you get two types of systems here. The first is like the RSA system, where you come in, sit down and a waiter comes to take your order. Small difference - when you want to leave, you get up and pay at the till.
  The second system, you come in, go to the till, order and pay...and then they bring your food and drinks out to you. With this second system, it does seem that they expect you to know what you want by the time you get to the till - with no obvious menu nor prices. Now I say this, but they really don't mind if you just tell them that you want to decide first. It just seems like a system that is ...weird to get into.
  Now, when you walk into a coffee shop or restaurant, there are no signs or anything that indicates whether you are dealing with system 1 or system 2. And when you ask, they look at you like it was obvious. So get ready to feel like an idiot. And this is irrespective of whether it is a café or restaurant.
• South African style coffee : I am not being racist...but you want a "flat white". Now this is a running game in my family, that when you travel over seas to try out the coffee and also, to see how difficult it is to order a "south african style" coffee - you know, a cup/mug filled 85% with boiling water and, lets say, 15% milk. The most difficult, I think, was Italy. Man oh man, they could not understand what we wanted. There we learned that you call it an "Americano". So here we arrive in Auz and I know this challenge is imminent. So in the first coffee shop we went to with friends (also South Africans) in St Kilda we look at the menu and all the coffee looks really strong. But I notice it is an Italian style coffee shop, so when the girl arrives to take our order, I prepare and say "An Americano please." coz that's what they told us in Italy what you call it, in Italy. But it seems that she had not gotten than memo - she looks confused. "Cappuccino?" she asks. "No, " I start, "um, perhaps you call it a filter coffee?". no luck, "What is that?" she asks. "Like a regular coffee." I say. "Espresso?" she says...I should have seen that coming. "No, its like an espresso with more boiling water and a bit of milk." I explain. "Wait, I go ask." she says with a thick Italian accent. The friend and I look at each other, we have no idea what is going to arrive. She seems to stay away very long for such a simple question to ask the barista. When she returns, she looks triumphant, "Sure, we make you. In cup this size?" she hold her index finger and thumb about 10-12cm apart. I feel relieved, "Yes, thanks"
  What arrives is...a glass - yes, a glass. like the type you serve cold drinks in - about 12cm tall, but thinner with this dark liquid in it. She puts it in front of me like she has just won Masterchef. There is no milk, but I decide to try a sip. My friend nearly bursts out laughing at my expression - I think they just filled this glass with espressos to the top. It would keep you awake for weeks! when our food arrives, she looks at me with a disarming smile, "Good?". How can I say 'no' to that smile? So I go for, "Can I have some milk?" My friend is doing his best not to laugh. "Sure" she says and runs off. I end up sipping this concoction for the rest of the meal....
  So my friends, we learned later, that what we are used to, is called a flat white.
  I hope I save some of you some torture...
• The chicken crossed the road : So here is just a tip on being a courteous pedestrian. Pedestrians have right of way, and if you knock over a pedestrian, you are in a lot of trouble. Hence the cars will stop for you if it just looks like you might be considering crossing the road. Be conscious of it - approach the pedestrian crossings decisively. If you do like in RSA, where you walk to the curb, no really sure of where you want to go. They are going to stop and get annoyed if you flail your arms about trying to indicate that they can go, you are still making up your mind.
  The same goes for hailing buses. Be decisive and signal the bus driver, or stand well away from the curb if you want to take another bus.
• Another food tip : Though it sadly didn't have a funny conversation connected to it, we had a similar experience as with the coffee, with ' Focaccia '. Focaccia is a "pizza bread" right?...nope apparently not. Now, I have no idea if this is Australia wide, but in our suburb (Belgrave, Tecoma), a Focaccia is what we know as Tramezini...and a Tramezini is a sandwich - like your mum made for school, or the ones they often have on platters at work functions. But man, when that Focaccia arrived...wowie was it good!!!!!!!
• Back to Cheese : I don't like strange "gemufde" food - blue cheese, brie  and those funny things. I am a simple man - gouda and tussers is for me. So lets start off with, cheese is not yellow here. That I can live with. But they have funny names here. "Colby" is the closest to Gouda, while "Tasty" (in my opinion, completely the opposite to what it suggests) is closer to Cheddar. Now you do get actual gouda, but it is in the specialty cheese section. I have yet to find Tussers or equivalent.
  The cheese lasts much longer here though...before it gets that white mold on it.
  Perhaps on a similar trend - I am very serious about my yoghurt. Before I came over, I dreaded what awaited me in this regard. Yet again,very pleasantly surprised, the yoghurt here is delicious. I am going to miss Woolies' thick Ayrshire Vanilla yoghurt (http://www.woolworths.co.za/store/prod/Food/Food/Dairy-Eggs-Milk/Yoghurt/Fat-Free-Slimmer-s-Choice-Yoghurt/Fat-Free-Ayrshire-Vanilla-Flavoured-Yoghurt-1Kg/_/A-20167301).
• Rewards : I thought I was getting away from a wallet full of reward cards. So with a smile, I emptied my wallet at the airport - man it hasn't been to flat in years. Within two two weeks it was bulging again. But then I discovered Stocard (http://stocardapp.com/)...what a lovely app. It even works for the RSA rewards programs. Just a note - not all card readers can read them.
• PTV : on a connected note. I am not the only one frustrated with the public transport ticketing system. The whole state of Victoria is frustrated with it. This seems to be one of those strange legacy things. Here I sit in a first world country with a ticketing system that is decades old and frustrating to use. I do miss the Gautrain's (in my experience) flawless ticketing system. It is strange how younger, third world countries get better tech than established first word countries. But...think about it - Victoria implemented this system way back when, when it was probably the best. Now they have a working, adequate system. Along come South Africa and build a new train and obviously, get a brand spanking, state-of-the-art ticketing system. The Victoria government can't justify the expense and effort to upgrade - which I can understand to some extent...but it is a frustrating system.
• Smaller portions : Here is something we realised recently. Australia seems to have much better portion control than RSA.
  You can go to Mug & Bean for a muffin and coffee...it ends up being say R140 for two people...you are full, but not quite satisfied. If it hadn't been for the sheer size of the muffin or cake, you would not have complained.
  Here, we go to a coffee shop, get two cups of coffee and two things to nibble on, say a cookie, a muffin or cake for about $20 for two people. Its much less...however, the coffee makes you smile and you wish there was more of that muffin. Yet in the same breath, the muffin leaves you satisfied. It is quality and flavourful. But also, the flavours don't blow you off your chair.
• Milkshakes : This is linked to the sausage sizzlers (and again I say this with as much sarcastic patriotism as I can muster) - these people have no idea what a milkshake is. I consider myself a milkshake connoisseur, but this watery mess they give you - no thanks. Since I was small, the true milkshake test is that your straw must be able to stand up on its own, from a full glass, to about two thirds full. Only then, may it slowly fall to the side. You must however still be able to easily get it through the straw, not suck until your eyes bulge. Many might say (as @RedPanda does) that a "milkshake" is exactly that, "milk" and what I am talking about is a double thick ...or whatever. When I was small, I didn't know double thick or anything. Melville had milkshakes, and milkshakes were milkshakes... and they were thick and creamy.
• bacon : yes, you can get bacon here... so don't stress...
  Our butcher sells hickory smoked bacon - jeepers, wow yum yum yum!
• Steam - Something for the gamers : I would advise not to switch your Steam store from the SA store to the Auz store - two reasons (again, my experience...not fact), no wait, three reasons...   ok four.
  One, the games in the SA store are cheaper. And if you start earning $$$, then they will be much cheaper still.
  Second, I can't play Counter-Strike with my friends in SA...as it says that it can't find a server that is suitable for the players. I have contacted Steam about this...they are ignoring me. DotA seems fine, though the latency is slightly annoying.
  Third, you can't gift anything across stores - well you can, but region restrictions apply. So if you want to get your cousin a Steam voucher or something, you can't send it to him. Or, perhaps you see a game on sale and you want to buy it for a friend...nope, sorry you can't.
  Fourth - I bought a game bundle for $9.89 and I noticed they deducted $13.49 from my account with a $0.40 charge. "Hmm, what the hell is this?!" I blurt out one morning, while sitting in bed, sipping my coffee. Immediately I just out of bed and get on to Steam Support. Long story short....the Auzzy store is in US dollars (USD), not Auz dollars (AUD)...that is just...stupid. Who though that one up?!

So ... that's all folks...

Till next time.

 

GD

 

 

"See you somewhere, sometime, Space Cowboy..."

[RYLC]

And just to add to the confusion: Australia is much more like America where each state is VERY different.  It seems the same until you live there.  So some of your comments are Melbourne specific and you might not necessarily know which ones yet LOL

• So No Price Tags on things isn't really an issue in Adelaide that I have noticed.  People in other states will have to comment on their situation
• Cheese: Gouda is pronounced the Dutch way here as Goo-da.  Just so you know why they look at you funny when you ask for Gow-da.
• Electricity Providers: They are very different in each state.  VIC has night tariffs so people do washing etc at night whereas other states don't all have this.  The providers names are different and even if they are the same they offer different prices to each state.
• Coffee: the coffee ordering business is a hell of a thing.  I couldn't do it until I found a magazine article giving a run down of each kind.  Wait til you are behind somebody who orders something like a double shot extra hot soy latte with hazelnut and extra froth.  I stick to flat white myself although a skinny flat white had me in stitches (that's a low fat milk flat white coffee)
• Sizzlers is also a name of a restaurant chain (mainly in Queensland I think) so thought you might want to know that.  It's a bit like Spur (sort of) but buffet style so you pay a set price and then help yourself. My kids love the dessert buffet.
• Focaccia comes in different forms in different states.  Some make it as a big rectangle usually with olives or herbs on top and it's a bit like a pizza.  Other places sell them as large flatish buns.  We love the buns.
• Milkshakes:  You need to order a "thick shake" to get what you are expecting.  It's a bit like the coffee thing - you have to know what to ask for.

Really enjoying your posts - very entertaining

[CyberJoe]

Sorry @GenDemo , you are a victim of your own success. Since you are already busy exploring Aus and clearly tech orientated, I hope you might be able to answer my question. I typically prefer desktops to laptops but since the next couple of years might involve a lot of moving, I have decided to take the plunge and buy a laptop. Obviously, choosing the model you want is a crazy exercise on it own but my question pertains to the price in the end. If I buy the model I want in SA, the price tag is R34000. After searching around, I can buy it in Aus for R28000.... but. Newegg seems to deliver to Aus and if this is true, I can get it for R25000!!

 

Have you perhaps used http://www.newegg.com/ while you were in Aus by any chance? I am mainly concerned about import duties etc that they don’t disclose upfront. Feeling optimistic, so far it seems that tech is quite a bit cheaper in Aus!

 

Good luck with the milkshake hunting, I will most definitely avoid that after your review

[CyberJoe]

Did this test at work a while back, I cant believe I resigned!!

 

Edited August 20, 2016 by CyberJoe

[GenDemo]

4 hours ago, CyberJoe said:

Sorry @GenDemo , you are a victim of your own success. Since you are already busy exploring Aus and clearly tech orientated, I hope you might be able to answer my question. I typically prefer desktops to laptops but since the next couple of years might involve a lot of moving, I have decided to take the plunge and buy a laptop. Obviously, choosing the model you want is a crazy exercise on it own but my question pertains to the price in the end. If I buy the model I want in SA, the price tag is R34000. After searching around, I can buy it in Aus for R28000.... but. Newegg seems to deliver to Aus and if this is true, I can get it for R25000!!

 

Have you perhaps used http://www.newegg.com/ while you were in Aus by any chance? I am mainly concerned about import duties etc that they don’t disclose upfront. Feeling optimistic, so far it seems that tech is quite a bit cheaper in Aus!

 

Good luck with the milkshake hunting, I will most definitely avoid that after your review

Ask away! I'd love to help in anyway I can.

I ran a computer business as a side-line in SA, and I had sadly had to let that go. But I'm gonna try and start up again here....it might just take me a little while.

As to newegg - I have not used them, nor heard of them - sorry. Perhaps you can look for  reviews on the internet? Facebook, hellopeter, Whirlpool (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/) etc. perhaps Choice magazine (https://www.choice.com.au/member/membership-options?gclid=CIfNvOa30c4CFQybvAodia8GoA). The only place I have interacted with here is MSY (https://www.msy.com.au/home.php) and they seem decent. Generally speaking, electronics here are just about the same price, some cheaper, some more expensive. Computer hardware seems slightly cheaper, but appliances seem more expensive - though the after sales service is miles better.

Advice that I can give (and this is a very long discussion/debate), is have a look at Razer Core (http://www.razerzone.com/au-en/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth#razer-core-specs) - its an excellent concept where you have an external graphics card. I am considering this for my next upgrade as I have both a gaming rig (top of the line from 2009 - i7, SLI) and a gaming laptop (Asus G51Jx), and both are getting old now and struggling to keep up with the new kids on the block. First off, I have not had a very positive experience with gaming laptops and would not recommend it. It is really awesome for mobility and LANs, but a desktop is just better. Now this Razer Core, I think this is the way to go. Computer upgrades are always a very tough and extensive when I do it, and I do a lot of research. It is not an easy decision, and because tech advances so quickly, once you made your purchase...make peace with what you have and the fact that next week it is going to be old, and next month it is going to be outdated. Now the reason I suggest all this is, sure, its great if you can get that R3000 'discount', but just consider the longer picture. Razer is/was increasingly difficult to get hold of in SA, and its very easy here in Auz and it might give you longer support and 'upgrade potential'.
In terms of the import duties...that I am not sure of. If you get the laptop in SA, its no problem. Having it delivered here from SA...yes, I think there is going to be duties. But I am not an expert on that.

I don't know if I have helped, or confused you more...but that is my advice. Oh, other advice, is read A LOT of reviews if you really want to go with a laptop - the upgrade options on it is very limited, keep that in mind.

 

GD

[GenDemo]

Hi all.

Just a quick little update...

Well, I also think that inevitable, my updates to this thread will become shorter and shorter.

• Trollies : Someone asked about the trollies that go all over the place - yes they still do...but I love this. All you need to do, is treat it like drifting. The guys that played the Underground era of Need for Speed will know what I am talking about.
  Yes, they are sometimes difficult to handle - for example in Ikea where the floor finish is super smooth aswell and you can't get traction.
• Ending a call : Wow, the Aussies are super fast when it comes to ending a call. I don't know what, or why, but when you end a telephone call (whether to a friend, or a company or a call centre) you think you might get another "thank you" or "cheers" in, but then they've already hung up.
• stacking cans : here is another example where I wish Auz would take a leaf out of South Africa's book. You know the Nestle Hot Chocolate 1kg (or 2kg) tins...they used to stack to nicely in the pantry in SA...not anymore. We can't understand that such a small thing can be such an inconvenience. Does anyone have an idea why this might be?
• Groceries : This is something that I hope might help new immigrants to Melbourne; or those still in SA that want to get an idea of grocery prices. Please see the attached spreadsheet. What I have done is note down all the items we buy regularly at Aldi, Coles, Woolies and IGA (though we don't have one close) with our local butcher and bakery. You can get cheaper and obviously much more expensive products. However the level of quality that we try to maintain, is that of Spar.
  If people are interested, I update this weekly and would be happy to share it.
  Please let me know if this aided some of you out there? or please PM me suggestions for additions/changes.

Ok, off to catch a train.....

Groceries.xlsx

[Yuvi]

5 minutes ago, GenDemo said:

Trollies : Someone asked about the trollies that go all over the place - yes they still do...but I love this. All you need to do, is treat it like drifting. The guys that played the Underground era of Need for Speed will know what I am talking about.
Yes, they are sometimes difficult to handle - for example in Ikea where the floor finish is super smooth aswell and you can't get traction.

Lol, my wife always laughs at me because i look like a racing driver through the isles of the store. Its actually my favourite part of the shopping experience.

But i am certain one day i am going to bust a knee with all the drifting ;-)

 

Wow, that groceries excel is really useful information. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

[JonathanR]

7 hours ago, GenDemo said:

If people are interested, I update this weekly and would be happy to share it.

This is useful to me. If you store it in Google Docs and share the link then we can always have the updated one. (And you don't have to remember to send it all the time)

[GKatherine]

@GenDemo, really enjoying your updates and info.  Makes the waiting over here a bit more exciting!  The grocery list is very valuable, thanks.

[Tntaglia]

@GenDemo That spreadsheet is extraordinarily useful - thank you! 

[GenDemo]

1 hour ago, JonathanR said:

This is useful to me. If you store it in Google Docs and share the link then we can always have the updated one. (And you don't have to remember to send it all the time)

ahhh now that is an idea. I don't really work with google docs, so I don't know its uses & features....

[GenDemo]

Google Docs link : https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_XfIs89L_1nYjI4MU1ZeER6MU0&usp=sharing

[RedPanda]

12 hours ago, Yuvi said:

Lol, my wife always laughs at me because i look like a racing driver through the isles of the store. Its actually my favourite part of the shopping experience.

But i am certain one day i am going to bust a knee with all the drifting ;-)

 

Wow, that groceries excel is really useful information. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

@drifting: Hahahaha! It's fun, isn't it  

About the time that this considerate soul has taken to put together the spreadsheet for the benefit to the community.... It's OCD and a love of data hoarding.   But we've found it very useful in various aspects of life. (We also have an Excel sheet with all our books on it, whose they are, what they cost, if they have been read yet, who the author is... this too, is remarkably useful just before Christmas and Birthdays  ) But the more benefit gained from such work, the more rewarding it is in the end, so sharing is definitely very good. (and if you're wondering about all this "we" business, He's very good at writing in Excel, and I'm very good at reading it   )

[OubaasDik]

Well GD

 

Mine's bigger than yours      but I am on NBN FTTH, and as far as I can recall getting speeds out of my ISP was easy - they're iiNet

 

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/5586066274

 

Edited August 28, 2016 by OubaasDik
added info

[GenDemo]

Good Day Fellow People of the Web

 

Sadly, my life has been devoid of comical experiences of late...I hope they'll pick up again... ... partly for my own entertainment after the fact, but more so for me to listen to my wife's (@redpanda) lovely laughter 

 

That being said, this is not such an exciting update, but lets dive into bullets (figuratively speaking, of course):

• G'Day Mate : Hollywood creates the very incorrect stereotypes about the different races, cultures and countries around the world. I think two of the best examples are South Africa & Australia. I think that I have had one, perhaps two Aussies who greeted me with "G'Day", but not even these two have added the "mate" part. It seems that is is just not something they say. Nor is "Bruce"...this is again directed at an anoni-mouse third party, who - for the sake of my own safety - shall remain unnamed.
  They do say "how ya going?" as an equivalent to our "howzit?"...but I am still trying to figure out how to reply to this, as they don't seem to be really interested in how it is actually going with you...Any advice from the settled people?
• Pink is a thing : you know when a rare car comes out, you point it out, as if hunting it? Whilst you're driving, you jab your finger at the shiny new Tesla driving by you and cry out in excitement and longing, "Oh, a Tesla!". Well...it would seem that a couple of years ago, when the little Toyota Yaris was new here in Aus, pink was a thing. It will surprise you as to the number of pink Yaris-es around! At first it was fun counting them, and pointing them out...but the other day, @RedPanda told me, "OK, enough now..." to which she received a broad wolfish grin...    *grins*
• Street names : OK apart for the fact the Australia can win the award for "country with the silliest place & street names", driving around with a GPS is often quite essential, due to the simple fact that many streets don't have boards. When I was little, I though the Johannesburg municipality stupid for writing the street names on the curbs - I mean, what a silly waste of money and time...there is a board anyway. But now, I see the wisdom in that simple solution.
• Getting the door slammed in your face : This is an extreme 'heading'...but I thought it apt, as it feels like it some times. So what do I mean by this...well, my sister who is in London, told us about this phenomenon. Say you are invited for dinner to friends (oh by the way, wine, chocolate, or pudding is, as in South Africa, a suitable offering to bring the hosts)...then you have a good time and hopefully enjoy the food. Its getting late and you gather up that courage to say "perhaps we should hit the road". Walking to the door, you make idle small talk, expecting the conversation to continue out into the street or the driveway. Then you'll all stand around your car and chat for another 15-20 mins. Then you'll laugh and say "We really should go" and you get into your car, wind the windows down....and then you chat for another 10 mins, before finally exiting the social scene [coz this is how things are done as South Africans...our parents brought us up properly, you know] and 'skinner' about the dinner, food, people and conversation to your partner (I hope we are not alone in this... hehehehe)....
  Bam! no, wrong!
  When you make that small talk and walk to the front door. The hosts will smile, and open the door for you. You step through, and wanting to turn around to continue the inevitable chit chat, only to find yourself facing a closed door.
    I kid, but it is true...its just a cultural difference..... ...oh and also, winters in Melbourne are bloody cold!
  But fear not...like Sheldon Cooper, you'll get this OCD itch of your scratched when you visit South African friends...for the both of you are longing for that little extended (bonus content) conversation out in the street or driveway. It is the stuff, good visits are made of...    
• Camping : We gave camping a go...apart from the cold, we had fun. I would recommend to any campers, to do as we did, and play it safe the first time - just got for one evening. The camping culture here is somewhat different, so you need to find your feet and figure out how it works. I'll just mention a couple of things here...and please bear in mind that this is based on our huge sample of one camp site, and our first try...
  Toilets are long-drops...apart from the smell, they are quite clean.
  Braai is a bit different and ties in with the wood (see below). They don't have a grill over the fireplace, but rather a plate (a sheet of 4mm metal). We are not sure what you're supposed to do with it. However I do recommend that you  get a gas cooker as a backup. If you plan on bringing your camping stuff over, and you do bring any gas stuff over, keep in mind that the gas bottles here are different. We are used to female left hand (LH) threads on the bottles. Here it seems the norm is male BSP (right hand). BRING AN ADAPTER WITH YOU!!!!!! I am struggling to find one. I would have given up, if the guy at the one store hadn't said "I would really recommend that you get an adapter as this is quite a nice cooker top". I smiled at that.
  I am having trouble finding 'campingaz' bottles here, and they are in Aus. I have an 'easy clip' gas lamp, but none of the bottles that I can find here can take the easy clip/click thing. Quite annoying.
  the campsite we went to had no showers, nor running water. They did have rain water...
• Interviews : Hoping I don't spoil my Karma, I will just say that I have found the interviews here (again, based on a small sample) much easier and better than in SA. I'll give an update on this later...

Peace out web people...

All the best,

 

GD

[Bonny]

If you like Gouda, I recommend Havarti cheese. It's very good.

[Husky]

Love the updates and yes I actually laughed out loud. You're not alone, having a debrief with your spouse after a dinner with friends is quite normal 

Curious to hear more about the easier interviews.

[RYLC]

15 hours ago, GenDemo said:

• They do say "how ya going?" as an equivalent to our "howzit?"...but I am still trying to figure out how to reply to this, as they don't seem to be really interested in how it is actually going with you...Any advice from the settled people?
• Camping :  They don't have a grill over the fireplace, but rather a plate (a sheet of 4mm metal). We are not sure what you're supposed to do with it.

 

• The answer to How ya going is "good and you" or just "good".
• Grill: the reason for a metal plate rather than a grill is mainly for cleaning purposes.  Much easier to clean a flat plate.  Grills are much harder to keep clean.  Also aussies like to do breakfast on the bbq and you can't do eggs on a grill   In case you are wondering, they use an egg ring on the metal plate.

 

[Guest]

I also found that Aussies say this just to be polite so best to say something quick in reply. I normal say good yourself. ? Before I used to reply too much and noticed they were bit shocked at my lengthy response lol

[loucatpayne]

Lol, its really quite funny trying to get around a new culture.  I mean one would think that we're not that different yet there seem to be a few things to wrap your head around.  I cant wait to get there!  House is still on the market and really doing my head in right now.  I feel so deflated.  Please house sell soon so i can get on with my new life lol.

[JonathanR]

LOL, I used to have an American Pastor who used to complain at how people would follow him out to the car to continue talking, after he said goodbye in the house. He said it always made him late for following appointments until he figured out that it is normal in South Africa and he is not being rude by ending the conversation if he really had to go.

[Dora]

Yeah, sometimes I think that the only simularities are southern hemisphere, in some parts weather and cricket. The rest are either familiar with a twist or just plain different - sometimes a good different, other times a not so good different.  All in all a bit foreign. At the end of the day the foreigness grows on you...

 

The day before yesterday we went to our Bayside area at the sea side (dam side).  I took some pics and sent it to some of our RSA friends...explaining why we don't have waves and our sea looks more like a dam and added that honestly, sea as we know it here grows on you and you get to love it, regardless...not sure they understood.

 

Today at mid day sometime we switched on to Channel 9 news, and it was about a highspeed chase, a drug bust, a jewelry store robbery and a guy getting time for murder. All of a suddend my kids were really interested in what the news was all about and asking lots of questions...I'm sure one of the questions that they had but did not ask was...so why did we move here again????

 

 

[CyberJoe]

@GenDemo I can only smile at the pink Yaris story! Think it must be a Melbourne thing fortunately for me, I have yet to see any pink cars in Sydney As far as internet speeds go, I will join the comparison only a week from now, we finally found an apartment we both like and it seems it is NBN connected already. Looking forward to having unlimited internet again, I really suck as conserving bandwidth!

 

Also want to let you know about a computer store that offered really good prices. Found MSY online while I was hunting for my laptop and while I cant say the service is anything to rave about, their prices are really good! Got a further $200 off on the laptop I wanted by buying from them. http://www.msy.com.au/home.php

 

Good luck with the interviews! I also find it quite different from SA but will be in a better position to discuss it next week, have a few lined up that will hopefully result in a job offer.

[rozellem]

Just my personal opinion and musings on the trolleys.  If you go to Europe you would often find that people have tiny fridges, often the little under the counter types.  Frozen food!  You must be joking!  They are more inclined to buy fresh on the day and make their food that night.  Or eat out more.  The mega fridge is a product of the USA, where people buy in massive bulk at places like Costco and pack their fridge and freezer like food is going out of fashion.  You would also notice a correlation between fridge size and the body size of the fridge owner.  Kind of like, the food was in the fridge all ready, therefore I ate it.  Go figure.  Have you also noticed, as other countries have increased the size of their fridges, that their bodies follow.  Yes, you can see Australia following America in a lot of things, but then also a huge chunk of Australians are of Greek, Italian and other European decent.  When I go to RSA for visits (after living outside of RSA for almost 20 years), I am shocked at the amount of very unhealthy looking, fat people, are walking about in the Malls .  Look at the contents of the trolleys in RSA, filled to the brim.  In Aus, you have two sizes of trolleys at most of the supermarkets.  If you fill the big one like its the last time you will ever see food, you will have problems pushing it for sure.  My personal suggestion, take the easily maneuverable smaller trolley and only buy what you need.  And if you have kids, put them in the big trolley, push it forward with force while putting a strong spin on it at the same time. Practice it in the car park before you try it out in the aisles, to prevent you from paying for any damage caused.  Makes for the most enjoyable ride that will make them squeal.  

[GenDemo]

13 hours ago, Dora said:

Yeah, sometimes I think that the only simularities are southern hemisphere, in some parts weather and cricket. The rest are either familiar with a twist or just plain different - sometimes a good different, other times a not so good different.  All in all a bit foreign. At the end of the day the foreigness grows on you...

 

The day before yesterday we went to our Bayside area at the sea side (dam side).  I took some pics and sent it to some of our RSA friends...explaining why we don't have waves and our sea looks more like a dam and added that honestly, sea as we know it here grows on you and you get to love it, regardless...not sure they understood.

 

Today at mid day sometime we switched on to Channel 9 news, and it was about a highspeed chase, a drug bust, a jewelry store robbery and a guy getting time for murder. All of a suddend my kids were really interested in what the news was all about and asking lots of questions...I'm sure one of the questions that they had but did not ask was...so why did we move here again????

 

 

Yes I completely agree - somethings are good different, some bad different, and some just ... different. I guess that is the idea with this journal of mine. Its not about reminiscing about good times passed, but just to talk about the things that are different, and give the people who are coming over, an idea of what to expect. Also, it is good to 'talk' (write) about these things, because if one keeps it bottled up, its going to boil over.

 

I must say the sea & waves on the Gold & Sunshine coasts are very much similar to SA, but friendlier. They don't bowl your legs out from under you.

 

Tell your kids that, the difference and the reason is : "here, the bad people get caught...and in a reasonable amount of time. Here, your phone might get nicked, but your life is not in danger. Here, I don't get up in the middle of the night at every little sound in the yard, with my maglight (sometimes my rifle) creeping around the yard all counter-strike like, so see whats going on. Here, we get notified in advance if there is going to be a power interruption and their estimates of how long its going to be out is bloody spot on..." need I go on...coz I can...   :/

By the by...we had fun explaining to an Aussie friend that my maglight doubles as a weapon and it was procured as such.

 

Also, we live on quite a busy street with lots of pedestrian traffic...and I often catch myself rushing to the window that looks out to the street when I hear voices, like a paranoid South African, wondering "who are these buggers now and what do they want?" and then I remember, oh wait,...its just people ... going about their lives.

 

I have a very pleasant ... experience and sensation on Thursday when I went for an interview in the CBD. After the interview, I walked out into the street, amass people going about their lives. I decided to head to my fav board game shop before catching the train back home. Whilst I was walking and crossing the intersections, I suddenly realised...I am walking the CBD; I am not afraid; I don't have to look over my shoulder; I dont have to walk fast and duck into a shop for safety ... it was such a nice feeling.

As much as I wanted the DA to turn things around, the sad reality is that they can't turn the country on a dime.

 

anyway...let me stop rambling...