Settling in Australia

I have been making plans to write something about my Australia venture for sometime now. Just the issue being that I can't make up my time to go about it :-) . The thought for writing something on this topic came up soon after I recieved the final go ahead for my Australian PR, which materialized last year. So, here are a few things which helped me in settling down here (these experiences are mostly related to Sydney and may differ vastly across the other Cities). This is going to be a series of blog posts.

The first thing to work on when you get your PR Visa is the essentials being provided by the Australian Government for Citizens and PR Holders. There is not an integrated site, which provides information on all the essential services being provided:
http://www.australia.gov.au/

Register yourself on this site (you need to just provide some essential details). The next step is to check the job sites (read the next article on Australia Jobs). Once you have uploaded and applied for numerous job opportunities which suit you. You might be called for a face-to-face. This is the appropriate time to make a quick short trip to Aussie Land. (if you have a PR Visa, you need to make atleast one trip in the first year of getting the same). Convert this trip to a pleasure and recursion trip, then you enjoy and complete what you came to do, without feeling the pinch of just having to visit for fulfilling your PR Visa requirement. Best would be if you shift over permenently, but as many would have other commitments, it might not be possible.

When you get to Australia, either you need to have friends and family to stay with or book yourself into a Hotel. A good place to go for this is http://www.hotels.com/, who have a good collection of Hotels for Australia. The other thing is to go around sites such as http://www.domain.com.au/ or http://www.realestate.com.au/ and search for a furnished appartment initially. There are many, which are available in and around Milson's Point and North Sydney. These places are near to the City, where the maximum jobs are available and they have some good restaurants and grocery shops for every need. I would recommend these for a short term lease (1-3 Months), and meanwhile look around for something more permanent and suitable for your needs. It is best to look for a furnished apartment for the initial 3-6 months, if you are planning to shift with Family, and then later get something much cheaper and/or nearer to your workplace. It is also a good idea to make the booking before you arrive, as then the burden of that money is reduced and you have a fair idea of exactly how much you have with you.

More on Jobs and Driving around in the next few blogs :-)

Beijing Subway vs. Mumbai Trains

During my recent trip to Beijing, China; I got to make good use of the extensively laid out Subway trains of the capital city. It was an experience unto itself, when I climbed one of the older lines and was instantaneously reminisced of the Mumbai trains...

The crowd in China is to be seen when you try and get onto the subway during the office hour rush (morning 9-10 and evening 6-8). It looks like a tin packed with sardines. You are not required to hold on to anything except what you brought on board with you, holding you up and pushing you either side is taken care of. It is a good reminder that China is still in competition with India on the population :-)

Anyways! that said, it really was a great experience, and very convenient too. We could visit maximum number of places due to the availability of the same subway nearby and stay on to enjoy the surroundings, without thinking of how we get back to our place of blissful sleep. I am mentioning some of the places and associated stations below:

Line 5: Tiantan Dongmen - for the Hong Qiao Market (good place to go for electronic goods and toys)
Line 1: Yong`anli - For the Silk Market (good place to shop for leather good - handbags, shoes, jackets. Also, good place for souvenirs and small trinkets. You need to be careful and bargain well... mostly bring down the price to 10% of the quoted price. More of this is given on a different blog).
Line 8: Olympic Green - For the Nest and Aquarium (Olympic Stadium and a good nice BIG ground to jog in the mornings)
Line 13: Wudaokou - Good eating joints around this place. Student community and you can find many IT companies also around. You can ask for references here, as people speak and understand english. I liked the Japanese restaurant and the disco/bar alongside it :-)
Line 4: Beijing Zoo - good to visit and see the Panda
Line 4: Beigongmen - For the Summer Palace. This place is good to see over (take the 50 Yuan ticket and a guide to go over the place). Serene and green, with the minimal of traffic noise and a lake to sit by :-)
Line 1: Tian`anmen East/West - For the Forbidden City and and the Tian'anmen square. Forbidden City is Ok, but would prefer going to the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace.
Line 5: Ciqikou - Temple of Heaven. Similar to Forbidden City and would recommend it over the other (60 Yuan vs. 30 Yuan) :-)

Cauvery Fishing Camp - Bheemeshwari

काउवेर्य ट्रेकिंग ट्रिप
Originally uploaded by gagneet.

We were to start on this Team trip (sponsored by the Company) early in the morning, when we would be getting a pickup near our house. Most of the crowd was arriving at the office complex and the rest would have to be picked up on the way to the trekking spot. Got a bit late due to the late arrivals at the office complex. Finally, we started off around an hour and a half late. The journey was good, with our former boss showing up in full regila of a mumbai bhai and acting in the same manner :)
Had a big session of antakshri on the way and enjoyed it throughly too. The journey was a typical bus road journey with the roads in fairly good condition till we finally began to approach the hills and then started the upward drive (on the way also went ahead and bought a bat and ball to play cricket with). We reached the camp around 11; after starting around 7:40 from near my place in JP Nagar. It was a journey of around 115 kms in total (one way). On reaching we were given the welcome drinks and then we got on to our journey/trek up the hillside. It was the first time I realised that I was not in form for such a thing :(
The trek uphill really stretched me to the limit and by the time I was on the top, my legs seemed to be shaking - weakness!! It seems like I have not been having any nutritious diet, but a diet where my palate is only satisfied. I need to improve on that. Climbing the lookout point, I actually felt my legs quiver under me. Then Rafi and JP came up and we decided to continue downhill and try to reach the river bank. We had almost made it till the end, when we finally decided to go back as the others would be waiting. The journey back was really a bad one, with me huffing and puffing all the way up. It finally ended with us drinking all the water in JP's bag and reaching the lookout point again. Had a quick photo session there, before heading back downhill, back to the fishing camp.
Lunch had been served there and it tasted really yummy after all that tiring stretch up and down hill. After that we had a long session of lazying around on the Web. This was a mesh of ropes tied to the ropes and one could jump up and down these to simulate a feeling of lightness which really was soothing... :)
After a lot of monkey sessions, we went on a gondola ride into the river. (the picture taken is of there only). The journey back was uneventful. And then we went for drinks at LoR. But, that being crowded, landed in Filling Station for a quick beer and vodka session. :D