I must write something about how difficult it is for a Filipino to understand Aussies' accent and slang. When I'm in a conversation with some Aussies, I find myself in full concentration mode... with all my processors working overtime in deciphering the lingo. I don't mean to disparage them really... after all I'm the newcomer and they've been speaking like this for eons.
Here's an excerpt of a conversation I had with another Filipino who's been struggling with it:
- watch out for the flies. You know the hats they sell at the souvenir stores with the corks hanging around? thats not decor- thats to shoo away the flies- you turn your head and the corks swing around to ward off the langaws. Its my theory that Ozs talk with a mummble because they'd be eating the flies if they open their mouths wide.
David Valdes:
Ha ha ha... good one... especially the mumbling part. minsan ang hirap nilang intindihan. And don't ever let them spell out words that you dont understand. It's even worse! This morning I asked an agent where the house for rent was... I couldnt understand her so I asked her to spell it out: E-m-e-r-o-o Street daw... hanap ako ng hanap ng Emeroo... wala naman!
Finally nahanap ko na... Amaroo street pala. Ano ba yan?!?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bee Dee Bags
Well for all you guys who like to read the details, here's my kuwento on how I got myself a new job in Oz.
Sometimes I wonder what crazy thought went into us to make this big, bold move to Australia... Every so often I have to remind myself that it is for the kids...
It hasn't been easy looking for a place to stay and job searching at the same time. After so many years of being so complacent and being secure... I suddenly realize that I'm no longer used to dealing with so much uncertainty in my life. But somehow things are falling in place. I've never been the religious type but suddenly I'm just very aware somebody up there is still in charge and watching over us.
When I arrived at Sydney I knew that I had to go to Wagga Wagga as soon as I could because everyday spent in Sydney was a day that could have been spent looking for work in Wagga. But it was tough even looking for a temporary place to stay in Wagga. I didnt want to spend weeks in an expensive motel. Like I said, my guardian angel must be working overtime because my contact here, David Bardos, approached his neighbor and was able to convince them to let me rent a spare room.
On the job front, I'd been applying for jobs but there hasn't been that many for marketing executives considering that Wagga is a small city with limited jobs for executives. But as fate would have it, David Bardos introduced me to his boss, Colin Taggert, the publisher who is also a recent migrant from Scotland. Colin could only offer me a sales job which he felt wasn't really along my line. So he suggested that I make a call to Bruce Dicker who is noted to be quite approachable. Bruce is a 67 year old entrepreneur based in Wagga who runs Bee Dee bags.
So that's what I did. I made a cold call to his office, spoke to a lady, and dropped Colin's name. Next thing I know, Bruce is on the other line agreeing to have coffee with me. The powers of networking! Bruce has a great story to tell. He joined the air force in Wagga in the 50s as an aircraft mechanic and after leaving the military, he decided to work in a hardware store and eventually decided to make it on his own. He started selling freezer bags loaded into his car and went for weeks on end selling his bags to groceries in the region. Eventually his business grew. But he really became "the bag man" when he boldly went off to China to seek out the source of the paper bags he was buying from middle men. Eventually he invested in the Chinese factory in Jiamusi, in the north east of China where he now gets all his stock. He jokingly calls his Chinese wife, the secret of his success in doing business in China. I think Bee Dee Bags sells over AUD$12 million of shopping bags a year.
Well, Bruce and I seemed to hit it off over coffee last week. He fondly remembers his one and only trip to Manila in the late 80s and could still recall the standard "Mabuhay" and "Salamat" salutations. Not a man to mince words, he asked me what I did for a living and if I was looking for a job. And again as fate would have it... Bee Dee Bags does need an executive who can help put more structure into the fast growing company. They need someone who can help them professionalize their marketing and operations. I could not have asked for a better fit.
The next day I was having lunch with his management team. Exactly one week from the day I had coffee with him, Bruce made me a job offer. One side of me wanted to jump up and down and give the team a group hug... but I played it cool and told him that I would give my answer on Friday. Not that I think it will take me that long to read and examine his 3 page job offer. Just wanted to make sure I'm not making any rash emotional decisions. It looks likely though that I'll be signing the offer and starting work this coming Monday.
Too me, all of this is unraveling into an amazing story of coincidence, destiny and grace from the Almighty . I hope and pray this story continues to be a happy one.
Now to find a house.
Sometimes I wonder what crazy thought went into us to make this big, bold move to Australia... Every so often I have to remind myself that it is for the kids...
It hasn't been easy looking for a place to stay and job searching at the same time. After so many years of being so complacent and being secure... I suddenly realize that I'm no longer used to dealing with so much uncertainty in my life. But somehow things are falling in place. I've never been the religious type but suddenly I'm just very aware somebody up there is still in charge and watching over us.
When I arrived at Sydney I knew that I had to go to Wagga Wagga as soon as I could because everyday spent in Sydney was a day that could have been spent looking for work in Wagga. But it was tough even looking for a temporary place to stay in Wagga. I didnt want to spend weeks in an expensive motel. Like I said, my guardian angel must be working overtime because my contact here, David Bardos, approached his neighbor and was able to convince them to let me rent a spare room.
On the job front, I'd been applying for jobs but there hasn't been that many for marketing executives considering that Wagga is a small city with limited jobs for executives. But as fate would have it, David Bardos introduced me to his boss, Colin Taggert, the publisher who is also a recent migrant from Scotland. Colin could only offer me a sales job which he felt wasn't really along my line. So he suggested that I make a call to Bruce Dicker who is noted to be quite approachable. Bruce is a 67 year old entrepreneur based in Wagga who runs Bee Dee bags.
So that's what I did. I made a cold call to his office, spoke to a lady, and dropped Colin's name. Next thing I know, Bruce is on the other line agreeing to have coffee with me. The powers of networking! Bruce has a great story to tell. He joined the air force in Wagga in the 50s as an aircraft mechanic and after leaving the military, he decided to work in a hardware store and eventually decided to make it on his own. He started selling freezer bags loaded into his car and went for weeks on end selling his bags to groceries in the region. Eventually his business grew. But he really became "the bag man" when he boldly went off to China to seek out the source of the paper bags he was buying from middle men. Eventually he invested in the Chinese factory in Jiamusi, in the north east of China where he now gets all his stock. He jokingly calls his Chinese wife, the secret of his success in doing business in China. I think Bee Dee Bags sells over AUD$12 million of shopping bags a year.
Well, Bruce and I seemed to hit it off over coffee last week. He fondly remembers his one and only trip to Manila in the late 80s and could still recall the standard "Mabuhay" and "Salamat" salutations. Not a man to mince words, he asked me what I did for a living and if I was looking for a job. And again as fate would have it... Bee Dee Bags does need an executive who can help put more structure into the fast growing company. They need someone who can help them professionalize their marketing and operations. I could not have asked for a better fit.
The next day I was having lunch with his management team. Exactly one week from the day I had coffee with him, Bruce made me a job offer. One side of me wanted to jump up and down and give the team a group hug... but I played it cool and told him that I would give my answer on Friday. Not that I think it will take me that long to read and examine his 3 page job offer. Just wanted to make sure I'm not making any rash emotional decisions. It looks likely though that I'll be signing the offer and starting work this coming Monday.
Too me, all of this is unraveling into an amazing story of coincidence, destiny and grace from the Almighty . I hope and pray this story continues to be a happy one.
Now to find a house.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Wagga Wagga
Dear Dad,How are things? I thought I'd write this email to you and just let Adelle print it out for you.
Oks naman ako dito. I spent a little over a week in Sydney... I had to wait until I could find a place to stay in Wagga Wagga... my friend here was able to get me a rented room at the house of a young filipino couple in Wagga. I bought a second hand Honda CRV so that I could drive to Wagga which is about 5 hours away. I also bought a GPS so that I wouldnt have a hard time navigating. This device can navigate for you. Just punch in the house number, street and city... and it will give you directions verbally and visually to the destination. It works using satellite signals.
So i drove to Wagga last Feb 23 and since then Ive been trying to get a feel of the place and also applying to a few jobs which Ive seen online. I attended a conference on the "regional" (read: provincial) economy which was great because I met a lot of people from the city hall (they call it council) and from some big businesses here. Working for the council is a big possibility for me because they pay well and are prime employers here (unlike in the Philippines where you would hate to work for the government).
So far I think it was a good choice for me to choose Wagga because they are only slightly affected by this crisis. Wagga is the center of an area called Riverina, where much of Australias wine comes from. There are a lot of cattle here as well and Cargill, one of the world's largest agri companies, operates here. Many consumers from the small towns come over to Wagga during the weekend to shop so it is also a big retail center. It is like an Alabang Town Center with lots of residential areas surrounding the main city center and main street where all the shops are. There are 2 malls which are right beside each other. Not very large but you can have all the city conveniences you can find there.
Internet connection is expensive here because the population density isnt high so you can imagine the infrastructure cost. But otherwise, I'm surprised that much of everything else (hard goods like appliances) is about the same price as manila. Food might even be cheaper here. But what is really expensive are the services. Anything that requires any sort of labor is expensive like restaurants, haircuts, car repairs, healthcare, etc. Shops close early here (5pm) but at least the grocery is open till 10pm.
Today I tried exercising on my road bike (I brought it partially dismantled from Manila!) for the first time. I rode about 23kms. short ride lang but very nice. Theres a small lake nearby that is very picturesque. Sun sets here at around 8pm so many people exercise right after getting off at 5pm. The weather is extremes. In the daytime it gets hot up to about 32 C but at night it goes down to about 13 C. Sometimes I go to bed in shorts and I wake up at around 2am to put on a sweater and pants because of the cold. Parang the house gets warm and keeps it inside but later on the cold just gets in. and its just summer. Soon it will get colder as autumn comes in around April.
Bye for now.
Dave
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Moving to Australia
Dear Friends,
It would have nice to have been able to tell you personally about my plans but unfortunately time isn't on my side. After a deep assessment of my family's future, particularly of my two young children (one of whom has special needs), we have decided to relocate to Australia. It was a difficult decision to make considering that our entire family has spent most of our lives in the Philippines and have no regrets for the wonderful years we have spent here.
The kids have reacted to this move with mixed feelings. Trianna, our 10 year old girl, is the most emotional. She will sorely miss her cousins, friends and even her closet door which is festooned with stickers full of sentimental attachments. She was somewhat comforted after Elena and I told her that the Philippines will continue to be our home but we have decided that there's no harm in creating a new home in Australia as well. Trianna is as smart as she is sentimental. We're confident she will be able to psyche herself up to the challenge.
Our 14 year old Kiko is raring to go. He feels Australia will be a new and exciting experience for him and he can always make new friends. Kiko is truly special. Although he struggles with algebra and math, he will always easily make friends. We hope Australia can give him the opportunities to achieve a comfortable level of independence when he grows up.
So I leave on February 12 for Sydney, and I will try to establish my new career somewhere in Australia. Hopefully, Elena and the kids will follow around April.
I will give you an update as soon as it is clearer exactly where I will be and what I will be doing... for now, keep in touch and wish us luck!
Regards,
David
It would have nice to have been able to tell you personally about my plans but unfortunately time isn't on my side. After a deep assessment of my family's future, particularly of my two young children (one of whom has special needs), we have decided to relocate to Australia. It was a difficult decision to make considering that our entire family has spent most of our lives in the Philippines and have no regrets for the wonderful years we have spent here.
The kids have reacted to this move with mixed feelings. Trianna, our 10 year old girl, is the most emotional. She will sorely miss her cousins, friends and even her closet door which is festooned with stickers full of sentimental attachments. She was somewhat comforted after Elena and I told her that the Philippines will continue to be our home but we have decided that there's no harm in creating a new home in Australia as well. Trianna is as smart as she is sentimental. We're confident she will be able to psyche herself up to the challenge.
Our 14 year old Kiko is raring to go. He feels Australia will be a new and exciting experience for him and he can always make new friends. Kiko is truly special. Although he struggles with algebra and math, he will always easily make friends. We hope Australia can give him the opportunities to achieve a comfortable level of independence when he grows up.
So I leave on February 12 for Sydney, and I will try to establish my new career somewhere in Australia. Hopefully, Elena and the kids will follow around April.
I will give you an update as soon as it is clearer exactly where I will be and what I will be doing... for now, keep in touch and wish us luck!
Regards,
David
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