Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Good on ya Nicola and Dolly :)

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Hi Amanda,

I got my visa approved on Friday and will be flying out to Perth in the next couple of weeks, so if you'd like to meet up for a :beer: or just for a chat, let me know. It sure would be nice to meet up with people who've been in the same situation before!

I'll PM you my contact details.

Thanks,
Ed

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Ahhh welcome to Dullsville. Home of gayFL, a type of people not willing to change (ie daylight saving, extended hours, desperate need for a pipeline from up north etc....) and the obession to cut down or prune trees every few weeks!!! :D

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Hi there mate
I'm on the other side to you (Qld) and am just starting my 4th week here. Today was the worst yet and I found myself wandering through Southbank in Brisbane half crying and wondering what the hell I have done. I haven't started work yet and I think maybe thats the problem as I only have my two teenage daughters for company. I am trying to claw back a bit of self confidence and get myself out there and looking for work. It doesn't help that people are still ringing, texting and emailing every day from the UK. I even got a picture message from my best mate who was at a Will Young concert last night and took a pic and sent it to me from the concert :-(
I had loads of mates back in the UK, no family and I thought that would mean I would settle better than others. I know its only early days and I need to keep going, I just hope that there aren't too many days like today that's all. So many of us will reply to your message and tell you similiar stories as I think its all part of the migration process, something you can't really tell others about until they have experienced it themselves. Like everyone else said, get yourself out there and remember why you came over in the first place :)
All the best
Kelly x

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Hi Amanda,

What you feel is pretty in much what any migrant will feel the first couple of months, never mind where you go.

I for example, lived all my life in warm South Africa.
I quit my job on Thursday to start my new job is Madison, Wisconsin, USA on Monday.
Thursday was hectic to pack the little I have in 2 big suitcases.
Friday jumped on 3 aircraft to arrive in Madison on Saturday afternoon.
It was late Nov. so SA was warm with 25-32 degrees C, and arriving in cold Madison with temps -1 to -10.
That Saturday evening it started snowing in Madison, the first time I saw and experienced snow!
The Sunday I spend at least 2 hours in the supermarket trying to figure out what food to buy for the week.
All the brands are different. I got "sticker" shock of the prices as I am still converting between currencies.
Where is the full cream milk?
After reading the labels, I figured that "Vitamin D" milk is what we called "full cream" in SA.
In the US all measurements are in standard, and I am used to the metric system, so I am constantly in the need to convert to just figure out what size I want and what the weather will be like, or how far I need to go.
After 4 years in the US, I still have troubles with the standard system.

Even crossing the road was a safety hazard, I felt like I need to re-learn how to cross the street, because Americans drive on the right and SA drive on the left. Luckily I did not need to drive anywhere in the first year and took the bus or relied on others to take me.

The 1st 2 weeks were horrible, with lots of paperwork to do, looking for an apartment, looking for furniture/utensils, learning the ropes at the new job, and almost re-learning everything I used to know.

Being in customer/tech support I dealt with many Americans, and since I had a British English accent, where we drop the "R" in many words when we pronounce it, the Americans had many times problems understanding what I was saying.
This is no good for tech support when someone else is relying on what you are saying.
So alas, I also had to re-learn the English language to pronounce the "R" if it is in the word, now the Americans understand me, but they think I am Russian with my trilling Afrikaans "R"s.

When people talk sport, I had NO clue what they are talking about, in SA we had rugby and cricket, here they have American football and baseball, and basket ball.

These are just some of the things a migrant can expect to go through.
It is not a summer vacation, it is a CHANGE in LIFE.
The first months will be rough, but it will be better later.

Here are some tips:
If you know someone in the area you are moving to, ask them to help you getting some of these sorted out and oriented.
They can help you with the shopping, show you the different areas, recommend banks and health care providers, help you find a place to stay, etc.

Take your time after work and over week-ends to explore and settle in.
This means drive through different neighbourhoods, visit different shops and making notes of where you can buy/get what. Read up on area and local culture/customs. Study some maps.
But above all make sure you enjoy your new setting and relax, pretend it is a vacation.

When I am down, I like to take a stroll or go to church, it lifts my mood. Australia is a beautiful country, take advantage of that.
Just be in nature and let go all those worries and problems.
Even if you are not religious, go to church.
It is the only place were you will get spiritual upliftment, fellowship and hopefully help. Jesus loves us all, never mind where we came from or what we did. We were commanded to love and help one another, and that you will only experience from a true believer, who you will find in church.

Keep in mind that you ARE making a NEW start in a total different country!
Your life is NOT merely a continuation of the old one.
You are casting away the past and making a new start.
Now is the time for change.
So expect things to be different, be open to learn and experience the new things and accept the things you like.
Don't look to the past or yearn for it, but rather learn from it and change the future.
Try not to compare the one country against the other or one culture for the other. Doing this will only keep you from adapting to the new culture and country you have to accept, in order to adapt to it.
Otherwise you will always be yearning for the past life and country or be frustrated/annoyed by the new experiences.
And in the end you go back to the old life in the old country.

When you start questioning why you came to the new country, remind yourself of the things you did not like in the old country and the reasons you moved.
Evaluate if these reasons are still true.
Look at the good things or opportunities the new country brings.
Was it all madness or in vain? Hopefully the answer is NO.

Start making friends.
Go out with work colleagues or fellow believers in church.
I am sure they are just dieing to hear about where you came from and what it is like in the new country.
I am also sure they will be likewise willing to show you around or tell you long stories about their life in the new country.

Well I am wishing you all the best to come, that you will settle in, and ENJOY your new life and environment.
I am working on my Australian PR visa and hopefully by Jan 07, I will do this all over again, moving to sunny Australia!

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

You may well find that jetlag, plus the trauma of moving 12000 miles to a completely foreign place, takes quite a few months to get over: don't worry - it's normal!

If you haven't come down with an Aussie cold within the first week - you're actually ahead of the game, even if you don't feel it.

Just give it time - summer's coming!

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Thats so funny, I been threatening a cold since I got here! :-) Didn't know it was all part of the fun!

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

It happens to a surprising number of people and just adds to the sense of achievement!

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

I haven't felt better for years and haven't had one cold since coming here... Vitamin D rocks!

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Too dam' cold for the bugs up there <g>

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Ha! ;) Only in the Winter.

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Hi Amanda,
Just wondering how you are feeling now and if you had a good weekend?
Hope you managed to get out and about and get a 'feel' for the place.
Good luck, let us know how you're getting on.
Tracey

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

Hi guys,

I kind of realised what one of my issues was. I actually had let a girl I met on the plane stay with me as she was travelling, staying here for a couple of months, then going off travelling. She really hated the hostel.....so said as I had a spare room, she could stay there until she went off travelling.

I don't really think that has helped me as she has been quite negative and miserable since being here. I have a fabulous job with fabulous people, I have a gorgeous apartment which is like a spot of heaven, a five star spa and yes, I am going to be adjusting, but then I realised that this girl who was staying with me was constantly complaining and moaning about Perth, about my apartment (she screamed how she hated the bathroom the other day as the mirror made her look ugly), she equally complained she didnt like my drinking glasses so wanted to go out and buy some etc etc....so think that made me feel better when I realised it was actually her negativity that was making me feel weird.

I spoke to her and said she didnt seem happy and as she was a traveller maybe she should move on, as obviously I am making a life in Perth, but she is visiting (I know before anyone tells me, she deserved a foot up her behind.....I am not soft, but do think she is very miserable and maybe a touch homesick so dont want to be too hard on her). So hopefully she will be off travelling in a week so I can feel settled myself.

A few of you have messaged to invite me places, which is sooooo appreciated......it would be great to have some drinking buddies here so Saturday nights wont be eating my weight in chocolate whilst watching a drab movie for too much longer.

I do feel good about being here, I knew I always did really, there was just something and it was half that settling in feeling and half other persons negativity

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

I was bitten by something a few times and felt like poop for about 36 hours....apart from that had a few close encounters of the cold kind but not a full on one yet.

Re: Feeling Low in Perth
 

I got a spider bite which did the same for me Amanda... I wonder which bug bit you?

Good to hear that your flatmate has been re-bitten by the travel bug... Other people's negativity can really bring you down.