Flying Banana

Ah but those beautiful crisp sunny mornings with snow all around, totally different to Aussie sunshine but beautiful as well.

I grew up in Germany (Hamburg, Freiburg and Munich) and my parents lived in Stans just outside Luzern for a couple of years. And the last company I worked for in the UK was Swiss, Alstom - HQ at Baden outside Zurich. Used to love switching from English to German mid-conversation when the Swiss guys were over, they used to find it quite a shock that someone English could speak German fluently. They would joke in Swiss German about my posh Hoch Deutsch!

Boomerang

Hello,

We have here a variety of people from all over Europe, now i'll add my bit.

I was born in Portugal and raised in Uk and moving to Australia at the end of the year ( if all goes well and there is no set backs, touch wood ) and im 22,9 years old and you guessed it right, im going alone too.

For the first time i feel a bit nervous and scared with this big jump it's something that i always wanted, but being released into the big world out there will change me a bit, it's time to get a life of my own, time to leave the parents house, its time to explore, start a new chapter, it won't be easy at first, but the time feels right.

Regards,
Pedro

gregb

Hi,

I will hopefully be over in Sydney at the end of May (April 2004 136 non MODL application). I am a 30 year old single South African based in London. Have really enjoyed my European experience over the past 7 years and there will certainly be things that I will miss (not the weather!).

I fell in love with Sydney when I visited in 2000 just before the Olympics. Feeling a little apprehensive about going over alone, but I do have a couple of friends over which definitely helps. Now I just wish they would speed up the processing at the DIMIA so I can finally get over!

Greg

swissfabs

What a great attitude pedro!

fabie

swissfabs

Yeah, that "language switching" is amazing! well, I speak both french and english every day. also fran-glais as they call it here (shall i say fre-nglish?) verbier is an extremely multi-linguistic and -cultural place. most of the people speak english, but from all around the world. england,sth afrifca,canada, usa, australia and i am forgetting heaps. my boyfriend is canadian from the english side of montreal so he keeps on laughing at my aussie accent and words and i make fun of his canadian-french accent when we switch to french.

when i was in sydney years ago i was sitting on a bus and there was this french guy trying to show off to an aussie girl and he was telling her - both in english and french - with an ENORMOUS french accent - how his dad owned which and which company over in france. wonder what the poor girl must have been thinking .i was about to laugh sooo much but since i speak english like an aussie he had no clue i spoke french as well. so i just smiled at him when i left the bus.

i just need to work on my italian language skills now, i own a passport and cant even speak the language. what a shame!!!

fabie

Mastermind

Hi Fabie,

I speak also Schwaebisch. For those who don't know what this is, it's a local slang of German. Really worse!
It's about the same as the difference between British English and Australian English.

Fred

LauraIreland

Thanks Fabie and Laurie, I found the thread !!
Most of my family and friends think I am absolutely nuts, despite the fact that I have many Australian friends, they keep "reassuring" me that they will visit, when I only need those closest to me to visit so they can see how fantastic it is and move themselves over!
Laura

Swerv-o

Well,

I too am doing the 'on my own' thing - I have a friend from uni in Sydney, and another in Canberra. Planning on making the move sometime in July/August, depending on the sale of my house.

I've started getting a bit nervous (understandably I guess), but my family are backing me 100%, which is really nice. I'm angling for a Uni or TAFE job in NSW, but I'm free to go wherever I can find a job!

I've started reading these newsgroup postings in the hope of finding somebody else in my position, to share experiences with, which I now have! So hopefully a nice group of people to head to the pub with when I arrive!

S

Athena

I'm Italian and going alone, too

I'll be 34 years old, arriving to Sydney on 27th September, flying with Air Mauritius. I will stay in a hostel in Clovelly for the first month and look for a job and a house to rent, most likely in the Inner West. I would like to make a living as a freelance or in-house translator.

September seems both too far and too close! I can't wait to go, although I also feel a bit scared of the big jump :scared: ... but still in a good way!

swissfabs

Hello to the last 3 posters, it seems really exciting to go on our own (to me anyway!!!)

I am off to Brisbane, but will be in Sydney in October. I would love to go and have coffee!!!! let me know!!!


fabie!

tonyk38

Hi Fabie,

I will almost certainly be going alone when I eventually get around to it, as I've learnt the hard way that this is the easiest 'no strings attached' way to do it.

Sending you karma for making me feel less alone for the first time in ages.

hunser

Just thought I'd say HI as I'm another go-it-aloner, heading for Sydney (though Perth has been looking tempting recently for some reason) but probably not until early next year, I think, as I'm currently on an 'every 1UKP earnt here is 2AUD more to make settling easier over there' mission, if that makes any sense to anyone.

Paul

TopCat3

Good luck, all of you. I came here on my own age 34 and did just fine. Still am. (on my own and fine thank you)

leedslad

Hi everyone! Great thread Fabs!

I'm going it alone too, until my girlfriend gets out there too.

I'm planning for the end of the year, but its comming too quickly for me. I want to be there so so much, but the closer it gets the more i feel i need a little longer in the UK.

I have a great job, great lifestyle, and an amazing girlfriend. Am i mad?!? I sometimes think so.

Great to see others my age (28) jumping ship

samer

Yes what a great thread.
I was tinking: who else is going alone also like me?

By the way Am going to melbourne in about 2 weeks.......Hope everything goes well, I know no one there.

Cheers