How do you cope?
Feb 16th 2007, 2:48 am
#1
Banned
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 2
How do you cope?
Hi,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Feb 16th 2007, 2:54 am
#2
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Re: How do you cope?
Hi,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Put it down to experience and move on.
PS Agree about Holdens. They are shite. I'd only drive one if it was free.
Last edited by Amazulu; Feb 16th 2007 at 2:59 am. Reason: Holdens are shite
Feb 16th 2007, 2:58 am
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: How do you cope?
I cope because I have a great life - with more balance and choice. I have more time to do the things I really want to do rather than have to do others because there is no choice.
Looking at the events that could happen anywhere. Buying a bomb, a little boy not quite the gentleman. (Where are you exactly, I won't be going there).
2 of my best mates have Phds. There are a fair few 'educated people' amongst our friends.
Looking at the events that could happen anywhere. Buying a bomb, a little boy not quite the gentleman. (Where are you exactly, I won't be going there).
2 of my best mates have Phds. There are a fair few 'educated people' amongst our friends.
Last edited by BadgeIsBack; Feb 16th 2007 at 3:01 am.
Feb 16th 2007, 3:15 am
#4
Cup of tea, Father?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Underground, overground, wombling free
Posts: 6,895
Re: How do you cope?
This one I have to watch, whoever you really are. 
for a start - surely not..
Feb 16th 2007, 3:22 am
#6
Cup of tea, Father?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Underground, overground, wombling free
Posts: 6,895
Re: How do you cope?
Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said.
Feb 16th 2007, 3:25 am
#7
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: How do you cope?
Hi,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Hope you find happiness back in England.
Feb 16th 2007, 3:25 am
#8
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: How do you cope?
Hi,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m just wondering how others have coped, because me and my family have reached the end of our tether here. We came out to Oz in 2006. We really thought this would be paradise as we had read so many positive comments about it, and watched just about every tv program about Oz we could. We felt really informed, and yes we did see some negative comments on here and we made a solemn pact NOT to let ourselves become Negative Neddies. Our tale of woe goes like this.
Sold our house in Tunbridge Wells, we were not mortgage free so had to pay the bank back first, this meant that we brought about $80,000 with us. Now I had read a lot about how cheap the houses were and how low the cost of living was in Oz so I thought this would be enough.
We settled in Brisbane (I have a daughter and a son) and bought a house. This is pretty much where our troubles started. I had a lot of trouble getting a job, despite being told in the UK that there was a skills shortage ( I was an accountant for the Inland Revenue in the UK). We thought we did the right thing by buying a locally made car (a Holden) and turned out to be the biggest heap of junk I have ever had the misfortune to drive. So far it’s cost us $8,000 in repairs and the ‘mechanics’ (monkeys would be a better description) still can’t fix it.
My daughter got a part a time job at Coles, at least someone was working and we were still optimistic about our chances of making it here. But I got knock after knock back. I was either over qualified, under qualified or did not have ‘Australian experience’. Why do I need Australian experience when I am a fully qualified accountant born, raised and educated in the country that gave Australia its accounting practices?
My son Morgan hates it here, he gets teased at school for his ‘posh’ accent. I have escorted him to school a few times and have to say that the natives could learn some lessons in ‘posh’ themselves! So things are very bumpy. Just after Xmas my Jemima (my daughter) came home very upset as one of the local boys had suggested something rather rude to her. She is an innocent teenager and I was shocked when she repeated what was said. No wonder there are so many single mothers here.
It has just been one thing after another. I have a full time job now but to be honest I find the level of so called educated accountants here very lacking, and its all I can do to hold my tongue. Their slapdash attitude to work beggars belief. On top of that the pay is very very poor.
All of these things of course could happen in the UK, well some of them at least. But I think the boredom and cultural void that exists here does not help the situation. I rarely go as I find their boorish behaviour too much to bear a lot of the time.
I’m really struggling to fathom how anyone would stay here unless they are quite lazy and accept second best in their lives a matter of everyday occurrence, or is a complete uneducated hooligan. We are ready to prepare for home and for that I am thankful, but it has cost us a lot of money.
I am staying here and I am not lazy, I only accept first class in my life and am very educated thank you very much. My experience is totally at odds to yours but not a lot I can do about that.
All those things you say have happened to you here, can and do happen all the time in the UK (except the ownership of a crappy Holden of course) you just were not aware of it because you were in your home country and knew stuff you don't know here regarding work. Depending on where you lived, your daughter may or not have come up against nasty comments - most teenage girls are more than capable of making bitchy comments to each other regardless of what country they live in.
Your son would not have been "accused" of being posh where you were in the UK because presumably all his friends sounded the same as him. Had you moved to a totally different area of the UK he would have likely have had the same comment.
I can only suggest you all sit down as a family and decide where you want to be and if it turns out to be the UK then you try and set things in motion to get back.
I'm not sure insulting people you know nothing about is the right way to go to make friends and influence people but whatever rocks your boat.
Feb 16th 2007, 3:28 am
#12
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: WA but NOT Perth!!!!!
Posts: 3,318
Re: How do you cope?
I agree with Amazulu's comments.
Feb 16th 2007, 3:30 am
#13
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Re: How do you cope?
Oz is not for everyone - good luck with whatever you choose to do.
Good post though.
Feb 16th 2007, 3:32 am
#14
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: WA but NOT Perth!!!!!
Posts: 3,318
Re: How do you cope?
I'm not sure how you can describe yourself as "pretty lazy" given you've spent all that time fighting bushfires recently...?!
Feb 16th 2007, 3:34 am
#15
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Re: How do you cope?
Thank you, I'll get my mrs. to read your post. She keeps telling me I'm a lazy bastard.