Comments on: Opinions on Melbourne from a Son of an Immigrant Family

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:53:08 +0000

@Corelda: Speaking as someone who went to high school in Kenya and then came to Australia mid way through high school, I would recommend you stay back in South Africa and work hard to ensure you get a great grade for your matric exams and then come down here to do your University. The process of readjusting, especially considering how unprepared you currently are, would have to much of a negative impact on your grade.
Are you referring to “tourism”? If so, I don’t remember that subject being taught here when I did Year 12, but I think the overall point is just to stay in SA where you understand the system and finish high school here, and come down for University.
Very important: Before you come do a couple of things:
1) Learn English: Learn not only proper English but begin watching Australian TV shows, neighbours, Steve and Bindi Irwin, Home and Away, interviews with Australians like Nicole Kidman etc etc so that you learn not only the proper English language but also how to talk to Australians when you come down: Too many people have been held back because of an inability to speak good English.
2) Begin to read Australian newspapers and TV shows so you can understand the contemporary issues Australians face and understand the way they think a bit better.
3) Figure out where members of the South African community are in whatever city you want to go to. Go to online forums and do Google searches for South Africans living in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or wherever it is you are going and begin to form relationships online so these people can help you settle in when you arrive.
4) If you can afford it, I found a classified ad for a South African company based in Australia that helps other South Africans settle into the country. I haven’t personally contacted them yet so I don’t know if they are still operating. You can find them by clicking on this address:
http://www.relocationoz.com

Best of luck. Any other questions, do not hesitate to ask.

By: Corelda

Corelda — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:26:08 +0000

hey sorry!

1) uhm… well toerism is a subject we have at school we learn about all kinds of places in SA like ‘cradle of human kind’ and ‘table mountain’ but when i move and i take that subject there it wont be stuff about SA it will obviously change and we will learn about places in OZ and i will have allot of catching up to do because i don’t know anything about OZ only that sydney is the capital city

2) Matric year is like my GRADE 12 year, Like the year i finish school!
YEAH!! cant wait!! BUT if i move i will struggle as i can’t speak or (as you ca probably see) write very well in english

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:34:58 +0000

@Corelda: Hey, so I can best answer your questions, please clarify for me what two things mean:
a) Matric year?
b) Toerism?

Once I know just what you mean by those two things I will advise you to the best of my ability.

By: Corelda

Corelda — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:38:10 +0000

Hey im moving to OZ next year March and i know this kinda has nothing to do with what you guys were talking about, BUT uhm…. by that time i will be in the middle of my matric year here in SA and i know your school terms are bifferent than ours.

I was wondering if you can send me some info about how matric is on that side, im in an afrikaans school and i have toerism, and that will obviously not be the same there! im afraid that i might fail as its quite allot of work i have to “RE-DO”.

I have considered staying here and then just going after matric BUT like all moms, my mom wouldn’t let me stay behind.

Thanks for letting me bother you my mail is corelda@telkomsa.net
Please reply asap as i need to talk to my mom again if it’ll be to hard

By: Tips from an African Woman Who Started and Sold a Business for Six Figures - The Displaced African

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:06:02 +0000

[...] 3) Why did she choose the aged care/disability care industry? I spoke a bit about this when I gave my opinions on Melbourne. [...]

By: What Everybody Ought to Know About Immigration and Njeri’s Guest Post » The Displaced African

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:46:35 +0000

[...] Australia., listen to some opinions on Melbourne from: a) A student who arrived in early 2008. b) Myself c) My younger sisters who are 14 and [...]

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:14:05 +0000

@Mzeiya: Aah! So we know each other. Hmm, I do have the lady’s email so it’s definitely worth a shot to see if she is able to be interviewed. I will muster up the courage over the next few hours to email her.
My experience is the exact opposite, that this place is very lax and informal when you want to start a business (though of course the paperwork to keep going and maintain is just ridiculous sometimes). To put it in context, though I am in a nuclear family with two other adults – aka mum and dad – I am the only person who has ever been employed here, so I think.
I am always down for a meetup, whichever day suits you, though please in the evening, me and mornings and middays are not very good friends.

By: Mzeiya

Mzeiya — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:02:33 +0000

Well actually we know each other. Am new to the site- and so of course I was not going to scream that I know you, but since the spotlight is on Melbourne I thought I could contribute. In your new article you asked if you needed to go on with this topic, well I suggest keep going on. I would want to hear from you how people make such crazy amounts in Melbourne coz everything here seems to be too formal. I ve always thought the business environment here is hard to penetrate as compared to say in Kenya where we both come from.

Maybe we can catch up sometime over a drink (i guess coffee will do for me in this winter).

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:40:55 +0000

@Mzeiya: You’re in Melbourne…two years? In that case you must know me, I have been too loud in the past to miss. I pretty much agree with everything you have said. I don’t know if you know this lady known as Susan who came here to get a Masters Degree but is about to go home $20 mil richer in Kenya shillings….so I think that in terms of accruing funds, there are very few barriers in that department.
About the English thing, they do hate formality quite a bit especially in conversation but I’m talking about even in spoken word, a lot of folks here are barely literate.
I don’t think it can be repeated enough times how important it is to know why you are here. Don’t worry, mini-posting is very highly encouraged and welcome on the Displaced African so don’t worry about length.

By: Mzeiya

Mzeiya — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:33:28 +0000

that there was a long reply i made.I didnt even realize.lol