~A line from Goodbye Alice In Wonderland by my all time favourite artist, Jewel.
Like so many before me & I'm sure so many there will be after me, I've asked myself why do I want to leave the security of Singapore for the uncertainty of Australia. I've listed to myself so many reasons.
1. I want work life balance. (I frequently work 12 to 13 hours a day and though I'm paid overtime, I rather have the time to do things that I enjoy with people I enjoy being with, namely, the hubby & my dogs.)
2. I want a more relax pace at work so I can do my job properly. (At work, we rush like crazy. To check patient, to do paperwork, to open sterile consumables on my surgical trolley, to scrubbing, to preparing my trolley. If we're not faster than the surgeon, you know what happens. Wait, you don't? We get screamed or yelled at. What did cha think? When you're rushing to beat the speed of light, it's only a matter of time when you miss something vital & make a serious mistake.)
3. I want to be able to afford a car. (Ok, that's materialistic me talking. Even if cars are a necessity in Australia. )
4. I want a house with a garden so I can grow my own veg/herbs & my dog can run freely at the price of a 5 room flat. (Practical?)
5. Better & less stressful education system for kids. (I don't have any & I'm not sure if I want any. If I do change my mind in the future, this point will become valid. :P)
They told me that Australia will be boring coz shops close at 5 or 6 pm and there's nothing to do. Me & hubby are boring people. What do we do after work? Head straight home, play with the dogs, have dinner, spend some time on the computer & for me, read. We did this day in day out for 4 years already. So I don't think shops closing early will bother us much. They told me cost of living is very high in Australia. From what I'm seeing, eating out is 1 of the most expensive things to do. Well, guess what? I can cook & I enjoy it. We all know cars are definitely cheaper. Yes, I don't mind a 15 year old manual car. We both learnt to drive on a stick. Hubby has got to be the thriftiest man I know anyway.
Am I filled with fear about being unable to find a job? Of course. Am I fearful that I won't be able to fit in? Most definitely. Am I worried that my cash flow won't be able to sustain our lifestyle no matter how frugal we are? Always. These thoughts fill me all the time. Regardless of how many times I tell myself that if other people can, so can I. My aunt, who's a nurse as well, told me that she had wanted to work overseas when she was younger. But she didn't have the courage to step out & now she's too old to do so & it's a regret she has to bring to her grave.
One day, I was just musing, staring at the sky when it struck me, clear as day. Ultimately, it all boils down to 1 reason. That my motivation for trying. I want to enjoy life while I still have 1.
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Choosing The Flight
The issue on which airline to choose seems pretty trivial. But still, we want the best our buck can give us right? I did a search for various airlines that fly to Perth. Price stated is for 1 pax.
1. SIA - $787.90, multiple timings to choose from, 32 kg check-in baggage
2. Emirates - $421.20, arrival in Perth at 11.20 pm, 30 kg
3. Qantas -$420, arrival at 11.20 pm, 30 kg
4. Cathy Pacific - Requires stop over in Hong Kong & costs $949.70!
5. Jetstar - $127.53, arrival at 7.30 am or 11.10 pm, 10 kg carry on baggage
6. Scoot - $183.68 (FlyBag) with 15 kg check-in baggage, $198.68 (FlyBagEat) with 15 kg check-in baggage & meal, $397.68 (ScootBiz) with 20 kg check-in baggage, arrival at 5.50 pm
7. Tigerair - $167.20 (Light), $198.20 (Combo), $239.20 (Combo Plus), all with 10 kg carry on baggage, price difference indicates different add-ons, arrival at 4.55 pm or 9.10 pm
Timing & value for money wise, it seems Scoot is the best among all. Reason being, it won't be very nice to ask a friend to pick you up at the airport at 11+ pm on a weekday when he/she has to work the next day.
1. SIA - $787.90, multiple timings to choose from, 32 kg check-in baggage
2. Emirates - $421.20, arrival in Perth at 11.20 pm, 30 kg
3. Qantas -$420, arrival at 11.20 pm, 30 kg
4. Cathy Pacific - Requires stop over in Hong Kong & costs $949.70!
5. Jetstar - $127.53, arrival at 7.30 am or 11.10 pm, 10 kg carry on baggage
6. Scoot - $183.68 (FlyBag) with 15 kg check-in baggage, $198.68 (FlyBagEat) with 15 kg check-in baggage & meal, $397.68 (ScootBiz) with 20 kg check-in baggage, arrival at 5.50 pm
7. Tigerair - $167.20 (Light), $198.20 (Combo), $239.20 (Combo Plus), all with 10 kg carry on baggage, price difference indicates different add-ons, arrival at 4.55 pm or 9.10 pm
Timing & value for money wise, it seems Scoot is the best among all. Reason being, it won't be very nice to ask a friend to pick you up at the airport at 11+ pm on a weekday when he/she has to work the next day.
Friday, 17 January 2014
Stupidity At Its Max
I don't like using such harsh words becoz I understand how it feels to be on the receiving end of it. But I get really worked up when it concerns dog ownership & the apparent lack of common sense.
A dog was hanged on his collar & leash when his owner's relative was entering the lift & she failed to notice that her dog was still outside when the lift doors closed. She said it happened too fast & she had no time to react. This relative takes the dog out for walks regularly as reported.
Firstly, lift doors do not slam shut in a spilt second, leaving you no time to react. I took the liberty to time how long it takes for my lift doors to close. It takes 4 seconds from the time the doors start closing to the time they're completely sealed. 2nd, even if the doors are closing, you can always stick your arm in between the closing gap. No, your bones won't fracture. You'll get a bruise at the most. How can it be that you only noticed your dog is outside after the doors had closed? I'm highly suspicious that she was on her hp & hence she was distracted. Other people suggested a theory that she may have her hands full of groceries which I'm throwing out as it was 6+ am in the morning & how the hell do you bring a dog along for grocery shopping in Singapore? It's not as if they're allowed in supermarkets or wet markets.
Whatever it is, the dog has already passed on. I just hope no other dogs will lose their life due to their human's stupidity. Always always hold the lift door with your hand as your dog is walking into the lift. I do it even when I'm holding the door for others. The door open button can fail & besides it takes at least a second for the doors to respond. In emergencies, every second counts. Have a habit of keeping your dog on a very short leash. Take it from the owner of, in my opinion, the most disobedient pug. It will prevent your dog from lunging at unsuspecting joggers, cyclists or pedestrians when you're busy picking up poop. In the lift, it will prevent your dog from dashing out the lift (as claimed by the relative walking the dog) & it will prevent your dog from disturbing fellow lift users.
A dog was hanged on his collar & leash when his owner's relative was entering the lift & she failed to notice that her dog was still outside when the lift doors closed. She said it happened too fast & she had no time to react. This relative takes the dog out for walks regularly as reported.
Firstly, lift doors do not slam shut in a spilt second, leaving you no time to react. I took the liberty to time how long it takes for my lift doors to close. It takes 4 seconds from the time the doors start closing to the time they're completely sealed. 2nd, even if the doors are closing, you can always stick your arm in between the closing gap. No, your bones won't fracture. You'll get a bruise at the most. How can it be that you only noticed your dog is outside after the doors had closed? I'm highly suspicious that she was on her hp & hence she was distracted. Other people suggested a theory that she may have her hands full of groceries which I'm throwing out as it was 6+ am in the morning & how the hell do you bring a dog along for grocery shopping in Singapore? It's not as if they're allowed in supermarkets or wet markets.
Whatever it is, the dog has already passed on. I just hope no other dogs will lose their life due to their human's stupidity. Always always hold the lift door with your hand as your dog is walking into the lift. I do it even when I'm holding the door for others. The door open button can fail & besides it takes at least a second for the doors to respond. In emergencies, every second counts. Have a habit of keeping your dog on a very short leash. Take it from the owner of, in my opinion, the most disobedient pug. It will prevent your dog from lunging at unsuspecting joggers, cyclists or pedestrians when you're busy picking up poop. In the lift, it will prevent your dog from dashing out the lift (as claimed by the relative walking the dog) & it will prevent your dog from disturbing fellow lift users.
Friday, 3 January 2014
Australian Migration As A Nurse
I'm an introvert & quite possibly a social misfit. No doubt about it. Social interactions drain me. Solitary times recharges me. I read this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. Never has a book speak so loudly to me before. In it, she stated that the percentage of introverts in the US is... a whooping 51-52% which means, extroverts are a minority! Oh well, hardly. But you get what I mean. She suspects that the statistics are similar all over the world. Ok, so why did I bring up the topic of introversion? I wanted to quote a chinese phrase but my chinese is so bad I can only remember the latter half which goes, 出外靠朋友. I've never felt this more acutely than I do now. Having attained our Australian PR, the next step is of course making the actual move. In a foreign land, you need friends to help you along. So I hope just like some people have been a great help to me, I hope I can be of great help to you too. I'll touch on how to get Australian PR if you're a nurse. This is under Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189).
I lodged my APHRA (which is the equivalent of registering for your SNB licence) in Sept 2011. At that time, IELTS was not required. I'm not too sure if the regulations have changed since then. This is by far the most complicated part of your PR application. It requires you to produce documents which are hard to get coz it'll mean alerting your company that you have intentions to leave. You need a proof of employment which I got from HR (by lying to them that I need it for bank loan). You need 2 professional testimonies from your supervisors (managers, clinician, educator or if you're gungho enough, your assistant director of nursing) by going to 2 nurse clinicians whom I trust & know will keep a secret for me. You'll need certified true copies of your SNB Certificate of Registration (the brown copy with a red seal), your practising cert for the year (the small blue card), qualification certs and transcripts ('O' levels, diploma, degree) & for diploma, you'll need clinical transcripts as well which you have to get from the polytechnic. While you're at it, get a copy of course content (diploma & degree) coz you'll need it for Skills Assessment at a later stage. You need a trip to SNB & get them to send a certificate of good standing. There're a multitude of other documents you will need to send, but these are the hardest to get. Once you get your in principle approval, you'll need to show evidence of the right to enter Australia & for this step, a tourist visa will do.
At this stage, I engaged AIMS Immigration agency to process my PR for me. If you wanna go at it on your own, it's not impossible, just a lot of work & it can be very confusing. Otherwise, you'll need to part with SGD$6300 as agency fees & the price increases every year. I know coz my friend who signed up with them a year before me paid SGD5k++.
Next, I did my IELTS (academic). You need a band 7 in all 4 categories (max band 9) so you need a pretty good command of English. After a certain age (I think it's after 35 or 38, I'm not too sure.) the requirements go up to band 8. Each attempt is SGD$320 & you have to wait 3 months for a retest if you need it. I managed to "pass" on my 1st attempt though I've heard of people taking as many as 6 times yet still "fail". I got a 8.5 for Listening, 9 for Reading, 7 for Writing & 7.5 for Speaking. I felt it was pretty easy though it might have been pure good fortune. Speaking takes place about a week later, depending how how you book your test dates. Trick is to practise, practise, practise. Download free online IELTS mock tests. AIMS gave me a booklet with test practise as well which I went over twice, including the online ones. Oh yeah, don't forget to pray. I chanted (I practise Nichiren Buddhism) for success way before I even signed up for IETLS.
Next up, Skills Assessment with ANMAC. If you've got your APHRA licence, you can do the modified assessment which will cost AUD$320. You'll need similar documents as per APHRA, but this time you need a Statement of Service. This is a letter from your Nurse Manager only (ADON or DON will do as well) stating your position, duration with the hospital, your roles & responsibilities & confirmation of your competency as a registered nurse by your Manager. Waiting time is 4 months.
When your skills have been assessed as suitable for migration, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). It runs on a points system & you need to hit a minimum of 60 points. Waited about 2 week. You'll get an invitation to apply for PR which of course, you do & part with AUD$3060 as visa application fee (spouse & kids at half the price each). Mine was lodged on 15th Nov 2013. Another month of waiting & you'll be assigned an officer who will be in charge of your case. You & your spouse will be required to undergo a medical checkup choosing from a panel of doctors & radiology centers at own cost within a month of notice. This consists of a CXR, HIV test, weight/height measurement, BP taking & physical assessment by the doctor. I don't think they take weight/BMI into consideration coz based on my BMI, I'm definitely overweight & my husband belongs to the obese category. Lastly, you need a Certificate of Clearance (COC) from Police Cantonment Complex at SGD$45 per pax from 8.30 am to 12 noon, Mon to Fri, excluding PH. You'll be given a date to collect the COC which is about 10 days from application. I collected my COC on 30th Dec 2013, submitted it to AIMS who submitted it to Australia Immigration on the same day. I was granted my PR on the very next day, 31st Dec 2013.
All in all, I estimate I spent about SGD$14k though I really should have keep track. It's a lot of work & money just to get the PR (even if you minus the 6k for agency fee). So you need to be very sure about your decision. You'll need to make the 1st entry into Australia within a year & to be eligible for renewal of your PR after 5 years, you need to stay a cumulative of 2 years out of the 5 years. A tip AIMS gave me was if you don't have that many years left on your passport, renew it. Depending on where you decided to settle down, it can be very far to travel should you need to renew your passport in Australia as you can only do it in Canberra.
I lodged my APHRA (which is the equivalent of registering for your SNB licence) in Sept 2011. At that time, IELTS was not required. I'm not too sure if the regulations have changed since then. This is by far the most complicated part of your PR application. It requires you to produce documents which are hard to get coz it'll mean alerting your company that you have intentions to leave. You need a proof of employment which I got from HR (by lying to them that I need it for bank loan). You need 2 professional testimonies from your supervisors (managers, clinician, educator or if you're gungho enough, your assistant director of nursing) by going to 2 nurse clinicians whom I trust & know will keep a secret for me. You'll need certified true copies of your SNB Certificate of Registration (the brown copy with a red seal), your practising cert for the year (the small blue card), qualification certs and transcripts ('O' levels, diploma, degree) & for diploma, you'll need clinical transcripts as well which you have to get from the polytechnic. While you're at it, get a copy of course content (diploma & degree) coz you'll need it for Skills Assessment at a later stage. You need a trip to SNB & get them to send a certificate of good standing. There're a multitude of other documents you will need to send, but these are the hardest to get. Once you get your in principle approval, you'll need to show evidence of the right to enter Australia & for this step, a tourist visa will do.
At this stage, I engaged AIMS Immigration agency to process my PR for me. If you wanna go at it on your own, it's not impossible, just a lot of work & it can be very confusing. Otherwise, you'll need to part with SGD$6300 as agency fees & the price increases every year. I know coz my friend who signed up with them a year before me paid SGD5k++.
Next, I did my IELTS (academic). You need a band 7 in all 4 categories (max band 9) so you need a pretty good command of English. After a certain age (I think it's after 35 or 38, I'm not too sure.) the requirements go up to band 8. Each attempt is SGD$320 & you have to wait 3 months for a retest if you need it. I managed to "pass" on my 1st attempt though I've heard of people taking as many as 6 times yet still "fail". I got a 8.5 for Listening, 9 for Reading, 7 for Writing & 7.5 for Speaking. I felt it was pretty easy though it might have been pure good fortune. Speaking takes place about a week later, depending how how you book your test dates. Trick is to practise, practise, practise. Download free online IELTS mock tests. AIMS gave me a booklet with test practise as well which I went over twice, including the online ones. Oh yeah, don't forget to pray. I chanted (I practise Nichiren Buddhism) for success way before I even signed up for IETLS.
Next up, Skills Assessment with ANMAC. If you've got your APHRA licence, you can do the modified assessment which will cost AUD$320. You'll need similar documents as per APHRA, but this time you need a Statement of Service. This is a letter from your Nurse Manager only (ADON or DON will do as well) stating your position, duration with the hospital, your roles & responsibilities & confirmation of your competency as a registered nurse by your Manager. Waiting time is 4 months.
When your skills have been assessed as suitable for migration, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). It runs on a points system & you need to hit a minimum of 60 points. Waited about 2 week. You'll get an invitation to apply for PR which of course, you do & part with AUD$3060 as visa application fee (spouse & kids at half the price each). Mine was lodged on 15th Nov 2013. Another month of waiting & you'll be assigned an officer who will be in charge of your case. You & your spouse will be required to undergo a medical checkup choosing from a panel of doctors & radiology centers at own cost within a month of notice. This consists of a CXR, HIV test, weight/height measurement, BP taking & physical assessment by the doctor. I don't think they take weight/BMI into consideration coz based on my BMI, I'm definitely overweight & my husband belongs to the obese category. Lastly, you need a Certificate of Clearance (COC) from Police Cantonment Complex at SGD$45 per pax from 8.30 am to 12 noon, Mon to Fri, excluding PH. You'll be given a date to collect the COC which is about 10 days from application. I collected my COC on 30th Dec 2013, submitted it to AIMS who submitted it to Australia Immigration on the same day. I was granted my PR on the very next day, 31st Dec 2013.
All in all, I estimate I spent about SGD$14k though I really should have keep track. It's a lot of work & money just to get the PR (even if you minus the 6k for agency fee). So you need to be very sure about your decision. You'll need to make the 1st entry into Australia within a year & to be eligible for renewal of your PR after 5 years, you need to stay a cumulative of 2 years out of the 5 years. A tip AIMS gave me was if you don't have that many years left on your passport, renew it. Depending on where you decided to settle down, it can be very far to travel should you need to renew your passport in Australia as you can only do it in Canberra.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Diary Entry From 10 years ago (Now 11 years ago)
Extracted from my FB note, written on 25th July 2012.
I'm still in the process of throwing out junks & tidying up my house. I just dug out my diary from my teenage years. It was written on my birthday 10 years ago when I was just 19. As I read it, I'm swept away. I think I wrote better in my younger days. LOL.
1.59 am, 28th Dec 2002. Friday. Officially my birthday.
Here are the thoughts that pass through my mind on this very night, at this hour.
Sometimes, we fail to realise that they (artists) are humans too. We place them on a pedestal, treat them like a deity when in fact, they are just like us. The only thing that they have & we don't is fame.
I am a solitary person. I need more solitary time than most of my friends. I'm not that much of a thinker. But sometimes, you just need to stop & admire all that is around you. The beauty that you failed to appreciate. It opens me up to all sorts of possibilities. Most of the time, we're swept away by this fast paced world. I am guilty of it many a times. To be able to pen these down is easy. But to be fully aware of it is another thing.
I love to read. To possess those beautiful books. They are but sentences formed by words. But together, they weave beautiful tales. I am 19. The world doesn't feel any different. I don't feel any different from what I used to be. Another year is almost upon me, upon all of us. I can't continue to live in vain. So from the coming year on, I will draw up a list of things, goals to accomplish before the year is up. Things that are worth doing. But I guess on second thoughts, everything and everybody has its worth. I have to find mine before I can proceed. To find who I am. Do you know why I like to write? What I am not, I am in the tales I spin.
A striking contrast in entries for I have not been faithful in writing. Perhaps one day, I can read and experience once again the passages that I have passed, the growth that I have made.
I know, I'm a feeler. I often stop to feel the vast emotions coursing through my veins. It may be some scene that I saw or perhaps it's some lines I read from a certain book, or it may even be songs that I've heard a hundred times. At different junctions in my life, the same elements or the cocktails of these elements will strike a different cord in me.
The Ugly Duckling Who Couldn't Fit In
Extracted from my FB note, written on 9th July 2012.
Not many people know my story. It's not that I'm hiding it on purpose but you don't really talk about such things as an adult. For a long time, I was ashamed. To be me. It wasn't until recently that I came to appreciate myself for who I am. It took me 29 years. But better late than never right?
I spent practically the entire 6 years in primary school alone. I had no friends. Nobody to talk to except a girl who lived just 3 floors below me. I can still remember her name. Sheena Fong. She's a year younger, hence, the only chance we get to meet or talk was during recess or on the school bus. Any attempts to play with her at her house after school resulted in caning from my father. It wasn't that I had homework to do. I just wasn't allowed anywhere without my parents. Asking for permission always ended up in a 'no'. Still, I tried my luck time & again without their consent. My mom was more lax. If I wasn't home after school, she knew exactly where I was & would get me before my father got home. I mean, what do you want me to do? I was young, no form of entertainment at home, no siblings to play or fight with.
Sheena ran with a different crowd as we entered (different) secondary school. She's the pretty, slim & popular girl. There I was, the fat, ugly duckling who endured teasing, tauntings & bullying throughout that 4 years. I had close friends. 2 girls & 2 guys to be exact. Of whom, I'm still in contact with the 2 guys. But we were in different classes. Nobody could save me from the worst sort of words they bestowed on me.
Things got better in polytechnic. Everybody's older & girls were generally not as cruel. (I used were because I think the girls in this current time are just as bad.) My 10 year ordeal was finally over. I enjoyed my 3 years in NYP. I was just an above average student. I guess if I wanted to, I could have scored better. But at that time, I wasn't too bothered as long as I passed.
I wonder if my awkwardness when I'm among people can be attributed to my up bringing & experiences in my younger days. There was definitely improvement over the years. I was absolutely silent unless spoke to in primary school. I had friends in secondary school. For once, I fitted in with my NYP friends. Till the me today, who talked way too much at times. But compare me with anybody else, you'll notice the difference.
My 1st sense of achievement ever in my life is my good grades in my Bachelor's degree. If you think I'm competitive, it's only with myself. Even till now, I still think that my good grades were due to pure luck. That somehow, I made the right guesses, wrote the right words etc.
I've always wanted to blend into the crowd, not wanting to draw attention to myself. Then someone came along & told me that I have what it takes to be different, to excel. Dream big & start small, she told me. Coincidentally, Jon, Sam & I were watching this Bollywood movie titled 3 Idiots on Saturday. Something to this effect was repeated in the movie several times: "The car is at the gate. Only you can choose whether to board." I guess it's time to let go of all the insecurities, all the fears & give myself a chance. To identify one's weaknesses & seek to overcome them. That's human revolution - the one thing I must seek to achieve in this life time for it will never come again.
Lost In Transition
I noted with horror that I've not written since July 2012. Where have I been? Nowhere in particular. That's the problem isn't it? Let's bring this blog up to date.
Sept 2011:
Submitted APHRA application online. I left out documents on purpose, dragging it out by sending 1 at a time. Finally got my APHRA registration in March 2013.
Dec 2012:
Successfully completed my Bachelor Degree in Nursing from Griffith University. I've never been a good student, always waiting till the very last minute to "hug the Buddha's leg" & naturally it shows in my results. I put this off for a very long time, undertaking my degree 7 years after I graduated from NYP. I felt I just wasn't ready. Then, the divorced happened & suddenly I'm on my own, supporting my family. In truth, I took up the degree so I can be paid $250 more per month. I jumped into it with apprehension aplenty.
No exams for the 2 modules in my 1st semester. However, I had to submit 2 written assignments & do a group presentation. The words came easily enough, probably due to my prior experiences with writing, albeit casually. The grades came back distinction. Then came the nightmare. To do this well in my 1st semester, I felt I had to maintain, if not upped the standards in future semesters. I ensured I revised the handouts at the end of each week & studied at least a month before the exams. I maintained my distinctions in all modules except Research where I missed the distinction by 2 marks as my group failed the presentation. In my last semester, I had to undertake the toughest 2 modules in the entire course: Health Assessment & Pathophysiology. I was so stressed all the time my eyelids started twitching just 2 weeks into the semester & didn't stop till a month after I completed it. The hard work paid off. I received 2 high distinctions for it.
This is my best academic achievement thus far. The euphoria from doing well didn't last unfortunately. I was ready to give up on migrating to Australia as I was offered a chance to be the 1st ophthalmic APN. Issues at work made me want to resign on the spot if not for the 1 year bond I was supposed to fulfil upon completion of my studies (I was sponsored by my company you see). I decided to stick it out till June & pay the liquidated damages for the remaining 6 months.
March 2013:
Upon successful APHRA, I went through the steps for Australian PR application. Since staying at my job was out of the question, I might as well bank in on the other option. Besides, I've already spent almost 1k on the APHRA registration. I wished I could say I got it sorted out by myself. But alas, it was all too confusing. Yup, I forked out over 6k for an agency to do the job for me.
Dec 2013:
On the last day of 2013, I finally received my Australian PR. By the way, I didn't resign from my job which I will do tomorrow. I'm actively looking into the state we're to relocate to. Adelaide offers the quiet I want & properties are cheap. But I've heard how hard it is to find a job there. I've been tracking job search websites for months & true enough, the listings are for casual work arrangements. Don't know anybody there except 2 online friends I've never met in person. Perth, nearest to Singapore but has higher temperature compared to the other states. I read the most about Perth from a blogger asingaporeanson. Hubby has a friend in Perth who upon hearing our successful PR application, has offered a place for us to stay till we can get housing sorted out. She told us that nurses are in demand there. I've a friend in Sydney but high property prices & higher cost of living puts me off. It doesn't help that she had suffered racist attacks (both verbally & physically) from the locals. Oh well, shall see where my "research" leads me.
Sept 2011:
Submitted APHRA application online. I left out documents on purpose, dragging it out by sending 1 at a time. Finally got my APHRA registration in March 2013.
Dec 2012:
Successfully completed my Bachelor Degree in Nursing from Griffith University. I've never been a good student, always waiting till the very last minute to "hug the Buddha's leg" & naturally it shows in my results. I put this off for a very long time, undertaking my degree 7 years after I graduated from NYP. I felt I just wasn't ready. Then, the divorced happened & suddenly I'm on my own, supporting my family. In truth, I took up the degree so I can be paid $250 more per month. I jumped into it with apprehension aplenty.
No exams for the 2 modules in my 1st semester. However, I had to submit 2 written assignments & do a group presentation. The words came easily enough, probably due to my prior experiences with writing, albeit casually. The grades came back distinction. Then came the nightmare. To do this well in my 1st semester, I felt I had to maintain, if not upped the standards in future semesters. I ensured I revised the handouts at the end of each week & studied at least a month before the exams. I maintained my distinctions in all modules except Research where I missed the distinction by 2 marks as my group failed the presentation. In my last semester, I had to undertake the toughest 2 modules in the entire course: Health Assessment & Pathophysiology. I was so stressed all the time my eyelids started twitching just 2 weeks into the semester & didn't stop till a month after I completed it. The hard work paid off. I received 2 high distinctions for it.
This is my best academic achievement thus far. The euphoria from doing well didn't last unfortunately. I was ready to give up on migrating to Australia as I was offered a chance to be the 1st ophthalmic APN. Issues at work made me want to resign on the spot if not for the 1 year bond I was supposed to fulfil upon completion of my studies (I was sponsored by my company you see). I decided to stick it out till June & pay the liquidated damages for the remaining 6 months.
March 2013:
Upon successful APHRA, I went through the steps for Australian PR application. Since staying at my job was out of the question, I might as well bank in on the other option. Besides, I've already spent almost 1k on the APHRA registration. I wished I could say I got it sorted out by myself. But alas, it was all too confusing. Yup, I forked out over 6k for an agency to do the job for me.
Dec 2013:
On the last day of 2013, I finally received my Australian PR. By the way, I didn't resign from my job which I will do tomorrow. I'm actively looking into the state we're to relocate to. Adelaide offers the quiet I want & properties are cheap. But I've heard how hard it is to find a job there. I've been tracking job search websites for months & true enough, the listings are for casual work arrangements. Don't know anybody there except 2 online friends I've never met in person. Perth, nearest to Singapore but has higher temperature compared to the other states. I read the most about Perth from a blogger asingaporeanson. Hubby has a friend in Perth who upon hearing our successful PR application, has offered a place for us to stay till we can get housing sorted out. She told us that nurses are in demand there. I've a friend in Sydney but high property prices & higher cost of living puts me off. It doesn't help that she had suffered racist attacks (both verbally & physically) from the locals. Oh well, shall see where my "research" leads me.
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