I still remember the day when Ayi asked the question, “Okay lang ba ituloy ko application ko sa Australia?” and that I simply responded with a nod. I answered him half-heartedly because I just accepted a job offer from Quantum as HR Manager, an opportunity I was praying to have for almost a year. A picture of a new life is just too much to absorb when you are just getting over gruelling months of job-hunting and rough moments of attempting to regain your self-esteem.
I remember how after Ayi’s acceptance of offer to work in Australia and I woke up to tell him, “Beb, ayoko sa Australia.” I remember that sad, disappointed look in Ayi’s face that managed to ask, “Bakit?” and I just could not come up with a logical answer. What is it that made me say that? We have been praying to God for years for a chance to start a life in another country together. God gave us his approval and now I changed my mind? Ayi has more than enough reason to be upset but understanding as he is, we managed to sort out this discussion with me realizing I am just overwhelmed with the fear of the unknown.
So then one day I found myself handing my resignation, saying goodbye to friends, sorting out my home stuff, packing up my luggage and leaving the lovely home and neighbourhood we have lived in as we started our life together.
Now I am sitting in the lounge in my woollen socks and in my jumpers (that’s the usual Aussie term for sweaters) trying to warm myself because right now it’s 15 degrees here in Perth. Oh yeah, it’s been a month since I got here and pretty much adjusting to the new life Down Under.
One of the funniest recollections of my first impression of Perth was when we stepped out of the airport. At the first sight of the streets, I felt a bit uneasy because I could not see any building. It was just trees and dry land all over. “Uh-oh, what is this place?,” was the first thought in my head. “Ba’t walang building?” I just have to let it out. Ayi responded with a laugh. “Does he think this is funny?” I was trying to calm myself. “Ganyan dito sa Perth. Walang buhay,” was the resounding statement I got from Ate Amy, the nice lady who picked us up from the airport. I just froze in my seat trying to reject the truth from that statement. “Naku ‘wag naman. Mamamatay ako dito,” were the words I wish I could blurt out loud to Ayi’s ears. After a while, we entered streets with similar-looking houses, houses made of bricks with huge front lawns. Ah, finally there’s a sign of life in here. When we got to our new home, it wasn’t bad after all. The huge lawn and spaces around the lot plus the park fronting us give you a sense of freedom and tranquility. The serenity is much the same as our place in St. Monique but I definitely welcome the huge space compared to our 66sqm abode back in Manila.
Perth is a very quiet city I must say. Our suburb is 30 minutes away from the Central Business District and is a few minutes’ drive from a shopping centre. It has a total of 1.5M in population which pretty much explains the serenity. Coming from a country that just has too many people everywhere, this is definitely a blessed haven. If you need a breath of fresh air, I am so happy to know that this part of the earth still has it. Ayi and I used to joke about reusing our shirts after a day’s travel as they are as fresh smelling as they were before they were worn. A friend even said a booger here is colored white. Hahaha! That’s gross but yeah, that’s just how clean this place is. The only downside is that the youths here seem to love making graffiti as their past time. You see these ugly sights even in public transports which is just appalling as these are government properties. It’s I guess a perennial problem in this city or maybe even outside the state.
If you just hate traffic, this is also another place to retreat in. When people here complain of traffic I just wanted to laugh and say, “there are places in the world much much worst.” While there is barely a traffic congestion in major thoroughfares, you just got to learn how to manage your time so you will not miss the bus and your appointment. Weekends and holidays have an average of one hour interval. So imagine missing it for just a few seconds delay. For someone who has been commuting all the years of her life, running like crazy so as not to miss the bus is neither a bad experience nor a bad exercise. I remember reaching the bus stop panting like a dog and making noises while I tried to catch my breath that it sent one old lady to turn her glance as if to say “poor thing.” Never mind the poise. At least I got to the bus on time. Scrambling for a place in the tricycle after alighting the shuttle in St. Monique is a good training after all.
A visit to the city malls is okay but at times I miss my “malling” in Ortigas (Galleria, Megamall and Shang Plaza) where brands are more familiar and prices are friendlier in the pocket. Ayi and I also miss our coffee time at Starbucks. Aussies do not know what they are missing for not having that coffee place here in Perth. I am not a Starbucks endorser but I really miss it. (Huhuhu...) I heard they closed down the only one they have in Sydney. There are coffee places all over though. Dome and Gloria Jeans are the most familiar brand for us. Dome is a posh brand in Manila but here it has just about the same price as the others, although it is the most prominent cafe here in Western Australia. If I am not mistaken, it originated here. So Dome is Perth’s Starbucks. Hahaha! Haay...Coffee Jelly, miss na miss kita.
I do not know if it’s Ayi’s discriminating palate, but he sort of influenced me in realizing that we have better food quality for diners in Manila than here. We have yet to eat in a restaurant that will give us our money’s worth. Although we have not really tried going to fancy places and I don’t think Ayi intends to in the near future. The fresh produce are, however, very good in quality and the prices are just right. Suffice it to say that the best option is to cook at home than to dine out. Good thing I do not struggle with that. (I mean with cooking.) I just kind of missed some Filipino seasonings and I wish I have brought some. But thank heavens for Filipino Diaspora that made it possible for Barrio Fiesta Bagoong, Silver Swan Soy Sauce and Datu Puti Vinegar to get to Perth. My cooking will never be the same without them.
If you love veggies and fruits, Australia grows them really well. Infact, one of the most common past times of Aussies is growing a veggie-patch in their backyard. That’s how widely oriented they are in agriculture. You will be amazed at how nicely grown the vegetables are here. Don’t really know if they are all organic as I am not as conscious when it comes to how they are grown. But the sizes, the colour and the form are just too wonderful to look at. Imagine the large capsicums, eggplants (that has a size as big as our ‘patola’), tomatoes (cherry tomatoes and salad tomatoes), and lettuce (that you have to carry with your two hands). So sad I am not a fan of salad greens. The fruits are very nice and colourful but I still miss our tropical fruits like mangoes (nothing beats Philippine mangoes) and latundan! The only banana variety I have seen so far is Cavendish, the type that I do not eat apart from Senyorita. Haay...
As I crave for more and more Filipino food, there are those that I have started to enjoy when I got here that we do not typically buy back home. Fruit juices here are sold at $2 for 2 litres when on sale. These are not like the powdered juices mostly sold in our groceries but bottled juices with no added sugar and preservatives. You get them in many different flavours made from many different combinations of fruits, mostly citrus. This has become part of our meals on a regular basis because of its affordability and you know, the health part (I do not sound like a Dietitian). Another one I love drinking during meals is Brownes, a flavoured milk. Again, you have to grab them during sale. We love the chocolate and mocha flavour. My closest friends would know I am a fan of Chocolait and having found this brand makes me say, “Where have you been all my life?” Hahaha! I should get a fee from Brownes for this.
Supermarkets here, and other stores for that matter, typically go on sale for three to four days for specific brands and types of food. They spend a lot to come out with brochures which are distributed to the household on a weekly basis. Looking through them is like doing window shopping. As the savings will be significant if you take advantage of the sale, Ayi and I try to grab our common household items during this period and then wait for another sale to replenish. Ayi taught me to grab regular food items that do not require replenishment yet in the interest of savings. We also buy items in bigger portions as basic math would tell you that they actually come out cheaper.
Another thing that I am slowly acquainting myself is the accent and the use of slang words. As I interact with more locals, there is less use of “I’m sorry I didn’t get that” or “I beg your pardon” as I try to catch up with the “context” of the message even as I miss some of the colloquial terms. It gets tricky though when the main context is from the slang I just did not get. Aussies are fond of using short-cuts that they call chicken “chooks”, breakfast “brekkie” or “brekky”, relatives “relos”, chewing gum “chewie”, you get the drift. I also figured out from listening to the news each day that their “a” as in “day” is pronounced as “i” as in “die” and “e” as in “me” is pronounced as “a” as in “may”. So when you hear them say, “To may it’s a bad die,” they may mean “To me it’s a bad day.” This may not be accurate but that’s my observation.
Day by day, as I embrace our new life, the ups and downs of living away from my homeland are slowly being revealed to me. I cannot be thankful enough that the Lord has given me an opportunity to enrich my life with this new experience. Some experiences are difficult to hurdle, some are just too great to even deserve, yet every time, they never fail to reveal the magnitude of God’s grace.
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