A New Beginning
This is my new Facebook Page, dedicated to this new life that I have started in Melbourne. I will be using this medium to inform regarding this part of my life in Australia. Supporters will get insights about how Bhutanese live down under.Boost Mobile Carrier
The very first thing that everyone who lands in Aussieland needs is network connectivity, and by that I mean getting a SIM for your phone.Once you have that, you can do almost all work online, and your registered phone number can be used for OTP purpose. And unlike Bhutan, there are a lot of carriers, each offering various deals in different areas. I use Boost Mobile and its AUD 150 data plan with which I get unlimited domestic texts and calls, with 120 GB data for 12 months. The downside is that sometimes there is network interruption in underground tunnels.
Link to Boost Mobile site https://boost.com.au/
[DID YOU KNOW? Australia has 56 network carriers companies registered]
[DID YOU KNOW? Australia has 56 network carriers companies registered]
Commuting to University and Back
I stay at unit 21 of 20 Talmage Street, Albion, Sunshine while my classes take place in the University campus is Footscray Park, and St. Albans.So every Monday at 4:30 pm, I walk 9 mins to Albion station and catch the train towards Melbourne City. 4 stops later I reach Footscray station (14 mins on the train). From there I catch a 10 minutes bus ride to University campus. 4 hours class later I backtrack the same route towards home, but it's already after 10pm when I open the door.
Tuesdays see me walk to Albion station by 9am and take another train to the opposite route, 2 stops away to St. Albans station from where I catch a Uni shuttle, else I have to endure 11 minutes walk. 3 hours later I backtrack towards home.
That's my Uni routes, until I am confident enough to drive a car here in Aussieland. Or until I am able to make headway in reading the traffic signals and navigating the multi routes of Melbourne suburbs.
If anyone knows another way to commute between Uni and home, do drop a comment below.
[FUN FACT: My first tram ride was just for 2 minutes in Melbourne CBD]
Doing my First Assignment
So, 13 days after my arrival in Melbourne, and five days after I start my class, I am handing over my first assignment, an article review related to the Semester 1 Unit I am taking as part of my Masters in International Community Development in Victoria University, Melbourne.Due to the late arrival of my Visa and the subsequent last-minute air-ticketing, I missed my Orientation and the first week of class.
After my registration, I was directed to the University App, where one of the first things to catch my eyes was the 'Academic Integrity at VU'.
So today, I ran my review through an online plagiarism checker, and the result looked good. I am satisfied that at least my work is original, even if it doesn't fetch marks as expected.
If any of you guys know a good plagiarism checker, so drop the link in the comment below.
Easing into using Myki
Getting around melbourne is very convenient once you have a debit card and a phone number. You can hail Uber or Didi services using their mobile apps. It is very rare to catch a cab that's just passing by.Optionally, you can use the Public Transport Victoria service (PT), but you need a myki card for it.
What is Myki? Myki is a reloadable credit card-sized contactless smart card ticketing system used for electronic payment of fares on most public transport services in Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia. You can use it on trains, buses and trams anywhere in Melbourne. You can't use cash.
I got my myki from the Train station, but one can get it from the myki machines and even from bus drivers. Once you have topped it, just swipe it at the train stations, inside buses and trams, once while getting on and again while getting off.
And you can also register your myki online and top it up using your bank card automatically (you just set an amount to top up when your balance reaches a certain amount). And, for you cardless freaks, there is also a mobile myki option.
Link to myki https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/
That's an intro to myki in Melbourne. If you guys have any thoughts on this post, do comment below.
Footscray Park
The latter part of Sunday (09.03.2020) was spent visiting Footscray Park.It is one of the largest and most intact examples of an Edwardian park in Australia. The 15-hectare park is located on the south bank of the Maribyrnong River in Footscray in Victoria.
It is located adjacent to my university campus, which means I can drop in any time I want during my 2 years study here in this campus. Really reminds me of the need for an oasis within any concrete jungle. Thimphu Thromde certainly needs it, and the golf course above the Dzong would be an excellent place for it.
Today too I chickened out from driving my host's car. I still got to get used to the various road signs and rules of Victoria. I feel completely 'gown-ley'. Now I truly understand why the first traffic lights were removed just after 24 hours in thimphu, sometime in the 1980s.
[DID YOU KNOW?] Using cellphones (even for navigation by holding it with your free hand) is an offense punishable with $1000 (approximately Nu. 50,000). There is zero tolerance to driving offences or even any offences.
Link to Footscray Park https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Park/Footscray-Park
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