It’s been almost six months into my studies in Melbourne, so today I will share some of my experiences and views of living, studying and working in Melbourne.
I should also say that my ability to communicate in the English language has played a vital role in assimilating to this culture and lifestyle. I remember growing up watching Australian TV shows like ‘Crocodile Hunter’ and ‘MasterChef Australia’, being riveted by the different accents they used. I also grew up watching ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ and studying about Aboriginal Australia in the class IX and X geography classes.
So, the following are six of my random observations, strictly my personal perspective.
1. Satisfactory First Semester Results
It was simply unexpected. The units where I expected to score the highest got me very low, only about 65, while the area where I had expected less got me 80. But the units I took were interesting and new for me. I foraged into Public Health, Gender Issues and Human Rights, beside the Community Development stuff. I now have more of Community Developments to indulge into, before I get back to some more about Public Health, and NGOs.
So, four units finished and twelve more to go before I earn my degree.
2. Got Tested for COVID19
I arrived here in the earlier days of COVID19 pandemic, when it was not given the due attention it warranted. I remember me and Sonam were the only few with masks on in Bangkok, Singapore and Melbourne.
And three weeks into Melbourne, my university migrated to online classes as the city went into lockdown.
Now that Melbourne is in second lockdown, with positive cases spiraling out of control, there are lots of drive-through and appointed based COVID-19 testing facilities. And all are FREE. I got tested in the earlier month of the lockdown, and will get it done if I want to. The state and local council is doing a good job in creating opportunities for people to get tested.
3. Banking, Going Cashless, and Online shopping is Amazing
Using the debit cards, which also offers small amounts of credit automatically, is amazing. The convenience is uncalled for. There is never a need to carry any cash around. I haven’t for months now.
And online shopping, with home delivery options is the go-to for many. I know that if someone in Thimphu opts to start home-delivery services, it would kick off. Even food-delivery should become a norm in fast-paced Thimphu.
And I know someone who recently bought a house through a housing loan, and it a whopping 2.69% to 4.52% . Banks in Bhutan charge from 7.98% to 10.75%.
4. Public Transportation is Superb
I use the Metro, Bus and Trams every time. They are very very reliable, and if for some reasons the lines for Metro gets disturbed, replacement buses that run along the Metro lines stopping at ALL designated Metro stations run more frequently than metro.
Every suburb, city, metropolitan area is interconnected, thereby reducing the use of personal cars. Of course, the parking fees in the city are around $ 5.50 per hour, purposely designed to encourage use of public transportation.
5. Online Class is Not My Thing
Firstly, there is no face-to-face feeling at all. Adding to the network glitches, especially since not everyone connects through Wifi in their homes. And there are some friends who opt to stay faceless (video off) during the entire session.
There is also the added pressure of using a small screen to toggle between the University study applications and the Zoom applications. But taking classes from the comfort of your bed is amazing.
6. The Strength of the Dollar
Our Ngultrum is more than 50 to the Australian dollar, which is a good rate for someone in Australia. Also, an hour’s work here gets you a minimum of $20, which translates to Nu. 1000 back at home.
And by the way, the payments here are calculated at hourly rates with paychecks every fortnight. The major advantage that I found was I was aware of the worth of work I put in. I am reminded of Gary Soto's poem A Red Palm. Every time I want to throw away a dollar, I am reminded of the sweat I put it, the hours I spent commuting to my workplace, and the odd hours I stayed up working.
I also vividly remember talks going on about introducing Bhutan's salary system to fortnightly, but seems it got lost somewhere in the discussions.
To Conclude
A few years ago, a work colleague used to say that Bhutanese are adaptable. We can adapt to any kind of situation. Truth is, we try. We succeed. We persevere.
I have done my share in this past six months here. And I will have to do more. But I should never forget where I come from, ever.
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| [Me in one of my Zoom sessions] |
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Acknowledge: All photographs used are from the public domain, except when stated otherwise.