Review: Australian Culture and the Workplace

I visit my local library two or three times a month. Browsing, I came across this little book and I had to share it. G’day Boss!: Australian Culture and the Workplace, by Barbara A. West and Frances T. Murphy, is a study into the diverse cultural environments of Australian workplaces. It is specifically aimed at migrants …

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Facebook Messenger.

Expats, stay connected with Facebook Messenger

In August 2012, I wrote about three tools to help expats stay in touch with family and friends abroad: Skype, the magicJack, and Viber. Here’s an update starring Facebook Messenger. As it turned out, I rarely use Skype. My family never caught on to it and I don’t keep it open to see if friends …

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Hand writing on papers. Visa process.

10 tips for your visa process

I’m not an expert and I’m not a lawyer or migrant agent. But I’ve spent a year working on putting my visa application together. With the benefit of hindsight, here are tips to make your process smoother.   I applied onshore. That is, from within Australia, as opposed to offshore, from another country. I applied …

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Coffee cup and notebook with to do list on blue rustic desk from above. Visa process.

The road to residency part 4: all the extras

I started on the road to residency in June 2013, almost a year ago. The process is finally coming to an end. Well, sort of. I’m applying onshore (that is, from within Australia) for a de facto partner visa subclass 820. This is a temporary visa. When granted, if the relationship is intact after two …

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The London Tavern, Beechworth

We’ve just returned from spending a few days in the London Tavern, an old tavern and hotel in Beechworth. Beechworth is a picturesque historical town located north-east Victoria. It’s famous for its gold rush boom during the mid-1850s. In its golden heydey, Beechworth was wealthy, powerful, and influential. It boasted a range of industries and had colourful characters …

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