Sometime in May or June, I became eligible to apply for permanent residency. If you’re just joining me at this part of my story, I came to Australia in 2012 to be with my partner. I applied for a de facto partner visa subclass 820. It grants temporary residency. It lets me travel, study, work, and access … Read more
Given Australia’s publicly funded universal health care, is private health insurance worth it? Last June, shortly after I lodged my application for a de facto partner visa subclass 820, I received a bridging visa. That made me eligible for Medicare, which I enrolled in immediately. For my American readers, Medicare is Australia’s publicly funded universal health care scheme. … Read more
Nearly two years after I began the application process, my temporary visa has finally been granted. Immigration took so long that my medical assessment expired. My migrant agent called and told me I needed to do it again. His office scheduled it with Bupa. It was bad enough the first time with Medibank and it was downright awful … Read more
It’s hard to believe 2014 is almost over. Here’s my year in review. 2013 was hard. The excitement of being in Australia gave way to homesickness and a sense of grieving. By January, things had started looking up and the year started off well. I was becoming more comfortable getting around Melbourne, I had taken up hobbies, … Read more
It’s summer so you know what that means – Christmas! The Melbourne CBD is alive with the scorching sun and the colourful sights and sounds of Yuletide. It feels strange to celebrate Christmas in the summer. It’s not just the warm temperature. I’m from Miami and winters there are mild, but it’s still winter. December 25 was selected to … Read more
How’s my Australian English shaping up? I can’t shorten words and phrases the way Aussies do. I still say sunglasses, breakfast, and chicken instead of sunnies, brekkie, and chook. Speaking in abbreviations feels forced and unnatural for me, like text speak. I can’t do that either. I text mostly in complete, properly punctuated sentences. It’s not because I’m a … Read more
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We aim to provide an inclusive service.