IELTS worries

Apologies for not updating for so long – life had taken over in a big way. For starters, I took my IELTS exam recently. Since I only prepared or it a week before the exam, the whole exam-taking was a nerve-wrecking experience. After all, it is my first exam in 10 years!

People kept saying that I’ll ace the exam, but I’ve learned never to underestimate exams. So I am incredibly nervous about the results that I will be getting. As luck would have it the Australian government increased the passing marks for 475 visa to 6.5. (Though to qualify for PR, you need 7).

I felt that I was weak in the Listening portion of the exam so I practised using the handy IELTS workbook that the migration agency gave me. Listening is pretty tricky – the audio is played only once and you need to be very, very attentive to ace the exam.

I found Reading pretty tricky too – while most of the comprehension questions were straightforward, the last portion was damn tricky again. Having to choose between “false” and “not given” drove me a little nuts. The Speaking test was kinda fun because, hey, I love to talk. And writing? I just have no idea how I’ll be marked, so I’m the least confident about it. 😦

But the exam is over and I’m on my knees praying for a favourable result. Just give me a 7.0. God!

 

 

Do you need a migration agent?

Before I began this whole thing, I considered doing the papers myself. It’s pretty straightforward, said some people. Also, it’s very tempting to do it yourself because you save yourself a whole lot of money.

If you want to save the cash, or don’t have a whole lot of cash (and in that case, you shouldn’t be migrating unless you have some savings) then it’s tempting. A whole year’s rent in Australia – said a friend I made on the Internet.

But the decision was made for me when I realise that my case wasn’t as straightforward. So I decided to go with a migration agent. And when they listed out the number of things I had to do, I was so glad I chose that. One form had 30+ pages! And that’s just one of many that I have to fill! I hate paperwork with a vengeance!

If you’re about to embark on the emgration journey, you may be asking yourself the same question. Ask yourself:

• Are you comfortable and confident to fill in forms correctly?
• Do you have time to do the running around such as visit government offices or officials to get documents or certain documents certified?
• Are you ready to invest a lot of time in research to know how things are done?

If you’re comfortable with all that, then I suppose the DIY way is good for you.

Meanwhile, I have to write my CV, fill in an asset declaration form, apply for jobs in Oz (apparently a requirement when going for South Australia nomination), get my college transcripts (pain in the ass cos my college staff is pretty incompetent) and so on.

I hate paperwork. But I’m glad someone is doing the bulk of it for me.

Why am I doing this?

I suppose many of you (Malaysians, that is) would say that I’m moving away because Malaysia sucks (or something to that effect).

Yes, that’s one of my many reasons. But I don’t think Malaysia sucks. I think her politicians suck. In fact they are all idiots – moreso than politicians elsewhere!

I love living in Malaysia. I love the fact that there’s such good, cheap food here. I love the fact that my friends and family are here, that we have such great shopping, that Malaysia has given me the chance to be in the career I’m in. I know that if I worked elsewhere, I probably would not have the same amazing opportunities.

After March 8, I thought Malaysia would be my home forever. March 8 seemed to say that Malaysia is changing for good. But I forget that our government is not the sort that will say, “The voters has spoken. We will change!”

Instead, they’ve stepped up their nefarious ways, taking over Perak illegally, making it a crime for people to wear all black (blardy hell, I wear  black outfits to office most of the time – I’m arrestable!), bribing politicians to jump ship and yet denying it – as if we’re all stupid idiots. Yes, all this reminds me of the one major thing I hate about Malaysia: living under a cloud of fear and uncertainty. Having to bear the corruption of our leaders.

Ah, but that’s a different post altogether.

My biggest reason for moving to Australia is because it’s my childhood dream. Even before I knew what emigration was, I wanted to live in a foreign city. When I was young, I would draw myself living in distant cities … when I grew up, I tried to fulfill that dream by travelling a lot, but that seemed to have made my thirst worse! (Hence my nickname, Susan Wanderlust!)

Then, literally half the young ‘uns in my family – including cousins and siblings – started emigrating to US, New Zealand and Australia. The hunger turned to desperation, and no matter how much I tried to reason with it, it refused to listen. The last straw was when my best pal told me she’s going to Britain. All this happened in two years, btw!

After fighting it for years, I decided to at last give in.

You see, I don’t want to live a life full of regrets. I don’t want to be 50 and look back and say to myself, “Why didn’t I try living overseas?” I want to try it, and if I don’t like it, at least I can come back and say, “I tried it, and I didn’t like it.”

I have no illusions that the “grass is greener” on the other side. In fact, I don’t think my career will be as exciting as it would be here. But I reminded myself that career is not everything. There are other aspects of life to enjoy to. I hope to fully enjoy life when I’m in Australia – no matter what occupation I have.