Retail: Australia vs. U.S.

Now this is a very biased view but here's what I observe when you walk into a "decent sized" chain store (whatever that is but we're not talking about a specialty store where it's so small that basically the owner/operator is right there all the time).

At the entrance:
Australia: a loss prevention person is there to check your bags to see if you are shoplifting 
U.S.: a person is there to greet you and to ask you "Hi how are you today..." of course this isn't simply to be nice it's to start engaging you towards making a purchase (i.e. the personal pressure is on).

In the store:
Australia:  no one is around for you to ask if you have a question about a product or where to find something... they are busy at the cashier or at the entrance.
U.S.:  there area a few people around to immediately ask how they can help you (note it's not a yes or no question), to immediately start backing you into a corner where social graces would indicate that you have no excuse not to buy something... When's the last time you had someone just say, "Hi, I'm _____, if you have any questions while you are here, just ask."

Background music/store theme music - both countries: really bad.

At the Cashier -
pretty much the same, except in supermarkets Australia is big on self checkout - which is incredibly slow because the loss prevention settings are set on high... it basically thinks that half the time you didn't place an item in the bagging area when you did etc.  In Australia I recommend going to the cashier 99% of the time... even if you have one item and have to wait... it's that much faster.  That being said, self checkout is slower than the cashier in both countries. 

It would be nice if the two retailing systems could kind of meet half way in the middle.

A month

This has to be quick because I really have to get some sleep... wow I've been in country for a month... it's flown and yet crawled by... I figure if I made it for a month, hopefully things will get a bit easier...knock on wood heavily.  I have also counted on one hand the number of days it hasn't rained.... wow.

A quick note on Visas

I learned the hard way that applying for a new visa when you are already in a country is in some ways more difficult than applying from the outside.  If you are applying for a visa that will replace the one you currently have, make sure you specify when you want it to take effect... otherwise it might take effect immediately and wipe out the other one for good.  Not all visas are created equal...the new one might revoke privileges (e.g. like work privileges) that you are relying upon. 

Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market
On the corner of Elizabeth and Victoria Streets
Open generally on  Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun  
http://www.qvm.com.au/

The Queen Victoria Market... for all intents and purposes is awesome.  While it's trading hours are from 6-2 on weekdays (except closed on Wednesday), usually the massive food sections are the ones that open at 6 and the other retail parts open later.  Everything looks like a good deal... but don't jump at things immediately, the strawberries at 2 packages for 3 dollars might be undercut by a nearby vendor who is offering 2 for 2.  You could bring a huge suitcase and 200 AUD and easily fill it with goodies ranging from food to wigs, to shirts, souvenies, shoes, other bags, and most any other goodies you can think of... ok so they don't sell Lawn mowers and yes you could by the really expensive item here and there... but that's not what you are at the Queen Victoria Market for.  You're there for good bargains on things you need to live on and to beat the price on things you'd like to send home to friends and family (T-shirts - 5 to 8 dollars).  You could easily spend a day there just to look over all that's being sold....

I will say, you should bring cash because may of the vendors don't accept credit (nor are in a position to take a card and process it - would you want someone in the meat section to handle your card with his bloody hands?). 

Don't forget... Wednesday nights in the summer, part of the Market opens for fun and festivities...

I've done it

I'm pretty busy getting started at moment... despite the odds I managed to find housing in 1/2 the time it normally takes - 2 weeks instead of 4... and that's with the University housing database totally breaking down and being of no use. I hope this bodes well for the rest of my stay here.

Money? it's only of use if you can get it.

One thing about Australia is that it's financial operations are concentrated in the "Big four" ... no this isn't Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish and Dennis Johnson, it's something far scarier and fee based:  ANZ, Westpac, NAB, and Commonwealth Bank.  Even if you bank with some other bank, chances are your funds might have to go through one of the big four for funds wiring or payrolls.... So if one of them fails or has a massive computer glitch like NAB did on Wednesday (and still is having) it can cause absolute chaos... and to think somewhere in there is my pay from last week and my wire transfer from the U.S.!  I'm not sure what happened is something that one should heavily plan for (e.g. don't go traveling with 10,000 dollars cash in your pocket).  But do be aware... it could happen! 

Getting Established

Day 4 at a new place when you are intending to live there for a while is alot different than day 4 when you intend to just visit and return in a few days or a few months.  When intending to live there for a while, the things you have to do you and your concerns turn to "survival" rather than just "enjoyment."  If things aren't going easy, there might not be anyone to back you up or help you, and you can't simply just say, "I'll just wait a few days I'm going back."  Your problems turn to how to house and feed yourself and get healthcare, rather than what's the next thing to see.... and it is far easier to become homesick when things don't come easy.  You may find yourself saying in frustration: "Back in my old place/country we did things this way or that way, why can't they do things that way over here?"  Why? because we want to rely on familiar things when the going gets a bit rough.  Thus it's easy to feel negative about a place that is actually really nice.

It's a good idea to make a list of the things you have to do when arriving in a foreign country.  Overestimate the expected time you want to get those things done.  You need to allow that some routine tasks at home won't be routine at all in the new place.  Above all you might feel an urgency to get all these things done (especially if the list is long) and that you are behind - even if in reality you are proceeding on or ahead of what is realistic to expect.  So the proper attitude and awareness is to try to take an objective look at yourself from the outside when things don't seem well.  They actually might be ok.

That being said, there are a few things you might be able to do ahead of time, if you have to move to a country like Australia that can help alot.
(1) You should try to get a tax identification number before you arrive - this will help in alot of things (including establishing payroll, bank accounts etc.).
(2) You can also establish a bank account before you arrive and have funds wired to it in advance.  You probably wont be able to do anything with the funds before you walk in the bank office and show identification.  However, by doing this before you arrive you might be able to save as much as a week before you can access significant funds greater than the daily limit of your atm cards - When might you need such funds? howabout when you want to rent a room or apartment/flat and you need the first month's rent with security deposit?
(3) Research the cost of some basic services (phone, internet access, etc.).              
(4) Expect that house hunting might take longer.
(5) If you can find a credit card from home with no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees, bring it!!