<4 things that I realized when I was in Australia>

1.      English is not important when you make good friends.

‘Can I make friends in Australia? I’m not speaking English well, so they can’t understand what I’m saying.’ This was the most worrisome. I thought I could not make good friends in Australia. However, English was not important as I thought. (This doesn’t mean that we don’t need to study English.)

 

2.      If I want to do something, have a confidence and just do it. That’s the answer.

When I gave my resume to managers to get a job, I hesitated to go into a restaurant in front of the door at first. I was really nervous to talk them. Therefore, I couldn’t get a job for 3 weeks. However, after 3 weeks, I had a confidence. I don’t know where it came from, but after that time I realized that didn’t exist. Then, I got a job. Also, when I had to find a new house, I should’ve called the house owners even if I didn’t have any confidence about English. Besides, when I needed someone’s help, of course I should have asked them. If you hesitate to do what you need, just do it. Although it is not easy at first, after that time, you’ll realize that you are confident more than before

3.      I feel happiness about the simple things in life.

Before I went to Australia, I had a little pressure about my future. Because I should go to a good company, get a high score at TOEIC/TOEIC Speaking and get certificates. However, I gave myself a little more time in Australia, and I felt relaxed. After I took more time, I felt happiness about the simple things such as the warm sunshine, perfect weather, the clean early morning air and countless stars in the night sky.

4.      I gained precious things such as international friends and lots of memories that I couldn’t get if I didn’t live in Australia. Just one year ago, I couldn’t have imagine that I had international friends, and I worked in the other country with foreign staffs! I still miss them much, and keep in touch with my friends. I spent my Christmas time with my friends in my friend’s house. It was a kind of British Christmas party. That night, I went to a main beach and made a ‘sandman’ that wore a santa hat. I have a lot of memory, and I still happy whenever I think the time.

I want to say to people who are interested in Working Holiday visa, “Go and enjoy! It’ll be the most important time in your life whatever you do.’ However, don’t forget ‘Do not miss your first purpose’ like studying English, making international friends, of making money.

Why Australia?

WHY AUSTRALIA?

G’Day, mate!

Have you ever imagined that you go to a beach and take a nap, play beach volleyball, and go surfing with your foreign friends after school or work? In Australia, it comes true. Also, you can work with foreign friends and go to a beach before you work. There are some information for whom are interested in living and working in Australia.

WEATHER

Generally, Brisbane’s climate is humid and subtropical, so it is warm all year and hot in the summer. The average summer temperature is 28 degrees celsius, and the winter temperature is 12 degrees celsius. Sydney is known for its mild tropical weather, but temperatures vary. It is 22 degrees celsius on average in summer, and the low temperature in winter is 7 degrees celsius.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

A lot of local residents and visitors think that Australia is a paradise for doing outdoor activities such as surfing, scuba diving, and camping on outback. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving points in the world. Also the 74 Whitsunday Island located near the Outer Reef host diverse and colorful coral gardens. In addition to these, you can also enjoy the sea kayaking and hiking.

STUDY

    The Working Holiday visa allows you to study in Australia for up to 4 months.  There are lots of language school that have great curriculum. For example, Lexis English School is an Australian group of English language schools with campuses in five great study locations(Brisbane, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Byron Bay).  Lexis provides high quality language courses, including Cambridge Preparation, IELTS, General English. There are also Embassy, IH(International House), Kaplan, etc.

WORK

Working in Australia can be a great opportunity to meet different people and widen your vision. There is plenty of opportunity especially in summer. There are websites that help you to find a job.  http://www.seek.com.au/ http://jobsearch.gov.au/ http://jobs.com.au/ www.gumtree.com.au/

To apply for a job, you should send your resume specified valid TFN(Tax File Number). Sometimes, a cover letter would be needed for getting a job. I’ll post an article about ‘How to Write a Resume’ within weeks.

 

TRAVEL

In Australia, there are many places you have to visit. This means there are many travel attractions you have to go such as Uluru, Great Barrier Reef, Surfers Paradise and Great Ocean Road. The best thing is you can travel by car all around Australia.

The best place I’ve ever been in Australia is Fraser Island located in Queensland. It has titled the world's largest sand island. There are the stunning 75-Mile Beach, more than 100 crystal clear freshwater lakes, rain forests, fishing and Australian wildlife (350 bird species, kangaroos, wallabies, flying foxes, and Australia's purest breed of dingoes). Besides, you can watch wild whales, dolphins and countless stars in the night sky. Also, driving along stretches of pristine beaches for 3 hours would be an awsome experience.

    The second place is Whitsunday Island. Although I’ve never been Whitsunday, all of my friends who has been there said ‘The best place I’ve ever been. You must go!’ The Whitsundays are made up of 74 Island Wonders, on the beautiful tropical coast of Queensland. Right in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef,  a visit to the Whitsundays is a feast for the senses. The stunning natural landscapes of coast and islands are dotted with secluded beaches and friendly towns.

    Living in the other country and culture is not easy, but worth challenging. Things could be turned out  contrary to your hopes and you might be upset. However, you will learn how great you are after trying to achieve your goal. Don’t hesitate! Everything would be better than you think.

Sources

http://www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/

http://www.frommers.com/slideshows/818403-5-best-outdoor-adventures-in-australia

http://www.visabureau.com/australia/working-holiday-visa.aspx

The first day in Australia

 

 

       What I felt when I arrived at the Brisbane Airport after 12 hours flight was ‘scared’. Everyone in the airport walked fast and looked like they were busy. I went to a door to door bus station with two big suitcases. Fortunately, the driver was kind. He greeted me with a smile on his face, and we talked together. Until then, I thought everything would be going well in Australia, and I didn’t know what would happen to me.

       After I arrived at my new house, two guys welcomed me with a warm handshake. One guy was the one of my house mates, and the other guy was a neighbor. Finally, I arrived at my room! It was small but cozy with a big window, two beds and one wardrobe closet. I wanted to go to a market to buy some daily necessities such as a shampoo, body wash and foods after I unpacked my briefcases. The guy who I met told me how I could get to the COLES that is a big market in Australia. I took a bus and got to the market. I was excited because I thought I’m a brave woman and I made it!

        I was going to go back to my house after the shopping. However, I didn’t know where I am. I thought I should find the way with a map, so I opened the ‘Google map’ application and started to walk. I was really tired because I couldn’t sleep well in the plane, and I was carrying a heavy shopping bag. Also, it was one hot summer day. I was soaking wet. I walked and walked for 30 minutes, but I couldn’t still find that way to go back to my house. I realized that was not the right way. It made me feel disappointed. I returned the way I came, and I almost cried. I thought my arms would be broken. I asked the director of my agency for help. He called me directly and found the way for me. Finally, I could get to my new house with his help. Now I can tell you about this story with a laugh, but I was so frightened and didn’t know what I’m doing here at that time.

 

English Composition Essay

'The Overemphasized Importance of Appearances'

 

20110126

Hyoseon Yang

“All that glitters is not gold.” This common proverb means “the attractive exterior of something is not a good indicator of its real nature. It may look valuable, but not be valuable.”(Englishclub.com) Anybody cannot really be judged only by their appearances. As you can see from the saying, even if someone has great looks, it doesn’t mean that he or she is a great person. However, the importance of appearances is getting overemphasized in Korea recently, and that has a negative effect on society. Comedians who have an ugly face or fat body become a laughing stock on TV, physical appearance has become a matter when trying to get a job, and lots of people aren’t satisfied with their own looks and want to do a plastic surgery.

First, some comedians or entertainers are held in derision because of their looks. For example, a comedian who is obese is on TV show, a show host begins to tease him, and the audience laughs. This situation is not bad at all, but this could be one of the basic factors that make a lookism society. This social climate makes some people feel dissatisfied with their looks. As a result, people care about their appearance too much, and enhance their appearances.

Second, interviewees are judged by their looks by attaching their ID picture on a resume before an interview. A survey of human resources managers in 880 companies has found that 63.8% of them judge applicants by appearances, because someone who has nice looks seems to be sociable. Therefore, some people have a plan to do plastic surgery for getting a job. On one talk show, foreign entertainers said there was nowhere attaches ID picture on a resume, and it could be discrimination. They’re right. It can become a serious problem to judge people by their looks more than ability.

Finally, Korea is the top cosmetic surgery country in the world, and people want to have plastic procedure. From this, we can infer people get stressed by appearances. In a survey which conducted by an wedding consulting agency, only 37 percents of women said that they’re satisfied with their appearance. Besides, there was a TV program that supports plastic surgery to people who are troubled with their looks in society. The show has incurred blame for lookism, so it will be gone off the air. However, the show attendees received huge attention, and the repulsion has been lessened about plastic surgery.

I’ve watched a movie, ‘Beauty inside’, which is a love story about a woman and a man who changes his appearance. One day he looks like a child and the next day he looks like an old man. the day after that something else. This movie shows us how much we judge people by their appearance and how important it is to see their inner beauty. Nobody cannot deny the importance of looks when meeting people at first. However, people shouldn’t have a bias in first looks, and should see inside and talent of others. As mentioned above, even if someone has great looks, it doesn’t mean that he or she is a great person.

yay

Yay
Autumn is coming