The Characters of Adelaide International House

It occurred to me I haven’t introduced our housemates to everyone! Adelaide International House, the hostel where we live, is a temporary home to mostly Asians. A majority are Chinese, there are some Indians, a Japanese woman, a couple of Africans, and a lone Australian.

The people I know best are those who live on our floor, aside from Rachelle, our house manager, who lives on the floor above us. The Chinese on our floor are mostly from Beijing: professionals in the accounting and law professions. There’s Hally, who’s from KPMG. She’s looking for a job in Adelaide, after studying accounting here 2 years ago. The same goes for Rebecca, who used to work for a sister company of HP in Beijing. She works in a mall down south. Zhang Bei is also an accountant, who is on a training course in the city. She worked for a company called SK (South Korea) Energy in Beijing, but quit that job because she didn’t like the management there. Then there’s Lisa, a lawyer-turned-accountant, who’s taking units at the University of South Australia. She left her husband and son in Beijing to study here.

Then there are the Pinoys: Anne and Alma, Benc’s classmates at Uni. Anne is a 27-year old Ateneo graduate who's spending all her hard-earned money for this MSIT project. She has no background in programming at all, but is at the top of her class. Alma is a mom from Baguio who won the scholarship too. Her family's arriving next month. Then there's Rommel Pangaruy: a Pinoy who migrated to New Zealand, and then to Queensland. He’s in Adelaide on a consultancy contract for 5 months.

On our floor also (Mine and Benc’s neighbors actually) are 2/4 of the Indian scholars: Wevic and Gotam, undergrads studying engineering at the UniSA as well. They’re here with their classmates Lohit and Naranjan (who live upstairs) on a 6-month exchange program, all expenses paid. It’s Lohit and Naranjan’s shower that was leaking into our room. But it’s all right now. The landlord fixed it.

Of course, there’s Rachelle, my favorite person in the whole hostel. She’s only 23 but came on her own to Adelaide to study English and community work. She was totally on her own, and learned how to cook here. She learned how to get around, make a little money (by being the hostel cleaner twice a week) and cook her own meals, which she never used to do in China. She’s a straight talker, honest and disciplined. She’ll tell you straightaway if she doesn’t agree with your opinions, but will laugh loudly at any anecdote she finds funny (even if you don’t). She idolizes Benc, loves my cologne, teases Anne about her hair in the morning and is a fan of sinigang and adobo.

Michael meanwhile is the manager, our landlord's right-hand man. He's here everyday and he seems more like a resident than the care-taker. We go out to movies, drives to Mt. Lofty (a small mountain resort 20 minutes' drive from the city) and lunches with us when he can. He's Malaysian. He came to Australia to study in Queensland, and then he moved to Adelaide to work. He's engaged to his Chinese girlfriend and they're getting married next year here in Adelaide.

We bump into each other everyday: in the common room, along the hallways, in between cooking shifts in the kitchen. At first we exchange pleasantries, talking about the weather maybe. Then eventually we exchange cooking tips. We offer one another a taste of our latest concoctions and then eventually we get to talking about why we’re all in Adelaide in the first place. Most are here to study--the Oz government gives out scholarships to increase the country’s reputation as an education-destination, its main competitor being New Zealand. South Australia is one of the main destinations, in part because the state would like to increase its population to one million people, and they decided they need help from immigrants to achieve this in three years. The Philippines and South Australia actually have an MOU to bring over 300,000 Filipino skilled workers over the course of ten years!

Others are here to find work so that they can eventually apply for permanent residency in two years. Unfortunately, even casual work is hard to come by these days. Hally, who wishes to bring her parents over from China, has been steadily losing steam and I advised her to volunteer: at least it’s something to do, and counts as “local experience”-- that bugger of a requirement when applying for jobs in big companies.

I’ve always been fascinated by the dynamic that goes on when people from different cultures interact and try to find common ground. I love the negotiation of language, how we try to find familiar words to define a single concept. I love the way we sort through concepts that are so tightly bound to our own cultures and learn how to find something similar in another culture. Most of all, I love how we discover that, there is so much we don’t know about cultures that are supposed to be close to ours, and how deeply we’ve perpetuated stereotypes. Everyday interactions with our housemates reveals something new, whether it be a key ingredient to a dish or the most revered work of literature in their country. These are definitely things that one can’t just get from books.

From our Chinese friends I learned that most of them find the one-child policy “crazy” and “stupid.” They too are appalled by the pollution in Beijing. And, surprise: none of them believe in Feng Shui. “This is for the old people, the grand parents,” Lisa says, and she was surprised when I said lots of Filipinos believe that Chinese believe in this fervently. She denies this vehemently. “It’s crazy! No one can sustain this belief,” she exclaims in disbelief.

We can communicate in English, but there are times when they need help from Rachelle to find the words they need. Rachelle is probably the best English speaker among the Chinese at our hostel. She can speak basic English quite well, with occasional missing articles, the wrong conjugation of a verb, or a mispronunciation. Her jaw dropped when we told her we got an overall band of 8 on the IELTS, when she struggled to even just get a 6. She says she gets annoyed with the Australian accent (especially the rising tone at the end, as if everything was a question) but she doesn’t realize she actually has the same mannerism already. I “forced” her to read Harry Potter. She said she has seen all the movies but was afraid the book might be too complicated for her to understand. When I assured her it was a children’s book and was easy and fun to read, she dove right in...and got so engrossed, she fell behind in some of her assignments! hehehe.

One thing I can say about the Chinese: they are uber hardworking. They will take on absolutely anything, be it a cleaners’ job or a drastic career change, and make it work. I guess this is one reason why they are everywhere, and I don’t mean just bumping into them on the street or sitting beside them in a bus. They are in every job you can imagine and seem to occupy every imaginable task. There are Chinese busboys and girls, Chinese store owners, Chinese accountants, bankers, waiters and cooks, drivers and gym sales consultants. It’s as if they created a market for themselves, and industries that need them, which force Australian businesses in turn to cater to them: food products and special language services are available for the Chinese nationals, reading materials and whatnot, even specific job needs: Jurlique, a leading cosmetic company here was actually looking for sales and make-up consultants who could speak Mandarin or Cantonese! It’s almost unbelievable, how they were able to do this, but when you look closer, they simply just decided to do something and did it, which was: survive, and create opportunities for themselves and others.

There’s a lot to learn from them, not least of which are their cooking methods. I’ve been taught a great deal by Lisa, Zhang Bei and Rachelle, and I have some tricks up my sleeve, which I will not divulge here. :) Let’s just say it has a lot to do with chili, high heat and lots of sauces. Yummy!

Newcomers to the hostel are the Indian students from Tamil Nadu, in the southern part of India. Lisa refers to them as the Indian Force: tall Indian guys with loud voices and interesting personalities. We were all impressed with their respectfulness and attitude. They’re always greeting us when they bump into us, and are always ready for a chat. What I like about them is that they read. They READ! I was discussing some Indian writers with them and I was so pleased to find that they themselves have read these works, and in fact recommended other works for me to explore. When their meal times coincide with ours, they love to discuss movies and tv shows. They are all interested in sci-fi, but surprisingly in Harry Potter too! They had a lot of opinions about HP 6, which I thought was amusing: 4 engineering students discussing a fantasy children’s book. Then again, this was the most significant piece of literature during their growing years, written by an individual who was from the same country that colonized them.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), they haven’t begun cooking any Indian meals. They aren’t familiar with the English names of the spices used in their dishes, and have to acquaint themselves with these first. They did hip up a chicken tikka masala one night, using a prepared sauce which, they say, was nearly as good as the original. I’m going to try that next week, and see what happens. They made us try a very unique dessert called rasmalai. I can’t describe the process; all I know is that it’s extracted from cooking buffalo milk and then soaking them in syrup. The ones they made us try were soaked in rose syrup.

Because we all use the kitchen, we’ve developed a kind of unspoken schedule and etiquette. I usually cook early, around 10 am when I'm preparing lunch. Then Lisa comes in with Zhang Bei and we usually hog the facilities (there are two 4-burner stoves) while we have a chat. Sometimes Hally and Rebecca pop in for the odd microwaveable or quick-cook dish. By the time the Indian Force arrives, we’re plating up, while they chop and bang pans around and try to figure out what to do first. We Pinoys and Chinese would be finishing up our meals when the guys come out with their food. And we all have about ten minutes of chitchat before we clean up and attend to the day’s business. It’s pretty much the same procedure at night, except that Rachelle, who lives on the third floor joins the party downstairs. For some reason, our kitchen draws people in. We don’t know what it is, but people like cooking in our kitchen.

In the evenings, when it’s too cold to go out, or it’s that time of the month to cut back on eating in restaurants, we sit around longer and tell stories over the ambient sound of the television set. This is when we learn more about each other, about one another’s cultures, how unique some customs are and yet how similar other practices are to our own. We’re all very family-oriented; we’re all very friendly and polite; we like to share (anything from stories to food to kitchen implements) and we value companionship. Some very striking differences though: our Indian friends are quite assertive when it comes to their opinions, while we Pinoys and Chinese tend to speak with “softer” words and manners. The Chinese, like the Pinoys, are very aware of their individual personal spaces, but we Pinoys will always make room in case we see others who need it. To me the Filipinos are still some of the most compassionate and kindest people on the planet. That unique characteristic of “pakikisama,” "malasakit" and “pakikipag-palagayang loob” is invaluable when it comes to getting along, networking and gaining peoples’ trust. This also comes in handy, I’ve found, when you need the landlord to fix something NOW.

I think foreigners are charmed by our gentle ways, our good humor, politeness and kindness, that they don’t mind doing things for us. It helps a lot too that we can speak really good English. Unlike our Chinese friends who have to relearn the concept of Western speech versus their own, and our Indian friends whose heavy and rich accents, and quick speech sometimes causes a bit of misunderstanding, Pinoys’ grasp of English is second nature. In that, I feel we will always have an advantage, and it helps us cope -- it helps us get what we need and gives us access to information that helps us live more efficiently. Most of all, it helps us get in good with our hosts--our Australian hosts, that is. Because of our grasp of the language, we get to have more conversations, allow us to understand each other, even joke with one another and even develop friendships.

So English is the official language at Adelaide International House. We revert to the vernacular of course when we’re talking amongst ourselves, or when we have a comment and don’t want others to hear. I’m sure they do the same thing. This “speaking in tongues” is definitely common across all cultures. I believe nothing matches the color and emotion of speech when expressed in your own language.

A dripping faucet's
plik plop
contrasts nicely with the silent sensual movement
of a single streak of water
leaking down the southern wall of my room.
Outside the rain falls unabated
and the cold wanders in
from gaps in the window,
filling up the empty space around me.
Inside
the fire sputters and spits.
I crank up the metal heater
hoping for some warmth.
I hold my hands over it for a minute
and reach for my throw.

Updates from Adelaide

This is volume two of the Adelaide Adventures. Another month has come and gone, and things are settling down for me. I'm getting into the rhythm of the winter days, when the sun sets before five thirty in the afternoon and doesn't show up til 7.30 am the next morning.

Come to think of it, the sun gets more "sleep" than we do! That is, Benc and I.

The past month has been hectic for Benc because of midterms and some final exams in his 6-unit subjects. Programming subjects -- which he has had to reacquaint himself with -- were difficult for him. There was a time when he came home all gray and tired at 8.30 in the morning because he had to finish programming projects in school. This last week was packed with exams and today, on his birthday (oops, tapos na pala), he continued to work. We postponed any grand celebrations for the weekend and next week so that we could enjoy them. But I did cook a mean pasta bolognese, we had sausages and some fruit the night before, and waited for 12 midnight of the 25th. Will share photos of the celebrations soon.

In the meantime, I've been keeping myself busy looking for work still. It's difficult for casuals and those with short term Visas to find a job in this recession. I should have expected it. Despite sending out hundreds of versions of my resume, I still haven't been called to another interview. Getting rejected can be painful I realized, haha. HAven't experienced that in a while I guess. So here it is. I grit my teeth and continue searching. While that's going on, I decided to go ahead and join a gym, and apply for volunteer work. At least there's been some progress with that.

I joined Fitness First Adelaide. BIG MISTAKE. Though their equipment are all state of the art, there are many packages to choose from and the location is VERY near (less than ten minutes' stroll from where we live) it's just too impersonal for me. I mean, in the smaller gyms I've joined in Manila, they would at least take the time to create a basic start-up program with you, with some consultation and orientation on the use of the equipment. At Fitness First, I was totally on my own! What, because I chose the cheapest package (off-peak hours)? And here they were harping on about how customer-oriented they are. It's true what all the reviews about them say: they overcharge, and make it difficult for you to cancel outside of your trial period. I'm still within that grace period, so it's not much of a problem for me. Good thing I experienced it all first hand, and I have no qualms about leaving. At least I get to take the gear (backpack, water bottle, satchel and cap) with me. Hehehehe.

Today I took a trip on one of the free connector buses in Adelaide, and rode to North Adelaide, where the posher suburbs are. I went to the North Adelaide Community Center for a mini-interview, and to see their place. This is where my volunteer work will take place. I signed up to teach computer and web use to citizens who, for some reason or another, have 0 experience with computers. There are some who are as young as 20 years old! Interesting no? This will take up about 1.5 hours a week. I met with Kate, the volunteer coordinator and she took me around their activity hall and their kitchen, their library and oriented me on the idea of the program. Gosh, nakakainggit yung community center nila...it looked like, and was equipped with facilities that are usually reserved for commercial venues. The places that come to mind are those like the Bramante ballrooms, or even the VV Country CLub, or the Makati Sports Club, but BETTER! It's well stocked and clean. There's toilet paper and liquid soap in the bathrooms (which are so clean!) and there are bickies, tea and coffee in the pantry...all for free. Kate says, literally anyone in the community pops in and has a snack there. There are computers that residents can use for free. The NACC pala is also the North Adelaide Library, which is part of the network of libraries in the city, so it's connected to the one I joined a month ago. That means I can use the facilities there too!

The center hosts dancing lessons, board games and mahjong, card games, exercise games and various events -- all for free! Nakakaloka! It makes your heart ache thinking, why were they able to do it and we still can't? We're a much older republic. We have such a rich culture, we're as intelligent and capable as the rest of them, we're caring and patient. We're hard working...and still our local governments have difficulty getting their act together. Hay. Anyway, I'll have more stories about that experience. Needless to say, Kate was more than happy to have another volunteer. She says that the one-on-one computer sessions are their most popular program, and there's a waiting list of thirty people already, and only five volunteers working! I'm going to take an occupational safety and health seminar (for free) at the City Council Office, and then I'll start reporting on July 6. People I meet tell me it's a good way to network and maybe get a foothold in the employment jungle. I'm hoping it is!

This weekend is the last week of the EOFYS -- the End of Financial Year Sale, so all shops are going crazy this weekend to move their stock. We're planning a trip to IKEA and Harbourtown -- a mala-warehouse place of all the branded names but with super low prices, lower even when they're on sale here in Rundle Mall in the city. It's about 20 minutes by bus from where we live, and we're going to have the full-on brekkie at IKEA. Treat na rin for Benc and his classmates, for weathering a slew of difficult exams and projects the last week. Maybe we'll check out what they're willing to give for free, hahaha! I'll take photos and post them on my FB, so that you can check them out.

Oh, and one of the exciting highlights of the day: I actually found manggang hilaw at the Central Market!!!! Wheeeee! But it's so expensive: AU $15 a kilo! So I just bought two -- which amounted to half a kilo. Darn. But anyway, it's all right. We'll have tinola and manggang hilaw for lunch tomorrow, even if it doesn't seem to match. We're all only too happy to have a little taste of home.

Will send updates again soon! Take care everyone, and keep in touch!

The MP3 Experiment series

At first I thought, this is fun, and innovative! And then I thought about the implications - that size of crowd, the omnipotent voice giving instructions, group conformity, even to an extent, hypnosis. What else could a seemingly innocent mp3 recording have people do?

Your thoughts would be welcome. Am I prude, or paranoid?

The First Four Weeks

One month ago today I landed in Adelaide, South Australia. It's kind of staggering I've been away from Manila this long. The only other time was when I went on my honeymoon and was abroad for three weeks.

I'm missing the familiar faces and voices of friends and family. I've come to realize how much we take for granted the fact that these people in our lives are around, how they form the cozy security blanket on our subconscious. We know they'll always be there, at a moment's notice, a text or phone call away, even a taxi ride away. But here, I felt that sense of security fall away. I quickly realized that, apart from my husband, no one else in Australia knew or cared that it was my birthday. And that made me miss home, reminding me of all the to-do's attached to it: meeting up with friends and family for birthday dinners or just hanging out together. Even though I laud the internet for its ability to connect people instantly, nothing beats physical proximity: the hugs, the kisses, the laughs. Good thing the hubby gave me more than the normal share on my day. Coupled with all the birthday greetings from everyone I've been missing, I did feel the love blanket warm me against the cold. :)

Now that a new year has begun for me, I plan to make the most of it. Everyday, there's something to look forward to, not least of which is making a trip to the Adelaide Central Market. We live about 60 steps away from the market, and it's glorious! Fresh fruit and veg everywhere; freshly ground coffee beans, a specialty mushroom shop, meats and sausages booths at almost each corner, cheese stalls, Asian foods, confectioneries that blow the mind: you name it, they have it. Well, nearly everything short of a pet shop, haha. They say there are over 250 stalls here, from those selling the raw materials to those selling them cooked and prepared. I love the market because it's clean, and surprisingly, smells sweet! Even if there are more than four large seafood shops, it doesn't smell. There are no fish guts on the floor, no ice spilling to make the paths slippery.

I promise that almost every time I enter the place, I get disoriented. My brain argues with itself whether to browse the fruit stands or go and get a freshly-ground coffee fix. Even though I have a list of things to buy, and my shopping should only take 15 minutes, I usually end up browsing the stalls for nearly 40 minutes!

People here are friendly, always ready to chat you up and help you choose what you need for your dishes. One thing I noticed about them: when you give them your items, and they tell you how much you owe, they always append a "thanks" or "thank you", even before you pay up. And when you do, they thank you again. "That'll be 5.50, thanks!" I find it charming, and I don't know why. Maybe I'm charmed by over-politeness, haha.

I've had to learn how to adjust my speech a little so that they'd understand my English. Most notably, the way words with "a" sound in words like day have to be pronounced as "ie". So "day" is pronounced "die." Words that end in "o" (no, hello, so) are pronounced as if there's a "y" and an "r" at the end. Hence, "noyr," "Helloyr," etc. Most sentences also end on a high intonation, as if you're asking a question. It's fun actually; in fact it's like learning a new language that but one that's extremely familiar. (Is that possible at all? :)) So if I was shopping at the Market, I might say something like, "Helloyr, oyd loyk a half kiloyr uv the chickin brist plyse. Thanks."

Other things that have happened: I finally got my own ATM card! I regard this as an identity-asserting event. It gives me mobility and *ahem* purchasing power. It was rather easy to open an account -- all they needed was my passport. They filled out the forms for me in fact, took time to explain everything to me, changed my dollars at no extra charge and then said my card will be in the mail in a week. Compare this opening a bank account in BDO or any other local bank. What's with the application form in triplicate, two valid IDs and signature samples? Here, all I need to transact with a teller is a secret password, and I am authenticated.

Other things I acquired: my own tax number. This will be important when I finally find work. It was extremely easy: all I had to do was log on to the Australia Tax Office website, answer some questions (especially about my work rights/permits) and voila! My tax number was mailed to me in 8 days. No need to queue up at some faraway government office. No need to bring my birth and marriage certificates, no processing fees to pay, no bureaucracy. And I'm not even a permanent resident.

One of the best things I've done so far: become a member of the public library. It's such a sanctuary. All you need is to fill out a form, and hey presto! you've got your library card. No mess, no fuss, and best of all it's free! You can search their collections online, reserve items from other public libraries in the city, and they can bring it to your home (for a minimum charge) or to the nearest library of your choice for you to pick up. Again, for free. If I wanted to borrow a book right then, I'd scan my library card on a computer, put the items I want on a platform, wait for the beep and a "receipt" comes out of the little machine. I can borrow thirty items at one time! Fabulous! I can loan DVDs, CDs, books. I have five books with me now in fact. And anytime, I can go to the library and use the internet. For free. Oh happiness!

Traveling in Adelaide is pretty accessible as well. The trams are a treat to take because they're pretty fast and incredibly convenient. And clean. Travel from one end of the city center to the other is free in fact, and this passes through the main finance, entertainment, government and university districts. Bus routes, meanwhile, are categorized by zone, which are then assigned numbers. Pick up points are clearly defined, as well as which bus numbers ply which routes. All you have to know are the bus and stop numbers and the time table, which are supplied for free by the city's information center. One can also get tickets here, and consult with the attendants as well, who are all super friendly.

For instance, I had to go to a place outside the city center and needed to take the bus. I went to the info center, and asked the attendant which bus number to take. He pointed these out to me, gave me time tables and directed me to the bus stop across the street. So I took bus number 113 from stop V2 on my way to 103 South Road, Thebarton.

And what was I going to do there? Well, my resume had been shortlisted for a part-time job I applied for. It was exciting actually. I took the bus by myself and had a sort of info-day about the job and the company. It was my first time to actually be in a long, involved conversation with an Australian. The manager's name was Rohan and he was talking about their need for sales and marketing reps. I tried to keep up with his accent and his energy. It took a tenth of a second for some words to register, especially their slang. It didn't help that they were a sports company too, because there was some jargon I just didn't understand. But it's all good. Though I decided the job really wasn't for me, it was good "practice" for the one I know I will eventually get.

The job will be invaluable because it will allow me to pay for even a short course here -- I'm hoping to take something in media, communications or basic programming. It will add to skills and knowledge I already have, but it will also give me a chance to gain some "official" experience here. The books from the library are keeping me company for now, in terms of learning. So I have a lot of reading material to go through (I'm also still finishing another academic paper I was asked to improve before I left Manila). I'm observing the content and production processes of the Australian media. Their commercials are pretty funny, and they range from the campy, amateurish concepts that are unabashedly hard sell to those that are so clever you wished you had thought about it first. But all that's for another post.

I am still sending out my resume, and am excited about getting some work experience here. It will also help augment the "household budget," and help us buy more stuff at the Central Market. And maybe at the mall. Or IKEA. Yehesss, IKEA.

Okay! I think I've droned on long enough. Will be posting more photos and entries soon. Oh and yes, it is winter already. We're experiencing 10-degree evenings already so we have to bundle ourselves up. Like I am now, hehe: 6 layers on top and two below: we've had to buy more thermals already. It's so tempting to sleep in all day, but hey, there's so much to experience so you just have to get up. I guess this is how a hibernating bear feels. At least they get to sleep without any issues. Me, I need my coffee! hahha.

Hope everyone is well, and staying healthy. We're missing everyone and we'd love to hear from you too. Til next post! Ciao!

A belated birthday post

I just had to document the day, even though this entry gets posted two days after.

I've always wanted to celebrate a birthday in a different country. This year I got to do it! It wasn't anything grand. It was enough that I got to spend the whole day with my husband and empower myself in an unfamiliar place by "acquiring" an identity: on this day, I was able to withdraw money from my bank. I also became a member of the public library: I got my very own library card, was able to check out a few items, and reserve another bunch!

It was really more symbolic than anything else. I guess it was my way of asserting my existence. Away from the familiar, devoid of the usual, taken-for-granted security among family and friends, this was my way of conquering the impending loneliness and homesickness, which was threatening to take over the day before. In Manila, one would dread responding to text and birthday greetings for the sheer number of them coming in (that day I received lots of text messages and FB greetings from people who mattered to me); or, we'd try to escape groups of people who we think might be expecting you to throw a little party with a box pizza or a bucket of chicken.

Here, I was fascinated to realize that, no one I knew was going to go through the trouble of asking, kelan ang kainan at inuman? I wouldn't bump into anyone in the street who would remember it was my birthday. A couple of times I was hoping the librarians would put two and two together and realize that my birth date on my library application form was the same day as my membership day. I actually fantasized one of them would call out to the people in the library and they'd all jump up and wish me a happy birthday. All I wanted was someone to acknowledge me. But they didn't.

If it wasn't for Benc, I'd be celebrating by myself. Literally. But because I was with him, it was more than enough. He bought a bottle of wine, cheese, and grapes and we stayed up and drank at 12 midnight on May 14. In the afternoon we had brunch of yummy yiros and chips at the Central Market, then watched Angels and Demons, talked about life over a cup of coffee and handfuls of chocolate-covered fruits and nuts, then snuggled against the settling cold. It was a good day, and I claimed it. It was a way of reinforcing my presence for another year and toasting a previous one well-spent.