In anticipation of the increased accommodation queries that will inevitably come as the second intake approaches. I would like to share some information for those intending to study, and subsequently, rent in Queensland.

http://www.qut.edu.au/sharehousing/rentolo...tologypage.html

It is a rather good flash based "game" which informs the player on their rights and responsibilities as a renter in Queensland made by QUT with the help of the QLD RTA. Even if you have been renting all this while, its not a bad thing to give the game a spin, as the rules have changed, and even I found somethings that I didn't know through this interactive way of obtaining information.

It is not the last word, and any dispute will be resolved through the (new) Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld), but it is a good starting point.

Do note that while significant efforts have been made to harmonise the different renting laws across Australia, this only applies to Queensland. Students in other states should look very carefully at the specific renting laws of their state.

domain.com.au is a start. I also used the UQ accommodation service (http://www.accommodation.uq.edu.au/offcampus/accommodation/search.html?lt=s), and try QUT's own accommodation service (https://www.accommodation.qut.edu.au).

I mean, be realistic. Sure, you want to be close to uni, but be prepared to pay more. Kangaroo Point is not a bad place to start, and East Brisbane is not too bad either.

I can confirm the Woolloongabba exchange is AAPT unlimited ready, so for $99.95/month its all you can download. Perfect if you're sharing the connection with many housemates. I've seen people download up to 4TB (yes, terrabytes) a month on their 24/7 Unlimited Broadband Bundle.

It was too sudden. I went to bed with Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister, and woke up with Julia Gillard in the top job. I've just realised that there was a (political) coup overnight.

While I will freely admit many of Kevin's mistakes, I have to echo Tony Abbotts words: ""A midnight knock on the door, followed by political execution is no way that the [former] Australian prime minister should be treated."

I just have to say this: I respect Kevin for bowing out gracefully when he realised that he no longer had the support of the party. He could have stuck to his guns, introducing "unity plans" and "grand power share proposals", or caused a leadership crisis by being a leader of a party that no longer acknowledged him, but he decided to be a man, and not challenge the Labour caucus.

My only wish is that all politicians in Malaysia would have such maturity, to bow out gracefully in the interest of the people, not their personal importance.

As for the "1st female Prime Minister" tag, history is not kind to females who try to get their own mandate in Australia. Joan Kirner was the first woman premier in Australia in 1990, but it took almost 20 years before Anna Bligh was the first woman to be actually elected as a Premier in 2009. The others before her were handed power by their male predecessors, but could never win their own mandate.

I wish Julia Gillard the best in running this country. She is on the record with the 7.30 Report saying an election is due by the end of this year, even if the current mandate only runs out in April 2011.

For the record, almost every single news website in Australia is not loading. They must be under a lot of strain.

It took me a few reads and overnight rumination to figure out what member onejme is trying to say. Not a good indication of the quality of some of the Malaysian students in Australia.

Member onejme is (I persume) asking how much would a bank charge for an overdraft, when money is debited out of a bank account that does not have enough funds. In Australia, that's a fair bit. I'm no fan of the big 4 banks.

However, in the absence of a specific bank, it is impossible to provide an answer. Bank fees and charges vary across all Australian banks.

Ask vague questions, and you'll get vague answers.

Why not? A standard Australian tourist visa is valid for 3 months. Depending on how "soon" you need to go to the UK, you could also apply for a working holiday visa, which allows you to work in Australia for the 1 year validity of the visa. Don't expect too much: most end up cleaning tables at food courts or plucking fruits from farms. (I've heard of one who worked in a chicken farm: suffice to say you'll never see meat the same way again!)

Just a straw poll: how much longer do Malaysians studying in Australia that participate in this thread have to go to course completion and graduation?

I feel that most Malaysian students would try to stay on in Australia and at the very least, get some experience before they return back, if they ever do so. Personally I've adapted quite well overall to the Australian way of life, and am not exactly pining for "home".

Member 0Celeste0, decided on Victoria eh?

Such regulations sound more like a council by-law than any state legislation. It is true that I could not find any mention of windows-room requirements for Victoria, but the law aside, do you really want to be in a room with no windows?

If you are concerned, I suggest calling the local council in your jurisdiction. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

Let me just say this again and again: anyone who does not sign a lease (fixed or otherwise) and pay a bond when selecting any accommodation, is just asking for trouble. Regardless of what ethnicity the landlord is.

You're lucky he returned the bond deposit. I've had to deal with cases where the landlord has thrown out some hapless chap and deny's all knowledge of any monies secured to him by the poor tenant.

Regardless, it is still a very bad idea a) not lodging a bond with the RTA of the relavent state b) willfully knowing that the landlord you have "doesn't follow the rules and regulations in Vic", or any state for that matter.

I say this because I've seen too many cases where I have to deal with people who entered into accommodation with no written contract, no bond lodgment with the state RTA, rent paid cash in hand, with no way of tracking, and they expect Student Services to help them when they literary end up on the street. And believe me, it is not limited to any group of people. Bad landlords are not limited by race nor skin color.

I've heard all kinds of excuses from "too busy" to "don't understand" by people who try to justify their situation and their lack of positive actions. As much as it sounds noble and morally right that no one deserves to be exploited, if anyone does not help themselves, if anyone doesn't do actions on their part to have the protection tenancy laws in Australia provide, such people deserve to be exploited.

Of course, usually these people I deal with can't see that through their blinkered views and poor command of English, and think I'm "being unhelpful", "in cahoots with the white folks", "anti-Chinese" (despite my genetic makeup!), and wait for it, "racist; only helping his own kind".


Why do you think, back in 2008, I wrote:


This post has been edited by haya: Aug 6 2010, 07:33 PM

Maybe its the conditions attached to claiming the TRS?

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4646.asp

I'm not entirely convinced that buying a TV in Australia is any cheaper than buying it in M'sia. Adding in shipping would probably cancel out any financial advantage. These things are generally standard prices, and don't vary too much across most countries. (That said, a strong AUD does help a bit).

[rant]Gosh, Limeuu isn't kidding about Malaysians who go to English speaking countries, studying in the English medium, who can't string a proper sentence of English.

Its not too bad when they just talk amongst themselves, but when they are asking for help and you can't answer them simply because you do not literary understand what they are asking for, one has to wonder why.

It has nothing to do with being "snobbish", "racist", "spoil your image" or "superior". I mean, people can't help you if they cannot understand your query.

Of course, when the person (badly) asking for help doesn't get an answer, the usual accusations of "being unhelpful", "in cahoots with the white folks", and wait for it, "racist; only helping his own kind" come thick and fast.
[/rant]

I'll break that query down into 2 parts:
Come again?

If you really need help, read the front page, where I talk about naming conventions.

How can I correct you when, because you are not able to put forward your query in a way that I can understand, I don't even know what you are asking for?

It has nothing to do with grammar. It has nothing to with "coolness" (In fact, I am perfectly aware I am one of the least "cool" people, by any metric, to the world at large). It has nothing to do with "looking down" at anyone or anything. It has nothing to do with pride.

And mistakes are not a bad thing, as long as one learns from it. (How else do you think I pick up Mandarin?)

Unfortunately Limeuu, I don't think we're ever going to get an answer to that. Partially because these people don't even realise that their English is quite poor to begin with. (While I do not have the "privilege" of reading the reports of such class of persons, I have been the receiving end of native Australians who complain about Asians whom they cannot communicate with in group projects. I have a feeling I ended up receiving the brunt of their (understandable) frustrations because I'm (relatively) comprehensible)

Before anyone starts their shrill cries of "raicst", let me distill university life into 2 points:
1) Group projects are always hell, no matter what composition your group members are.
2) With (1) in mind, it doesn't help things when you have group members which are utterly incomprehensible.

That I suppose is the crux if my "rant", if you will: I am perfectly open and happy to admit my shortcomings in Malay and Mandarin, but why are those, who clearly have issues articulating their thoughts in English, launch personal attacks which are unrelated to my point, when I simply lay out the basic fact that their English is incomprehensible?

If I posted in the Chinese Cari forums, most people would know my grasp of Mandarin is, at best, stilted. I get patronising looks from the West Malaysians I interact with when I open my mouth to speak Malay, because the Malay I speak is "academic Malay", ie learnt in school, and sounds nothing like how the average person whom Malay is their mother tongue speaks.

So why, when I ask for clarification from someone who has issues putting forward their point in English, am compared to Nazi's, accused of "looking down", labeled "uncool", pride somehow is at stake, and personal attacks on person are launched left, right and center?

All Australian student visa's issued after 26 April 2008 have a working visa built in, that allows one to work in Australia for up to 20 hours during the semester.

http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/w...while_studying/

I will answer legitimate questions, IF I can understand them.


This post has been edited by haya: Aug 16 2010, 08:57 AM

Well, its not as simple as that. The problem is that what constitutes a first name and a last name in different cultural context. Talk to some Japanese and their definition of "first name" may be the same identifier (surname) that his/her family members use.

After rereading member hihihehe post for a while I came to the conclusion that's what he's asking. To put it in context, he is asking:
If it is the graduation parchment, the standard format (for QUT at least) is First name, Surname. That's fine if your name if John Peter Smith. The question is, how does that work in the Malaysian context?

If you are Tan Ah Beng, where Tan is your family name (ie the same identifier (surname) that his/her family members use), then the parchment would be awarded to Ah Beng Tan, NOT Ah Tan (the "Beng" in this context is NOT a middle name, as most Australians think it is).

But if it was the sister Lucy Tan Ah Lian, which is the first name/last name? By Australian reckoning, the "first name" would be Lucy, and Lian would be the last name. As Malaysians we see the error in that. So does that mean the parchment is awarded to Lucy Ah Lian Tan, or just simply Lucy Tan?

Its the same issue with Malay names. Say Mohammad Shukri bin Mohammad Zain. Is your first name Mohammad or Shukri? Or both? And its the same question with "last name": is it Mohammad, Zain or both?

And Hindu names? Take the name Samundee Devan a/l A.Ramasamy. We think that "Samundee" would be the first name, but some of them prefer to be called "Devan", ie the second word in their name, which they see as their "first name".

Its a similar story to some Ibans from Sarawak: someone who has "Adam Brian anak Assim" on his birth certificate and Malaysian Identification Card is never known as "Adam", but "Brian Assim".

So do you understand my frustration(s) with ambiguous questions relating to name placements? How do you define "first name" is very much on your background.

For the first case, the award was given to "Ah Beng TAN".
It was "Lucy TAN" who got the second award (don't ask me why she left out her given Chinese name).
Shukri, as he is commonly known, had Mhd Shukri MOHAMMAD ZAIN printed on his parchment.
Devan RAMASAMY was a proud recipient of a PhD.
To find his masters thesis, one would need to look under Assim, B. His cousin on the other hand, can be found under Assim, James Jerad in the library.

I'm not saying these are hard rules. Some would be aghast at Lucy's "betrayal of her Chinese roots". Shukri's relatives wonder why the "Dato Seri" is not in his fathers name. Some would be horrified that Devan dropped part of his fathers name.

My point is, how do you define "first name" and "last name" is very much dependent on the individual. Which is why, in the absence of any more information, it is impossible to give any kind of proper advice and help.

Endnote: While the name placements are real experiences, all names used to illustrate my point are fictional names. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

This post has been edited by haya: Aug 16 2010, 09:03 AM

Looks like most universities give their students a choice on what name to appear on their parchment. I suppose you could put "Darth Vader" on your graduation parchment and it'd probably go through. (Yes, it can be mind numbing entering all that graduation information into a database)

Well for member hihihehe I suppose it all comes down to your own preference. I know of a lawyer practicing in Malaysia whose parchment reads the Ah Beng Tan way, with Tan being his surname. Never caused any issues for him. On the other hand if you're intending to work in Australia having your parchment given to a Mr Beng while your CV is for Mr Tan will raise a few eyebrows.

But as you said, employers are not stupid. I don't think the order of your name will affect you in any way employment wise. That, and the fact which ever way you choose to order the placement of your name, your surname/family name will usually be in upper caps.

Edit: Oh, and many happy returns of the day hihihehe.

This post has been edited by haya: Aug 16 2010, 12:46 PM

Which is why I'm surprised that this question comes up so often when dealing with graduation documents in a multicultural environment. Nitpicking? Maybe, but it isn't limited to just names.

Actually, contrary to popular belief, there are special entrance requirements for some specialised courses. To do music/dance in QUT requires an audition. To do visual arts they look at a portfolio rather than the standard Year 12 results. Film making requires one to make a pitch in a video uploaded to Youtube.

The only thing is that most Malaysians do the same boring courses of Engineering/Science/Law/Business/Commerce/Accounting, which are generally non-critical. The only exception i can think of is education, but then the interview is more of to make sure you're not a child molester than any entrance exam.

I can't say for any mass communication course, but i wouldn't be surprised that academic requirements are given a back seat to more practical means of vetting.

What i am interested through, is what kind of foundation program member Rustie is going through. In the absense of more specific information, no one give the full picture, so to speak.

Again, this is course specific, but internship is not mandatory for most courses I see. Yes, there is a option, but note that that door may be closed to international students, GPA or not.

The simple fact is that international students can only work 20 hours a week, and that is simply not enough time for places that will take in students for work experience. Thus, many of these internship places are actually closed to international students.

Re member Rustie: is this what you are currently studying?

http://www.taylors.edu.my/courses/comm/com...ding.php?id=111

Menial jobs which don't need a degree. Or tutoring undergraduates.

The reality is, as a Masters student, you are a student, and as a student you will be limited to working 20 hours a week tops. Regardless of your skillset in your undergraduate degree, few employers would want to employ you for 20 hrs a week. So, its down the menial jobs that usually don't need your degree.

If you're lucky, you may be able to get a position tutoring undergraduates in your university, but they are thin on the ground at times.