Time to get from Senai to the causeway; 2 hrs
Time to get from Kranji to City hall: 40mins
Time from City hall to Tanah Merah:25 mins
Tanah Merah to Changi: 5 mins
Time to wait in Changi because my flight is at night and I have to take the 7am flight so that I don't miss my flight: about 8 hrs

And how much do I save? Frankly, I'd pay the extra. I can earn more money, but all the money in the world cant buy a second of extra time.

Go figure. AirAsia wants to fly to Singapore, the kiasu Singaporeans say no. Tiger wants to do the SIN-KCh sector, Sarawak says yes, the Federal gov says no. So if it isnt the Malayans leeching off us, its the Singaporeans forsaking us. Either way, we loose. What the hell did we give Singapore Wee Kheng Chiang for?!

Buying stationary in Malaysia will be cheaper, as the exchange rate does affect the prices. A 200 page exercise book goes for about A$1.20. However, don't end up with the "bring 4 packs of double A paper" syndrome!

Looks like there are a lot of people coming to Brisbane. Well, welcome then!

I'll take this one at a time.

For starters, what did you get for your IELTS?

First thing: get rid of your "sifu" mentality". None of use are "experts" here. We just have been in Australia for an extended amount of time, but take what we say in this thread as a rough set of guidelines, not as a hard set of rules. Learn this, before thinking further.


That is the reality. You just have to get used to it. Forget about Malaysia; when you are over there, they dont give a damn who you are. You can be Najib's daughter, and you ain't gonna get any perks. Frankly, you start are the bottom. Remember, you are a immigrant to their country. It is their country, not yours.

Still, I dont have trouble with both the Kiwi and Australian accent.


Trust me on this: deflate your ego.Now. Before you leave.

Brisbane may be a tourist area, but remember, you are there to study, not to have (too much) fun. Even more so when you have a questionable academic past. Put your head down, and work hard. Many people will want the chance to go overseas.

Just one question: did you do a credit transfer with your diploma to get into QUT? What did you do for your Diploma, and what do you intend to do?


QUT does have trouble with qualifications other than Australian year 12. I also had my problems, but saying things like 'I wanna slap QUT employee" (even ignoring your poor grammar) is not going to help. As you have said, you applied through an agent, and as I've said, I'm not a big fan of agents. But believe me, once you get in, you will forget all that.

At least they didn't get your name wrong. that will be even worst.


1)No such thing. The closest you can get is Sunnybank, a very Asian suburb. With Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese in the mix.

2)No. I walk alone home at 11pm. Brisbane is a very safe place. Generally. It doesn't mean there is no crime, and if you do stupid things, don't expect any mercy.

3)In QUT, there are very few Malaysians, and its very fragmented. The MSA (Malaysian student association) is all dominated by Malays, and frankly they don't make their presence felt, even during O week. Interestingly, some Malaysians join the Singaporean club.

4)"Will i improve my work if i study oversea if i work very to do?" I have no idea what you're trying to say. But let me put it this way: going overseas is not a silver bullet. It is not going to change your life overnight. Australians cherish meritocracy. Get rid of your sifu/NEP/Malaysian mentality. You can graduate from Unimelb (Australia's no 1 uni), but if you are an incompetent, lazy and useless employee, they'll chuck you out. Even more with Workchoices. You qualification only gets you into the interview room. Beyond that, it all depends on how you work.

BTw, if you haven't guessed by now, I'm a QUT student also.

This post has been edited by haya: Jan 18 2008, 11:27 AM

Some people want MCA to come in, as they perceive SUPP to be toothless. A BAD IDEA. Malaysia has way too many backdoor entry's already. Malaysians may be forgetful, but we Sarawakians will not forget how UMNO Sabah destroyed Sabah.

I laugh when the history books say the formation of Malaysia gave we Sarawakians "independence". We have been colonised all our life, from the Brunei sultanate to the Brooke era to the British, and now Malaya. I'd say if we want to be colonised all our life, we might as well do it right. Heck, I'm all for the decedents to Brooke to come back.

Sarawak only shares a common colonial master (briefly) with Malaya. We have nothing in common with the "west".

Frankly, Taib is the lesser of the 2 evils. I'd rather have him than UMNO. Sure, he makes tall teleco towers everywhere with his Sacofa, not to mention the looming State Assembly Building looming across the river in a way that would make Ken Ichijouji proud, but at least he does a good job. Who else will bring broadband to Mukah?

The number of Sarawakians (Kuchingites especially) in Perth is a legacy from the KCH-PER flight. I've noticed that many Mirians like to go to Melbourne. Some say it is a legacy from the Emergency, where we had Australian troops (usually from Melbourne) stationed here (miri especially). Does Rumah Melaban ring a bell?

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Added on January 18, 2008, 1:37 pmMind if I hitch a ride? Or at least borrow the schematics for the Flux Capacitor?

This post has been edited by haya: Jan 18 2008, 01:37 PM

Now, I'm a bit worried. But then, one probably doesn't need a high IELTS score to get into a Design Degree. Not to mention Griffith University.

What did you use for English qualification then?

Start reading damnit! http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i/stude...isa-charges.htm



The immi website can cause information overload, but I don't think its hard to navigate. Dunno why so many people can't find the information they want while I can. Try the Malaysian government websites one day. Even if everything is in BM, it may be faster to pick up the phone and call the said department.

I'd say. If there are so many IT graduates who can't get a job, get them to (re)train and be web admin.

In all fairness, there are some good M'sian websites. www.met.gov.my is one.

You can't compare the 3 cities. They are different. Melbourne and Sydney would be more expensive than Perth. By a long way.

Just for the record, $2000/month (about Rm5800) gets me through in Brisbane. A rough breakdown can be seen below:

Here's a rough estimate of where my $220/wk goes to:
rent:$130
utilities$10-20
Groceries:$30
Bus fare:$12
Eating out:$10-20

Stick to putting "daihatsu sirion" stickers on your MyVi. You should be tried for crimes against punctuation and grammar.

$120/wk in Melbourne? Where on earth are you staying?

Usually I invoke something across the ditch: www.trademe.co.nz. Despite being a Kiwi thing, Australians can also use it. Sometimes, even with the shipping across the ditch, it can still work out to be cheaper. And usually they're generally scrupulous. But like any auction, proceed with caution.

2 more weeks before i'm back in Brisbane. I dunno whether to be glad or sad, really.