Welcome back to the Indian Expat life series! I’m reaching out to Indian expats with families from across the world, to understand how they are leading their lives, in different countries. This week we are getting to know more about what living in Australia is like!
When I was pursuing my Masters I was fortunate to meet and engage with a few Australian exchange students and a very inspiring professor. I loved their camaraderie. They were a respectful, friendly and a cheerful bunch, focussed and passionate towards learning. I had a wonderful time with all of them!
That’s why I was so happy to be able to interview Priyanka Shetty, an instagram blogger @thesouthwesternmum about her experiences as an expat in Australia.
But before we begin here’s a small context to this lively place-
- Capital- Canberra
- Population- 23.6 million people
- Currency- Australian Dollar
- Language- English
(Source- Wikipedia)
- Tell us a little about your background.
- Why did you move to Australia?
- According to you, what should anyone know before moving to Australia?
- Where do you live in Australia? Describe the place
- According to you: how much does one need to live comfortably in Australia?
- Cost of living in Australia
- What challenges have you faced living in Australia? And how are you overcoming them?
- How did you find work in Australia? How different is the work culture from India?
- How has it been living in Australia during Covid-19?
- What do you like most about your place?
- Is there anything that you don't like about living in Australia?
- How's the healthcare system here?
- How's Australian food? Which dishes have you tried? Do you miss Indian food? How available is Indian food?
- What are your favourite things to do in Australia?
- Which places in Australia do you recommend visiting?
- What do you mostly do on the weekends? Which places do you hang out the most?
- Do you have any interesting experience in Australia that you can recall?
- What do you miss the most about India?
- Which Indian communities are you part of over here? Is it easy to find friends here?
- What lessons have you learnt from your expat life in Australia?
Tell us a little about your background.
I am a Mangalorean, born and brought up in Maharashtra. I have done my Masters in Software Engineering and currently am an Australian Citizen, living in Melbourne and working at a bank.
Why did you move to Australia?
Honestly, I never had any dream or aspiration to leave India or settle abroad like most people. For a people-person like me, the home was where my family was.
Till I fell in love with my husband who had no intention of staying in India after a very nasty bike accident. So after a lot of discussions, hours of listing down pros and cons, we finally decided to move to Australia.
Australia was zeroed in mostly due to the ease of getting the Permanent Residency.
According to you, what should anyone know before moving to Australia?
You will get what you seek. So seek kindness and that is what you shall receive. Come with an open mind, don’t compare it with other places you have lived in/visited. I promise you, you will fall in love with this beautiful land down under.
Where do you live in Australia? Describe the place
We live in Melbourne, the sports capital of Australia. The home to MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground).
According to you: how much does one need to live comfortably in Australia?
Australia has the concept of minimum wage at $19.84 per hour which is pretty high compared to a lot of places. So I guess this minimum wage covers living comfortably with basic amenities – food, roof and clothes.
Cost of living in Australia
- Accommodation approx $350 per week for a family house
- Transport $9 for a full day travel
- Groceries $80 -$100 per week will cover all basics.
- Childcare is $100 per day but based on your tax range the government pays a certain percentage of it.
- Internet – $50 per month.. it depends on the plan and speed.
- Education – We have public schools which charge very basic fees and private schools which do cost a fortune based on their ratings.
- Eating out/ Entertainment – $50 per week
- Clothing $100 per month
- Healthcare/ Insurance $150 per month – again depends on the level of cover you have.
- Other costs Gas and water bills, if you own the house you pay council rates and taxes here are exorbitant
What challenges have you faced living in Australia? And how are you overcoming them?
I have lived around the globe in Africa, UK and I came to Australia with a very open mind. I have never really faced any challenges in terms of settling down here or being a part of it.
Australia is very cosmopolitan country in my opinion. It is very welcoming to immigrants. I personally haven’t encountered culture shocks or discrimination yet.
How did you find work in Australia? How different is the work culture from India?
LinkedIn and Seek are the job portals where most people find jobs. I was interviewed at a couple of places via Seek and got my first job.
The work culture in IT is starkly different to that in India where the office is empty at 5 pm. People start leaving around 4 pm to pick kids up and there is no pretence of working long hours.
Mistakes are forgiven and people are given a second chance. Everyone is treated with a lot of respect and people value personal boundaries. I consider myself a local now, having been here for almost 8 years and I love it.
How has it been living in Australia during Covid-19?
Apart from missing my family and worrying about them, living here has been a blessing. I sometimes even felt guilty of being so comfortable here, while my friends and family back in India were struggling during the second wave.
The government is locking us down every time there is a new cluster and things are under control. The situation is still far from normal but I know we are doing far better than most countries, so I will not complain.
What do you like most about your place?
The spirit. Everyone smiles at you even if they don’t know you. People give up seats for each other. People are kind and polite ALWAYS. I mostly like the old folks here – full of love and so chatty. It’s precious.
Is there anything that you don’t like about living in Australia?
Australia is home now. And there is nothing I don’t like. Maybe the Melbourne weather on some days, that is all.
How’s the healthcare system here?
We have an amazing public healthcare system that makes most of the treatments available for free. We have private hospitals with insurance coverage but they are pretty expensive though the waiting period is negligible. So both have their pros and cons.
How’s Australian food? Which dishes have you tried? Do you miss Indian food? How available is Indian food?
Australians don’t really have a cuisine as most of the food and culture comes from UK. I think the parmigiana is one thing that sounds pretty Aussie to me.
I don’t really miss Indian food. If I miss something I can easily make it at home and lately a lot of new Indian restaurants have popped up which have tastes exactly like back in India. And on availability, let’s just say every street has at least one Indian restaurant in the main city.
What are your favourite things to do in Australia?
Camping, Hikes and Trails. Australia is so scenic that I love exploring it. Just lounging on the beach or going on a long drive to find a hidden cafe would be my favourite things to do.
Which places in Australia do you recommend visiting?
Gold Coast beaches, Great Ocean Road, Sydney, Winery tours, Grampians, Jervis Bay.
What do you mostly do on the weekends? Which places do you hang out the most?
Weekends are mostly outdoors for us. Saturdays are spent swimming and doing household chores while Sunday is usually reserved for hikes or walking trails
Do you have any interesting experience in Australia that you can recall?
This would be the first week I stepped into Australia. As you might know, Aussies have a very different accent and slang too.
I had just come back home from somewhere and the landlady asked me “How you going?”
I was confused.
I clearly had just returned and was not going anywhere.
So I replied “ I am not going anywhere. But I took the tram to get here” and she burst out laughing.
Baffled at this reaction, she explained to me that in Aussie “how you going” meant “how are you?”
Let’s just say I had a lot to learn!
What do you miss the most about India?
I don’t miss India the place but I miss the people, my family the most.
Which Indian communities are you part of over here? Is it easy to find friends here?
The only community I am part of would be the dance community. I am a Bharatanatyam dancer so the dance school is my Indian connection.
We perform at a lot of Indian festivals so I do get to interact with a lot of Indian communities. I think if you are working, it is very easy to make friends here.
What lessons have you learnt from your expat life in Australia?
Independence and confidence for thriving in any situation are the two things that expat life has taught me. You don’t need an army of people to do things for you, you can manage it yourself and manage it well, is my biggest lesson.
Hope you enjoyed reading Priyanka’s experience on living in Australia as an Indian expat. Stay connected for the next country in our series, in the coming month.
If you’re interested in being interviewed for this series, or want to see a certain place featured email me at rubitah@beingrubitah.com or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook @beingrubitah.
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