Things etc Part II

I stepped back and reread my previous posts and realized that when read successively, my posts may misrepresent my attitude about moving to Australia and perhaps indicate that I am lamenting or apprehensive in moving and will feel deprived while living down under. Obviously, this isn't the case. While there is no question I will miss many things that I take for granted now, I know that there are so many things in Australia that I am so looking forward to.  In an effort to move away from the motif of "stuff that I'm going to miss," in my previous posts, here's a short, non-comprehensive list of things that I am very much looking forward to:

1. An apartment - While my parents have graciously let me use their house as my "home base" for the past 20 months, I haven't really felt like I've had my own place since college.  As nice as it's been not having to pay rent (thanks again to the parents), I am looking forward to the benefits of having a place to call my own, to furnish and decorate as I (and more importantly, Lydia) like, and a place to have friends and guests over.  After all, throwing keggers at your parents is just bad form
2. Tim Tams - I'm not really one for chocolate treats, as I typically prefer savory/salty over sweet, but Tim Tams are an exception.  While on study abroad, these Australian cookies were akin to cigarettes in prison; I could barter for just about anything with a pack of Tim Tams; extra credit from the TA, a new backpack, beer, a shiv, you name it.

Photo courtesy of gingermermaid's blog
3. Australian attitude - distinctly friendly, fun-loving, jovial, and slightly self-deprecating, the Aussie attitude is incredibly welcoming and infectious.  When traveling abroad in Europe, I consistently would find myself gravitating towards the Aussies and their hospitality and inclusiveness; in general, they are incredibly fun to hang with.  I cannot wait to be entirely encompassed by it and embrace it.
4. Pademelons - Australia isn't all about killer spiders, AC/DC-loving sharks, or menacing "I will eat your face" birds; it has some pretty ridiculously cute "I want to hug you forever and ever until the end of time" animals as well.  My favorite? The Pademelon:
   
   
   "I can haz Tim Tam?" Photo from the Robsons blog
   As the smallest member of the family macropods, pademelons are closely related to the Kangaroo, although unlike their larger cousins, they do not grow larger than 7KG (~15 lbs).  To be fair, pademelons are not found in Victoria as they're habitat is further up north in Queensland and New South Wales, so we wont be seeing them daily, but we are privileged to share the same continent as these adorable little dudes.
   
5. Water sports - Having been on several PADI "Discover Dives," including dives in the Great Barrier Reef and in Fiji, I decided that I wanted to get certified so I could dive independent of an instructor and at greater depths.  My last semester at UGA, I enrolled in a PADI Open Water dive course to get my certification.  I sincerely enjoyed the class and the instructed dives, but since being certified I haven't dived once.  Living on the east coast with the Atlantic's murky waters and shallow depths doesn't lend itself to convenient or impressive diving.  However in Melbourne, we'll be kilometers (at most) from the beach and I'm hoping to take full advantage of the close proximity to embrace diving, snorkeling, kite surfing, swimming, and surfing.
   
   
   Yours truly diving in Fiji
   
   
6. New Experiences - As noted in my first post, it has been a life goal of mine for some time to live and work abroad, particularly Australia.  While I love traveling to new destinations and seeing new places, I can't help but distinguish the difference between "seeing" a place and "knowing" a place.  I loved Dublin, but if asked how to get from St. Stephen's Green to Mount Jerome, I wouldn't have a clue without the assistance of Google Maps or my TomTom.  Similarly, I used to love visiting my sister and friends up in Athens before I lived there, but I didn't have a full appreciation for the city until I lived there for years.  Even traveling to and working up in DC for a year and a half, I still could not familiarize myself entirely with the city since I wasn't actually living there full time.  It never ceases to amaze me how one place can transform over time, how the unfamiliar can become integral to one's being.  I can't wait to have a full knowledge and appreciation for Melbourne and to Australia as a whole.  I'm looking forward to meeting new friends from different places, backgrounds, and experiences and to witnessing places, events, and spectacles that can only be appreciated by living in Melbourne.  I'm excited to gain international career experience, working alongside and with both Australian and international people.  Most of all, I'm just excited to be moving somewhere as unique and beautiful as Australia and for all of the life experiences that will ensue.
   

The best part about this list is I know its no where near complete, as I am certain there are things I have even yet to experience that would make, if not trump, the above list.

Sharks are metal heads

It appears that AC/DC's fans include more than just 70s-era rock enthusiasts and Top 40 hit listeners; Matt Weller of Neptune Bay shark cage tours in South Australia has discovered that in lieu of using traditional methods of attracting sharks such as baiting or chumming, he can instead play AC/DC billboard hits such as "Back in Black," and "You Shook Me All Night Long" to attract the sharks.  Weller discovered that when he piped the music underwater, the sharks are attracted to the source of the music and would often change their behavior.  Apparently top 40 hits resonate well with animals whose brain volume is equivalent to a that of a plum; finally, something to explain Ke$ha's album sales.

Brian Johnson Shark

Ke$ha Shark

More research is needed to determine what about those songs and music in general attracts the sharks, however it could potentially be a boon for swimmers and divers- while chumming works to attract sharks for shark dive expeditions, it also is believed to build an association between humans and food for the sharks- not necessarily a behavior we want to encourage.  Apparently thus far, AC/DC is the only Aussie band that the Aussie sharks like.  I suspect Ben Lee's indie pop is too lyrically sophomoric, or at least not head-bang worthy enough.

Stop. Collaborate and Listen

Yes, it was inevitable; as an IT geek, I had to include a post about technology that we'll be utilizing while down under.  I apologize in advance for the dry content of this post, personally I find this stuff fascinating, however I realize not everyone thinks virtualization and Linux are cooler than the other side of the pillow.  For those of you whose eyes don’t dilate when the next Linux kernel version is released, I don’t blame you for skimming over this one…

Despite Australia's similar culture and language (well, maybe not so similar language), it is awfully far away from the States; 7,918 miles, or 12,669 kilometers to be exact. It absolutely boggles my mind what immigrating to Australia would have been like before air travel was a viable consumer option; in 1860 it was a three-month voyage from Puget Sound to Sydney- considerably more of a commitment than a 16-hour flight.  Factor in not having the modern conveniences and technology that we have today and it must have been akin to moving to a different planet.  The good news is it’s not 1860 and we have a plethora of technology to enable instant communication, entertainment, trade, and work.  We plan on fully leveraging technology to maintain contact with friends and family and to offer some familiarity in an otherwise exotic and unfamiliar place; after all, it was a prerequisite for my undergraduate degree to commit myself to following UGA football until death.  Here are some of the technologies we’ll be leveraging to keep in touch, make the transition easier, and maintain traditions we’d otherwise have to forfeit.

·        OpenVPN – Most corporate stiffs are familiar with SSL VPNs (virtual private networks); it allows office drones like myself to securely access internal company resources from remote locations, such as email, file shares, virtual desktops, and virtual applications.  In most cases, they’re pretty handy, although for other purposes, the technology can be pretty cumbersome or insecure.  Anyways, I’m setting up a personal VPN using my Linux server which will stay in Atlanta at my parent’s house (thanks Mom and Dad!), although not for the reasons cited above.  Many of us take for granted free or pay-for services available online here in the states, such as Hulu, Netflix, or iTunes. Even UGA football games are televised online for free. What we don’t often have to worry about is that in order to use these services, one must have a US IP address, due to media copyright and licensing laws and contracts, something not easily obtained in Australia, or abroad.  By redirecting my traffic and NATing it through my Linux server at home, we’ll still be able to enjoy these services while in Australia.  OpenVPN is a free SSL VPN server that will allow us to do exactly that.  The nice thing about using OpenVPN is that only users with signed certificates can utilize the server, thus once the certificates are installed on the client and the server, users (read: Lydia and I) won’t have to authenticate to use the server.

·        Apache Forward Proxy – Effectively serves the same purpose as what I intend to use the OpenVPN server for (masquerading my IP address) but without the overhead of tunneling the traffic over an SSL VPN.  This should result in faster performance with the same benefits, although traffic will be limited to HTTP/HTTPS.  For those familiar with the OSI model, this is a layer 4 (transport) solution, whereas SSL VPN is a layer 3 (network) solution.  Instead of SSL certificates, this Apache proxy will rely on htaccess user authentication.

·        Amazon Kindle – Knowledge is invaluable, intangible, and relatively mobile; Books on the other hand, are not.  They’re heavy, they take up a lot of space, and they’re otherwise cumbersome to use.  As much as I’d love to move my book collection down to Australia with me, it’s just not practical checking a second bag for my personal library.  Enter the increasingly pervasive e-reader.  The nice thing about the Kindle, other than the fact that it’s small, portable, and easy on the eyes for reading, is that all book purchases are stored “in the cloud.”  This means I can purchase a book once, and access it from anywhere at any time (dependent on the availability of an internet connection) on nearly any device; Kindle, computer, smart phone.  And it saves your page number to boot.  My only complaint is what about physical titles that I already own?  Unlike CDs or DVDs, I can’t “convert” my analog books to Kindle form, although I can’t think of any easy way for Amazon to prove ownership of tangible books, at least for titles not purchased through them.  And while I plan on purchasing the 3G-less Ad-laden Wifi edition, the 3G “whispernet” version also works in Australia.

·        MapDroyd – This one stings; my beloved Sprint Evo 4G Android phone will not work as a phone down in Australia. Oh the tragedy! Spare the fact that Australia doesn’t yet have a 4G network, although it will soon, the phone uses WiMax for 4G whereas Telstra is opting for the Verizon choice of LTE, and for voice coverage the phone only works with CDMA, whereas most of Oz uses AT&T’s choice of GSM.  Despite no data coverage for the phone down in Australia, I’ll still be able to use its GPS and Wifi features to navigate down in Melbourne.  A problem arises, however, in that Google Maps does not allow maps to be cached on the phone; it relies on a data connection (3G, 4G, or Wifi) to download its maps from the web.  Without data coverage or free Wifi, the GPS effectively becomes useless.  Enter MapDroyd- a free Android application that can use downloaded cached maps for navigation.  While not as robust as Google Maps (no searching for restaurants, stores, or addresses or turn-by-turn navigation), it will at least pinpoint its location on a map so I don’t end up lost in the bush.

·        Google Chat/Voice – International calling is expensive and unreasonably complex; “Dial the country code, followed by the city code, wait ten minutes, turn counterclockwise, recite the Lord’s prayer, dial in your blood type using the touchtone pad, then the hexadecimal representation of the phone number you’re trying to dial.”  And that’s just for landline calls.  Fortunately, VoIP and video chat are simple to use and free for computer-to-computer calling.  To keep in touch with loved ones, we’re opting for a web cam and Google Chat (traditionally Skype has been the big name in VoIP, but I’m hesitant to use the service as they were recently acquired by Microsoft, plus all of my contact numbers are already stored in Gmail).  And with increasingly available bandwidth and improved video and audio compression technologies, VoIP and telepresence are quickly outshining traditional landline and mobile telephones.  The really cool part of Google Voice is you can now port your mobile number.  I’ll be able to continue to receive calls using my US number, so there’s no overhead in having to provide friends and family with a new Aussie number.

·        Online Banking – We’ll likely touch on this in a future post on banking/etc, but it’s worth mentioning here.  Since we don’t intend on converting all of our currency to Aussie dollars and don’t want to have to deal with international transfers or wires and ridiculous international withdrawal fees ($5/transaction and 3% of the transaction amount for Wells Fargo), we’re opting for an online bank.  After a good bit of research, we landed on Schwab’s High Yield Checking.  Aside from simply not being Wells Fargo, Schwab offers free cash withdraws from any ATM worldwide, no minimum balance requirements, and no monthly service charge.  And the account can all be managed online.  You can even deposit checks from your smartphone! While we plan on opening an Aussie account when we arrive, having a fully-functional online bank will be crucial, especially in the first few months

·        Blogspot – Given that you’re reading this post on this blog, need I say more?

Oh technology, Je t’aime.  After reviewing this post, it seems it got a little out of hand.  If you’ve made it this far without falling asleep, congratulations, you’ve achieved a mild feat!

*Image courtesy of Jess Laccetti

Death by Spider

Perusing blogs about traveling to Australia, I came across this nice little tidbit:

“Venomous spider bites no longer cause fatalities in Australia –
the last recorded death was in 1979."

It was a nice find, considering that when anybody tells me, "Congratulations about Australia!" it's always followed by ". . . but you realize there are gigantic spiders there, right?"

Because, I don't handle spiders well. When I was in the kitchen last week with my family, I saw a spider. So I shrieked. Don't get me wrong, I got a tissue and squished the sucker, but I jumped up and down while sputtering "ew ew ew ew ew" (essentially freaking out in the prissiest way possible) till that thing was safe in the trash can. My dad, having seen it and knowing perfectly well how small it was, asked with a wry smile "So, how big was that one?" When I reacted similarly the first time Matt witnessed an indoor spider encounter, he said "Wow. I think that's the girliest thing I've ever seen you do." Seriously, I am not a fan.

So I decided to research this further. Just what have I gotten myself into? Is there honestly a low risk of dying from a spider down in Oz? Because I know there are many spiders in Australia too big to squish with a tissue:

...Okay, so apparently that's a huntsman spider. They are huge, but pretty much harmless. Fine, but what about this crazy, bird eating spider picture I keep seeing?

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01080/earth-graphics-200_1080291a.jpg

...Well, it turns out the spider, a golden orb weaver, is poisonous but not lethal to humans.

What about lethal spiders?

Further research turned up the Redback spider, and the Funnel-web spider typically cited as the most dangerous, lethal spiders.

Redback Spider: Looks a lot like a black widow. Shy, and rarely leave their webs, but will bite if forced into contact. Up to 4 cm long (though males are smaller). Antivenom developed in the 1950's. Only females are poisonous. 250 anti-venom treatments administered per year. Found all over Australia, especially near human habitation. Learn more

(Picture by Mike Gray © Australian Museum)

I have to love B's (for Birgit) view point on this. She has a great blog on all things Australia: "A simple ice pack is the best first aid. In most cases it's all that's required as very few people actually develop these symptoms. Honest, if you go and see a doctor here and tell them a Redback bit you, they'll just tell you to go home and put ice on it."

She also advised that:"a pressure immobilisation bandage as used for snake bites or funnel-web spider bites is not recommended" while waiting for medical attention. I hadn't read this anywhere else but her blog, so I researched that more, and verified it here. Apparently it can just make the bite hurt more, and is unnecessary due to how slow acting the venom is. Not everybody develops harsh symptoms, and only then is anti-venom administered.

Funnel-web Spider: Black/brown, & glossy. Up to 5 cm long. Large fangs. Antivenom developed in 1980's. 6 anti-venom treatments administered per year (less than Redbacks most likely because both the spider and their webs are more easily seen). Will bite repeatedly. Only recorded deaths are from the male Sydney Funnel Back spider, but it is a misconception that these are the only potentially lethal types of Funnel-webs. Learn More

(Picture by Mike Gray © Australian Museum)

Supposedly, "The only Funnel-web spider found near Melbourne is the Victorian Funnel-web (Hadronyche modesta) It is not aggressive or dangerous, however you may get a headache and feel sick if bitten."

If you get bit by these, that blog writer, B, that I mentioned before tends to take it more seriously. She advises heading to a doctor whether or not you think venom was injected or have symptoms. Still she stressed that historical fatalities usually took a day or more after the bite to occur. Generally the best advice while you are waiting for medical attention is pressure (bandage), and immobilisation (splint, minimal movement).

Conclusion

So, as long as I take precautions, it sounds like it would be extraordinarily rare for me to actually DIE of a spider bite.

Still...I wonder what non lethal, lasting, gross symptoms there are from bites....

On the topic of beer...

This ad has been circulating the interwebs lately, self-proclaimed as the "Most Epic Beer Commercial Ever." Sigh.  The ad hails from Hahn Brewing Company, an Australian brewery located in Camperdown, NSW (according to Google maps, just outside of Sydney), for its "Super Dry" American adjunct lager.  For those not aware, American adjunct lagers are lagers made with proportionately less barley than their full-lager cousins, instead opting for cheaper fermentable alternatives, such as sugar, corn, or rice.  While the DeLorean monster truck and beer-filled tiger are pretty awesome, it appears that the beer itself is not. Similar to Miller, Coors, and Bud, it looks like this brewery is better at making commercials than actually brewing beer.  Perhaps pouring the beer down a series of plastic trophies doesn't do wonders for its taste.

Nonetheless, I have to hand it to the Aussies for the commercial's vogue entertainment value.

Things etc Part I

Apart from the obvious (family, friends, pets, home, places of notable significance in my life), I know that I will miss a a few key material things and some key "American" things.  I like to consider myself a relatively non-materialistic person, but nonetheless there are a handful of things that I am lamenting having to leave behind once I leave the States.  So in no particular order and by no means comprehensive:

1. Taco Bell- Yes, this is the first item on my list, and yes, I am kind of ashamed.  Nonetheless, Taco Bell and its quality 83% beef products hold a special place in my heart. When I was applying/searching for universities, it was actually a consideration that a Taco Bell was within a reasonable distance.  When living in Athens, I on occasion would walk the dodgy two miles from downtown to Taco Bell and back to my house (yes, alcohol was involved). While I don't enjoy this delectable cuisine regularly (if I did, I likely wouldn't be here to author this post today), it is definitely a favorite that will be sorely missed.  Coincidentally, another Yum! brand is found throughout Australia, albeit a less appealing one: KFC
2. My Car- Don't get me wrong, I am very excited not to have to worry about all the hassles of owning a car; gas, maintenance, parking, traffic, insurance etc.  But for all the costs there are a number of compelling benefits. I know I will miss the freedom and convenience of being able to jump into my car and drive directly where I want to go.  After traveling for two years for work, often utilizing public transportation or even just flights, it's amazing how much longer it takes to get to where one is going when it is not direct, even when taking into consideration traffic.  Factor in the convenience of having a vehicle to carry other people, things too big to carry, and to get to places otherwise unreachable, and the idea of not having a car becomes a bit less appealing.
3. The letter Z- I rather like the letter Z; it's exotic, it holds an important place in our alphabet, and it looks cool.  Which leads me to lament the fact that the Aussies (and to a lesser extent, the Brits) either detest the letter, or fear it outright.  I no longer "organize" my sock drawer, I "organise" it.  I'm realising and recognising how odd it is going to be to relearn how to spell those words.  Now can you tell me, where might I find a soo? (jk, it's still called a zoo).
4. Beer!- So this one really should be at the top of the list, if I were trying to organise (see what I did there) it in order of importance.  I should note that this one is still up in the air, as there could very well be a microbrew scene in Austalia of which I am unaware, but I am almost certain that should one exist, it will likely not come close to rivaling the US.  All I can recall when I was in Oz in 2007 are otherwise unremarkable carbonated beverages that vaguely resemble beer.  Toohey's New, Victoria Bitter, XXXX, they were all primarily light, over-carbonated lagers, akin to our Bud Light, Miller Light, and Coors. Coopers is really the only brewery I found that offered up some variety, but their pale ale was sadly disappointing.  I have grown to appreciate the variety and quality of microbrews available here in the States, and there a few beers in particular that I will miss dearly: Terrapin Rye, Dogfish Head Aprihop and 90 Minute, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Torpedo, Allagash White, and Great Divide Old Ruffian. Contrary to popular belief, most Aussies do not drink Fosters; in fact they are adamantly opposed to the notion, as they consider it crap beer. Ironically, it appears that Fosters brews or licenses the vast majority of the beer in Australia.  I am sure this will not be the last post mentioning beer...
5. Electronics, clothes, shoes, things in general for a reasonable price- So not having moved to Australia yet, I can only base this on from what I've heard from others and read online.  Shit is expensive.  Really expensive.  In general, it looks like Melbourne is 42% more expensive than Atlanta.  A standard pair of running shoes runs about $70 here... in Australia, $130.  Not only are their prices higher nominally, we're also facing a weak US dollar, which will only compound the expense, at least before I have saved up a substantial amount in AUD.  I will take this as an opportunity to hone my understanding of international trade and finance, although ultimately it's not going to save me a shilling.

As noted above, this is by no means a comprehensive list and I am sure once we are down there and settled, I will supplement this list.

G'Day Yanks

As per the suggestion of some friends and at the risk of coming off as narcissistic, we've decided to start this blog outlining the adventures, travels, trials, and tribulations of two American ex-pats relocating to Australia.  Perhaps with two contributors, this blog will be updated more regularly and with more interesting substance than other blogging endeavors in the past. I note "two contributors," although I have neither the consent nor explicit agreement from my aforementioned co-blogger that she too will contribute, however I'm acting on good faith that she will... So without further adieu:

Hello! Friends, family, unknown stranger from the far reaches of the "series of tubes." Since studying abroad one summer in Queensland, Australia (and later Fiji) back in 2007, I resolved to one day return to the beautiful, exotic, and distant Australia for a more extensive period of time to further explore and experience Australia and its culture.  Since that study abroad summer, I committed myself to the goal of moving, and have conducted my efforts in pursuit of one day living and working in Oz.  I studied MIS and economics at the renowned University of Georgia, followed my passion for IT, and accepted a job at a large consulting firm before graduating.  I have maintained as few possessions as possible, and, thanks in a great deal to my parents, have avoided paying rent and saved a good bit over the past two years in preparation for the move.

Initially, things did not look good for obtaining a transfer, at least not in any reasonable time period.  A primary reason why I joined a large multinational firm was for the fact that it was multinational; however I discounted the full meaning of "large."  As it turns out, being an analyst at a large consulting firm is akin to being a guppy in the ocean; I have about the same amount of clout at my firm as does a pre-K student with the US Department of Education.  Despite this, due to a number of serendipitous happenings and helpful and supportive colleagues, I managed to swing a transfer and gain approval from the firm, after roughly six months of navigating the bureaucratic red tape.  I'd like to say it can be attributed to my cunning ability to navigate the system and to shine above other less-capable candidates, however that would be a farce; it truly is just a matter of being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right person.

After six months of emails, phone calls, and uncertainty, I finally obtained approval for the transfer.  When that approval email appeared in my inbox in March, I almost didn't believe it.  Shortly thereafter, I was issued a formal offer from the Australia practice which I accepted, and then applied for my subclass-457 visa.  The visa was approved by Australian immigration roughly two and a half weeks later- unfathomable by US federal government standards. The visa is valid for 4 years, so long as I maintain employment with a sponsor willing to sponsor me.  But probably the most exciting news of it all is that my amazing, beautiful, intelligent girlfriend and co-blogger is joining me on the adventure!  Lydia, having never been to Oz, is moving in pursuit of her goal of living and working abroad, although she is acting in good faith on my recommendation, as she has not yet had the opportunity to visit Australia; I just hope what I've recounted for her doesn't disappoint!  I'll let her describe in more detail her experience thus far, as I am not best suited to speak on her behalf.

At a cheap attempt to increase readership and for fear out of boring what few readers we may have, I'll end here (a real cliffhanger!). But before I do, a quick explanation as to the blog's title; "Seppo" is the Australian colloquial (Strine) term for American, as is Yanks.  Seppo is in fact derived from the word Yanks: Yanks => Tanks => Septic Tanks => Seppo.  Quiz time: why would Englishmen be called a "Pomme" in Strine?

*Picture courtesy of Picsbox.biz