It has been a little over one full month since I have been in Oz. It has been a learning experience more than anything else, and there is nothing that grows faith and encourages prayer than being out of one's comfort zone. There have been many things to get adjusted to: the language, new family members, looking for a job in a foreign market, solitude, new surroundings, and the sense of not knowing many things in general.
My uncle Nap here says that I should make a journal as to what happens, so that I can pass it on to my kids someday because by then, when telling stories, I would forget. So, as a result of that suggestion and a bunch of friends asking what has happened so far, I've decided to keep this online journal. I'll post as often as I can, when things develop, to keep an on-running log of things. So, here it goes...
This trip has been 2 years in the making... exactly two years. I first visited my family here summer 2008 (summer in NYC), and have now migrated in summer 2010 (which is winter in Oz). And in the process of applying for migration, there have been times of doubt and concern. If you had asked me about migrating before 2 years ago, I would have definitely said no. However, due to changing family situations, I had prayed and decided that I needed to move so that I can possibly sponsor my mom to come over and have her retire with her sister (my auntie Jett) here. Getting the permanent residence visa was a result of things falling in place that I can only say are a result of God's hand and His timing. Things such as getting little time to hand in medical forms to the Australian government and finding only one doctor that was sanctioned by the Australian government that fit in my schedule, and the blood work came in quicker than usual and it was sent to the visa people just in time. Another thing that stands out is that my profession was not on the list of occupations that are needed now in Australia so that would mean that the visa could be given as late as 2012, if at all - however, after I applied, my profession (secondary school teacher) made the list. So, that meant my visa got bumped to the 15 month list for a visa. And each step of the way I prayed that if this isn't God's plan, for Him to stop it... but I'm here right now.
On the plane ride here, I was fortunate to sit in the aisle. There was this asian lady that sat in an aisle seat on the opposite side of the aisle that caught my attention. She had her computer on when everyone was sleeping, and I could see her screen, which talked about christian discipleship in churches. I had the urge to talk to her (I don't know why). She looked old, and the guy next to her had a young looking (baby face), so I thought that she was his mom. (On a side note, I think that there are some chinese people that just look old, even though they are young. When growing up, there was this group of chinese people that used to get on the subway at 59th st from chinatown, and they were... old looking. They looked nothing like any chinese friends I knew, so I thought that when all chinese people grew old, they looked like that, until I actually had a friend that is my age, and looks like the "old" chinese people.... but still, I think they look old.) So, in any case, I couldn't shake off the urge to talk to her, so I prayed "God, if this feeling is from you, and you knowing the great spiritual guy that I am, then set up a situation in which to talk to this lady because I am in way just going to get up out of my seat to approach her now. And if it isn't, make this feeling go away." Yup, very spiritual, aren't I? I think I am like Gideon many times. So, knowing that God answers prayer, the feeling didn't go away, but a fog happened to surround Brisbane and we had to make an "unexpected" fueling stop at a small island of Noumea. Let me just say, I have no clue where Noumea is, never heard of the place before, and all I know right now, it exists somewhere off the east coast of Oz. So, as a result, I went up to the lady, explained how I saw her putting together a powerpoint presentation, and asked her about it. She mentioned that her husband was a pastor. Soon her husband (not her son - remember the perception of the old before?) came over and we started chatting. He is a pastor preaching in a chinese church in Michigan, but grew up and went to seminary in Perth. He gave me a list of 3 churches to check out in Perth, and told me that I may want to consider going to seminary for christian education.
When I first got here, I was very hopeful that a job would be landed within the first week or so. I must admit that I thought I would have a job before 30 days were up. And now, it is over 30 days, and I'm still waiting. I had thought that with good credentials coming from the US, that I could easily get at least an entry level position in some company. However, I was greatly mistaken. The first week I was here, I got a driver's license, tax file number (so that I can get a job), bank account, signed up for a job bank with "centrelink" (which is the government agency that helps the unemployed), signed up for Engineers Australia (the organization for engineers), revised my resume to fit the "Australian way" and to emphasize the engineering over the teaching, and went to 2 socials given by Engineers Australia. At the end of the week, I was very hopeful... any day now. I was told by multiple people that it is more of who you know, who remembers your face, then how much you know, so I went to 2 social events to meet engineers. I figured, if I want to be hired by an engineering company, then I have to go to where the engineers are. Between the two events, I got about 5 contacts... so it sounded hopeful. Oh, and transportation... the bus that goes to town (which takes about 50 minutes) stops on the corner which is about a 3 min walk away. A one way ticket is $3.10, and there is no all day pass or monthly pass like NYC, so when I get to the city, I try to walk around or take free rides on the CAT (Central Area Transport - 1 of 3 buses that are free that go around the city). Being frugal is the key word...
(Quick side story... on the Engineers Australia website, it describes a very complicated way of getting membership, which involves getting a member to check your background and to see if it matches the standards set by the organization. So, since it sounded hard, I decided not to apply. However, I had heard of the two social events and wanted to go which meant I had to sign up in peson. So I show up at the office and ask to sign up, and the lady there said I need to be a member, and noticed my accent was different. So we talked for about half an hour, afterwhich she gave me a form to fill out and told me to take out a resume. When I was done, she called a member from the back room for verification, she asked him to sign, he asked me then her if everything is true... I said yes, and then he signed off on it. And so, I became a member of Engineers Australia. I was amazed, and thanked God for taking away the stumbling block.)
At the end of the first week, I visited All Nations Presbyterian church in the city, which is one of the three churches that was given to me by the pastor on the plane. It is a small (50 people) church, very small singles ministry (sometimes I feel as if some married people look at singles like the plague and stay away from them, so single sometimes means being ... well.. alone & lonely). Great preaching, singing hymns and an elder came up to me right after service, introduced himself, struck up small talk & asked me about my profession then introduced me to 2 teachers and an engineer. I was impressed - that was good hospitality. However, their followup was non-existent.
Second week came and went, and I was hopefully applying for jobs. I went to Seek.com, looked up any job for mechanical engineering, and applied to all graduate level jobs, anything that sounded interesting, and anything that said it required less than 3 or 5 years experience. At the end of the week, I was still hopeful, but hope leeks. I had talked to friends back home on line over skype, and talking to them helped keep my spirits up. I cried once after talking to one due to homesickness, but not since. I stayed inside mainly at my aunt's house every day. I wanted to maximize my time job hunting, minimize cost, and minimize time doing other things. It is cold in my aunt's house. When I sit still, I feel like I am need like 3 layers of clothes on to keep warm. I didn't want to put on the heater, which is found in the living room (I'm in the study and no, i can't just move the heater) because I don't want to be a large burden on my aunt. At night time, my room gets cold.. it was around 50 degrees, but it felt like high 30s. I caught a cold, and sprained my ankle along the way. I understand the cold, but don't know how I sprained my ankle.
Second week, I went to the second church on the list from the pastor from the plane - Riverview. This place is huge - about 2000 people packed the service. The worship is written by them and was good. However, the unpacking of the sermon was err.. light. Not very impressive.
Third week came and went, and it was similar to the second week. I got an interview with a company called Rapallo. This didn't come from filling out forms on line, but instead from a contact that I had met at one of the social gatherings at the beginning of the month from Engineers Australia. The interview went well, and my hope got a little boost. I thought that they would call soon... but soon is such a long time.
I try to spend as much time on weekends as possible with my cousins, and so if they ask me to hang out, I'm there. I went through a 12 km walk with one, Mara. It went through a majority of Perth. It was an easy walk - about 6 miles. I was told that if I am going to do it next year with her, I would have to complain more, since I didn't complain at all about the length of the walk.
Fourth week came by this time no one shows up on Skype anymore and hope started to fade more.... People I would see and chat with once in a while during the first two weeks no longer showed except for one person. This week was the hardest... I finally felt I was alone. I started going to the library at the suggestion of my aunt, who said that staying inside was not good for me. However, I could not shake the feeling of being lonely and alone. Thoughts of "if I missed my chance at love" started to come in; thoughts of "did I make a mistake" and "should I go back? there is still time!" started to linger. Even though I had seen cousins on weekends (some more than others), and they tried to encourage me, and I would see my aunt at night for conversations over dinner, during the day, I was alone... no one I knew was around. Stranger in a strange city, and it finally hit. I emailed a pastor friend of mine from upstate, and he told me to listen to a song called "Table for two" by Caedmon's Call. If you haven't heard of this song, check it out at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcQE2FvhhKc
It's a song about a guy who goes through the same thing I was feeling... and what I found comfort in is the part that says:
Because I'm so scared of being alone that I forget what house I live in
But it's not my job to wait by the phone
For her to call
Well this day's been crazy, but everything's happened on schedule
From the rain and the cold to the drink that I spilled on my shirt
'Cause You knew how You'd save me before I fell dead in the garden
And You knew this day long before You made me out of dirt
And You know the plans that You have for me
And You can't plan the end and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace
Just to get me to sleep
which reminded me of Jeremiah 23:11 - 13 and Isaiah 40:27 - 31 (Msg). So now, at times, when I pray, I end it with "but You, Father, knew that this day would come, and you brought me here. And you don't plan the ends without the means... so I will trust in You." It got me through the slump.
Last week in August. One of my cousins invited me to go with him and his family to a dinner in Sydney (east coast... I'm on the west coast) and to look for jobs there. I agreed, and we left on Friday. Before that, I was job hunting, and I emailed a professor in Curtin university, a local technological university, that I have been in contact for the past 2 years and have been visiting everytime I come. I asked if he knew of any companies hiring, and he responded with asking me to come in for an interview for a postdoc position at Curtin under his and 3 other professors' guidance. He asked me to come in to talk to him, and to bring a resume. So I did... he said he was looking for a postdoc (a person who recently finished his phd) who had a series of skills (which I mainly had due to the nature of my phd, but need to brush up on). He had a series of phds apply for the job, and so I was surprised when he asked me about it since I didn't know about it nor applied for it. After half an hour with him, he sent me to his colleague, who had an old copy of my resume. I talked for him for a while, about stuff in general, and then he pulled out an old copy of my resume where I wrote down I was the Leader of the Educational Ministry at NBT. He inquired about it, and I was a bit hesitant to answer. But then he told me that him and Ian were christians, and that is why he inquired about my role and how much responsibility I had. So we talked about it. Afterwards I voiced my concerns to him, and then to Ian. Today, I called up Ian, and he said that it is 95% certain that I can come on board, however, he needs one more signature + he is waiting for the people in another university to finish signing some papers. So hopefully, sometime next week. I have conferred with my aunt on this, being my concern is that I will be seen as an academic, when I want to go into industry. She said that my problem is that I have no Australian experience, and if the university takes me, then I will have some Australian experience, and it would look like I just graduated... so as if the last 7 years that currently hinder me from getting a job would be wiped away. I hope it works out.
I went to Sydney for 5 days with another cousin (Tan-tan), his spouse and daughter, and 2 employees of theirs. They went to a conference on beauty products, since my cousin and his wife owns a hair salon. I must say, I was totally out of my element for the entire trip - knowing nothing about beauty products and such, and the others were mainly talking amongst themselves the entire trip. It is lonelier to be in a crowd of people you somewhat know and feel ignored than to be alone. It's not their fault, really... just not much to connect on plus it was business for them most of the time. I went to the fancy dinner on a Sat night that they invited me to. Afterwards, they took me to a night club. I went, and there was loud music, a dance floor so packed that really no one was dancing, but most people were drinking up a storm near the bars. After an hour, I left with my cousin and his wife, and left his daughter and the 2 employees there. I was relieved that that was it for the club scene. For the last 3 days of the trip, I walked around Sydney by myself, absorbing the sites. I went to Hillsong on Sunday (I got pics), Sydney opera house, Sydney harbor, the rocks, chinatown, chinese garden, the piers, the science and design museum and wandered around town. I ate most meals on my own, and spent about 2 hours per night reading and talking to God. We left on Friday morning, came back Tuesday night. I did get a haircut and have it a bit styled (check out my facebook pic or I can send it to you) and I am considering getting contacts at some point (but the whole putting my finger to my eyeball is hard). And my cousin's daughter and I spoke for a while, as she tried to explain to me the importance of style in clothing, which I thought was useful. I also had a talk with my cousin and his wife, and their daughter (separate conversation) where they tried to convince me that the reason why I am single is two reasons - style of clothing & hair, and that I have too many items on my list that I am looking for in a person. Mind you, I went down the list and got to #2, and they had issues. I started with female and christian. They tried to convince me that I was going about it wrong, that people convert for spouses here and so it shouldn't be on the list, etc... 2 hours of this for each conversation. I tried to defend my reasoning, but they weren't listening. At least for the second one, with the daughter, she flipped it a bit and asked would I try another venue and go on a date, on which to eventually ask about the person's faith - like going social dancing, asking someone out there, and then asking on the date about it. I agreed to it, since it doesn't sound bad. I felt at times it was "let's attack Kris' dating life now so we can marry him off soon" weekend... it was hard. I know they mean well, but it was still hard.
And so, this brings us to the present. Came back from the Sydney trip on Tuesday. Called up Rapallo a few times, and left a message, but no response. I have a 2nd interview with the Curtin professor on Monday to discuss the whole project. My cousins and my aunt say that this would be a good starting point - it would look like the university backs up my credentials plus giving me my first job here. The hardest part about getting a job here is that they value Australian experience over credentials, but how does a foreigner gain experience in a job market that requires it from its applicants? Catch 22 - you need to have it to get it. If I get the job, I want to live simply and saving a lot, since I am living as a single.
I have lost a few pounds since I've been here - been watching portions of food, exercising a bit, and cut out most junkfood. And the kindle gets used everyday now - almost done with "Dug Down Deep" by joshua Harris and I am starting Solo all over again since it is also on the Kindle.
Chad, another cousin, just had his first baby. Her name is Jorja (like Georgia). Cutest asian baby with blue eyes. Just saw her today in the hospital.
So that is basically it. I'll write more as the story unfolds. God is good all the time. Pray for me, if the Spirit moves you to.
