Archive for September, 2008

Summary of events and thoughts

September 28, 2008 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , ,

We have just been informed that our gigantic relocation shipment from the US will FINALLY be delivered to us on October 1. This is the best news I’ve heard in DAYS. Thank God!

Just a quick summary of the past week’s events:

* Still waiting to hear from Speech Pathology Australia re: my credentials (boo!). But, I was told by a potential employer who wanted to hire me prior to learning that I am still in the process of getting my credentials here, that after I get registered with the Speech Pathology Board HERE, finding a job should be pretty swift and easy (let’s hope.);
* Got a used 6-month-old refrigerator and a new washer (yeah…Australian landlords don’t provide these things, unlike the USA ones);
* Got a used futon off ebay that kinda sucked and that we’re gonna relist on ebay soon;
* Tried Mexican food at Taco Bill and while it’s definitely not the same thing as King Taco or stuff on Alvaro Street, it still satisfied our Mexican food craving pretty well (thanks, Ying!!!);
* Bought a ton of Asian groceries from Boxhill;
* Decided to continue taking Spanish lessons and possibly take a TESOL (teaching English as a second language) certificate.

Some days I wake up thinking I can live in Australia for a long time but most days I still wake up wondering how much simpler my life could’ve been if I just stuck to living in Singapore or staying in SoCal. Of course, many people would love to be in my shoes…to see more of the world, experience more cultures, be more exposed to new experiences. And when I think that, I am humbled and thank God for all that he’s blessed us with.

Something on a slightly different tangent: I watched a program on SBS last night, about a black British lady who went to the Dominican Republic to look for her roots, to find out more about her great grandfather’s family and work. She found out that her great grandfather taught himself to read and write, and became an educated man. His perseverance and intelligence was a resemblance she (and I) sort of saw in herself. I’m always fascinated by how much of one’s intelligence or character is inherited from one’s family.

Which created an urge in me to visit my grandparents’ hometown in China to learn more about my family – who were they? Did their lives resembled mine at all? Were they adventurous, emotional, hardworking, and thoughtful people? Were they industrious? Entrepreneurial? I’m really curious. Then again, how will having that knowledge benefit me? Will it make me a better person? Will it make me feel more whole? Shrugs. But it will certainly satisfy this curiosity that I now have about my family.

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Music makes me happy

September 19, 2008 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , ,

It really does. A familiar song or tune almost always triggers a memory of a time in my life (when I had that particular song on loop; I’m one of those obsessive compulsive music listeners). For example, Lupe Fiasco’s “Superstar” reminds me of my time interning at the Methodist Hospital in Arcadia because I always had that song on my iPod when driving to work (smile); and Daft Punk songs reminded me of their amazing concert Bryan and I attended in 2007 and also of my time spent with my Frenchie friends. Oh, the list can go on! :)

Ever since I sold my precious little Corolla and left SoCal (didn’t have to drive or sit in traffic anymore!), I hardly ever turned on my iPod or touched my music collection in my iTunes. Today, I decided to resurrect that collection while mucking around on the internet at the Melbourne University library, and was at all smiles when I heard some of the songs of these artists that brought back great memories of the last few years…(okay, last decade, probably!!!):

  • Interpol (those dating days with Bryan)
  • Lupe Fiasco (already mentioned earlier)
  • Jamaroquai (working at Self Leadership International, with ex-boss turned good friend Zurina Bryant and one of my favorite Frenchies, Audrey)
  • The Gotan Project (those weekend drives up to Santa Barbara to spend time with Bryan)
  • Abba (Secondary school days; wedding planning days)
  • The Beatles (poly days!)
  • Michael Jackson (poly days!)
  • Maroon 5 (work days at Profero, time spent in San Diego, and my cousin Tammy who, like me, was obsessed with Adam Levine..heh)

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Job hunting update

September 17, 2008 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , ,

I’m still job hunting. Okay, I did go for a job interview on Tuesday for a part-time contract work position with an agency that sources for school specialists, and it did sound rather promising. However, it is contract work, meaning I could be working once a week, or, if lucky, five times a week. I also wouldn’t know, really, when my next assignment will come in. So, while it is promising, I am inclined to wishing for a more permanent, full-time position.

There haven’t been as many opportunities as I had hoped. I am hoping, actually, that it is because I am still awaiting Speech Pathology Australia to approve my eligibility for membership with them (just turned in my portfolio last week). BUT, having said that, I graduated from a school that is ASHA credentialed in America and thought that approval would’ve been a no-brainer…and maybe it IS, but I might only know it TWELVE weeks later (yes, 12 weeks=3 months=1/4 a year=too long). Having said that, too, it’s not like ALL employers require an SPA membership…

Meanwhile, who says there is a shortage of Speech Pathologists here in Victoria, Australia? If so, why is there a qualified one twiddling her thumbs at home (or interneting at the school library), when her skills could be used to treat the supposedly hundreds of kids or adults who need help?

Apparently, a big problem the schools here are facing with is funding for children with special needs. In fact, not all schools have Speech Pathologists, and I was surprised to read that, in Victoria, children have to score at least minus 3 standard deviations from the mean on the DSM IV test to qualify for funding (See severe language disorder briefing paper under Speech Pathology Australia Board site). First of, Canada and America uses minus 1.5 s.d. as the cut off, and second of, what about kids with Specific Language Impairments who have totally find cognition but have language struggles? Of course, in America, the cognitive hypothesis is no longer used, and children have to score at least minus 1.5 standard deviations from the mean on a standardized speech/language test to qualify for services.

However, another legislation, the Disability Standards for Education act, which, I think, is on a national level, mentioned that support services were to be readily accessible by students who experienced disability. And they defined the term ‘disability’ as “a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction” (DDA, 2005, in the Severe Language Disorder Brief Paper, SPA). Which means…children with speech and language problems should fall under this rule, whether or not they meet the standardized testing criteria for severe language disorder?

Shrugs. I’m still a little fuzzy on the legislations here, and would be grateful to anyone who can help me understand it better. However, from what I gather from speaking to the agency and some Melburnians who have had to use Speech Pathology services, it really does sound like there is a shortage of not just labor, but also funds. Whatever it is, like I said earlier, there is a totally qualified and eager Speech Pathologist who is sitting in the library blogging so, yeah. Shrugs.

Will keep you posted on my job search.

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Wedding collage

September 15, 2008 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , , ,

Finally figured out how to put together a collage on Adobe Photoshop. Here are photos of the decorations, DIY projects, flowers, etc., to give you a feel of the ceremony. We’ve been married a month. Not that this is a bad thing, but it feels like we’ve been married quite a bit longer than that. I think it’s because we’ve packed a multitude of things in the last month. Whew!

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We get it, Boxhill

September 15, 2008 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , , , ,

You know you’re a true Asian when you make it a point to visit Asian enclaves in different cities. (Yes, Bryan, the white-Jewish washed Asian American, is still very Asian at heart, much to my amusement.)

Less than 2 weeks in Melbourne, and we’ve made “the” quintessential expedition to Boxhill, the San Gabriel Valley of Melbourne. We were thrilled to see an Asian version of the Queen Victoria Market right outside the train station, and spent hours hopping from one Asian grocery store to another, sometimes alternating Chinese and Korean ones, to compare prices and brands (like I said, we are Asians). Not only did we find great Asian grocery supplies (there’s even a place that sells Yong Tau Foo), we also found Sriracha and Sambal Olek sauce, rather staple condiments in Asian restaurants in America!! And the sauces are made and imported from Rosmead, California! How rad is that?

An interesting aside: Sriracha and Sambal Olek are apparently brain children of a Vietnamese refugee in America, who created the chili to bring a taste of home to this foreign country. Today, these sauces are such big hits that they are enjoyed even in Paris (according to this article) and needless to say, the creator is a millionaire.  I love inspirational stories like that of people who made it and got to live the “American Dream”.

On that fuzzy note, I’ll end the post with a couple photos from that outing!

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