Tales from Down Under

It seems like an age since I last visited my blog. Living in a new country, a new life, new relationships, so much to talk about and so little time to pen down my thoughts. I remember in my initial days here as I introduced myself to my colleagues or our acquaintances, I would go ‘Oh, it’s my first visit to Australia, I’m just about a month old in Sydney” in answer to their questions of how I had settled in and how did I find the country. When I look back now, I find it hard to believe that 6 months have rolled past and I am now immersed in my work and in my life as though I have always lived this life.

The latest thing that caught my fancy was the Melbourne Cup.

I love animals and even in those have my favourites, that being horses, dogs and doves in that order. I remember riding a horse – a one-time event – on an excursion to Mahableshwar in India as a child. Post that I’ve not been near a horse ever. Somehow I’ve always loved horses, as I consider them to be beautiful, faithful and noble creatures. So when a couple of days back my hubby ‘Cy’ told me about the Melbourne cup it perked my interest. I have never been to the races nor have I ever indulged in any form of gambling. Cy and our friends love to play poker whenever we meet at a get together and even then I have always been a spectator. So imagine his surprise when on the eve of the famous Melbourne Cup I come home and pour over the newspaper checking out which horses were racing and noting down the names I wanted to bet on.

Melbourne Cup is one of the most important events in Australia. The race is held in Victoria, Melbourne every year and it’s a declared holiday in Victoria. The race was held on the ‘Flemington’ racecourse on 7th Nov. It’s described as ‘The race that stops a nation’ and I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. Even though Sydney did not have a holiday, life came to a standstill post 12pm. The race was at 3.30pm and people all over headed off for their local ‘TAB’ to place their bets. There were sweeps organised at the work place, lunches organised for the respective teams, TV’s and projectors lugged in to ensure that no one missed the race. There was festivity all around. All one could hear around was which horse was participating in the race, who stood the best chance of winning and who to bet on. The excitement was contagious and within moments rubbed off on me.

So come Melbourne Cup eve, both Cy and me got down to some serious researching of the horses. All we picked up was from the Newspaper which from Pg1 to the end talked only about the Melbourne Cup, the horses, the jockey, the owner, the trainer and so on. Experts view; Celebrities view, betting tips, horses racing history and so forth. All that the TV channels played that day were the preparations for the forthcoming race. It was impossible to be immune to all this.

One of my colleagues offered to take me down to TAB to place a bet. Since I didn’t think I’d do some serious betting I just gave my name for one of the sweeps at work, which seemed to me to be a bit safer. But come Melbourne Cup morn and I had my choice of horses all ready and there was nothing to stop me going to TAB. My colleague took me to TAB, which was around the corner, patiently explained how I should place my bets and on his suggestion I went for a ‘Win/Place’ and a ‘Box Trifecta’. I ended up spending $20, which for me is big money to bet on. I had already put $6 dollars in the sweeps. Back at work two of my team colleagues were in a hot discussion on the betting and decided to go down to TAB and bet. I got caught up in the discussion and before I knew it, I was heading back in the direction of TAB. Restraining the urge to not spend more I placed a $5 bet on a ‘Flexi First 4’, and then called it quits.

We then impatiently waited for the race. At 3.30pm we all grouped around the big Plasma TV’s and watched the race with bated breath. I had chosen 4 horses. 2 of them were hot favourites likely to win (Tawqeet, Yeat) so I had bet on them and 2 others (Pop Rock, Maybe Better), which I thought, stood a chance to win.

It was a 3200m race and was over in minutes. The race was a complete surprise. The 2 favourites, which were supposedly sure winners, came nowhere near the top 4. However the other 2 horses I chose came 2nd and 3rd. I couldn’t believe it. I had very nearly chosen the one (Delta Blue) that won the Cup but passed it over for the other 2 sure winners (Tawqeet & Yeats). I obviously didn’t make the Trifecta’s however got $6 from the sweep and $5.80 from Win/Place. I recovered $11 of the $31 and kept wishing if only I had done this, that and the other, I‘d have made a minimum of $1100. My first taste of gambling :)

Either ways the excitement, the exhilaration was an experience in itself. And I’ve already made plans of how I’m going to bet in the next Melbourne Cup ;)

The end of a Glorious Vacation!

In the past 12 years of my work life I made it a point to vacation at least once a year. However due to work considerations the maximum days I could take leave was 15 days. And while on vacation I would invariably still be in touch with work.

I got engaged in Jan 06 and knowing that I’d have to join my husband who was settled in Sydney, I quit work at the end of Mar. Apr being my wedding month went in a flurry of activity due to the marriage preparations. By the first week of May I was in Sydney and it was then that it hit me that for the first time in years I didn’t have to rush to work in the morning and then rush back home in the evening. I had the whole day to myself, to do as I pleased, watch movies, read and simply relax. As I had still not got my residency visa I was not entitled to work so I had an imposed vacation not that I was complaining. May turned to June and I explored my new life and new country.

Being in a new country I had a lot of settling in to do. Adapting to my new environment - people, learning to get around and managing my home kept me occupied and relaxed at the same time. I kind of began to get used to this lethargic life when my residency visa came in and now I was a half baked Aussie. I was now allowed to work so I started applying for jobs knowing that the process could take time. What I didn’t expect was that I’d get a quick call and sail through my first interview. I was back to being a part of the working class. I started work on 17th July and it’s unbelievable that 4 weeks have already gone past.

Life’s back to normal - the early morning rush, the constant looking at the clock trying to figure out why it didn’t speed up and the mad rush to get home. The joy on a Friday as the weekend looms round the corner(today is a Friday as I write this Yipee!) and the lamenting when the weekend comes to an end and I face Monday morning blues.

I so miss my nice loooong vacation. However there’s one advantage to working - you end up getting a paycheck at the end of the month!

A New life.. A New Me.. A New Beginning

Unbelievably life has changed for me in an instance. Not only am I now a married woman – gone are my days of independence ;) I’m also starting life anew in another country. A new family, a new identity, a new culture, a new country, and yet somehow it doesn’t at all feel alien or strange. It’s as though I’ve finally come home.

It’s been a little over a month and I feel as though I’ve been living like this all my life. I guess it helps to have such a wonderful hubby and such a loving family. Not to forget my hubby’s close circle of friends who adopted me the day I arrived in Sydney, a new bride.

Life is interesting. Life is different. And I’m enjoying it more than ever.

Cheers...