Living In Australia

Career Directory

liau — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:10:25 +0000

As I progress into my parenting role, I realised that I have to start thinking how to help my kids build up on their career. No, they would not be entering college or university soon. But as they say, the early years are important in building foundation. Whether they would like to be a doctor, corporate or Mesothelioma lawyer, mechanical engineer, or teacher, it is good to know that Australia has several education institutions that can give them the right preparations.

Consumer Protection

liau — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:04:54 +0000

When it comes to doing online transactions, several organizations and parties have put up mechanisms to protect the normal consumer. But as with normal retail situations, people should be on their toes whenever doing transactions. It is frequent to hear stories of fraud and scams in online sales or online auction but it is comforting to know that there is some level of consumer protection here in Australia.

Back In Business

liau — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:59:16 +0000

It won’t be long and some businesses which went on some sort of hibernation during winter will be back. Swimwear, swimming pool supplies and other outdoor type products should be getting a boost as Australia heads on to the next couple of warm seasons. Though I noticed that there are also shops who make a good mix of seasonal products. For instance, you’ve got shops who are ski shops in winter and then turn into fishing shops in summer.

Options

liau — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:19:46 +0000

The other day I was watching another television documentary presenting the options Australians have when it comes to car insurance. Yes, there are several players out there. And in the past weeks, there are even new ones who can offer a car insurance policy that can make a difference. There are even some groups who have put up sites where you do a one-stop review at all the options.

Election 2010

liau — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:16:00 +0000

The 2010 Federal Election is on in Australia. That is also the end to weeks of campaign information being sprawled all over different media. For families, there are several issues that are important. Parental leave and baby bonus schemes are just some which has made the top. As is common knowledge, raising a child will get expensive for some time as it does not stop with taking one a day plus prenatal vitamins. There are of course other issues affecting other sectors. But hey, it’s election day. We’ll just have to see who wins and what happens.

Tap the Faucet

liau — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:33:48 +0000

Somethings are just not easy to change. One of these things is language. Having been raised in a country using American English, expressing thoughts in UK or Australian english is not really difficult. But at times, I find myself using words that could not be understood by my kids. “Can you please make sure you turn off the facet in the toilets“, I would frequently blurt out. More often than not, my youngest child will only look at me with a huge question mark. “Sorry, let me say it again, could you please turn off the tap!”

iPhone 4 Released in Australia

liau — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:06:31 +0000

Yesterday the iPhone 4 was finally released in Australia. Huge queues were formed in some of the major mobile providers as some stores opened midnight. I was not really surprised with how this device was welcomed here. While some apparent flaws made the headlines after its release in the US, having a good iphone warranty seems to encourage people to take the plunge into getting one of the leading smart phones around. And how about getting a free bumper to go with that?

High Speed

liau — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:17:17 +0000

Using some of the available internet speed meters, one can have an idea of which countries have the fastest internet available to consumers. Australia is not really at the top of the charts but I think that the IT solutions and technologies are just going to get better and better. It sure is a tough act to be on top of the high speed race as the country has a massive land to cover. Though that being said, I think the speed is good enough for most applications.

Fire Alarm Check

liau — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:37:17 +0000

Every time we change out of Daylight Savings Time, people are reminded to check batteries of fire/smoke alarms. I think it is a good strategy as these devices are tuck up on the ceilings and are mostly unnoticed most of the time. These safety devices, coupled with clear exit signs, fire blankets and extinguishers are important ‘gadgets’ to be kept at homes and other buildings. Having an exit plan is also a priority in offices. It sure is comforting to know these precautions are in place. After all, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

New With Old

liau — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:21:22 +0000

When driving around Sydney, I can’t help but notice how buildings and houses appear and disappear in a flash. In our suburb alone, there were recent demolitions and constructions of homes that were done in just a few months. These are brick homes with steel building materials so one can only deduce that construction technology is flaunting its capabilities. I wonder if this is also part reason to the sky rocketing property prices in town.