Update 
Time Has Come Time is really a strange dimension. The more one grows (older) ... and the less you a. .. and it passes quickly. 6 months already since the last post where I had attempted a comeback on my poor little blog abandons ... 10 months have elapsed since then the latest updates. Yet in my head, I just can not seem to realize he is spending so much time.
But here now is the time of the real comeback is coming ... How do I know? Aha, you'll soon ... because there will be one (or more) shift (s) large enough. But I get carried away ... First things first. Are you ready? "
Why Why this absence? First, I was quite ill for quite some time 2 years ago. A terrible triple ulcer impossible to control (despite medication) and I really rotten life. It was at that point acidity was overflowing into my lungs and gave me bronchitis has repetition, that was really depressing. But it's happening now.
It took me a while to heal me, but everything is fine now: in fact, sometimes the drugs are not the solution ... the solution is both simpler and more complicated, we must come to question themselves and change their way of life: slow down, try to live under a 100 a time, do more sports and ... change his diet! In my case, completely stopping the coffee (I took several a day) and chilli ... And now everything is better (and without drugs)!
But it is certainly not the only reason. As I said, probably some fatigue ... some syndrome 3 years. I do not know if you noticed, after 3 years, most blogs fizzle out, I notice looking at the list of blogs that I am, and most items are becoming increasingly rare.
Also, the theme of the blog is there for something: Australia. After 3 years, gone are the days of the discovery, installation, first moments in a country and certainly the impression of repetition.
Baby many changes in 16 months. Ai-Vy, our little girl celebrated her 2 years ago few weeks. What it's growing fast! No longer a baby now, but a little girl walking, running, dancing, talking (in Franglais) ... and makes nonsense! It's been several months (since we returned to France for the holidays) it seems stuck in his "terrible two" ... but I have no doubt that after AC, it will be the "terrible three", then "terrible four" ... etc.
But what she is naughty! I remember a few months ago, I had bought a figurine of Monsters vs. Aliens, Link, the "missing link" ... At first she did not like him at all and fled into the light! So it was hidden in the compartment under the seat of his pickup truck ... From time to time, taking its courage in both hands, she raised the seat and said "dodo, dodo" (meaning that the monster was sleep in the truck) by showing the monster, then fled. And then finally one day, she overcomes her fear and took the monster in his hands and now it was fun to scare us with. I do not know why, more than any other event that I was the brand! :) If it
Aussie I go there (I had not already made the one?) So
It's been 4 years that Australia is ... two words ... and we LOVE it! France is a distant memory ... a country that we laugh when we watch the news on the Internet. In fact, we do not laugh as ca ... Watch the newspaper is like therapy ... Even if Australia is really the ideal country be expat 'is not necessarily easy every day, the family and we miss you also know the syndrome of "memories embellished over time" ( ie the nostalgia).
So here, from time to time a little bit of France 2 news, nothing better to remind you how it feels good not to be in France: strikes, unhappy and depressed people, re-strikes and social conflicts, re-people unhappy and complain all day long was that all of them, scum, bad weather ... in short, everything the opposite of Australia! Seriously, Australia, I love, I'd almost a flag tattooed ... is limited, I hesitate hesitate! Especially Brisbane actually ... I love this city, it was really the ideal lifestyle: 6 summer months and 6 months of spring, which could be better? Happy people live, who take their responsibilities (rather than saying everything is the fault of others) and are happy with what they have.
Ironically, Australia is a very consumerist: have a big engine is very important, people are distressed, real estate is among the most expensive in the world ... Peking and the average financial literacy huge (a large percentage of people have mastered the subtleties tax, invest in stock, swapping their property regularly ... well there is a genuine culture of speculation) ... but on the other hand, there is also recognition of the simple pleasures ... thee not need much money to enjoy the sun and the sea: a fishing rod, three sausages on the barbecue and some beers.
Visa Last week we finally received! Yep, our permanent visa! More than a year now before the citizenship! Almost two years have passed since I made the request. There are several reasons ... First of all, thank you to the French administration that put nearly a year to provide us with the necessary papers (birth certificates, passports for Ai-Vy).
Then, once the passport in hand ... well I got my theory on it. As I passed by my box makes for visa (business sponsored permanent visa), I think they purposely dragging out the process. What happens in fact, they take care of visa for me, but there is a clause that specifies that I must stay in the box 2 years after obtaining a visa (in fact, I'm not really bound by obligation but if I leave the box after a year, I pay half the cost of the visa, and after 2 years, I owe nothing ... the cost is approximately $ 10 000 they call a "migration agent" ).
So here, I told him it was the migration agent ... "You're on, we should not take the IELTS (Test of English)? Sur on? Because from what I know, I have friends who have pass ...". "No" she replies, "previous applicants did not have to pass, it's been 3 years since you work in Australia, it should be enough to guarantee that you have a sufficient level of English "and voila ... a few months later, she told me that I must booker for IELTS as the conditions for obtaining visas have tightened. But what matters is that finally we have got this famous visa!
Work Some news of the job as well. I 've never really talk about what I did ... So I work for SAS, is a box that makes software for business intelligence ... in fact, is more than that and depending on the hearing, one could also speak of "data analysis", "data integration" or if you go over in detail, "Strategic Performance Management solutions," "management solutions for customer relationship", "solutions to financial risk management" ... etc.. My specialty is in any particular part of the technical architecture, but also with a specialization in financial solutions and especially financial crime.
The past twelve months have been absolutely exhausting since I directed a project of "compliance" for a major bank, a very fascinating project, with very stressful and crazy schedules. Forget the Australian no worries or stories of people who work in Australia, feet up, sipping a cocktail ... I regularly bump 80 hours per week, weekends and some days 24 hours non-stop (yes, despite that, I cure my ulcer during this time). But who says effort, said comfort since the project was a success (and the bank was declared a "compliant" before the deadline) and that allowed me to spend AC status Technology Architect. I leave the project in one month ... I count the days! I can finally breathe!
Other news on the job ... I spoke with a colleague, another frenchie, who works as a sales branch in New Zealander for 1 year. And guess where I'm going to make pre-sales? The thing too delirious ... I never imagined going over there for work ... Forget it, you'll never guess! New Caledonia! Too much, I get the whole family and we take the opportunity to take a vacation at the same time ... But wait there's more, I've not said the best yet ... I will also go ... in Tahiti! It is even more incredible, I did not go to Tahiti for the job one day!
GFC Global Financial Crisis ... just a mosquito bite in Australia, which emerges stronger than ever. Imagine if Australia, which was not in the top 10 before the CFA, has jumped 9 places in the ranking of financial centers Global lie in 2nd position just behind Great Britain, from then to the United States and Japan ... by the way, she came out of France's top 10. The mining industry has when it is stronger than ever, prices have doubled, China has drawn new growth ...
With Stephanie, we were lucky we did not really feel the crisis to pass. In my case, still much work and even more since the projects of "compliance" in times of crisis are not affected and on the contrary, change and tightening of regulation we should be profitable. In recent months, the CFA is almost a distant Remember, the stock market returned 60% (as everywhere in the world) ... ASX revolves around the 4800 points now ... Blessed the one who was able to identify the "bottom" when he was a 3200! If not in everyday life, we feel this optimism is reinforced again and people are spending. Unemployment, against all odds, returned almost at full employment, inflation resumed, the interest rate rises and the cost of real estate soar ... Here we go again like in 40 ... For better or for worse?
A little nest Bon voila, the moons are trying to align ... favorable economic conditions, growing family, visa ... we can finally buy a small "home". Yes yes, I admit, I was told that buying a house a few months was one of the worst decisions of a financial point of view. Well, I shade a little. It is true that this is a primarily emotional decision: they bought for his own home and do what we want ... tired of renting, have a garden rotten, not to make the changes you want at home ... etc.. Financially, it's true that this is a significant commitment and long term. But with the recovery, unless a relapse or an unforeseen event, everything seems to point to an increase in property prices ... Despite an already irrational.
Imagine, in Brisbane, for $ 500,000 (300,000 Euros) do not expect to have anything other than an old rotten shack ... and is worse in Sydney!
So voila, you're buying ... It's been a while since we sought pending the visa ... We are moving more towards the construction in fact, since last week we made an offer on a property ... And so it is this what I want to tell you in the months to come: everything, everything everything you know everything about building a house (ours) in Oz!
