Australia diaries..part 2

This year we came to Brisbane via Delhi unlike every year when we come from Kolkata. The lady sitting on the isle seat next to me was a young Indian woman and my wife was in the widow seat. During the course of the flight I gathered that she was flying to New Zealand via Singapore. She was having lot of Mehandi on her hands,she informed me that she was newly married since 3 months, went for honeymoon to Rome so it was not her first flight. I found her to be inadequate in speaking English.
I asked her,"What does your husband do?"
"A cab driver," was her reply.
"Have you taken any English lesson back home before proceeding for New Zealand?"
She nodded her head and found that she knows how to use knife and fork during on flight lunch.
I helped her at Singapore to get her luggage down from the overhead bin.
Both me and my wife wished her all the best in her new venture.
Everyday in the library after 12pm we find this group sitting around a table where either an old white man or white lady teaching conversation in English to a group of individuals from China,Philipine,Korea, Japan, Slovakian etc countries. Mostly old people and like children they are lapping up the words.
The old man pointed to his body and said ," This is called knee, down there this is called big toe, this is called ankle!" People sitting around him excitedly repeated those words.
He informed them that ," Today is the State of Origin match of rugby between Queensland and New South Wales,rugby is the most popular game of Australia!"
While all these were going on I would occasionally look up from the  newspaper which I was reading.
The old gentleman sauntered to me and said,"It's all voluntary if you two want you too can join!"
I thanked him and informed him that  I knew a bit of English  same goes for my wife and I have my own English blog page.
He got excited and said, " Oh; that is excellent then you can join me in teaching!"
I informed that it will be difficult for me to maintain regular hours and our stay is also short.
With a polite smile he left.
Then we noticed this chubby lady in typical Indian dress of Salwar
and Kameez walking in and joining that group of eager learner. After sometime she noticed us ,got up and walked to us.
She inquired whether we speak Hindi,was happy to note that we do speak.
She informed that she was from Uttarakhand and was in Australia since last 3 yrs,her husband an owner of an Indian restaurant is here since 1996. We have noticed she was hardly speaking in the group and was replying through gestures. She smilingly told us instead of getting bored in the house she comes here and sits with that group.
I asked did she learn how to speak English,she informed that she understands a bit.
She further informed us that there are some neighbors of her who are from Punjab have brought their parents who are illeterate and do all household chores and baby sit. As they can't speak so they don't even go out.
Yes, speaking English by the immigrant has become one of the biggest national issues. The immigration minister other day informed that about 1 million immigrants don't speak English and hence cannot join the work force. Australia allows yearly 1,90,000 immigrants. How have these English not knowing people come? Mostly foreigners come here with student visa or skill visa,over the time they get citizenship and then they bring their parents under parental visa or spouses under spouse visa, most of those coming under these dependent visa are from remote villages or from a country where English is not taught.
These people have sold of everything back home to be with their kids without having an iota of idea of what is stored for them in this country. Is it the lure of  first world,a better life or an Eldorado?

Australia diaries

We have been visiting Australia since 2005 and so far including this visit will be our 15th visit. Our son with family is located near Gold Coast so we camp here. Initial few years we took round of the amusement parks,zoos,museums etc and of course the sea and mountains. Australia is an open country full of nature's bounty so just walking on the streets gives the feeling that one is in some sort of  tourist spot in a remote place. We frequently come across various exotic birds like parrots,kakatuya,pigeons, magpie,ibis and host of other birds. This place is a nature lovers paradise. Though we drop in those numerous shopping arcades but love walking by the sides of woods.
Coming from India this country looks barren devoid of people. This country of 7 times the size of India with a population of yearly increase of population of India and that is about 25 million or so. The economy is latched with China,China imports ores, natural gas,wool ,chilled beef,dairy product etc from this country, practically the swing of Chinese economy very much effects this country.10 yrs back maximum immigrants were from New Zealand now it is from China,there was one flight to China 10yrs back to Shanghai and now there are 20 flights to Chinese cities.

Now the price of petrol is same as in India though this country does not refine. Driving car is a must and every household owns minimum a car as otherwise travelling by bus or train is pretty costly. The meridian salary per year is about 45000 dollar a year. If one does not get job gets dole from the government.
I have hardly seen anyone playing cricket in schools or in common play grounds and which are in plenty. The national game is rugby and people are mad about this game,a team game with brutal body contact.
I just tried to give some highlights of the country of friendly people. The moment we approached the lady behind the counter for coffee in Cuppa Coomera Cafe at Community Centre she gave us a broad friendly welcome smile and asked how we are and then with a twinkle in her eyes said, " Oh! You are back!The same cappuccino?" Mind it she is seeing us after a year. Later we found her name to be Heaven.
Then we have our extended families like Khan's,Sharon's,Eltons,Vishal, Tans,Dejan,Keith and Maureen whom we make it a point to meet every time we come.
I have heard from my friends whose kids have settled in US that their lives very much dependent on their kids, nothing much to do.
As such we don't have such issues as I am following my same routine as I do back home. Morning starts with yoga,breakfast,do cycling , visit social networking sites,walk down to the community centre spend hour or 2 in the library with my wife,have coffee and then walk back. By the time we are back it is 1.30pm,my wife had prepared the lunch before heading for community centre. Then have lunch,read novel,start painting at 3 pm and continue till 5pm, this routine is like spending time in office. In between check email to know about daily generation of Windmills as this is the high wind season in India. Reply to official mails or send queries about O and M of Windmills. We have our own close WhatsApp group of Techno windmill where I get the live input. As India is 4 and half hours behind so after 2pm here it becomes office time of India. My wife after lunch keeps watching TV,she loves English movies ,BBC ,Fox ,CNN news and there are plenty of choice .
By evening time my son and daughter in law are back.
Weekends are for visiting shopping malls,sea,watch rugby match of my grandson,biking with him.
We come across Indian youths mostly pushing trolley in shopping centres,the visibility of others are in restaurants. Yesterday while having breakfast in a restaurant found two youngsters Priya and Sunil in the restaurant. While Priya was serving English breakfast I mischievously asked, " Can I get aloo paratha?" She was happy that I spoke in Hindi,Sunil heard and said in Hindi pointing at Priya, " She prepares very good aloo paratha!" Priya said in Hindi ," initially I was bringing paratha for breakfast!" On further inquiry Sunil informed that he is from Ludhiana.
At Surfers paradise we see lot of Indian visitors.
Yes our life is pretty much like in India with the bonus of my son's family. We don't want to become load on anyone, I remember at my age my father would stay with me for 3 winter months,he would spend his time in his own way, occasionally will take the car for fetching medicine, in my absence my driver Gopal would take him to club, he never wanted anything extra from me, I gave my time to him, he had his pension and house to live in, I am pretty much following his footsteps.
We choose to come in May,June,July when it is summer in India but winter here in Australia. In Kolkata the winter is hardly a fortnight or so, we enjoy 6 weeks of winter as that is the length of our stay here. By the way don't try to keep in touch with all those political news of India though Google pushes some news on my dashboard or Twitter sends me alerts.
Well friends I am signing off as of now.,more next!