The first interview we did about Australia received such mixed reactions that we thought we shouldn’t be limited to one interview.. As far as we understand, we are not the only ones who are seriously curious about it.. In this process, we also realized how many people are planning to go to Australia to live or study from Turkey.. In this respect, we think that this interview with Serden Nayin will be of great help and satisfy your curiosity to a great extent.
Note: I could not get enough of reading about Australia. If you’re saying, here is our other interview.
How long did you live in Australia and why did you choose it?
I stayed in Australia for about 11 years. I was thinking abroad for university education and my first choice was America, to be honest.. Of course, it is better to understand why I said America, since it was 2000, the internet did not dominate our lives yet, and access to information was limited to encyclopedias, but all other countries were like a black box.. I met Australia through an agency I entered while doing my research, and when I look at it today, I’m glad I joined that agency.
Do you think it’s a suitable country to live in? Can you say, “I would do it again, if it were?”. If I describe it as a very civilized country, roasted in perfect harmony with its climate, people, rules, lifestyle, everything, I think no one who lived there would object.. Especially like us 3. It is not difficult to see these differences for someone who goes from a world country (yes, unfortunately, they put us at this point between countries, although we do not want to admit it).. Yes, maybe life is moving a little slower than us, it’s calmer, even boring for some.. But this is actually a situation that stems from order.. Since we are a society of complete turmoil with its traffic, bureaucracy and the normal flow of life, I can definitely say that Australia is a few steps ahead for living, considering the stress comparison between these two countries.. Would I do it again though? Let me answer like this, I came back to Turkey for good 2 years ago and I decided to go back to Australia about a year ago, and if I’m lucky, I’m going back in 3-4 months.. Do you think I won’t do it again?
What university did you study there on? Do you think it is the right choice in education, has it contributed to you?
I studied business administration at Central Queensland University. Australia is in the top 5 countries in the world for quality of university education. Many of the scientific and medical discoveries made so far have come from various universities in Australia.. An education system that is completely research-based, far from rote learning and that a student really enjoys while reading is adopted.. The biggest advantage of this system for a student is that even at the end of his education life, he can remember what he wanted to learn at macro level and enable him to apply it in the future.. I can really say that it is a system that allows you to be successful without getting bored, having fun, and having fun.
So what did you do to survive after graduating from university? Wasn’t it hard to work in another country? Can you compare the working conditions with Turkey? Are the conditions there really more “humane” as we predicted?
The biggest missing visa. Your student visa is valid throughout the education and your work permit is maximum 20 hours per week.. When school is over, if you do not have a residence permit or citizenship, you have to leave the country unless someone sponsors you.. Fortunately, I did not face such difficulties as I have a residence permit.. I can say that I have done very interesting things like many students who have gone abroad throughout my education life.. When the work permit is 20 hours, of course, people want to earn maximum income from it.. I worked in an interesting range from fast food kebab shops to taxi drivers, they were really interesting experiences for me.. Of course, when the school is over, the conditions suddenly change.. In the last 4 years, I worked as a state manager in the field of education consultancy in an international company. I think the most striking difference in business life in Australia is the superior-subordinate relationship.. People are so respectful, so knowledgeable, and yet so capricious and comfortable that when you enter a new business environment, it sometimes takes time to understand who is who is the manager, who is the staff, who is the manager.. At least that’s what I can say at the company I worked for.. But if we compare the business life with Turkey with a general view, we are far behind in terms of mentality and economy.. While the person who does the heaviest work in our country receives the least wage, the opposite system works in Australia, and sometimes a blue-collar worker can earn much more than a white-collar worker in the same company.. In order to earn good money and live in good conditions, you do not have to graduate from good universities, get a few diplomas, chase good positions and find them if you are lucky, as in Turkey.. Australia is a country where a plasterer, mason, plumber or tiler earns much more than a bank teller.. As long as you know what you want to do, enjoy your job and do it well.
Is the living conditions expensive? Considering the conditions such as rent, transportation, food and beverage, are there serious differences with Istanbul?
Although life seems expensive, it is actually much higher in standard than ours.. Yes, rents are much cheaper in Turkey, and food and beverage is also cheaper, but it should not be forgotten that income and expenses are parallel to this.. In other words, your earnings can easily enable you to live in good conditions.. While 3 tanks of gasoline can be purchased with minimum wage in Turkey, this rate corresponds to approximately 30 tanks in Australia.. Life, which seems very expensive when viewed in dollar-lira exchange rate, will surely give you much more opportunities than here, as long as you earn and live there.
Which region makes more sense to live in?
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For now, I can say that Queenland is the most popular state and its capital Brisbane is the most popular city.. Although people usually know Sydney or Melbourne, Brisbane is currently the city that receives the most immigrants from these two cities.. I think the biggest effect of this is the tropical climate and the nature and lifestyle that makes people happy.. I can say Sydney and Melbourne are a bit more Istanbul-like, a subtle chaos prevails in life.. Many people who want to live regularly away from stress prefer the city of Brisbane.. I am one of them.
Are there any serious cultural differences? Strange memories you’ve had, “What am I doing here?” Have you had moments that you said?
I can say that I got used to it quickly. The biggest impact on this was probably to embark on such an adventure as soon as he graduated from high school at the age of 19.. At that age, you don’t really care about the world, because you live everything like an exciting game, these differences actually add color and pleasure to life, at least I felt that way.. Someone coming from there may experience culture shock, but I cannot say the same for someone who goes from here to there.. If you are a civilized, open-minded and freedom-loving person, “what am I doing here?” You would definitely say “I’m glad I came” instead.. But I can’t help but mention, the biggest problem is the food.. If you are not good in the kitchen, unfortunately it is a little difficult to find the flavors you are looking for outside.. I think one of our biggest pluses for them is the richness of our cuisine.
What kind of language problems did you have? Do you think Australia is the right choice to learn a language?
This is the hardest part of the job.. Australia is a country where people who say my English is excellent are confused by their arrival. I am a college graduate and I can say that I have studied English all my life.. When I went, I went very confidently in my English.. But the first question I asked myself on the very first day was “what did they teach us at school all these years”. First of all, they do not use any terms as we learned them, the way they express events, the words they use are very very different, and it is not in a structure that you can hear and learn from somewhere else without living in it.. To give an example, the people of Izmir call crocus what we call seeds in Istanbul.. If you go to Izmir without ever hearing this in your life, when they say “buy a crocus when you come”, “Who is Cigdem?” It is not absurd for you to answer.. Now imagine that in a foreign country and in a place where you don’t know the language very well, you come across crocuses all the time.. On top of that, wouldn’t their accents be unique as well? (I may have said, “What am I doing here, right now?”, don’t be a lie) Actually, it has a very soft and beautiful tone when you get used to it, but unfortunately it has an accent that you have a hard time understanding until you get used to it.. But despite everything, I can say that it is a perfect place to learn a language.. Once very cosmopolitan. You probably come into contact with people from at least 5-7 different countries in a day, in the normal course of life.. Asian, Indian, European, African, South American, so many different people from so many nationalities speak English with so many different accents that although it is very difficult at first, once you learn and get used to it, you start to perceive every accent in the world as your own mother tongue, and I think this is really true. a great chance.
Is Australia an active country in terms of nightlife and activity? Can you recommend a few places you like to go to?
I can say that social life equals nightlife in Australia.. Probably 70% of the country’s young population is having fun outside, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.. I can say that Australian nightclubs, frequented by the world’s most famous DJs, divide your weekend a little until the first light of the morning.. But Australia is a country that is not just limited to nightlife, and its nature offers a lot to people.. As long as you want to travel, you will find many places to visit.. Whether you’re having a fun day at Dream World, exploring the movie world at Movie World, going down to the beach and surfing, or going rock climbing in the heart of the city, Go for nature walks, go to the islands, dive and explore the coral bottoms of the ocean, or simply enjoy the sun by the pool with your Margarita in hand.. But it is also a fact that this accessibility and being able to live this standard of life at any moment gives place to the routine after a while, and the activities that you used to enjoy very much in the first time are now very normal. , insatiable request)
So how are the friendships, the friend environment? Have you had moments of longing for Turkey, or can sincere friendships be established there?
First of all, it is a fact that Turks are everywhere and it is impossible not to form fraternal friendships wherever there are Turks.. But we, as a society, are a little too attached to each other, we trust our friends with everything, we can entrust our everything.. Although this is one of the characteristics that make us who we are, it is really difficult to catch this closeness with a stranger.. It is not impossible, there have been many people we have Turkified over time, but in general, it can take months to establish that close bond that we will establish in a week with a foreigner.. In that context, sometimes people miss the people they can trust very much, they wish they were here too.. But despite everything, life goes on there too, and although true, close friendships are limited in number, I can still say that the atmosphere is very good.
You had the chance to live both in Sydney and Melbourne.. What kind of differences emerge when you compare the two cities? Which one did you enjoy living in the most?
Melbourne is a city with more character than Sydney. We can call it the Europe of Australia. It just has a crazy climate, you can experience 4 seasons in one day.. When we say 4 seasons, it’s not metaphorically, you can actually return from your house where you left at 35 degrees in the morning, when it’s raining at 5 degrees in the evening.. But still, my personal preference would definitely be in favor of Melbourne.
Are there things that you say you should not return without trying and seeing while you have been to Melbourne? Can you give us some advice?
Look, I can answer this in Melbourne. Definitely do not come without visiting Crown Casino. Even if you don’t like gambling, you can be impressed by their shows.. Other than that ‘Great Ocean Road’ is definitely a must-see.. Of course, don’t forget to eat at a Turkish restaurant on ‘Sydney Road‘.