Life in Queensland during quarantine

After arriving in Brisbane, we were whisked into Four Points by Sheraton after completing security check at Brisbane airport. We didn’t do any swab (PCR) test after landing like we thought we would, after hearing what other travelers had gone through to go back to their home country or enter their host country. They didn’t even ask if we had done the test before flying out of Malaysia. We did however get a daily phone call to make sure we are mentally and physically healthy. The swab test we were so looking forward to came a few days before we were due to come out of quarantine and we received the result not long after.

Now, lets talk about the quarantine itself. Our group had quite a lot of families, they were also staying at the same hotel as us. However, after advising the quarantine staff that the room is too small for a family of 4 or more, they were moved to a service apartment accommodation. Their food was delivered earlier so the little ones don’t have to stay up past their bedtime to have their dinner. Food for us adults was great for the first week, the second was a repeat of the first week. No more excitement, no more worrying about whether or not we would have enough in between meals. We enjoyed most of them, especially when it was a meat pie day. They were quite generous with their serving portion too.

The view from our hotel room was windows to other office blocks or hotel rooms. We weren’t able to open any windows, however, we had access to a workout program and outdoor/fresh air time if we needed it. We were curious about it, so we decided to go for it. We went 3 times before deciding it wasn’t worth it. Our hotel doesn’t seem to have a rooftop facility, so we were taking our outdoor time in the car park. We had to be mindful of cars leaving the car park and there wasn’t much sun coming through…. there was a gap on the roof, so that was the only sunshine we had when we went outside. If they did have a rooftop facility, it wasn’t made available to us.

From some Facebook groups related to quarantining in Australia, we read about the amount of dust in the room. Yes, it is very true. Dust build up so quickly that if you don’t wipe the surfaces daily, it looked like your room is covered in Parmesan cheese shaving. Some people posted a checklist on what we could or should have, which helped. We brought in some sauces, chilli paste, as well as our favourite tea and coffee. Our parents also sent us 2 Coles bag worth of food, including 2 bottles of wine, adapter and Australian SIM card. We could order alcohol from the hotel if we wanted to, but they rationed it. I guess it is to prevent us from being drunk and damaging public properties. Having lived in Asia, we are so used to having food panda, Grab, or Gojek for deliveries. We learnt that we can have alcohol delivered, but not to our hotel address. Oh well, we live and learn.

We are very grateful that during our quarantine days, we still had jobs (online tutoring). Our days were filled with lessons planning, creating power point presentation for the students and teaching. When we weren’t doing any of that, we applied for jobs, set up mygov, opened a bank account for husband, attempted to do yoga, did HITT training, downloading and watching Fringe, doing laundry, and taking turns picking up our food and recycling our rubbish.

It was an experience and I must say that at the end of the day, you do what you need to do to keep you and your family safe. We could have stayed in Malaysia but with Whiskey already in Brunei, we thought it is best for us to start the journey home. We don’t regret it and we are continually adjusting to life in Australia.

Touched down

After a lot of doubts, worries and emailing, we finally made it back to Brisbane. Day 2 of quarantine.

So here is the recap.

The chartered flight organised by Singapore Air charter got taken over by CapaJet, also known as Trips Exotica. Those who have made bookings with Singapore Air charter were able to transfer their payment to Capa Jet. The original route was from Jakarta – Port Moresby – Brisbane. It was suppose to fly on 3 November at 4pm. A few days later, we received an email that the flight would be leaving from Jakarta to Brisbane on 4 November at 2am.

We were worried that we might not be able to get a boarding pass in Kuala Lumpur, but thanks to the Australian embassy in Jakarta and High Consular in Kuala Lumpur, we managed to get our transit permit at 6pm, the day before we were due to fly.

Arrived at the airport after 2 police checks. Good thing we had gone to the police station to get the interstate travel permit. Before we left our apartment, we still hadn’t received our eTicket yet. We were told that we should get it within 24 hours before the flight. Check in counters were open, we contacted our organiser to let her know that the eticket hasn’t been emailed. Just before 1pm, we received our eticket. We looked at it and took Capa Jet’s version of an eticket to check in. Took 6 of the Garuda check in staff to check us in. We made it to our gate before it got closed.

Arrived in Jakarta with no problem. We were escorted by 2 airport staff and an airport police. We got through all the checks with no problem and were deposited at the Garuda lounge. Not long after, someone from the embassy came to welcome and watch over us. He stayed until the last passenger from Bali arrived and asked if we could help watch over her after he had left.

That woman was on another level of panic. She is old and was not very hopeful that the flight was going to happen. We had to ask one of the staff to help us calm her down. She did and thankfully, our boarding pass for the next flight arrived in less than an hour before the plane.

We arrived in Brisbane at about 3pm-ish. Went through all the custom checks and filled in all the paperwork for quarantine. Got in our hotel at about 7pm and ate dinner at about 8pm.

So far, everything has been great. The room is not the same as the apartment we had, but enough for us to continue with our work. Food has been great despite everything we had read. Queensland government and Queensland health have been checking on us since day two to make sure we are all OK. Room break is around the parking area so it is not something I look forward to. My husband said that we would not go just for the sake of going out of the room because as soon as we were out, I wanted to go back in.

I hope all other Australians who are still overseas and want to come home will be able to come home soon. I still believe that if Australia hadn’t put on the cap, we would not be in this situation. I don’t understand politics and I don’t pretend that I do, but it does make me wonder if the government and the Australians are really benefiting from the cap.

A letter from the heart

Dear Readers,

This is Feb. She is not OK. She is on a never ending roller coaster ride, ranging from a tame one to a crazy one that has a vertical drop. Feb and her husband can’t return home. Both are in Malaysia​​ without a valid visa since September. They were told by the Australian High Consulate in KL to get a special pass. Feb spoke to an immigration lawyer and was advised not to get one. She found out special passes have more limitation than accepting the grace offered by the Malaysian government, which overstaying visas without penalty until 31 December 2020.

Feb and her husband have had their tickets cancelled and watched how a one way ticket price has gone three to four times the amount of a normal economy class ticket after the cap was introduced. Feb and her husband have also seen last minute tickets being sold for close to half of the original price. They had very little option on which airline they can book tickets with and where in Australia they can fly into.

This week, the both of them booked tickets to Cairns, Queensland. This is an independent flight organised by an Australian stranded in Laos. This flight will pick up vulnerable and stranded Australian in Laos, then off to KL and Singapore to pick up more Australians before landing in Cairns. The organiser has secured landing permit for all countries, including Australia. However, the government believes that they have had lapse in judgement and decided that the plane can’t land in Cairns. They did provide a solution, if not, they wouldn’t be state leaders, would they?

Feb and her husband are emotionally tired of going through the cycle of booking, feeling excited, disappointed by each cancellation and waiting for refund so they can book and pay for another ticket. Feb wonders if this is the pandemic version of stages of grief.

Feb is grateful and praying that the Prime Minister and his families won’t have to go through this. Feb is glad knowing that the minister is safe in the comfort of his home, or office, surrounded by his family.

Don’t be like Feb, be like the Australian PM. Don’t think twice about not doing the right thing. Don’t be too considerate and ALWAYS put yourself first above others, regardless what the situation is.

Feb has learnt that when a pandemic hits, people who are far away can be easily forgotten. Those who are watching from the safety and comfort of their home, are quick to throw blame as this would place them above others. Especially if none of their family members and friends are affected by the flight cap (also known as a policy that is tougher than the premium quality bullet proof vest).

Children, when your history teachers tells you that it is important to learn about the past, it is because there is one lesson to remember. Many humans often forget their humanity traits when there is an opportunity to be the better leader. It is important to be ruthless when the situation calls for it. However, it is also important to show kindness, especially as the world is can sometimes be full of negativity. Everyone can use a little more good in life. Whoever they may be.

If we didn’t have a dog…

Whisky made it. She got picked up at 12:30PM today to go to the cargo area of KLIA. She was happy to get in the van, not knowing that she won’t be coming back.

We are happy that she has started the first leg of her journey back to Australia. It hasn’t been easy, from the start to today and it won’t get any easier when she gets to Melbourne, Australia.

She was scheduled to leave KL to Brunei around August. PetAir submitted all her document but got rejected because Royal Brunei wasn’t sure of her breed. PetAir tried again for first week of September flight with Malaysian Air, but the flight got cancelled. Finally, we heard some good news. Royal Brunei accepted her paperwork and approved her travel plan.

We were neither happy or sad because we knew that nothing is certain until she has boarded the cargo plane to Brunei. We even thought that it might be better for Whisky to stay here with us a bit longer. Fortunately, PetAir helped us to see beyond our emotion. The number of new cases in Malaysia is rising and there is a possibility of the country going into its second lockdown. Sabah or East Malaysia is going into a second lockdown tomorrow. Our agent reminded us that if Malaysia were to go into lockdown again, nothing can come in or out. It is better to do it now while we can. If things were to go as planned, Whisky would exit the quarantine in Melbourne just before the centre closed for Christmas. So, we went ahead.

The next day, Whisky got the runs. The worst we have ever seen. She had to go to the toilet every couple of hours. Her stomach looked bloated and yes, you could probably imagine what I could write next. We made sure she drank enough water throughout the evening and checked on her stool to make sure that there was no blood. It continued until today, though her stool was looking a lot better. She even managed to eat some unsweetened cooked oats. Her energy level was still the same like any other day and she even asked to go for longer walks during her toilet breaks.

Anyways, we told the vet at PetAir about her condition. The agent and vet said that we can go ahead and they will inform the quarantine centre in Brunei to keep an eye on her. She was given some medication to help her at the airport. Last we heard, she is calm but not looking happy in her cage.

Since we had her, there were times where we wondered what life would have been like if we didn’t have her or gave her away when we left China? Would we have taken more holidays? Maybe. Where would we be now? Probably Australia. Would we have enjoyed the extra time we have? No.

Like I have shared in the previous article… We have adjusted our lives to make sure she is cared for. Whisky has occupied so much of our space and left footprints all over our apartment. That dog doesn’t do much. She would sit or lay down near us and paw us when she needs some attention. Now that she isn’t around, the place feels empty. Our home is no longer the same. No warm welcome when we come home, no cuddles with her in the morning and before bed time, no stares when we eat her favourite human food, and no more of her smell that we are so used to.

We are sure that Whisky will be okay on the way to Brunei. She will be okay during her quarantine. We are not sure if Whisky is going to be okay being away from us for a very long time. I hope Whisky knows that she is not abandoned. We do love her and can’t wait to see her again when we are all in Australia.

Safe travel Whisky. Be a good strong dog. We will see each other again.

Down the rabbit hole

I have had a great week, with tutoring and lunch with a parent from my last school. However, today is not exactly a good day for me.

I was on Facebook and for awhile, I have made an effort not to check on Facebook. It is filled with news about lifting the caps, arrival, quarantine, and sad stories about citizens who are stranded. It is good to keep myself informed about the situation back home, but today it hit the wrong button.

One of the members from Lift the Cap Facebook group posted a video clip of a debate about the cap. I don’t remember who she was questioning, but she asked them to explain why people who hold students and business/investment visa are allowed to enter Australia, possibly taking the place of any Australians who want to come home.

It really saddens me that citizens have to go through a lot of disappointment to return to a country they call home, because they have less to offer the government. There are people who have lost a family member and can’t attend the funeral because they can’t get a seat on a plane to any states in Australia. Some are bouncing from country to country so they don’t overstay their visa.

I feel like this is a discrimination that Australians would never have to face. I grew up being treated differently because I am Asian. The first I can remember was when I was in high school, walking back to my homeroom after an assembly. A year 7 boy, “go back your country, you gook!” I was shocked but let it pass. The next ones were when I waited for a bus at Pacific Fair or walked home from Robina Town Centre. I would get some random drivers shouted “suckie suckie, 5 dollars?” Those never got me down. But now, with what is happening today, I never felt more rejected.

Like I said in one of my post, I feel like I have suffered from depression. I am glad I have my husband with me during this weird time. He understands that I am in a funk and doesn’t try to push me to get out of it until I am ready. Having a blog is also his suggestion. He believes writing would help me climb out of the rabbit hole and he isn’t wrong. As I share what I am feeling, the frustration, the choking feeling I felt as I held back the tears start to go away. I am feeling a lot lighter.

I don’t know what the purpose of COVID is, but I know it is not good for a lot of people’s mental health. I still believe it is not as terrible as it has been reported. I want things to be better so that we can do what we want, when we want to and at the place we have chosen to be.

Home schooling VS Mainstream schooling

I have been doing online tutoring for the past 2 weeks. I have students on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Most of my students are kids who I have taught in my previous school and some were kids I had in my after school activities.

At first, I wasn’t sure how it would go. Although I have done online teaching during the MCO, I felt pressurised and nervous because first, parents are now paying for it. Second, it is an online one on one class so I am not physically there to make sure my tutoring kid is doing the right thing. Believe me, I have caught students who pretended that they were listening and doing the work I asked them to. Meanwhile, they were checking out YouTube or playing games on their devices.

So starting again brought back all those memories. My first class went well. We had a good laugh, talked about his hometown and why his family decided to leave Malaysia during the MCO. I was shown the view from the apartment and introduced me to the rest of the family. A very nice intro to the lesson. We did 2 hours on Maths and English. The rest of my classes went well too, though one was a bit on the challenging side. The kid was nervous and it took some time for her to warm up. Overall, I was happy because they have started regular classes after their first lesson.

Husband asked if I enjoyed my first week back to teaching because he is also doing online English lessons for very young kids. He was a lot more assured after hearing my feedback and shared that he does miss teaching but not the fluff that comes with it.

Now that I have experienced different styles of teaching in different settings, I have the chance to really reflect on my experiences and what I have seen from the kids. This has led me to think that home schooling is perhaps better than mainstream schooling. Not saying that online tutoring or classes are the same as home schooling, but they are quite similar.

Both offer students the opportunity to learn at their own pace. They have more freedom to decide the flow of the class and can take as much or as little time they need before moving onto the next topic. Students can go deep into topics they are interested in and there is less chance of them being left behind. The “teacher” can look at the curriculum and decide whether a lesson is useful or not. For example, identifying the property of 3D shapes (faces, edges, vertices). When do we ever use these in our adult life? Unless you are an architect, programmer or software developer, do we really need to know trigonometry? In home schooling, “teacher” can immediately identify what areas the kid needs extra help with and plan future lessons to fill that gap. There are tons of resources and support groups out there to give you ideas and guidance on home schooling.

On the flip side, home schooling your kid means that you are spending a lot of time together. You would have to enroll your kid in after school activities for socialisation. Either mum or dad would have to stay at home to make this happen, OR get a tutor to come. I am not sure how the last one would look like, but I don’t think it would be economical.

Regardless, if you could afford it, I do believe that home schooling is better than today’s mainstream. There are more and more parents who have decided to do home schooling, especially during the pandemic. They have seen good changes in their kid’s academic performance and confidence. One of the parents who home schools her kid said that she would not send her kid back to mainstream school unless it is necessary.

What a let down

Today, the article on Tom Hanks visiting Australia for his movie, avoiding the mandatory 14 days quarantine gained attention again in one of the Aussie expat Facebook group. It really annoys the living day lights out of me. This is the actor who had Corona virus already and has been given permission to enter Australia despite the international arrival cap that prevented many of us from returning to the land we call home.

A lot of Australian expats are struggling to go home. This week, I read an article on how DFAT employees in Canberra are accused of booking 2 to 3 tickets (paid in full) for overseas DFAT workers. You can read the full article here. It might not be true, but no one is denying it and it makes the current government looks like they are as competent as my Year 3 students. No wait, my Year 3 students can do what is expected of them.

When the Prime Minister issued advice, recommending Aussie expats to come home, it also stated that the national carrier (Qantas) will maintain its operation on both international and domestic routes. Not the case! Australians overseas have to rely on Emirates, Qatar, China Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Air and Cathay Pacific to take them home.

A lot disappointment is also directed towards the Australian consular abroad. I emailed them to ask for assistance regarding my expired work visa and they sent me links that provided me with little information regarding my situation. In hindsight, they probably have very little knowledge of what to do despite their ongoing discussions about changes that affect foreigners in Malaysia.

If one day, the government released a statement saying “we got through Covid-19 together” or “humanity helped us overcome the hardship caused by the pandemic” I call bullshit on that. From where I am sitting right now, the government has done very little to help Aussie expats. If anything, they have done really well in dividing the nation. Those who believes that Aussie expats should stay out of Australia and those who want them to come home.

Not all of us are living the life of Tom Hanks. I was going to come home and retire from living abroad. Sadly, that is not going to happen anytime soon. My husband and I can’t continue to survive on what savings we have while hoping that the ticket we have bought is the one that will take us home. I have accepted that reality and it is a downer.

I am not looking forward to my next call with my parents. They were so excited that we are finally going to start living in Australia. But, we need to do what we need to do to survive. For us, this is it. Taking another job offer until the day we can come home without worrying whether or not we made the cap.

When will it get better

Today we received an email from Cathay to let us know that our flight from HongKong to Brisbane has been cancelled. Went to manage booking on their website and I found that our flight from KL to HongKong is still going… Not sure how or if we will be able to get refunded for the whole segment, not just the HongKong to Brisbane. *heavy sigh*

The dog’s flight for 11 September is also cancelled…. so third time is not a charm in this case. Malaysia Airlines are not flying much these days so our pet relocator has booked a flight with Royal Brunei for 2 October. Our hopes are securely grounded until she is in the cargo area waiting to be loaded onto the plane.

In the meantime, my future employer is trying to get me a new work visa. They have asked me to go to their Subang campus to pick up my work contract. I might go on Thursday, as it will give me a chance to see what their school looks like. We have also decided to do some tutoring for our old students who are currently suffering at the hands of egotistical teachers. Mine is starting tomorrow while hubby’s on Saturday. I guess this would somehow take our mind of flights and cancellation.

The car, the boat and the helicopter

Whisky went to Shah Alam vet this morning to have the all clear before she flies out on Friday morning. We were excited because it means she would finally board the plane to Brunei. Do her time there, then fly to Australia.

My husband kept me up to date with the whole process and said that it all went well. No problem at all. When Whisky came home, I found a tick on her. Luckily, it hadn’t attached itself onto her skin. She had been given Bravecto in August so she is protected, but I decided to give her another one just to be on the safe side.

We didn’t think too much of it and continued on with our day. We went to pick up a few things to go with her crate. At 4PM today, the pet relocator agent told us that Royal Brunei has cancelled the flight. *&&^@(*@&!!!!!!!!!!! They will call the airline again tomorrow to find out when the next available flight is. *sigh…*

Then after we calmed down, we called my mum to deliver the bad news. She asked how this would affect us. So I told her that we are in quite a pickle, though not as bad as others. First, my employment pass has been shortened and will expire soon after my October flight. I won’t be able to apply for a special pass because it has been shortened. On top of that, the Australian government is now blaming Australian expats for not coming home in March. Mr Morrison, are you aware that there are companies that will penalise you for not completing your contract? The penalty is equal to your whole month salary. If I had left in March, I would have to pay an equivalent to a five month salary, even if I continued to work remotely. That is just me. Then we have to pay for my husband as well. We would have to leave our dog in Malaysia for indefinitely until she can get on a plane back to Australia.

Anyway, have you all heard the story of the car, the boat and the helicopter? No? Okay, it is about a man who got told to get in a car because a flood was coming. He said no because God would save him. The flood did come and a boat came to help. He refused to get in the boat, thinking that God would save him. The flood got really bad and he had to sit on the roof of his house. A helicopter came to rescue him. But again, he refused. Eventually he died. When the man got to heaven, he asked God why he had not been saved. God replied, “I sent you a car, a boat and a helicopter and you refused them all.”

We think that this is a perfect analogy for our live now. My husband landed a job at a boarding, which he declined. I got a job offer at an American school in Thailand, which I also declined. Then I got another job offer at a school down the road from where we live. I decided to take it. I don’t want to be here with no security. Something is better than nothing. What we get is not always what we want and we have to accept the situation we are in. Regardless…

Almost there

Whisky is going for her final medical check tomorrow morning to make sure she is healthy and fit for her flight on 4 September. We are excited and nervous because she has never been away from us for more than 2 weeks. I hope she will be in good hands when she gets to Brunei.

On another topic, we are still waiting for our bonuses from the previous employment. The school and all the leaving staff members signed an agreement that our bonuses will be paid on 31 August. This is against the Malaysian labour law, where it says that all money owed will be paid on the employee’s last day of work. I am not sure if the local labour law applies to foreign workers though. So here we are, watching our bank balance every few hours to see whether it has been deposited into our account.

We also made another booking to go home. This time we decided to go with Cathay Pacific. They have a direct flight to Brisbane, and I prefer that. The Singapore Air flights to Brisbane have a layover in Sydney. Although the customer service rep told us that we will be able to reach Brisbane without having to do quarantine in Sydney, we are not sure if that would still be the case in October. I wish that the cap will be eased, or citizens and residents will be prioritised over international students. It would be good to go home and be with my family again.