Lonely in Perth

Hi Royalcountyofmeath!

Welcome to Expat.com

Armand

Thanks Armand!

Hi, thank you for the info. I am also a teacher with 8 years of experience. I have always had the impression that it should be easy to find a teaching job as it seems to be categorised under the skilled employment segment. Thanks for giving the info that the grass is not greener on the other side... ...sad, I love Perth Did you signed on with WACOT? How many schools have you tried?

Hi Choosehope,

I have registered with WACOT. When you arrive in Perth or Western Australia you then need to register with the department of education for an Education number. You also need to pply for a working with children permit so theres a huge amount of paper work! After that I sent emails and letters containing my CV and cover letter to all schools (public, Private and Catholic) in my area that I was interested in working in. That totalled about 40 schools and since i've arrived, two weeks now, I've only had 2 days relief teaching. First experience wasn't good but second was much nicer. You are pretty much thrown into the deep end and left to it. Scary!

Hello. We are not Irish-my husband is English and I'm kind of American and kind of English-I lived in England for 8-9 yrs. I'm a GP and my husband is retraining to be a teacher. He has recently found some TEFL work. We live in Alfred Cove, just south of the river. We've been here for 6 mnths now and we have found it hard to adjust as well. Mind you 10 days is really early days!! We wanted to leave immediately at that stage-but have grown to like it here since. Do you have children? We have 2 little ones. We would love to meet up? Chin up, it will get better!

Hi Leena2011,

I'm so sorry I'm only replying to your lovely post now. We have just moved into a new apartment and we only got sorted with internet. We have no children, just my husband and I for now! How old are your children? I would love to meet up with you guys, would be so lovely to have someone to meet for a coffee!

Hello Leena 2011

I am not Irish but I do have an Irish friend and she is a vet and today she is sitting inside saying that it is raining and miserable and she is drinking Baileys to compensate.

I am writing to you because even though I am not Irish, I have left Perth to go and live in Tasmania to study and the homesickness was terrible for about a year so I know about loneliness and leaving everyone behind and not feeling settled.

I am also writing to you because I am a teacher who is working in Perth and I am an Early Childhood Teacher who is teaching Year Three this year. I am permanently placed in a good metropolitan school and I know all about how difficult it is with the Education Department too. It took me 13 years to get permanency and in that time, I had contracts that were tenuous at best and for some years I had to travel over one hundred kms each day just to get to and from work. So I have some idea of the challenges that you face and I feel for you. I also know about the ghastly registration process with WACOT and about the Working With Children Check.

Anyway, even though I'm not Irish, I am a happy and wonderful woman who has a full and interesting life and if you are not too far away or even if you are, perhaps you might like to have more contact of some sort and if you live close, you might like to meet for coffee. I am good at talking and they should pay me for that (oops! They DO pay me for that lol) and I am also a very good listener.

Take care and all the best.

Suzanne

Hi Wildflower7 (Suzanne!)
Thanks for your message-it brought a big smile to my face! Im based in the city, close to King's Park so hopefully you are not too far away either-it would be lovely to meet for a coffee-its sounds like we have lots in common already!

Royalcountyofmeath (AKA Siobhan!)

Hello there Siobhan.

I would love to meet you for a coffee. I can get to Kings Park and I'm on holidays at the moment so have a bit of spare time. let me know when you are available and we will see how we can make some time that suits us both. I'm looking forward to meeting you too.

If you like you can text me on 0423066875 or leave a msg on my answer phone 94080757 or leave a msg here; whatever suits you.

Suzanne

Suzanne

Super Suzanne! Looking forward to it! Would Monday suit you? There are lots of cafes in King's Park so we could pick one of those maybe? I will send you a text on your phone and we can make plans from there!

Chat soon

Heya county Meath! Your post made me laugh because I just texted home to say I was feckin lonely!!! Myself and my partner arrived about 4 weeks too  ago so still trying to settle in. It's tough without your family and friends isn't it? I've just signed up to bootcamp so hoping to meet some people that way. Though they'll probably all be beautiful toned Aussies and I'll stick out like a sore thumb with my freckles and pasty skin! But us paddys are made of tough stuff so we'll be grand in no time I'm sure

Hey lover your username skerries goat in perth! Very catchy! You are here about the same time as us so we're probably going through the same motions!! Im finding it's getting a little easier as each day goes by. starting to meet some really lovely people too and that helps so much! i've just joined a gym and bootcamp too but still haven't started-im still scared-everyone is so fit out here!

I meant to say "love" not lover!! Becoming way too over friendly with you way too soon!! sorry!

[Moderated: no free ads on the forum plz]

Now! Sorry I couldnt log in for ages for some reason... Lover!! Did u go to bootcamp?! I made some spurious excuses about security for chogm and not printing my voucher... I'll go next Monday! In the mean time, is Wednesday too early to drink wine?! Is it the start of a slippery slope???

OMG! we are so compatible!! we could finish each others sentences at this rate...i have not yet done one gym class or bootcamp because I too did not print my voucher..I have printed it now but my new excuse is I'm too tired! I really do want to start thou so will hopefully get off my laurels and something soon! Wednesday is not too early to drink wine-remeber this is a short week with Friday been a day off so technically today is Thursday. Enjoy!

Wine hangover sad goat! Did u get the groupon voucher for the one in the CBD? For 19 quid for 300 sessions or something mad?!  If u go I'll go! We can be fat and out of breath together Have to try and walk off my hangover now. Sigh. Stupid cheap off licence.

Wine hangover is the worst kind of hangover, poor you. I did get a groupon deal but it was $39 for two months gym membership in CBD health club but it has unlimited use of bootcamp too I think! Was thinking of joining up Monday so will know more which classes I can join. Would love a partner in crime tho, would be nice not to be the only one out of breath and struggling to move!

Yeah let me know how u go. I'd be interested in any sign up deals that are short term. Still not sure where we'll be living yet but in north Perth at the minute so city handy enough no wine tonight. Can't hack it. Feckin getting old! Boo!!!

Same as me, didnt want to sign up to anything too long term so two months memebership is ideal for me starting off! Have actually picked up some good deals on those deal of the day websites. Got my hair done a few weeks ago and it was one of the nicest cuts i've ever had! We're based near the city too, near King's Park so it's a great location. On good bus route too, relying on public transport at mo as we don't have a car yet.