RussellEbertHandball
Flick pass expert
Last Thursday caught up with a few mates for dinner, one married an USA girl in Oz 25 years ago after he got a transfer to San Francisco 5 years before that and they worked together for 3 years there. They had a daughter who was raised in Oz, but my mate worked in HK for a few years when she was about 6. In late 2007 early 2008, they moved to the US as his wife wanted to go back home and wanted their daughter to have a few years US high school education as she was 11 at the time.
Rotten timing, moved to Chicago, sub-prime had kicked in, GFC would hit within a year, he couldn't find work despite his extensive experience, it caused a fracture in their marriage and they split, he moved back here, daughter stayed with mum and did all her schooling and Uni in the States and finished her Asian studies degree in April and had graduation in early May. My mate has worked for a couple of companies that he travels to US 2 to 4 times year with work, and his daughter came here in her summer holidays, so he kept up as close a relationship as he could.
When we caught up 6 weeks ago he said he had finally managed to get her on a flight to Oz, had to wait for her graduation, but there weren't many flights and she was arriving in a couple of days. At the time he said it was a great relief to get her out of the US, as he had been trying to get her on a flight for over a month and talking to Oz government about procedures.
She had studied in a college town in Indiana I think, which had lower covid numbers than Chicago, where she spent her last few weeks living with her mum. I asked about his ex and he said he didn't care, she can stay there as long as she likes.
Last Thursday he said that his daughter was greatly stressed about covid in Chicago then whilst travelling from Chicago to LA via an airlines hub city, can't remember which one, but said once she walked into the Qantas lounge in LA she felt her stress levels drop markedly. At the time she was surprised by this. Her flight home was about 2/3rds full. She had to do 14 days hotel quarantine in Melbourne and then 14 days at home in Adelaide.
He said she was happy to do the 28 days just to get out of the States. She got out of home quarantine last Monday and has told her father she doesn't want to go back to the States until this is all over.
He said she just couldn't believe how different things were in Oz compared to US. From government co-ordination of things like the quarantining, peoples attitude to following rules and even simple social distancing, no stupid debates about wear or non wearing of masks, people not flocking to beaches in mass like Florida etc. She told him the whole attitude and structure to treating the pandemic were 180 degrees apart.
Neither dad or daughter are sure if she is going to find any work in the area she wants to use her Asian studies this year - she speaks Mandarin, but dad is prepared to support her the next 6-12 months whilst the economy is still on hold somewhat and in recession.
Gotta wonder how many Aussies are stuck in countries and cities where the virus is still not controlled and are desperate to get back home to Oz, and more importantly if they have financial resources and family who can help co-ordinate things from here to help them get out of countries that don't have direct flights to Oz and can't travel via transit cities.
Rotten timing, moved to Chicago, sub-prime had kicked in, GFC would hit within a year, he couldn't find work despite his extensive experience, it caused a fracture in their marriage and they split, he moved back here, daughter stayed with mum and did all her schooling and Uni in the States and finished her Asian studies degree in April and had graduation in early May. My mate has worked for a couple of companies that he travels to US 2 to 4 times year with work, and his daughter came here in her summer holidays, so he kept up as close a relationship as he could.
When we caught up 6 weeks ago he said he had finally managed to get her on a flight to Oz, had to wait for her graduation, but there weren't many flights and she was arriving in a couple of days. At the time he said it was a great relief to get her out of the US, as he had been trying to get her on a flight for over a month and talking to Oz government about procedures.
She had studied in a college town in Indiana I think, which had lower covid numbers than Chicago, where she spent her last few weeks living with her mum. I asked about his ex and he said he didn't care, she can stay there as long as she likes.
Last Thursday he said that his daughter was greatly stressed about covid in Chicago then whilst travelling from Chicago to LA via an airlines hub city, can't remember which one, but said once she walked into the Qantas lounge in LA she felt her stress levels drop markedly. At the time she was surprised by this. Her flight home was about 2/3rds full. She had to do 14 days hotel quarantine in Melbourne and then 14 days at home in Adelaide.
He said she was happy to do the 28 days just to get out of the States. She got out of home quarantine last Monday and has told her father she doesn't want to go back to the States until this is all over.
He said she just couldn't believe how different things were in Oz compared to US. From government co-ordination of things like the quarantining, peoples attitude to following rules and even simple social distancing, no stupid debates about wear or non wearing of masks, people not flocking to beaches in mass like Florida etc. She told him the whole attitude and structure to treating the pandemic were 180 degrees apart.
Neither dad or daughter are sure if she is going to find any work in the area she wants to use her Asian studies this year - she speaks Mandarin, but dad is prepared to support her the next 6-12 months whilst the economy is still on hold somewhat and in recession.
Gotta wonder how many Aussies are stuck in countries and cities where the virus is still not controlled and are desperate to get back home to Oz, and more importantly if they have financial resources and family who can help co-ordinate things from here to help them get out of countries that don't have direct flights to Oz and can't travel via transit cities.
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