is the grass greener?

"Ten thirty tomorrow ah!! don't forget!..." Shrieked Justin as he departed home from MY office. After having postponed my Australian migration assessment for the fifth time, i managed to get Justin to come along with me for my sixth appointment. Having tucked in some breakfast, it was off to the 35th floor of Menara StanChart, to the sparse office of Global Migration Solutions Sdn Bhd, to meet with a charmingly nice fellow named Lovestrand....(yes! it is his name..)
Justin with his "Professional Certification" i.e. Colourless Plain Accountants (CPA) breezed through the assessment with ease, with the migration officer being very confident of him attaining his Permanent Residence visa and obtaining a job in a matter of days on arrival in the land down under. Boring as they may be, accountants are currently hot in the employment market, which means he won't be joining me in the social welfare line anytime soon. Back to the topic, we'll discuss boring accountants in another post some other time, it could go on forever... *yawn.
Now, event managers on the other hand aren't on the employer's "hot wanted" list at the moment.. as most corporations have yet to place high value on the benefits of experiential marketing, idiots. Thankfully i have an aunt residing in Aussieland who'd be glad to act as a sponsor for my PR Visa application. She could always do with another pair of hands around the house. Problem solved.

So.. Permanent Residence Visa application aside, Is the grass really greener on the other side? and would you be able to uproot so easily after being planted for the last 28 years?

Here are some of the pros & cons i came up with... feel free to contribute to the list.

Australia <> Pros:

• Political stability
• Lovely weather (except for Melbourne which has 4-seasons in one day!)
• Cheap cars
• Medicare
• Generally most people are friendly (everyone's your mate!!)
• Great public transport system
• Gorgeous beaches
• Lovely parks
• Cleanliness
  
• Lower crime rate? (questionable though)
• Champion of the underdogs
  

Australia <> Cons:

• Crazy High tax-rate
• Extremely expensive to get someone to fix anything for you
• Home to the most number of venomous snakes and spiders.
• Frequent droughts
• Racists pigs do exist and racial discrimination is more conspicuous (in certain quarters)
• No mamaks and hawker centres
  
• You can't bribe a cop, means more fines and loss of license is a common occurrence
• Most friends and family in Malaysia
  
• Medicine is expensive (consultation is free..)

Malaysia <> Pros:

• Generally good weather
• Fantastic and cheap food
  
• Its where i grew up...
  
• Friends & family
  
• Its a developing country, means opportunities aplenty
  
• i can talk my way out of a fine
  
• Doesn't cost an arm and a leg to fix a leaking faucet
  

Malaysia <> Cons:

• Laughable political situation (at the moment that is...)
  
• Racism to a certain extent
  
• Crime is on the rise
  
• Cars are expensive
  
• Almost everything and everywhere is dirty
  
• Salary to inflation ratio is pathetic
• Status is everything society
  
• Mat rempits

To go or not to go, that is the question.