Australia!

Sydney Opera House 1966

I first landed in Sydney in January 1966. The Sydney Opera House was still under construction. The Ozzies had no money. So, they ran a lottery to raise the necessary funds!

All the students from various Commonwealth countries were staying at a hotel at Bondi beach for a week. Every day, the External Affairs Department sent chauffeur driven limousines to transport all of us to the office in the city where we had our induction course. The first day, they took us to the Commonwealth Bank and opened savings bank accounts for us. A generous first deposit was made to cover our winter clothing allowance and another amount to cover our purchase of text books and stationary requirements for our course of study. From then onwards for the duration of our stay, every fortnight AUD126 .50 was deposited into my account for 4 years. On top of that, I also get a return air ticket to Miri for holidays after completing 3 years. It was really quite a good deal. All I had to do was to leave the sheilas alone, study hard and get my diploma. Then go back home to serve my country for 30 years!