Aust CA: Myth or no Myth?

Mixed responses from our current CA batch with regards to the above video...

HY: Crappy but funny...

Yishan: I'm so embarrassed to be part of the video!

Mich: Such a misrepresentation...

Overall consensus to Jerry Hwang (Dua Kang Kia): Part time work, Part time study, full time play -> MY ASS! haha ;p

It's been a year!

Looking back, it dawned upon me that we have been in Aussie Land for a year! My goodness, how time flies. Now that the new batch of secondees are here, it makes me reminiscene the times where we just stepped foot on Wallaby Land...

3 more CA exams and the Lion Land awaits us! As you all would have realised from the previous blog entries, you would have reckoned the following:

- Sydney secondees are a highly motivated bunch (longer working hours, more intensive CA tutorials, lesser leisure time, etc yet still the lot that performed the best!)

- Melbourne secondees are a slacker bunch (good working hours, spread out CA tutorials, forever leeching on the work of Sydney secondees, etc and doing well enough to pass!)

- Adelaide secondee is a hardworking soul (the brave soul which is all by herself in Adelaide, slogging like nobody's business cause the office is small and staff is short, and still working like an ant to pass all her exams!)

So just a couple of months ago, where Yishan and I (housemates) were having our regular dosage of bo liao chats, we reckoned that the CA exam markers in Sydney must have been more lenient, hence resulting in our fellow secondees performing much better than us!

Ha, but deep down, we all knew that we got the best deal out of Aussie Land. With 1 more year of life away from home, the Melbourne slackers aim to achieve the following:
- Skiing (in Aug 07: accommodation and plan has been finalised)
- Phantom of the Opera musical (in Aug 07: Tickets purchased)
- David Campbell Concert (in Aug 07: Tickets to be purchased next week)
- Aust Open match (in Jan 08: Definitely on the agenda)
- Grand Prix (in Mar 08: Definitely on the agenda)
- NZ trip (in Mar 08: work in progress)
- Round Aust & Asia trip (after secondment in Jun 08 - to be confirmed)

And the list goes on...as we go along...So stay tuned for more updates!

Congratulations

Congrats to all who passed TAX. Especially happy for Horny Yuh who merit listed!!! And of course for myself as well!!!haha

2 down 3 to go!

Aussie 7 successfully got through the most difficult - cum - most irrelevant CA technical paper of the 4 (TAX!) that we had to get through before the final integrative EBA paper. All pass!

Great! Now for MAA and FIN!

Cheers!

It's still Aussie 7 and it's Tax results day!

This blog has been pretty dormant recently and from the last post, Max nearly left the team but it is stil intact! Still Aussie 7! haha..

Today is judgement day for our Tax CA paper - 2nd of the 4 that we need to do! 4 hours and counting down.. Another merit paper for our dear Max, Kevan and Darrel? Updates wil come in another 5 hours time! Cheers!

Aussie Six soon?!!

Fellow secondees,

In 6 hours' time, I will be making my final decison. Stay tuned to the conclusion!!

Will it be Aussie 6 or still 7?!??

Many people have been giving me advice. Some good, some not so good. Ultimately, as the cliche goes, its my own decison to make.

Thanks for the many concern shown. Much appreciated.

MT

Details of proposal from SG HR

The long awaited preliminary calculations of what we would be getting from the SG HR for the 'inequalities' that we had to endure for the last 8 months was finally revealed to me yesterday. I was supposed to be the sounding board of the HR to determine whether if the sum to be offered is 'reasonable' or not. Fair. Glad that HR really did consider the reasonableness of the amount instead of just throwing a number at us and say, 'Take it or leave it'.

Overall, the amount is reasonable, by my standards and also relatively our general expectations (majority of us at least). For practical reasons, it is not appropriate to disclose anything more than what I had just mentioned. Just to add on to Max's previous post and reveal more details.

Overall, it looks like a sweet success against an 'establishment' as Max had appropriately put it. But, it was never a baseless fight. It was based on valid arguments put forth by us. Kudos to all who stood by it and united we stand. Sweet victory it is! Glad that we made a difference, both to our seniors (who may be remunerated accordingly), our fellow UK secondees and also our juniors coming on this program!

Also very glad that SG HR is receptive instead of being overly defensive. The fact that they digested our reasons positively and proactively (by reviewing PwC policies AND also the current standard of living differential AND also its ultimate HR policy on EQUITY towards its staff, particularly those of the same grade) shows that this firm is still worth our commitment.

Hopefully, this chapter would close soon with everyone happy. Time to look forward.... TAX CA focus session, Tasmania trip, TAX EP submission, more TAX, more worK... hmm.. sounds interesting? Haha.. it's up to us to make it more interesting... Cheers!