International student got scammed by an online shopping site.

As told by Christina Li a second year Accountancy student.

Image courtesy of cnet.com

image courtesy of Google Images

I am from Mongolia a place which is remote. It is a place which does not have much Internet so I did not know much about the dangers of it. Also my English wasn't very good at that time.

When I came to Australia I saw that Internet was widely popular here and buying things online was popular and cheaper. But I didn't know about the many scams that are around.

I saw something I really liked on Gumtree.com and I thought I'd buy it. Little did I know that the thing would not be delivered and more and more money was taken out of my account. I had to give my account details for payment and I didn't know to look for the Paypal (Australian online payment system) logo or the lock sign. So I just gave it anyway not knowing these things.


I didn't have anti viral software at the time so I was open to hackers without knowing.

My bank account was hacked into three times each time they took about $1000 of my savings. Luckily I could afford the basics, but was behind on my tuition fees by about $3000. So I didn't know what to do.

 In the end thanks to the University's understandings I was slowly able to pay back the fee via a payment plan developed by me and student services.

Lessons learnt:
If something is too good to be true then don't buy it
Only spend a small amount online and the rest in person
If buying things online look for the lock or the Paypal sign.
If in Firefox set the browser to Private browsing
Install anti viral software (you can buy this for $50-$60 a year and it will protect your computer from threats)

Pizza festival 2013

Yes it is on again. It was a success last year.

Image courtesy of Pizza festival 2013 site

This time it is Pizza farro, Supermaxi and more.

Its only $20, but it will get you a beer and a pizza. but you have to book the restaurant and only at a specific time.

You can also try three pizzas for $50.

There's a few different types of pizzas for you to try:
1) Napolitana
2) Romana
3) Italiana
4) Spelt and gluten free pizza

The event runs from 10th of June til the end of June. To buy tickets or for more information check out this site.

It is recommended that you book early to avoid disappointment

How to part 2

 Here are some more How tos that every student should know how to do. These videos are from Youtube (accessed 30/5/2013 at 3:38PM)

Fix a zip
You can buy a zip from Lincraft for about $3.

Sew a button on
Has your button come off? Most shirts and things with buttons comes with a spare one so it is worth keeping the spare one. This video shows you how.

Alter pants
Altering pants at the tailor's shop is very expensive for students, so if you can DIY it even better. All you need is a needle, pins and thread. It takes about five to ten minutes to do.

Polish shoes
Does your shoes need to be polished for work/interviews etc? You can buy shoe polish for $10 and then do it yourself.

A simple risotto recipe

That is cost effective and you can make many serves of this, some of it for uni



The method was taken from the Taste site -http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1736/oven+baked+pumpkin+leek+chicken+risotto (Accessed: 3.23PM 30/5/2013):

Oven-baked pumpkin, leek & chicken risotto

Forget stirring, this easy risotto is cooked in the oven, giving you more time to do, well, other things!

0:10 To Prep

0:40 To Cook

11 INGREDIENTS

4 SERVINGS

4.5 AVG RATING (28 Members)

Australian Good Taste

Australian Good Taste - August 2006 , Page 94
Recipe by Michelle Southan

• Ingredients

• 1/2 (about 800g) butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 leek, pale section only, washed, dried, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 (about 500g) single chicken breast fillets, coarsely chopped
• 330g (1 1/2 cups) arborio rice
• 1L (4 cups) Gravox Real Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup finely shredded fresh basil
• 1 tbs finely grated lemon rind
• 70g (1 cup) shredded parmesan
• Finely shredded fresh basil, extra, to serve

• Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Arrange the pumpkin on the tray and drizzle with half the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven, on the top shelf, for 10 minutes or until tender.
2. Step 2
   Meanwhile, heat half the remaining oil in a flameproof ovenproof dish over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned slightly. Add the rice and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
3. Step 3
   Cover the dish and place in oven with the pumpkin and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove the risotto and pumpkin from the oven. Add the pumpkin to the risotto with basil, lemon rind and 60g (3/4 cup) of the parmesan, and stir to combine. Divide among serving plates and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and extra basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy

Crown Melbourne hotel

Website: http://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/
Address: 8 Whiteman Street
Southbank 3006
Melbourne, Australia

It is the most expensive place to stay in.

Whilst there is all the glamour and glitz and activities, this place is known for attacks at nighttime especially near the casino area.

But it is good for the dining and entertainment... just as long as you don't out too late. There are so many places to choose from.

Galactic circus, a fun arcade is there.

The rooms at Crown is about $500 per night. But they have all the creature comforts as well as the amenities.

verdict: Crown isn't a place to stay for students, but except for the casinos it is a place to explore.

There'll be more visits to come- fun ones I hope.