Topic Tuesday// Home Away From Home// Tuesday 28th February 2023 5:30-7PM AEDT

[TideisTurning]

It also sounds like there was a real sense of liberation for you both after coming here @Former-Member @amber22 😊

[TideisTurning]

Our next question for the evening: What has the experience of moving to Australia been like?  

[Former-Member]

I moved to Australia as an international student, hence some of my experiences were not exactly how they portray it to be in movies or Instagram. It was riddled with stress to pay my tuition fee, rent, utilities and manage a full-time study load and a job. I was blessed to be living with some amazing humans at my student accommodation whom made the experiences worthwhile. For me, I felt an added pressure to not ‘show’ to my family back home that there were days I felt like I was drowning because they had supported me so much to be able to make my dreams come true. Homesickness can hit you at the most random times. You’re walking through a shopping centre and smell the food of your home country and burst into tears. Or it could be just watching a family having fun together at the park. or just watching an Instagram story of your friends back home meeting up.  On bad mental health/sick days when you just a need a hug from a parent, it can feel brutal. Coupled with the border closures when I couldn’t see my family for 3 years makes you grateful for every living moment with your loved ones and cherish them. However, through this rollercoaster I had the privilege of waking up to beautiful blue skies, flora & fauna & interacting with such friendly, immaculate coffee, professional opportunities and kind humans.   

[amber22]

I think for me, moving to Australia had it’s ups and downs in terms of how different the culture is here in comparison to the country I was living in before. Australia is a lot more relaxed and laid-back, and things that are seen as the ‘norm’ here were things that I was not used to at all before. Even simple everyday happenings such as going out at night time, or being able to go for a walk after dark made me realise just how different the culture was and how much safer I feel here.  

[TideisTurning]

Time for our next question: What has it been like to try to integrate into a new society and explore new facets to your identity?@Former-Member@amber22

[Former-Member]

My mother always taught me to live with integrity, have self-respect and stay true to my values. Cultural clashes are still something I have to navigate, and often remind myself that communication is a two-way street. It can be an isolating experience when you are subjected to micro-aggressions or discrimination due to your ethnicity, however reaching out for mental health support and connecting with people from my home country is helpful to develop better boundaries and stand up for myself- I am certainly not alone and it pains my heart that this is a common reality for all of us even today. Through this process, I have learnt so much about myself..that more than anything else, I am capable to take on challenges & thrive alone.

[amber22]

I have been very lucky in the fact that I have learnt a lot of things and picked up on a lot of the Australian culture as I have grown with it. I embraced the culture a lot easier than some of my other family members.  

Moving from another country when you’re in your adolescence can be hard, especially during school. My brother was badly bullied because of his accent and how different he was in comparison to everyone else at his school, which made it a lot harder to gel with others and to find that trust with others for him. 

[TideisTurning]

I can only imagine how much of a challenge this can be sometimes. There are some elements of your culture of origin that are important, but trying to hold onto those in a society where the dominant is different to that is a minefield, I’m sure. For my part, I try to learn what might be important for someone and learn more about it so I can acknowledge and where possible, incorporate it into my own things. For example, I have a loved one who celebrates different things around the End Of Year period, so I try my best to figure out the dates (which change year to year) and acknowledge it when it comes around.

[Shaz51]

Hello @amber22 , @TideisTurning , @Former-Member 

[amber22]

Hey! @Shaz51 So lovely to have you here with us 🙂