Australia Day away

The past couple of months, I've felt the need to watch and read Australian stories. I've downloaded episodes of Redfern Now, Puberty Blues, Underbelly and The Time of Our Lives.  Being away from Australian shores makes me appreciate how important it is to tell Australian stories in our own way, in our accents with our quirks. Sure we may cringe at 'Get us a chiko roll, ya moll!', but it's a little part of who we are and it's important to take a look in the mirror now and then, appreciate the good and hopefully move up and on from the bad.

As the family set off to work and school yesterday, my Facebook page filled up with Australia Day celebrations a world away. The girls tied back their hair with a kangaroo and koala clip, the boy wore his 'Australia' t-shirt, I made lamington cupcakes as an after dinner surprise. People greeted us with "Happy Australia Day!" like it was our birthday.

We'd already had our own Australia Day celebration on Friday evening. We were invited to an Aussie friends home for a lamb roast and Skip made some Anzac bikkies to take along (although they didn't quite make it there). It was a sensational lamb roast stuffed with garlic and chilis, a multicultural nod from our Fijian Indian Australian host. We shared it with Malaysians, a Russian, a Swiss and an Indian person (it then turned into a double Australia Day/Indian Republic Day as they share the same date).

Once again, I looked around as we all shared food and stories and felt so grateful to be in this position. I loved hearing about growing up in Soviet Russia or how speaking three languages fluently in just normal everyday life in Basel. I was fascinated hearing about being a Muslim and living in New Zealand, Australia and the UAE in a few short years and the difference (and similarities) between life in Mumbai and Dubai. In a strange way it felt like the best way to celebrate Australia Day. And as with any celebration talk kept coming back to sport and food - the passions the world over.

So as Aussies, I believe, we need to keep telling our own stories and making sure we listen with genuine curiosity to other people's too. It's the only way we're going to evolve and be the best country we can.