My journey to become an Australian citizen

Last week we learnt about Australian cultural diversity. This week your teacher may also work with you to complete a writing activity or recording an interview on Harmony Day. The best articles which will become part of a future blog post. 

This week we read about a DL student, whose  pride and love of Australia drew her to become an Australian citizen.

My name is Emily and I am from Taiwan. I have been in Australia for 5 years and recently received my Australian Citizenship Certificate on Australia Day. I would like to share with you how I gained my citizenship and the highlights of the citizenship ceremony.

I started my citizenship preparation 1 month before the examination day. The first thing I did was go to my local town hall to get the resource book Australian Citizenship – Our Common Bond. I spent 1 week reading this, then downloaded an App called Australian Citizenship Test Practice to my smartphone. After that, I spent half an hour a day using the App to practice the test questions. I felt confident by doing this practice. On the examination day, I was well prepared and passed the test on my first go.

Emily's local newspaper

 There were a few factors that made my citizenship ceremony such a special day.  First of all, the ceremony was on Australia Day, 26 January 2017 and it was a  glorious day with bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine. Secondly, my parents-in-law drove all the way from Victoria to South Australia to attend my ceremony.  It was wonderful to have my family there to share my happiness. Another factor was that I was the only Asian among the 36 new citizens. Finally it was  not just my citizenship ceremony, but also everybody celebrated Australia Day. We had the local mayor lead us in singing Advance Australia Fair and we read out the pledge together. During the ceremony we had some Australian signature food- sausages with bread, pavlova and pancakes with jam. We all experienced the Australia Day spirit.

The following week, surprisingly, I saw an article in the local newspaper. It was titled ‘Gawler welcomes record new citizens’ with a photo of our group and the mayor. The mayor said that she thought of the positive impacts that new citizens make in the community, “I think that it will enrich our community, I always think of the different food we get to experience. Over time, understanding different cultures and welcoming people from different parts of the world into our community will make us stronger.”  For me, it was such a wonderful day that gave me a lot of great memories. I am proud to say, I am an Australian. Ozi ozi ozi! Oi oi oi!    

Would you like to know more about the citizenship test? Click to go to the Australian Citizenship resources HERE.

• Why do some people want to become Australian Citizens?
• If you wanted to become an Australian citizen would you use the App to study?
• The new citizens ate Australian signature food -sausages on bread and pavlova. What do you think is a typical Australian dish?

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going

All the people in the world dream of a better life.  Like any other person, I too had big dreams of a better life in Australia.  I was very excited to meet an Australian man who told me he loved me and would look after me until the end of life.  We got married, I took early retirement from my government job in Thailand and came to live in Australia.  I left behind my two daughters in their twenties for my new dream, my new husband, my new life.  I was very happy.

We settled in North Queensland and my husband worked as a bus driver then a truck driver.  I had different jobs, cleaning buses, babysitting, housekeeping, working as a kitchen hand and on a farm planting, picking and packing.  I couldn't choose my jobs in Australia but I worked hard and did an honest job everywhere I worked.  The saddest thing for me was when our marriage broke down and my husband left me.  I wasn't good enough to be his wife any more and I was disappointed that he wasn't the man I thought he was.

Things got tougher for me.  I had no place to live so I stayed in an old church.  Jobs were up and down and I didn't have enough money to send to my family in Thailand.  I got sick and my health got worse.  But through tough times I learned many life lessons and found strength to keep going.  God gave me many blessings to make up for the hard times.

I found myself using my energy to study.  I did a certificate in food handling and a certificate in construction at TAFE and I'm studying AMEP by Distance Learning.  I got my Australian citizenship after trying so hard to read the book for 4 months.  I was proud of myself to get 19/20 in the test.  I had mixed feelings, happy to be Australian but sad for all the things I lost in the past.  Last month five of my new friends came along with me to the citizenship ceremony then we celebrated the Aussie way, we went to the pub and had a couple of beers!

Such is life, the ups and the downs .. It tests you to see what you're made of .. yet I keep going, I keep trying, I keep dreaming .. dreaming of a better life.

Thanks to our student for sharing this great story of resilience, courage and hope.  We wish you every success and happiness for your future.

• What were your expectations before you came to Australia?
• Was your experience different from your expectations? In what ways?
• What helps you deal with life challenges?
• What does your dream of a better life look like?