I love my life in multicultural Melbourne

 

by Helen Said

I am so lucky to be living in a multicultural suburb. Last week, I tutored some wonderful students who love maths as much as I do. Their South Asian-Australian parents treat me like one of the family. It is delightful to see their zest for learning and extra-curricular activities. 

This evening I went to a Turkish kebab restaurant with a Muslim-Australian friend who had decided not to fast for Ramadan. The waiters informed us that the tables were booked after 8pm for guests having Iftar dinner, so after we finished our meal, we came back to my place for a cuppa. My friend had her scarf all ready for evening prayers while I put the kettle on. We had a chat about the ups and downs of being divorcees from different migrant backgrounds. Then I gave her some lemons and figs from our (Greek) family gardens before she left.

Later, I had a chat with one of my younger Australian-born relatives and told him how we are all named after saints and older relatives and how we all got our names. He is reading a book I wrote about our Greek-Egyptian-Maltese-British family history and wants to learn more.

Tomorrow I am putting on my red shirt, not to campaign for Labor, but to disguise the splashes as I help cook passata at a traditional Italian sauce bottling day. A local rank and file Labor legend organises it every year and I have ordered two boxes of the sauce for family and friends.

As you can see from the photo, my Filipino-Australian Labor friends enjoy good food. I know them from the Labor Multicultural Policy Committee, and we have worked hard to contribute to the Victorian Labor state election platform which will be released soon, but we also find time to have fun.

My South East Asian dentists tells me he prays for his patients. I haven't worked out which god he prays to yet, but so far so good. I have more "crowns" than British royalty, and they have given me a renewed chance to chew on more delicious multicultural food. 

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