My daughter has just recently started high school here in Melbourne, she is just 11 (high school starts in year 7 in Australia.) Since day one, she has been bullied and laughed at because of her place of birth, even though she has never lived there. Whether out at recess or in the classroom, there…
Almost 15 months to the day, that we originally applied for our Australian citizenship, we were invited in to the Home Affairs office for our official interview and exam. We were advised the process would take approximately 2 hours at their downtown Melbourne location. My husband and I went in together as the kids were…
Melbourne has some unique roads and driving rules that we haven’t experienced in the rest of Australia. Here are a few things that come up in conversation in our house. Trams Driving on tram tracks is not a relaxing experience. We have them all over town and sometimes they are designed just to be used…
We applied for Australian citizenship in the last year. It’s a total waiting game with zero communication from Home Affairs between submitting your documents to awaiting notice to come in for your official interview. Depending on who you ask, people wait anywhere between 3 months and 2 years. The Home Affairs Immigration website displays how…
I literally had no idea about the grading system in Australian schools until recently and we have been in Oz now for going on 5 years. To be honest, I had a partial idea from what my kids have told me, but never did any research on the topic. I am just not the type…
Bench – it’s in your kitchen and your bathroom – it’s the counter! Why do they call the kitchen counter a bench? It comes from both “benchtop”or “workbench”. G’day – The very Aussie way to say hello is way more common here in Melbourne as compared to Sydney. If I heard it twice in Sydney…
Taking a gravestone rubbing is commonly used by family history researchers for preserving a tombstone inscription. I remember doing this as a child with my primary school class at a local cemetery in Connecticut. It’s quite easy and fun and makes for a unique activity to do with kids. I did a quick search online…
My gorgeous friend left me a text message that she had dropped a gift at my front door this morning. Two garbage bags full of lemons is what I found. This is the second time in the last 6 weeks she has been kind enough to treat me in this way. Seriously, how lucky am…
Did you see it? It was probably the best one I have ever witnessed myself. The clear autumn sky made the viewing here in Melbs spectacular. My family and I watched from our driveway as we tried to photograph the moon in its transition.
I read yesterday that Melbs was on day 160 of lockdown since the pandemic began, wow! We have not had it easy compared to the rest of Australia but as always we have been grateful for a government that actually takes the measures to enact such restrictions. I know our family is willing to do…
Five Abroad 
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