Our family left Ireland during The Troubles. It was a difficult decision, as my mum’s one of ten and my dad’s one of seven, so to leave that huge support system wasn’t easy. At that time, I was 8. I don’t remember much, but apparently a lot of Catholic and Protestant...
When I arrived in Wagga Wagga, it was freezing, which was a shock for me coming from Karachi in Pakistan! At first, I was a bit homesick and depressed. But after a few months, I moved in with Gloria, an elderly lady, who really made an effort to introduce me to the...
My parents had a good life in Burma, in the upper echelons of society, with a huge house and many servants. But my older brother was born with a rare blood disorder, and my parents were told he wouldn’t live long due to the quality of medical care in Burma. Also in...
One of my earliest experiences in Australia was having my first Tim Tam in the hotel room in Adelaide after a very long flight. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, I have to keep the other one for my husband!’, but then after an hour, saying, ‘Nah’, and eating it myself!...
When my mum was 8 years old, she found out that her mother was going to sell her to pay off a debt. She ran away to a convent, and after that, she was looked after by the Catholic church. Throughout her childhood, she was moved from convent to convent because of the...
