Australia Day

Each year on 26 January, Australians celebrate Australia Day. My Aussie friends might debate whether the date marked the arrival of the first fleet in 1788 or the day the constitution was formed, but to me, Australia Day is a celebration of the Great Australian Lifestyle.

Someone might be right when he said that Australia Day is just another holiday for Aussies to chill out with family, friends, beers and fire up some BBQ. That is probably how many people celebrated. Gathered at the backyard, lounging on foldable camping chairs, under a pergola or an umbrella or perhaps by the pool. Lamb and sausages on the BBQ and lots of cold drinks in the cooler-box.

We were invited to our friend Alison's home to celebrate Australia Day this year and hers is a lovely place. A perfect example of an Aussie home. Outside, a Federation style facade, fronted by a neat little garden. On the left, the garage which housed a 7-seater and a ute. On the right parked their newly purchased caravan. Inside, a recently renovated modern interior complete with a dining table suitable for 8. Beyond the french doors is the backyard, where most of the action took place. There's a gas operated BBQ stove, a jacuzzi spa, an outdoor wooden table and bench under an umbrella and even a ping pong table and trampoline. There, we spent 5 hours, eating barbequed meat, vegetables and chips, drinking wine, talking to friends and waving the flies away. It was a lazy lovely afternoon.  

I wrote about the Australian lifestyle when I first arrived in Melbourne and now, after almost two and a half years of living it, I have to say I'm loving it! One of the greatest things about it is there are so many ways we can spend our weekends and holidays. Although we missed out on family gatherings, we're often invited to friends' homes for casual dinners, birthday celebrations or festive occasions. If we're not going to someone's home, we can choose to go for long drives. Often we organise trips to the country, beach or picnic grounds with them. In the summer months especially, there are so many festivities and weekends are unusually busy. 

The lifestyle was different back in Singapore, we often crack our heads deciding what to do during weekends. I find the weather so humid that the only places we can go to during weekends are air-conditioned shopping centers. But the crowds put us back and other prohibitive thing is the parking. Everywhere you go, even to visit people's homes, parking's either limited, crowded or expensive. All these considerations makes it pretty stressful when we want to go out and enjoy ourselves.  

I guess, we are lucky also that during our two years plus here, we have made many new friends, almost all of them from Singapore and their families. Some have migrated here by marriage and have fair dinkum Aussie partners. Others moved their complete families over. The husbands talk shop with each other and the wives meet for ladies only buffets sometimes. The children have made friends with each other so it's really great that when we meet, the children look forward to playing with their friends as well. Coming up, a picnic at the playground in Geelong and Chinese New Year festivities! A combined reunion dinner, a trip to the Chinese bazaar by the river and visiting!

I better get going....got to bring the children to get some new pyjamas and hopefully, I get to bake the peanut cookies today.