Journalist Pat Abboud tells the wild story of his parents’ marriage, which his Lebanese grandparents – his Teita and Gedo – desperately tried to prevent. He also explains how his relationship with his beloved Teita changed when he learned to speak Arabic, picking up new words and phrases as they cooked together.
Pat Abboud is a master storyteller. He’s won a veritable trophy room of international and Australian journalism awards, created TV shows, podcasts and documentaries. But one story he’s never told is the dramatic tale of his parents’ marriage.
Their hook-up very nearly ended in disaster thanks to his Gedo – his grandfather – who tried to stop the union at all costs.
When Pat came along, he and his Teita became incredibly close, and she ultimately became his hero. She taught him to cook her favourite meals, showed him what unconditional love looked like, and inspired him to learn to speak Arabic as a teenager.
Pat tells Lizzy Hoo the incredible story of his family’s life in Lebanon and explains why learning his Teita’s language became so crucial as he got older.
I think it's very beautiful for me to know and understand the life that they lived in Lebanon before they had to escape and come to Australia. And then the love that they continued to have here, there's something really beautiful about what they shared.Pat Abboud
Grand Gestures is a Deadset Studios production for SBS Audio.
Host: Lizzy Hoo
Guest: Pat Abboud
Executive Producer: Kellie Riordan
Supervising Producer: Grace Pashley
Producer: Liam Riordan
Audio editor and sound designer: Jeremy Wilmot
Production Manager: Ann Chesterman
SBS Audio: Caroline Gates, Joel Supple, and Max Gosford
Artwork by Universal Favourite
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.
