Settling in a new country is challenging. For some it is a new beginning, for others who are afraid of change, it can be a nightmare. Whatever your reasons are for migrating, be it to study in a prestigious Australian university, fulfill your role as a wife to your Australian spouse, start a budding career in the workforce or build a better future for your entire family, the thing is change is never easy.
For these two Filipinas, life in Australia were not all pleasant experiences. They are one of the many Filipinos who struggled with loneliness and rejection during their early years in the country. However hard it was, they were able to overcome the challenges through the help of others and the sheer determination to survive.
To Australia with love
Rebecca Smedley arrived in Australia in 1983 and hails from the beautiful countryside of Eildon. Like any other love story, she moved to Australia for love. Being married to an Australian and giving birth to two beautiful bi-racial daughters were both fulfilled dreams for Rebecca. However, it did not come easy.
Although Rebecca was not really looking for a job when she first arrived, she figured she needed to do something. She started working as a cruise attendant at Eildon lake and later on worked in a fish farm. "When I arrived, I wasn't really looking for a job but eventually I had to look for something to do cos we didn't give birth immediately."
Rebecca struggled with loneliness for 6 months but through working and being actively involved in the church and other social activities around her town, she was able to repel the unwanted emotion. "6 months was the trying months because I had to learn where I belong but after 6 months it went smooth. I belong to the church, I belong to the golf club because my late husband was a very avid golf player," says Rebecca.
Though she isn't really that outgoing, she forced herself to go out and reach out to people because she thought that it was the only way she can make friends and learn the Australian culture. "I go out that's also one way of learning Australian culture and you learn how they speak and they learn from you as well," says Rebecca.
However, life became more difficult when her husband's life was cut short. Her daughters were just toddlers at that time. She had to balance work and parenting. She could have lost hope but she did not. She fought and raised two happy and successful daughters all by herself. This, for Rebecca, may have been hard but she is grateful that it made her a better person. Outpouring comfort from friends made the rather unexpected fate a little bit easy.
At 65 years old, Rebecca lives by herself since the passing of her husband. Her daughters have also left home to pursue their life ambitions. Now, Rebecca sees life on a different light since she started working at a nursing home, "Now that I work in a nursing home that gives me the pleasure of meeting old people, once you're there, the prospect of dying, it gets really easy", says Rebecca.
Rebecca's daughters. Source: Supplied- Rebecca Smedley
The quest for a better life
Melanie Nicodemus' story is common. In the hopes of a better life, she worked as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) in countries Kuwait, Dubai, Africa and many others. Too many to count that she can't even remember the other countries.
Melanie came to Australia in 1990, though it was not her goal to come to Australia, she believes that destiny played a big part. With 3 kids from her first husband in the Philippines, the independent lady bravely migrated to Australia without friends and family in the country.
Australia paved the way for new experiences. Though she was used to working at a young age, her experiences of rejection, brought her to her knees. "A lot of challenges, when I came to Australia it was hard for me. they did not give us a chance to work, when I came to Australia they told me my diploma was just a certificate," says Melanie.
Although bombarded with several rejections here and there, she did not give up. "I said to them, if you're not gonna give us a chance to work because we do not have experience , how can we have experience if we are strangers in Australia?" Says Melanie.
2 years of seeking work but to no luck, Melanie encountered an old friend she knew from the Philippines who advised that she apply as a hotel room attendant. She was desperate for any job but had doubts about the particular job considering that she held a degree in the Philippines. " I can't find a job for nearly two years of living in Australia, it was so stressful and she said why don't you apply as a hotel room attendant? Which I don't know how to do. I cried," says Melanie.
Finding a job and doing a job she had no clue how to do were Melanie's greatest challenges when she entered in Australia's workforce. Now, she is proud to say that though the beginnings were difficult, it led her to a fulfilling career in hotel management and was even promoted as supervisor. Who would have thought the one thing she dread could bring her somewhere good. But the outcome came with a price of brushing toilets and floors and sweeping people's mess.
At 64 years old she is still happily working for 26 years in the same industry and she will never forget what Australia taught her, "you need to work hard."
You may be in the same page or in a totally different situation, being proactive about integrating and adapting to a new life is the key. Be grateful for the ups and downs, you will thank them in the future.
Source: Supplied- Melanie Nicodemus
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