My Australia: Series 2 - Episode 1

Hello, I'm Vijay Khurana, welcome to the second series of My Australia,
the show about people from overseas having Australian experiences.
Here's what's coming up
Thao climbs up one of Australia's most famous landmarks
Jason introduces his friends to Malaysian cuisine
and Shobbie learns to pull a beer.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is famous the world over, but you might not know you can climb
up to the very top!
I've done it once before, and let me tell you, the view is fantastic.
Let's join Thao as she does what Sydney-siders call "The Bridge Climb".
My name is Thao and I'm from Vietnam and I came here when I was seventeen.
I have one brother and I lived with my parents and my grand mum back in Vietnam.
I was a very good student like when I was a kid.
I have been living in Australia for four years.
What attracted me about Australia is the environment here,
is really peaceful and it's quite clean.
I live in a flat with a couple and they just have a new-born baby.
I studied Environmental Science but then I changed my major to Chemistry and my graduation
was in May 2010.
Sometimes, on my day off, I may hang out with friends for a cup of coffee, and we go round
window shopping.
Sometimes I go to my uncle's place to play with my cousins.
The best thing about living in Australia is that you've been close to the Earth, close
to the sky.
And you're between Earth and Heaven.
I don't know, it's something different that I guess, especially when you go the beach
you can't see any border between the sky and the sea.
You feel something of the same colour.
I guess I think I'm quite emotional person and when I write a diary I put all of my feeling,
my emotions into that,
especially when in front of the beach, you feel close to nature.
I think Sydney Harbour Bridge is famous all over the world.
I have seen it a lot but I have never climbed up it
so I think it will be very challenging and very interesting for me to try something that
a lot of people have dreamed of.
I'm eager, nervous and worried but most of the time I think I'm very excited.
I used to be scared of heights. What I can learn from climbing Harbour Bridge is gain
my confidence.
I tell myself I can do then I'm sure that I can do it.
When you climb up to the top you can have like a feeling close to the ...
like sometime when I look at the bird, like flying in sky and the beach,
just today I feel like maybe I would be one of the birds that's flying in the sky.
It's quite high actually. Be great if I can go up there.
Be good, Yeah.
So welcome to Bridgeclimb Thao.
Thank you.
We're gonna put you into one of our harness belts. So,
Yep.
So this is our little slider that we'll be connecting you to the bridge with.
Yep.
So everyone's always nice and safe.
I'm very excited yeah, going to do something awesome.
I want to do it, right now.
So welcome to the Sydney Harbour Bridge Thao.
Have a look at this. How good is this?
This is my workplace. I'm out here every day.
You're lucky.
It's a beautiful workplace.
Very lucky.
Now we're going to go right out over the Harbour on this catwalk.
Wow!
What do you think of the Sydney Opera House?
It's beautiful.
Spectacular.
It's just beautiful here. If you come to Australia you have to go and see.
You've gotta see the Bridge. You've gotta see the Opera House.
Yeah.
Now you too could be a climb leader Thao. We'll train you up.
Yeah, I'll take it.
Wow! Look at that.
Bradley's Head, North Head, Watson's Bay, Camp Cove, Manly, Bondi.
Check out the view of the arch.
Yeah, I was really happy to have two awesome climb leaders, Dean and Leon, who encouraged
me a lot and we have a lot of talk about history, and everything and the view and their life.
Stand like this.
Can you imagine to step over a metre gap where you're right over Sydney Harbour, as he did.
That's scary. That's scary.
Not like now.
Did anyone die from it?
Sixteen people died.
Oh God!
And of those six died by falling off.
So my great uncle Albert was involved with building the Bridge. Well, he was a riveter.
He was one the guys that were basically working the sixteen kilogram pneumatic hammers, for
pushing the rivets through the steel.
Well I think he'd be pretty happy to know that I'm involved in the bridge as much as
he was.
Best job in the world.
You can see everything here.
You can pretty much see a lot of Sydney from here.
Yeah.
How good is this! Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Woo!
One hundred and thirty-four metres. Woohoo!
Yes.
I feel awesome, yeah. Feel like I'm a bird, high yeah? It's like very cool.
I feel like ... I think it's the highest place I ever, ever been, in my life, like I have
never been any higher than that so.
It was a great experience actually.
Yeah I really enjoy it here and I'm feel like I'm not scared of high at all. Not at all.
Before I thought I was really nervous and scared but actually I wasn't at all like,
I felt very comfortable.
I think it is because I think I enjoy it. That's why I forget about all the height or
about the anxiety and worries.
I think if I can do this one now I can do more and more challenges in Australia, and
I really encourage people to do the same thing.
That's Thao, on top of the bridge, and on top of the world.
Our next guest, Jason, is about to share some of his Malaysian culture with his Australian
friends.
I went to Malaysia on holiday a couple of years ago, and the food was amazing.
So let's see what Jason and his mates are going to cook.
My name is Jason Lee and I come from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
Yeah, when I was a kid I was like a young chubby kid and I was just enjoying life, just
being very carefree and happy-go-lucky, played a lot of Lego and computer games.
I remember memorising the TV schedule back to back once. And it was really, it was a
happy moment.
Kuala Lumpur is a bustling city. It's a city of two million or more people and it's a very
exciting place to be in.
On Sunday I visit, I go to church and I'm involved in the church back home and it's
been really fun being in a youth group and having a sense of community over there.
I like calling group photo. So if someone hears the word 'group photo' they know it's
Jason already.
And that's where memories are made and and I believe that all this lasts a lifetime and
my motive is obviously to meet people and to make opportunities.
I'm studying law. I did my first two years in a college in Malaysia and the balance of
my two years here in the University of Tasmania.
I live in John Fisher College which is part of the accommodation services at the university.
And I love my room, the views, the view of it's fantastic.
When I came here it looked a bit, at first, when you come in it's a bit quiet and things
were not happening, you could say,
but actually when you know the people and when you know the activities around Hobart,
it actually gets really exciting and really fun and I started to enjoy Tasmania.
Actually I'm in love with it right now.
I started this group called Happenings in Hobart,
and what it does is inform the people, the members in this group about the activities
that are happening in Hobart from the university activities to what's happening in the city.
And there's more than 200 members now and, for example, I am planning to organise this
Malaysian Merdeka Day celebration.
We've got at least 80 and we are aiming for a 100 people.
So how long do you think this will take to cook?
About two, three hours.
Two to three hours?
Yeah, need to boil it.
Let's see, hey, can you help me to clear the pot over there? Is it possible?
I'm actually feeling very excited. I'm feeling ...
I can't wait for it to happen but yet I'm actually I'm very grateful as well for the
friends who have volunteered to help me and those who sit behind me.
It's chicken curry too. We're making chicken curry for 80 people, so there's three large
pots of chicken curry now.
So we're trying not making so much spicy so that everybody can enjoy it.
You know, you don't get to say very often that I've cooked for 80 people for the night
and this one of the opportunities to do so.
As for now everything is all planned out and we'll see if it runs smoothly.
This one is really nice actually.
So after that will be the performances so when the mike stands comes, Silas could you
help me to just put the mike stands in a way that the microphones point upwards?
All right. So I'll go set up the PA now. I'll let you know.
Thomas you need to follow me, yes?
Would you like to grill the satays outside where they can see but you can carry the food
...
Around inside?
Yeah.
If they come in here you just lead them through there.
Hi. Hello.
Hi, how are you?
Good to see you.
We'll do it in here?
You can't grill here because we've got the fire alarm.
So we do it?
Outside there.
Outside there?
Yes.
Chibun, I need you hand right now with the screens because it's not working.
Can you come to Peppers now?
Yeah, yeah.
The projector isn't working.
Um, getting a bit nervous right now.
I'm not sure. Is it just speeches?
No, it's for singing.
It's for singing, so there will be more than one mike.
So once we press this it should work.
Oh, yeah..
No, no. You close this one now. Yeah.
Still haven't got the screen fixed yet so, we're hoping it will get done but everything
else looks good so far.
People are coming in and yeah.
I'd like to start by saying today is Malaysia's independence day.
It is the 31st of August and the day Peninsula Malaysia received its independence and later,
Malaysia, on the 16th of September 1963.
We are celebrating this in conjunction with Malaysia's national day celebrations and how
we're going to start it off is with food.
Let's start. As Malaysians we should be gracious.
Let those who are not from Malaysia have the food and get a go first.
Okay? So all those non-Malaysians, enjoy your meal.
Thank you.
Before I came to Australia I had never thought of doing something like this.
I just thought I'd come in and embrace the Aussie culture and learn about everything
Australia but I realise that's not the case,
that me being a Malaysian is like, you know, it's so full.
Your cup overflows and you've gotta do something being Malaysian.
It just exuberates out of you.
Yep, it's a big sigh of relief right now, knowing that everything is turning out well.
The photographer is here. The screen is fixed.
The food is done. And everyone is just enjoying themselves.
Instead of the international student community being an add-on to the University it needs
to be a really integral part
and there is so much diversity within the university because of them
and within the University naturally that the more we can see that become more visible,
I think it just reminds everybody that we're living in a very big world and the way to
connect to it is in relationships with people.
Tonight is a very special night as we're celebrating the Malaysian 53rd independence day.
Just singing the national anthem in Hobart itself, it just keeps me inspired,
to know that I'm Malaysian and I could do something for Malaysia.
Okay, well let's all hear - Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Give a hand to Malaysia for it's independence day.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for being part of this historic event for Malaysians in Hobart and in Tasmania.
Coming here, I really felt like a stranger at first
but after being here and meeting the people I got to realise that there are friends that
can last a lifetime here
and they all came for support and I'm feeling really welcome now.
Even I celebrate this, and the amount of support, it's crazy.
Merdeka!
Merdeka!
One last time
Merdeka!
Merdeka!
Okay, give a hand for yourself.
Thankyou.
Alright.
I don't know what was more impressive, the food Jason made or that incredible dancing!
After the break, Shobbie learns the art of serving food and drinks and discovers it's
harder than it looks.
Stick around.
Hi, have you ever been ... worked as a waitress?
Yeah.
What's it like?
Horrible.
Have you ever worked as a waitress?
No I haven't.
Okay, what's the hardest job you've ever done?
Been a mum.
Have you worked as a waitress?
Yep.
What's the best thing about it?
Well, I used to work at Darling Harbour as a waitress and we used to dress up in character
and I was Judy Free the airline hostess.
Judy Free.
So, yeah. It was great fun.
I don't know, good to mix with the public, a good laugh.
The wave hit the boat - boom, boom, boom - chandeliers rattled.
The chandelier dropped, went down, bounced off his head, which was bald,
bounced off, hit his nose, landed in the bowl of soup, splashed all over him.
I just stood there and looked at him and said, 'I'll get the manager.'
How many plates can you carry?
Yeah, oh, in London I used to work at Chicago Pizza Bar so we had really big trays so I
don't know, twenty plates or something?
How many plates can you carry at a time?
Four.
And did your right arm get bigger because of that?
Oh, yeah. Huge. Big muscles on one side.
No.
What's the largest amount of tips you've ever earned in one night?
Interestingly it was when I worked for a government department I came away $300 in tips.
Oh, I think about $400.
Well, we've heard some different views about being a waiter.
Let's join Shobbie as she learns the ropes.
I'm Shobhana Nair and I'm from Malaysia.
I spent most of my childhood in my head. I was, you know, a dreamer.
I was chronically hyper-active, and sickly.
Friends would describe me as crazy, probably a bit eccentric.
Because I come from Borneo I'm not used to metropolitan life. I'm not used to things
being really fast-paced.
So Adelaide was a really nice mix of activity and the slow and comfortable pace that I find
perfect.
You're going to lose at that rate.
Ooh, shoo! Backseat chess berth.
I live with my sister and her partner comes around sometimes.
My hobbies are stereotypically nerdish.
I enjoy knitting simply because I have very bad hand eye coordination.
I'm currently studying Communications and Mass Media in UniSA Magill Campus.
The George or Robert Bloomfield?
Jodie I think.
Lucky! She's awesome.
I've always wanted to work in a bookshop and UniBooks is very convenient because I was
on campus already.
I got the job basically because I harassed the manager until I got the job.
Performing: it's a mix of excitement and nervousness.
It's fun. It's something I would never give up because even in school I was in the play
groups and I was in public speaking so, the stage calls to me.
I want to do bar-tending.
I want to learn how to make drinks, simply because it's one of those things you never
learn back home.
Just learn new hobbies and new skills and things that you would never have known before.
The social aspect of knowing how to mix a drink.
It's like being a bar tender is not just serving drinks, you're a social person, like, you
get to meet a helluva lot more people.
To come to a point where you can actually walk around with those plates, without having
to be worried about dropping them
or to know a wine off the top of your head,to know how to mix a drink or to know what a
drink is made out of,
that is what I'm looking forward to.
Are you right with weight?
Yes, yes. I'm good with weight.
Okay, let's do the fourth plate.
So, is that weight all right?
Yep.
I'm a bit worried about getting yelled at.
Get some plastic glasses.
Whoops.
I wasn't really into the clubbing scene back home.
I didn't get much of a chance to go into it but the few times I did, one of the things
I remember was you had to buy the bottle.
Buying one bottle allowed entrance for five people.
And smile.
I didn't realise how hard it was actually going to be physically. I thought it would
be mostly coordination but it isn't.
The plates are actually very heavy and to not spill a drink actually requires a lot
of coordination.
I have no idea how people do this professionally. I have no idea.
It's really very hard.
You're doing very well.
Thank you.
All right.
I am most nervous about the plate carrying because for the first time I meant to do six
plates, tonight,
as opposed to four and these are very heavy plates.
So, I hope I don't drop anything.
Drinking culture back home I think is a little different from what it is here.
Because Malaysia's a Muslim state, drinking isn't as widespread as it is here.
Finding out that there is literally a bar in every suburb was a bit of a shock.
It helps if you smile. Makes the beer taste better.
Okay.
Make sure you tilt it back, get some head on that.
Stop.
Not enough head, and leaked,
Aahh.
I did six plates. Awesome.
I have only ever done four. I did six today.
I didn't drop anything. I didn't break any ...
I nearly did but I didn't break anything.
After today I'll probably get put into a placement and I'll find out if my skills are worth it
in the real world.
This is the last part of my bar and waiting course.
Involves a work placement and I was placed in the Boho Bar.
I am very, very excited be this is work placement, this is real stuff and I hope I don't drop
anything.
Duck curry and it's actually pretty spicy.
It says mild but I tell people it's actually got a bit of a bite so, you know, coz a lot
of people are like,
'Oh, it's mild on the menu but it's too hot. I gotta eat some yoghurt.'
Wimps.
Yeah.
Ah, good, it shatters
You right?
Yep.
So, we've got all the cutlery here, the plates, napkins, everything you need to set the tables,
so ...
It's nearly 12 o'clock when the restaurant's gonna open.
We've just gone through like the basics of service and how they run it here in the Boho
Bar.
I'm really nervous.
Hi guys. You ready to order?
You in a hurry or ...?
My first customers have just come in.
I am excited but I'm very nervous and I need to go get their order.
And are you ready to order?
Not quite.
Not quite, just a couple more minutes.
No problems, take your time.
Thank you.
I just served my first drinks.
I was a little shaky but I didn't spill anything major so it was good and everyone was nice
and everyone's being so polite about it, so I'm very happy.
Balancing the tray is actually very tricky because when you pull a drink off you've got
to make sure the ones on it aren't spilling.
Hi and this is ...?
Oh the rasberry's mine.
This is yours, no problem.
And yours.
Great. Thank you.
Enjoy yourselves. Are you ready to order?
Yes.
We are.
Hit me!
I'd like to have Apple and Pear for lunch.
Ooh.
Yeah, just the dessert.
Go for it!
Yep, just dessert today.
There is a saying, 'Eat dessert first because you never know when you're gonna die.'
That's right, hopefully not quite ...
No, not right now but ...
Australians have an excellent sense of humour.
Even when something's going wrong there's always something to laugh about
and this is one of the most beautiful things about working with Australians and it's being
social.
It's always polite, there's courtesy.
Throughout this course I actually learned that that alcohol is a science.
It's not something that you just drink to get drunk or ...
A lot of young people look at it that way.
It's actually about taste and about the pleasure and what matches the food.
And it's ... the Australian life is ... it's a whole package.
You've got to enjoy your alcohol as part of the meal.
Shobbie did really well today.
We do get a lot of new people coming in and I'm often training them up and she did really
well.
I was really impressed.
She takes a lot of initiative and she's obviously got confidence which really helps and it's
always nice to have a bubbly personality around customers.
The hardest thing to do would definitely be carrying out the dishes and picking up the
drinks and just the physical labour of it.
It is very intensive, and I didn't know how intensive it would be because so far in training,
it's been empty plates.
It's a lot harder with actual food but it was still manageable.
I was surprised at how well it went. I didn't make any mistakes.
I didn't fall. I didn't trip. I didn't break anything and it just went smashingly.
It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.
Well done Shobbie, I'd say pouring a good beer is a very important skill to have.
Well, that's it for My Australia today, here's what's coming up next week.
Tiara plays the fascinating sport of roller derby
Suhasini goes to a bush dance
and Gustave earns some cash selling paintings at an art market.
See you then!