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Fav Makers

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Finally a Canadian Citizen!

After nearly 12 years (😱) living in Canada, I am finally a citizen!  Most of you reading this will know my story by now, but to recap, I first moved to Toronto in 2011 on a Working Holiday Visa for what I thought would be a year, but then I met a boy and stayed.  Now here's the real fun part of how I got to this point, as it's a long way from a working holiday visa to citizenship!  Back in 2013 you were allowed to apply to IEC program (International Experience Canada - the Canadian working holiday program) twice, but now a second round is a lot more complicated, so I am grateful it was an option for me at the time.  Something I haven't shared much is the fact that my mum is also a Canadian citizen. She moved Canada around the same age I was when I moved here, for 6 years, and managed to also get her citizenship. My brother and I were actually eligible for Canadian citizenship if we applied before the age of 18, but my dad thought it probably wouldn't be necessary fo...

Yes'23

Today, I made the trek to the Australian Consular office in Toronto to cast my vote in the upcoming Australian Referendum to update the Australian Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. For me, this is a no-brainer. How one of the oldest ontinuous civilizations in the world is not officially recognised in the constitution by those who colonised is baffling, to be honest. As you well know, I recently became a Canadian citizen and had to recite the Canadian oath of citizenship , and affirmed that I would faithfully observe "The Laws of Canada, including the Constitution which recognizes and affirms The Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples". There is no such references in the Australian Constitution, so it's time to change! As a first and second generation immigrant, I know how it can feel to be "othered" for nothing you can control. And of couse as a...

Music Education is important

Today I had the pleasure of performing with Sydney Wind Symphony, my former band in Sydney. I joined them fresh out of high school at then trumpet teacher Andrew Hulme's insistence. A lot of people play in school bands all the way through and then just stop, so I was very happy for the gentle nudge to join an A grade level band. But playing trumpet for 28 years would not have been possible without my first trumpet teacher, Tim Rowland, who started at TPS the same year I joined from another school. He saw something in me and quickly promoted me to the Senior bands, and continues to be responsible for cultivating some of the North Shore's most talented young musicians. Playing with Sydney Symphony when I was fresh out of school, and a license late bloomer, would also not have been possible without all the lifts from fellow South Turramurra locals Sarah and Peter Eagling! They were my ride to and from rehearsals, performances and competitions until I got my license at age 21, and ...