Oddly enough I’ve been to Australia but Australia Day has very fond memories for me living in Kuwait. Living in this small Arabic state is defiantly a unique life experience. For start it’s a dry country so going to the pub to meet your friends is never on the menu. The first time I went there I recall there was a momentous rugby win for Ireland, on St Patrick’s Day and I couldn’t get my hands on one drop of alcohol to celebrate!
Living in a dry country you went to great lengths to get your hands on alcohol and we went to parties in places that turned a blind eye to us topping up the minerals with a little something from the hip flash. So we had a social calendar that involved formal dinner dances of all the national days of the english speaking world.
Australia day was always the first one in the year and a welcome lift after Christmas and the lull of January organised by the Australia social committee. The next one was the St Patrick’s Day ball and funnily enough I remember being at both these thinking it was time for me to move to pastures new. I was in the same location, in the same outfit (my only green formal dress) and I realised living for a long time in Kuwait would start to feel a bit like groundhog day as the social calendar never changed.
But one thing I will say is that when I think about this time in my life it’s like something I could be reading in a story book belonging to the kids. Days on private yachts, formal dinners with Kuwaiti princes, invitations to embassy parties. It all seems a bit surreal now as I’m up to my elbows in pooey nappies and watching Peter Rabbit on the TV…again!
The 26th of January commemorates the first landing in Australia of a fleet of 11 ships commanded by British Captain Arthur Philip in 1788. Captain Philip first arrived at Botany Bay but the bay seemed to be unsuitable to set up a Penal colony. He then went to Sydney Cove where he raised the Union Jack flag, thus establishing the British colony. I’m sure that the day has mixed feelings now as they debate being part of the Commonwealth but it’s a good excuse to party.
The ‘Galah’ Ball takes place in Dublin this weekend and proceeds will be donated to bush fire relief funds to help support our friends and families across communities in Australia affected by the fire crisis.
So here’s to you Australia. I’ll ask Alexa to play ‘I come from the land down under’, make a donation to the bush fire relief and thank Australia for the memories of getting dressed up in a gown, drinking on the sly and dancing the night away with my friends.
