Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Our Austraia Day

January 26 is Australia Day.
The celebration of all things Australian.  The nation celebrates with a national public holiday.  The entire country has the day off.  Well before 7 day a week shopping we all had the day off, everything used to close and families hit the beach or back yard or parks for barbecues.  Now so many people have to work, hotels are open, restaurants and cafes, movie theatres and theme parks.  Well things change don't they, I am old school we should all get the day off I think.  Australia has changed so much in he last 200 years and especially recently.  We are such a multi-cultural country now.  Which is why my photos today are of the totally Italian Australia Day lunch the girls and I had. In 1988 the first national holiday was proclaimed and the holiday was held on the day 26th January.  Prior to that the holiday was held on the Monday closest to 26th and because of that for many people the meaning and reason behind the holiday was lost to the pleasure of a long weekend.  This year for instance Jan 26 was a Tuesday and the nation held its breathe waiting to see how many people would call in sick for work on Monday.  Approximately 250,000 people took sickies and cost the economy millions of dollars.  Oh the Aussie long weekend it is an institutuion.



Adrian went to work yesterday, not very patriotic is he, but he is really busy at the moment and our trip to France is looming, which stresses him as he tries to make sure he gets everything finished and has work booked in for our return.

A little Aussie fact for you,
The Australian Coat Of Arms has on it a kangaroo and an emu. The reason for this is that the kangaroo and the emu cannot go backwards but can only walk forwards.

Australia is the sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, China, the United States of America and Brazil. However our population remains relatively small at just over 20 million

Ashleigh, Danielle and I made pasta yesterday, the girls went to a cooking school in Tuscany at the end of their tour last year.  Unfortunately they only got to do two of the 7 days, as they came home to be with Lucas.  They have a cook book from the school and some cool chef hats and yesterday we used the pasta maker they gave me for my birthday on Monday.  We had fun.



Ashleigh made tomato pasta and Danielle plain, they were delicious.


Don't the beautiful strands look fantastic?
Then we made a delicious Chorizo, Tomato and Basil sauce.






A few more Aussie facts:
* On the 26th of January, 1788, The First Fleet of 11 ships with 1500 aboard, half of them convicts from Britain, arrived at the south eastern shores of Australia. The town of Sydney grew from that first small, British penal settlement. Australia day commemorates this.


* In 1988 at the Bicentenary, 51% of Australians couldn't see any good reason for celebrating.


About 160,000 convicts arrived over 80 years. That compares with free settler arrivals as high as 50 000 a year.

Australia today is a great country, we have chinese, african, italian, arabic, taiwanese, new zealanders, and so many more, we are a melting pot of people.  We can eat and enjoy so many varieties of food, we can listen to music and watch and participate in danicng and so many other cultutally diverse activities.  I have posted before about my work with refugees and migrants who have come to Australia and for myself and my family I know I am speaking the truth when I say we enjoy them, we are glad we have had the opportunity to meet them and to help and enjoy them.  Australia is a great place to live, all of us believe it to be.

Australia Day Happy Day

6 comments:

  1. Kim Very interesting, Happy blated birthday, It is 39 right. love ya, it is amazing the 3 of you in the kitchen cooking, my mother usually made us get out of hers...I wish when I was young I had enjoyed cooking with her. your trip to France sounds exciting. Take care, I do think of you lots, have not been getting around as much as I would like. take care.

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  2. It does look like fun!! Best days..days like those..Your girls are adorable!

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  3. making pasta from scracth... something on my to do list~

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  4. Oh Cinner I wish it was 39 but sorry add another 10 there. Ooh 50's just round the corner.
    Thanks Monique they are just so lovely.
    Kamana do it, it was really easy just a little messy and tasted great!!!

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  5. What you didn't make rissole!!! and you call yourself Australian. :) LOL

    I love pasta and I love the cultural diversity that is Australia today even if it does have some issue.

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  6. My mouth is watering! Cooking school in France is (or even Italy) is a dream for me.

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