Another beautiful day

 Having my favourite dessert after lunch - ice cream ...

 Delicious - a layer of fruit salad, topped up with natural coconut ice cream and tipped with the superb durian ice cream.  We got the yummy ice cream from the Green Land Supermarket, at the shopping centre opposite Green Valley Public School.  When you drive in, it is on your right, you can't miss it.  Tran, the shop assistant is also very friendly.  She has all sorts of ice cream Asian style from Thailand and the Philippines.  When you go there, just mention Radio Lao Champa, she might give you a discount, who knows?

 Khamsene with the rose from our front yard.

 Fresh salad as part of our lunch.  This bowl of salad costs about A$1.00.  Serious!

Khamsene's very own vase of pink rose.  He can be romantic sometimes ... Ummm ...

Our fond memories to Mum and Dad

ຮູບພໍ່ແລະແມ່ (ຊ້າຍສຸດ ແລະ ທີສາມຈາກຂວາ) ຖ່າຍກັບ ບັນດາເພື່ອນໆຂອງເພິ່ນ. ຂໍຂອບໃຈຍາອາວ ສີຈັນ ຈິຕດຳຣົງ (ຢືນແຖວສອງ) ທີ່ໄດ້ເອົາຮູບນີ້ໃຫ້.

A little bit about my garden

All these photos were taken in my very own backyard.  I can tell it is the beginning of the Spring season.  The leaves in my garden start to appear ....

 And the flowers start to bloom ... everywhere ...

 

Purple ...

White ...

My late mother used to feed the birds - doves and parrots.
And now they start coming back for me to feed them.  Firstly, just one ...

And then, it calls its partner ... "come on dear ... it's safe here and there's a lot of food for us".

This year, I also have sunflowers in my backyard.  Thanks to Khamsene who sowed the seeds a while ago for me.

At its fullest bloom ... very daring under the shiniest sun ... the sunflowers are very different from other flowers.  My mother used to say that I should be like a sunflower, courageous and different.

The sunflower in my backyard.

 There are also other flowers such as these orange orchids ...

The first blooming flowers on the plum trees ... I call it "Sakura".

The orchids look somehow mysterious in the mid-day sun of Spring.

At sunset ... in my backyard.

My favourite corner where I can read quietly and observe the nature surrounding me.  However, it is not quiet all day long because "Zuz", the dog of my neighbour sometimes got lonely and he barks to get my attention.  Zuz is big black Rott Weiler.  He looks scary to strangers but for me he's a good neighbour and he reminds me of my previous dogs - all Rott Weilers Nang Ninh, Thao Nelson and Thao Jack.  I also used to have nang Gina, an intelligent pommaranian who can understand commands in three languages - Lao, English and Mandarin.  They all are now gone due to old age but they always remain in my heart.

Just another thing I do with passion

 Working on a voluntary basis as a broadcaster at SWR FM99.9 every Sunday from 10 am to 12 am, I share my views with the listeners of Radio Champa.  We attract a lot of call-ins and many have shown interest in coming to the studio to see how the team works.  In this photo, Viradeth Chitdamrong visited our studio recently.  I gave him some tips as to how to engage the listeners.

I took photo with Viradeth at the end of the radio session.  In fact, Viradeth is one of my students who are attending the Diploma in interpreting at Granville TAFE at the moment.  I am working hard on producing more qualified interpreters to serve Lao community in Sydney.

A journey of my life ...

During the early years in Australia.  I started my first job with Immigration Department as a Bilingual Information Officer at Westbridge Migrant Hostel.  I was also studying at University of Western Sydney for my first degree in Social Science.  Later on I moved on to do a Master in Applied Linguistics at Macquarie University.

At the age of 16.  Little had I known that I would be leaving Laos and settling in another country that I had hardly heard of. I intended to go to France because that was the country I knew best and I had also learned French at school.  I am glad I ended up in Australia because there has not been any moment that I regret coming here.  Ever since, I have called "Australia" home.  But Laos is still in my heart and I can say without hesitation that "I am proud to be Lao".

At 15, my life was pure and free of trouble.  In those years, there was no drugs nor cyber bullies.  But I always had inspiration of changing the world.  Being brought up in war torn country like Laos, I always thought that there must be something I could do to stop the war.  Now, I know the world is far more complicated than I thought as a young girl.  But I still maintain - there must be something WE ALL CAN DO TO STOP THE WAR!

Time to reflex

Lovely orchids - blooming every spring for us to enjoy

Snowpeas in a hanging pot - bearing both flowers and peas

Stairs to our backyard

Cosy veranda and peaceful backyard garden

My favourite corner - under the morning sun, readiang and sipping coffee

A home made cuppucino

Time to enjoy coffee - all phones off so I won't be disturbed.  But feel free to leave a message.

Simple things in life can generate peace.

Beautiful cloud - as soft and white as cotton wool

Oh! Something is happening up in the sky

Suddenly the sun shines and the sky lits up!

I can't believe my eyes ... my name is up there.  Mum and Dad are trying to send a message to me.

A long chair at my favourite corner under the early morning sun

Peace, tranquility and reflex ...

A journey of my life ... still long way to go and full of challenges.  I know I can do it because I have a lot of loved ones

Corriander in a glass ... from my backyard

Khamsene is enjoying breakfast (and corriander?)

Crispy bread and fresh corriander from my backyard - a healthy breakfast

No, this is not Japan.  It's still the backyard of my little prairie house.  At night, the lamp lits up romantically.

My busy bee life

In less than two weeks, I have engaged myself in so many activities.  Now I know why I am exhausted.  For example - in a meeting with Lao Oz Foundation.    L to R: Viradeth (Bill) Chitdamrong, Vonevaly (Von) Vongthevanh, Viphavady (Vicky) Rattanavong, Thevarack (Andrew) Ditthavong and Parinya (Parry) Sanixay and myself.

 A visit by Solicitor Sengdeuane Do to our SWR FM99.9 on a Sunday afternoon where I broadcast and produce news in Lao language.

 Co-teach a Sunday Lao class for adults with Bill Chitdamrong.  L to R: Students Gavin, Luke, myself, Bill, Marnie and Manoly.  Very serious students - they all now are on top of all consonants and vowels and manage to read and write simple sentences.  Good on you!

 Attend a festival organised by a Muslim community after the Ramadan (one of month of fasting during the day until sunset) is over at Fairfield showground.

Driving a coach, seriously!  

 Taking the Lao voice over group to Fox Studio to record for different scenes for the new movie "The Rocket" or "ບັ້ງ​ໄຟ"​.  L to R: Pauline, Khamsene, Bounhom, Bounlay, Vicky, Cassandra, Phonlavouth and Somphanh.

The ladies during a recording session.  From L to R:  Cassandra, Bounhom, Pauline, Bounlay and Vicky.

 Listening to a presentation in Lao language by student Gavin.  Well done Gavin!

 Looking after Khamsene who was sick due to Sydney flu.  Everybody got it, so did he.  Poor thing!

 With sister Fongchanh on the day she was handed the key to her new house in Middleton Grange.  A lovely 3 bedroom house in a quiet surrounding, green environment and very friendly neighbours.

 In front of the new house.  A pity they are not going to move in because they already got a house in Bonnyrigg.

Cooking for newphews and nieces.  All the kids can eat spicy paw paw salad now (ຕຳ​ໝາກ​ຮຸ່ງ).  They can also eat khao niou (ເຂົ້າ​ໜຽວ) using their hands.

L to R:  Tina Phoumindr (her Dad Soukanh), Tammy and Dennis Phounsavanh.