The Neighbourhood

I came across on a boat a few years ago now, dressed as a fisherman. But after a short period of time spent in a refugee centre in Thailand, I was able to move on from my past life in Vietnam, and start anew in Australia.

Having nothing more than a small bag and the clothes on my back, I moved into the well-known, Vietnamese area of Cabramatta in Sydney. The neighborhood was full of small shops and restaurants, some starting out, just as I was, and others that had clearly become thriving businesses. Everybody worked hard in Cabramatta and many of the shops stayed open all year-round, only closing in February to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

I knew no one in my neighborhood, but as soon as I arrived in Cabramatta, it was clear that if I was to set up a life for myself, I had to be determined, and prepared to work hard - all day, every day.  But despite their strong work ethic, all my neighbors were welcoming. People in the street smiled with a knowing look in their eyes.  Everyone understood what I had encountered in order to start again, as they had. The building I lived in was quite old, and everything inside my apartment seemed to break at my touch. But the openhearted and hospitable nature of the people I was surrounded by, made the dingy, old, apartment building feel like a home.