tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post1764470663045706794..comments2024-03-22T17:22:39.482+10:00Comments on A Welsh girl in Australia: Some thoughts on moving and settling in AustraliaBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071999450731273883noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-22104640227406868992011-07-05T20:55:58.670+10:002011-07-05T20:55:58.670+10:00Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possib...Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possibly try just some of it throughout my daily life.<br /><a href="http://www.synch1.co.uk/information/moving-to-australia-from-uk-135.php" rel="nofollow">Moving To Australia From UK</a>Steffihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06307240636561483902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-88700735029155819062011-06-14T06:10:27.454+10:002011-06-14T06:10:27.454+10:00I didn't have a chance to read this post prope...I didn't have a chance to read this post properly before now, and I'm so glad I came back and read it all properly. It's a great post, and it totally resonates with me too. <br />I have massive up and down moments asking myself where my kids should grow up, and who they will become, culturally speaking. At times it seems like such a HUGE deal, but other times not so much, as long as they are happy. My Mum also used to quote the Kahlil Gibran poem to me! There's a great book by Nikki Gemmell called "Why you are Australian: A letter to my children" (or something along those lines). Highly recommend it. You could write the Welsh version! ;) Sibs is lucky to have you as her Mum, and I am sure she will grow to appreciate her Welsh heritage more and more. <br />x RhiannonRhiannonhttp://www.flourchildren.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-69282136982997610982011-06-14T05:50:13.997+10:002011-06-14T05:50:13.997+10:00I can relate to this. I have a strong 'belongi...I can relate to this. I have a strong 'belonging' to Wales (especially when I go 'home' or see Y Ddraig Goch somewhere). But, Ioan was born in England, went to nursery in Holland before Kindergarten in Germany. Ollie was born in Holland and will go to school in Germany. He has no knowledge of Wales or England. I've been thinking recently about their identity, and will they condsider themselves to be British, German or European? Does it matter? I hope not...<br /><br />Claire SAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-38147626227991085962011-06-12T19:07:06.326+10:002011-06-12T19:07:06.326+10:00Hi Beth, thanks for visiting and leaving lovely co...Hi Beth, thanks for visiting and leaving lovely comments. Sorry I am just replying now. Love Linda xflowers on my tablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11134447944633072349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-3263032361653889552011-06-12T08:25:36.148+10:002011-06-12T08:25:36.148+10:00What a wonderful post! I love that you want to ret...What a wonderful post! I love that you want to retain your heritage for your daughter. It is a very important part of what defines us...you are all going to love life here in Australia, such a wonderful place to raise children, and only ever a plane ride ( albeit a long one!)away! My mother is English and we regularly return to visit family and friends, even after all these years, we do however love living our new chapter here in Australia.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14547190023377784732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-45535052309076991022011-06-12T08:20:33.034+10:002011-06-12T08:20:33.034+10:00What a wonderful post! I love that you want to ret...What a wonderful post! I love that you want to retain your heritage for your daughter. It is a very important part of what defines us...you are all going to love life here in Australia, such a wonderful place to raise children, and only ever a plane ride ( albeit a long one!)away! My mother is English and we regularly return to visit family and friends, even after all these years, we do however love living our new chapter here in Australia.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14547190023377784732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-10176008880411585602011-06-11T23:40:36.485+10:002011-06-11T23:40:36.485+10:00What a lovely post. Great pics especially of the t...What a lovely post. Great pics especially of the two of you. Thanks for sharing at Beach Cottage Good Life Wednesdays.abeachcottagehttp://www.beachcottage.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-1938355049001397662011-06-11T12:50:11.036+10:002011-06-11T12:50:11.036+10:00Beth I am so happy that you now feel more "at...Beth I am so happy that you now feel more "at home" here. I am sure that this has been a tumultuous journey for you and I know how hard it must have been for you because my mum did exactly the same thing 40 years ago. Like you, she calls Australia home but she still values the connection she has to England and that will never change and nor should it!<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />Natasha.<br /><br />PS I bet this cold and wintry weather we are having is a good reminder of why you love it out here!! BrrrNatasha in Ozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975487981963489572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-82421738921813258492011-06-11T00:39:21.542+10:002011-06-11T00:39:21.542+10:00Yesterday in the
car my daughter was
telling me ho...Yesterday in the<br />car my daughter was<br />telling me how much<br />she loves the Welsh<br />language. The world<br />has become a smaller<br />place thanks to technology.<br />I have a strong feeling<br />that Sib's growing up<br />will include all that <br />you want it to, be it<br />Australian, English or<br />Welsh. Beautiful picture<br />of you both!<br />xx SuzannePrivet and Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09384567378252265965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-73812706162813378292011-06-10T21:43:59.741+10:002011-06-10T21:43:59.741+10:00Beth, my mum often quoted Khalil Gibran to me (par...Beth, my mum often quoted Khalil Gibran to me (particularly the bit about bows and arrows) when I wanted to go out clubbing late wearing something inappropriate, when I made career choices, when I left home, when I moved abroad....here is an extract:<br />On Children Kahlil Gibran<br /><br />Your children are not your children.<br />They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.<br />They come through you but not from you,<br />And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.<br /><br />You may give them your love but not your thoughts, <br />For they have their own thoughts.<br />You may house their bodies but not their souls,<br />For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, <br />which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.<br />You may strive to be like them, <br />but seek not to make them like you.<br />For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.<br /><br />You are the bows from which your children<br />as living arrows are sent forth.<br />The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, <br />and He bends you with His might <br />that His arrows may go swift and far.<br />Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;<br />For even as He loves the arrow that flies, <br />so He loves also the bow that is stable.<br /><br />It doesn't matter where you live, what language you speak, your love for Sibs is the most important thing, she may grapple with her cultural heritage or swim smoothly in its waters but love knows no boundaries and she will always take strength from that.Sianhttp://sianlovesbooks.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-21568304432538322582011-06-10T16:29:59.679+10:002011-06-10T16:29:59.679+10:00wow- beth- that was an incredibly moving, heart fe...wow- beth- that was an incredibly moving, heart felt, very familiar to me post...<br />your love for your welsh culture & your newly adopted australian culture is what will guide you here...<br /><br />i totally understand so many of your thoughts...TOTALLY...<br />from the local people on your phone, to the waves in the street, to the new loved friendships....<br />i also understand the need for *our* children to understand both ways of life...the two {or three} places that have shaped them into who they are...and will be...<br />our youngest left australia when she was 2, and she just turned 6...i tell her tales of home constantly...she sounds english, but her heart was make in australia...<br />my mother-in-law {a wonderful WELSH woman!} lives in Sydney...she has done so for 40 odd years, since falling in love with my australian father-in-law...but she hasn't given up her welsh citizenship...<br />her heart has always been in two places...and her 4 beautiful children grew up knowing that...and it's been nothing but a blessing...<br /><br />give them all the parts of you...and let them show you the aussie parts of them...and then we can both have a glass or three across the waters together as our children become more worldly than we could ever have hoped for...<br />Melissa xxMelissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11074540828366946650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-55326809119155336972011-06-10T07:02:51.948+10:002011-06-10T07:02:51.948+10:00Beautiful post Beth. I lapped up every sentence. I...Beautiful post Beth. I lapped up every sentence. I feel very similiar with my relationship to Brisbane, and Darwin is in the same country.Raine and Sagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09890862541890241422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-10359482515525079002011-06-10T05:21:40.190+10:002011-06-10T05:21:40.190+10:00Hi Beth,
Love this post, it's just beautiful! ...Hi Beth,<br />Love this post, it's just beautiful! Although I never yet had my foot on Oz soil, to me, your life choice seems a good one. Australia is on my list for countries to move to, and like you, I can struggle with the thoughts of bringing my girls up in a country not their own. Zoe the youngest was even born here (ch) and she just now starts to understand that we are in Switzerland and our whole family is in the Netherlands, and that we speak Dutch and people here not... Glad you feel at home, I can only wish that soon we can live somewhere where I can settle and say the same words.... <br />Thanks so much for sharing this, a virtual hug,<br />Maureen xxDaydream Livinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092794695138108197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-24362163810890725402011-06-10T04:51:59.954+10:002011-06-10T04:51:59.954+10:00Oh yes, the complex feelings of a migrant.... I am...Oh yes, the complex feelings of a migrant.... I am a Sibs. We moved to Oz when I was three and I can still hear my mother's frustration as my accent changed!! I feel very Australian even though I've moved a bit myself (wrote about that back in September and cried as I did! You should read Nikki Gemmell's book, Why I am Australian)...<br /><br /> I also know what you mean about 'settling'... it just seems to dawn on me at about the nine month mark that I am settled. Then we usually seem to move!!!Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647407406551661556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-31099317855514295902011-06-10T00:21:45.685+10:002011-06-10T00:21:45.685+10:00A touching and well written post about such an imp...A touching and well written post about such an important part of your life. I am sure your daughter will retain an interest in her Welsh heritage if you continue to keep it alive for her.LindyLouMachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12282788551449445133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-32727007915751628592011-06-09T21:27:55.640+10:002011-06-09T21:27:55.640+10:00A very touching post Beth, you made me cry. I am v...A very touching post Beth, you made me cry. I am very happy that you are beginning to settle into your new life. It's wonderful that you had an old life, it makes you a more complex and interesting, and I think more understanding person. Your daughter has a rich heritage which I am sure later in her life she will absolutely treasure. So glad you poured your soul out to us, we are all the richer for it. Lots of love Linda xflowers on my tablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11134447944633072349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-212437804767280872011-06-09T20:51:45.804+10:002011-06-09T20:51:45.804+10:00Oh, a fascinating post, Beth. So beautifully writt...Oh, a fascinating post, Beth. So beautifully written. And it's one I've been waiting for you to write! Sibs is so lucky to have you as her mum, thinking deeply about such important things. J xJanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02743336097657087832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-23258985676367360702011-06-09T20:43:45.056+10:002011-06-09T20:43:45.056+10:00I love this post. I savoured every word and connec...I love this post. I savoured every word and connected with it on so many levels. I have been here in the States almost 8 years and have only just started to settle. My mum was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Had this happened last year, I would be wanting to move home to look after her, but I'm starting to realise that my home is here now and I can't just run back to UK anymore. It's not that easy. So, like you I embrace my new home, but keep my 'home' alive here in everything I do. Living in a multicultural country like the US, I see people from all sorts of backgrounds doing exactly the same thing. At my daughters school I hear so many variations of 'Mummy'! Take care. So happy you did decide to post this. LxLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17986230601258342720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-63289669202530572982011-06-09T20:01:57.565+10:002011-06-09T20:01:57.565+10:00I can really relate Beth. I have moved our family...I can really relate Beth. I have moved our family to three different (and far away) states in the past nine years. We have had to start over with friends and schools and just that sense of knowing where things are! Your daughter may want to fit in right now but there will be a time in her life when being Welsh will be more interesting and a treasure to her. Beautiful photos too!Mistyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15458681694555502637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815317328189342095.post-40703084151324740442011-06-09T19:49:31.658+10:002011-06-09T19:49:31.658+10:00I loved reading this Beth. As a 'new' Aust...I loved reading this Beth. As a 'new' Australian, you know that on this issue of belonging and identity and holding on to culture, you're walking a well trodden path. Australia is made up of people who came from somewhere else - and I think Sibs is really lucky to have your rich Welsh heritage to own and explore.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14432884881847945178noreply@blogger.com