What was life like during migration?
Read the Polish version of this story

Author: Joanna Malicki
Storyteller: Joanna Malicki
Community Language School: Jerzy Popielwsko Polish Saturday School
Main School: All Saints Catholic Primary School

My father's experiences of migration.

My father's story

One day I sat down and asked my dad about what life was like during migration.This is his story.
"One day long long ago when I was about 10 years old, my aunty came from Australia to visit my family. Ever since she came I dreamt about going to Australia. Then one day my dad went to Australia to visit his sister, but when he got there it turned out that he had heart problems and he had to stay for an operation.He loved Australia so much he decided to stay permanently. After a while my mother and I went to Australia to be with my father. I had to go because I wasn't old enough to stay alone, but even so I was very happy. I bet you're thinking what about my brother and sister. Well my sister was already married and my brother was in the army.

We were going to leave on the 16th December, but on the 13th December martial laws started which meant that the army took over till the government could sort everything out. It delayed leaving Poland to Australia or any other country. A few months later, with help from my dad, my mum and I managed to come to Australia."

Then I asked him about his life in Australia. This is what he said.

"When I arrived it was very different. I left a cold and dark country and arrived in a sunny and warm one. Also they had much more things in the supermarkets. In Poland we only had a few small shops or markets were we bought our daily needs. My favorite shop was the kiosk where you could by magazines, toys and many more things.

A few months later I started doing English courses. After a while a got a job for afternoons and studied English during the day. For the first 3 years it was very hard for me because I still didn't speak English well and I didn't have any friends.
At this time I met a beautiful woman. She was born in Australia but had Polish parents. That woman was your mother and she changed my whole life."

I told my dad that was an amazing story and I wrote it in my diary so I would never forget it.

THE END
Written by: Joanna Malicki