This is 27.

So the last 6 weeks have flown by. Must be a sign of getting older.

But to get you up-to-speed - the last post spoke of quitting on my 2nd day of which I have definitely come to realise that i have made the right decision. Hurrah!

I now hold the eagerly awaited 'Manager' status for community fundraising and events at a non-profit organisation that operates direct services to those seeking asylum in Australia. A hot topic indeed.

It is astounding actually how much of an issue this is over here. With the minimal amount of people trying to claim asylum in comparison to the rest of the world - it is a joke. But one with a punch-line that can kill people if they are deported back to their home country. Or die trying to get here.

It's funny because when I sit in our large lunch room downstairs amongst all the staff, volunteers and asylum seeker members it doesn't feel like anyone is a threat to me, my way of life, my beliefs or the country that I now live in. But yet this is a view that is so often taken over here.

The view of many is the same view of the sensationalist mass-media which reflects the view of the current Government. The same view that Today Tonight and A Current Affair are keen to portray to keep their ratings (tabliod-esque sensationalist 'news' programs). I have hope in the fact that if more of the public had access to more information and less opinion, then they might actually be able to form one on their own.

Australia really is a country that often struggles to keep up with the rest of the Western world - gay marriage anyone?

An amazing piece of work that has been recently released by my organisation is this incredible documentary below - it is not a piece of propaganda - but a very fair, funny and heart-warming account of how real people are trying to educate, challenge and change negative perceptions on those seeking asylum.
(And it also features Imogen Bailey, Goyte and Hunters & Collectors!)

This is The Hot Potato: A Road To Transformation (Trailer)

See the full video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zixigIrO23A&feature=share&list=PLIyLjb7qxaQWqnCF_C2N4bFwsHcE_AKew

Anyway, enough of my political opinions for now. Back to being 27.

So this is a big year for me as I shall be married by the time I turn 28. I can't help but feel that this is a big turning year - not only for myself, but for a lot of people.

It is getting to that time where things start to become serious - friends getting engaged, people having babies - all the stuff you know is going to happen at some point, but you still kinda feel too young for it to be happening.

I have found out very recently that an very old friend of mine (who lives in a totally different part of the world) has just given birth to a baby girl. I remember the days we used to bake cakes and sell them to the neighbours and  wash people's cars to make a bit of money. Before the days when even our siblings weren't babies as they hadn't been born yet.

And I found out that another close friend of mine is expecting next year - so by the time I come home, they will already have a 5 month old baby. Crazy!

All of this I guess is escalated by the fact that we are trying to plan the wedding from afar away from family and friends in the UK and away from family in Oz. To be honest, it kind of makes me homesick to think about home and try to plan the most wonderful day when we can't event pop into the venue to ask them a question - or we have to wait up at night for the UK opening hours to give anyone a call.

I can't help but feel that the experience of getting married is completely different to how I thought it would be - not that I ever really thought about weddings - just that I didn't realise it would be so emotionally draining.

The hardest part is feeling like I am missing out on sharing the experience with my nearest and dearest. The best part is now we are working in Melbourne, we can actually afford the wedding!

So I guess this is 27. The turning point in realising real-life, making commitments, understanding what you want and accepting what you can't have. I guess they also call this "being a grown-up".

Much loves to all - I miss you all greatly xxxxx

Tonight is the night.

That most likely the political landscape will change with today being Election Day!

Now, as a 'foreigner' to this great country, I am not allowed to vote. However, now I live in this great country, I am allowed to have an opinion.

So here is Heather's rundown to the 2013 Australian Election:

The main showdown is between Kevin Rudd and the Australian Labor Party (ALP)...

And Tony Abbott and the Liberal National  Party (LNP)...

And unfortunately Tony is the leading man in the first counts of today's voting.

He had come up with some crackers in the last few weeks of the campaigning:

- Implying that Gay Marriage is a 'fashion trend of the moment'

- Commenting on the 'sex appeal' of a female member of his party (as a strength  of her position)

- Commenting on the attractiveness of his daughters as a reason to remember him and vote for him...said daughters below:

And other party members of his have come out with these amazing tit-bits:

- Explaining the plan to stop the boats:

Check it out - http://youtu.be/V2NDewpz1mY

- Fiona Scott's cracker stating that the congestion on the roads of her electorate are  'due to the excess asylum seekers' that have come in as Boat People. ( Boat People is a socially acceptable term for Asylum  Seekers who arrive by boat. This term is used in the news. Amazingly.)

But we also have a few other characters and parties to vote for:

Bob Katter: Face like an old orange leather shoe, fights for farmers and rural Aussie issues.

Clive Palmer: Billionaire Mining Magnet (not his words apparently), wants to run Australia as well as his businesses, a dinosaur golf course and whilst rebuilding the Titanic. Aka - Titanic 2. No jokes.

 

( oh and he remains on top of QLDs rich list despite losing over $1bn in a year)

And then we have parties like this:

http://pirateparty.org.au/

May or may not consist of pirates. I haven't bothered to look into it.

So it's a very interesting time.

The main difference between politics here and in the UK is the excessive, slanderous advertising campaigns. 

(And compulsory voting with a fine if you don't and don't declare a good reason before polling day.)

Literally the advertising is ALL negative slagging off about the other parties- you don't really hear about what the parties all stand for. 

They don't really credit the public with the intelligence to understand their policies and base it off meaningless ads.

Oh and of course this: 

The good old sausage sizzle. An institution in Australia and an accompaniment to the election.

You can find the best voting station sausage sizzles in your state, here:

 http://www.electionsausagesizzle.com.au/

Yes. It is real. And a real big deal.

Bigger than the election for some people.

And as we finish Kevin Rudd concedes his 

place as Prime Minister and has to make that 

awkward call to Abbott. What would you say 

in that situation?

So that, in a nutshell, is what I have learnt 

about Aussie politics.

A new Liberal (conservative) government 

should be an interesting one!  

Nighty night to all (or have a lovely Saturday 

if you are in the UK).

And a happy birthday to my stepdad Adam!

Much loves xxx