Every Monday, iPhoneography Oz invites a blogger to cover a topic about Australian society. Today, meet Audrey from France who lives in Sydney. She created and manages the useful website Maman a Sydney, an online interactive community for all French speaking mums (and dads) who live in Sydney and wider Australia.
This is a guest post by Audrey of Maman a Sydney.
According to an article in The Economist Intelligence Unit, Australia is the second best country (after Switzerland), for where a baby might be luckiest to be born in 2013… But becoming a mum on the other side of the world, 17,000 kilometres away from our family and values, from what we know and what we believe in, is not as dreamlike as one may imagine. From understanding how the Aussie Medicare system works, to finding a day-care, or even when giving vegemite to our little ones, being a maman a Sydney (mum in Sydney) is surely a fascinating journey! Adam (photo) loves the Lane Cove National Park, where he picks up sticks to show me cockatoos and lorikeets hiding in the gum trees. He can spend hours on Balmoral Beach in Sydney North, collecting shells and little stones…
- Hometown: Valdeblore, France.
- Most awkward Australian moment: The first time I got to work and said (absolutely naturally): "G'day mate!" to my manager...
- Favourite Australian place: Lane Cove National Park where I live, running on the Harbour Bridge at the earliest hours of the morning for the Sydney Marathon, that incredible walk to Barrenjoey Lighthouse just north of Palm Beach in Sydney North, Jervis Bay on the South Coast for a sunset walk, skiing in the Snowy Mountains, those contrasts of blue and orange in Australia's North West, meditation in Cape Tribulation...
- Worst Australian place: Canberra... no comment!
- Vegemite or Nutella: a bit of both under whipped cream on salty crackers, yummy!
What do you think? Did you become a mum or a dad in a foreign country? As a foreigner how do you raise your children in Australia? What tips would you give to someone who is raising a kid in Australia? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo captured by @barucchi. If you would like to guest post for iPhoneography Oz, send us a message and we will give you the details about how YOU can allow the iOz community to experience a preview of Australian society.
