Islam, 25
Born in Sharkia, Egypt
Came to Australia in March 2018
How did we meet? Islam was one of my tennis partners when we played at the courts at Summer Hill. He is currently living in Melbourne.
What is your occupation? When I first came to Sydney, I worked at an Indian restaurant as a kitchen hand for 6 months. It was all cash in hand and the wage was $15/hour but I had no choice. In 2020, I was an Uber driver and was a peer mentor at my university (University of New England), assisting students with their studies.
Most recently, I've been working as a furniture removalist in Melbourne for a year.
I studied Accounting at the University of New England and have recently graduated in June 2021. I'm currently looking for jobs in banking and finance, however, I am open to moving to another city including Sydney for work.
Why did you come to Australia?
I left Egypt because I wanted to explore the world and find myself.
I wanted to emigrate to an English-speaking country since I could only speak English in addition to Arabic. Out of the options (USA, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ), I ruled out America ever since Trump got elected and imposed the travel ban; racism ruled out America for me. Canada was too cold - you might find that funny. The UK had a higher unemployment rate, and I needed to work while studying so that was a factor. I didn’t go to NZ because even though Aus and NZ are such similar countries, Australia sounded more exotic of a destination.
Australia has a more hospitable climate and a higher minimum wage.
What do you like about Sydney? I liked the convenience and the abundance of activities to do. I frequented public parks and beaches where I could exercise and play tennis. My ability to do this in Egypt was limited as there aren't as many courts.
You never feel like a stranger since everyone comes from a different background. I’ve heard somewhere that roughly 40% of residents were born overseas. The fact that I'm by myself here in Sydney means that I'm more open to trying new things here compared to back in Egypt. The Australian locals are very accepting of differences.
What didn’t you like about Sydney? As a former Uber driver, there are way too many tolls in Sydney. And if you don’t want to pay, you’ll end up being stuck in traffic for an extra 40 minutes.
Sending one's parents to aged care facilities is very common here in Australia, whereas this would be largely frowned upon in Egypt. It's almost like you're abandoning the people who brought you up and nurtured you.
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders? I am very grateful to you guys for giving me this great experience. Everyone I've met has been hospitable, nice and kind to me. People would consciously go out of their way to assist me, such as clearly enunciating words when speaking to me.
Be proud of the multicultural and welcoming city you live in.
What languages do you speak? English, Arabic (native)
I had a few tentative attempts at learning Spanish but I can only remember a few sentences.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language. شكرا
Shukran
It means thank you. I chose this word because it goes hand in hand with my message for the people of Sydney.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
If you want to know about Egypt, try not to listen to the Western media. Instead, try to make Egyptian friends.
Egypt is a massive country with over 100 million people) so it is foolish to base your opinion of the country based on a newspaper article or a single friend.
One tourist attraction I recommend is the Salt Lakes of Siwa. People go there to alleviate physical pains, such as back pain.
Who is the most famous person in your native country? Mo Salah, the Liverpool superstar.
He’s on everything from t-shirts to chip packets. I would say he's more famous than the Egyptian president.
What is the best dish in your native country? I would say mahshi, the national dish. Vine leaves stuffed with rice marinated in tomato sauce, coriander, and a few other spices. We stuff the rice into the vine leaves and then lay it down in circles inside the pot and then we add chicken stock but you can add any stock really. Cook it for 30 minutes and by then, the rice will be cooked. We serve it hot - there’s a very similar dish served in Lebanon and Syria- but they stuff it with wheat and they serve it cold and as an appetiser whereas we serve it as a main dish in Egypt.
​Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.
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