Matt, 38
Born in Cardiff, Wales
Came to Australia in December 2012
What is your occupation?
I work in life insurance at TAL, particularly income protection.
We process benefits and income support payments when people are too sick to work. A lot of clients we deal with are suffering from cancer or life-threatening conditions - I like the fact that I am helping people during their time of need.
I studied a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Liverpool. In the future, I do want to get some more qualifications, like a Graduate Diploma in Commerce or Education.
Why did you come to Australia?
I met some Australian friends while I was working in Philadelphia doing summer camp work. They were predominantly from Sydney, Melbourne and country towns. I visited them in 2012 with the intention of travelling around Australia for 9 months. I ended up doing some regional work as a lot of backpackers do. Job opportunities while on a working holiday visa were few and far between in Melbourne.
I was already ready to go back home in September 2013 when I took an overnight bus from Melbourne to Sydney to attend an interview for an insurance broker. I changed into interview clothes at the bus terminal and attended the interview. Within a few hours, I had secured the job. If it wasn’t for that opportunity, I wouldn’t be in Australia right now. It was literally the last roll of the dice.
What do you like about Sydney?
I like the lifestyle here. We get 7-8 months of warm weather compared to the wet and cold climate of the UK. Being situated close to world-class beaches also helps.
I’ve had opportunities here that I wouldn’t have had back in the UK. The salaries are also far higher here. Life would’ve been much more of a struggle if I didn’t come here.
Everything is more class-driven in the UK whereas Australians from all walks of life have a lot of opportunities to grow and succeed.
What don’t you like about Sydney?
I am an arachnophobe so I’m deathly scared of huntsmans or anything bigger than a 50-cent coin. If I was living alone and I saw one, I would call for someone to come and get rid of it. Keep in mind I am a 6 foot 6 guy.
It’s hard to make friends with locals here. Everyone keeps to their own high school and university cliques as Australians tend to study in their own cities, and not move to the other side of the country like in Europe, UK or the US. The Australian friends I have now are mostly my colleagues or past colleagues.
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?
Thank you for taking me in and letting me stay in this beautiful country. I’ve already lived here for 10 years!
What languages do you speak?
English
Growing up, we did an hour of Welsh a week, which is hardly anything. You end up retaining none of it as all of our education is conducted in English and we don’t speak it at home.
I am trying to learn French as my partner is French and her parents speak limited English. I don’t have a knack for learning foreign languages and it is very difficult for me.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.
Popty Ping
This is a very colloquial way and onomatopoeic way of saying microwave. Some people think this the official term but it’s just a slang term.
Pysgod
Similarly, this is the slang term for fish. And jellyfish is psygod wibli wobli.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
It’s very beautiful and you should definitely visit. Lots of people visit the UK and visit London, Edinburgh but completely miss Wales. There’s a lot of nature just waiting to be explored.
Some places I recommend are:
Pembrokeshire National Park, Snowdonia National Park and Brecon Beacons National Park. The walks are amazing and so are the beaches.
There are also a lot of castles including Conwy Castle, Caernafon Castle, Cardiff Castle but my personal favourite is Caerphilly Castle.
Who is the most famous person in your native country?
Gareth Bale
He is one of the best Welsh football players of all time.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been playing that regularly recently and it showed during the recent World Cup. I think he’ll retire from international football in the next year or two and then club football a few years after that.
What is the best dish in your native country?
As you probably already know, the UK isn’t exactly known for its food. In saying that, I would say the best dish is Welsh rarebitm, which is basically fancy cheese on toast.
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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