RAAF Hornet fly past for Oz Day Celebrations in Nelson Bay

The sun was shining, boats in the harbour, yellow sands.

New Australian citizens proudly received their citizenship from Mayor Rob Westbury.

Lee J Collier Marshall lead 1000′s of people singing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ while three hornet jet plans did a fly past.

I loved giving the Australia Day Address celebrating inclusion of all Australians.

I shared my family’s journey as refugees from Hungary finding home here. My first picture book ‘Ships in the Field’ just released celebrates this journey.

There were bands, Port Stephens FM 100.9 who interviewed me at the celebrations, high Airforce support as the major airforce base is at Williamstown and lots of fairy floss. 

THANKYOU to Port Stephens for welcoming me as your Australia Day Ambassador – Raymond Terrace

The sun came out, the show tents were up, the band played …. and the festivities began for a joyous day on the banks of the Hunter River.

Thankyou especially to Mayor Bob Westbury and Councillor Glenys Francis for making me so welcome.

Thankyou to all the Council and Council Officer especially Steve Crowe.

Appreciated Shadow Minister for Development and Tourism Bob Baldwin coming along was moved by the email he sent me:-

“…your address on the challenges in life and how your family overcame them was inspirational.’

Highlights:-

Dogs of all sorts jumped and bowed and pooched their stuff.

Welcome to country and the indigenous dancing by those gorgeous Worimi aboriginal kids

LIONS sausages; ROTARY morning tea; the Scouts; so many community groups contributing and celebrating.

The blessing of the prawn boats on the Hunter River  - loved being on a prawner – 1st time experience

and even 3 RAAF hornets fly past in close formation.

Standing Ovation for Australia Day Address by Neurosurgeon Professor Charlie Teo

I was privleged to hear Professor Charlie Teo give the Australia Day Address at the Conservatorium of Music  in Sydney.

‘I would like to see this Australia Day as a turning point.

I want my fellow Australians, those who were born here and those who have immigrated here, to pause and think of the lives that have been sacrificed for what we take for granted today.

I want everyone who finds themselves angry and intolerant to think first about the misfortunes of those who are less fortunate . . . such as those with cancer.

I want anyone who has come from another country to embrace the Australian way of life, it has served us well.

I want all Australians to see how immigrants have contributed to our nation and to appreciate that a rich and prosperous country such as ours has a moral and global responsibility to share our resources.

Finally, I want to thank Australians for giving me professional and personal fulfilment, for believing in me when some of my colleagues didn’t, for seeing a Chinaman as an Aussie, not as a foreigner and for this wonderful opportunity to address the greatest nation in the world.’

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/australia-day-2012-address-full-speech-20120123-1qdh9.html#ixzz1kHbJA539

John Williamson, Kate Richie, Australia Day Ambassadors Launch Australia Day 2012

The Australia Day launch at Darling Harbour was emotional as John Williamson country songwriter singer sang ‘True Blue’.

Actor Kate Richie was MC and spoke about her Australia as a girl from Campbelltown in Sydney, who grew up on Home and way at Palm Beach.

The Australia Post Living Photographs of Australia were powerful, funny, warm, quirky and captured Australia.

Australia Day Ambassadors were there to share their experiences before they headed off across the country.

I’ll be flying to beautiful Port Stephens to give an Australia Day Address there and to participate in the Blessing of the Fleet.

Marie Bashir, Sneaky Sound System, Roy Slavern & HG Nelson & Football Legends~Australia Day

What a fantastic Australia Day lunch in  beautiful Darling Harbour on a bright sunny day.

I forgot to wear my OAM medal – it’s one of the few occasions that I can, as an Australia Day Ambassador. Oh well, I’ll have to pin it on when I go to the supermarket to make up for it. Ha!

Highlights:-

Governor Marie Bashir sharing her life where she came from the country, shared friendship with aboriginal young people, went to school at Sydney High School with kids of post war Holocaust European refugees, studied Medicine at Sydney University and met her future husband Sir Nicholas Shehadie and spent her life committed to social justice and young people.

Connie Mitchell from Sneaky Sound System – can she sing!!!!!

Roy Slaven and HG Nelson – the funniest guys around were hilarious about Australia Post and the football legends that were honoured at the lunch.

Sydney Youth Orchestra with conductor George Ellis – the talent is amazing.

Jennifer Byrne ABC personality, journalist and host of the First Tuesday Book Club on ABC TV charmed the crowd

The football legends honoured with their images on our stamp:-

Ron Barassi, Gary Ablett, John Raper, Billy Slater, David Campese, David Pocok, Joe Marston, Mark Schwarzer.

LOVE being Australian ~www.australiaday.com.au/ambassadors

Australia Day & the Fabulous CIRCUS OZ

Circus Oz is now 30 years old.

It’s an animal free circus with multi skilled performers who sing, play multiple instruments, tumble, swing from the trapeze, dance, are funny, sad, amazing – the talent captures you.

Circus Oz has a social conscience and supports disadvantaged groups, kids and  people impacted by war and loss of their homes.

Tory and I loved Circus Oz. A great Australia Day experience. You should see it!

www.circusoz.com

What have Tiger Woods, Danii Minogue, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Justin Bieber in common?

Celebrity Autobiography at the Drama Theatre Sydney Opera House is HILARIOUS!!!!!!

Fantastic Australian actors and comedians such as  Mikey Robbins, Jeremy Sims,  Fiona O’Loughlin ….read, performed and inter relate as they ham-up segments of the autobiographies of celebrities.

The audience was rolling in the aisles at the Sydney Opera House at  the narcissism, self focus, triviality of  celebrities.

As a writer myself,  segments read out from these autobiographies are just so stunningly bad at times, ordinary and trivial. The celebrities would have NO idea how they reveal themselves.

FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY.

Snippets of funny moments – but EVERYTHING is funny:-

Tiger Woods – stroking his putt

Danni Minogue – detailing how happy, happy, happy she is in boring detail

Miley Cyrus – so UNLUCKY, then LUCKY over inane trivia like not having her tampons in her purse, then found some - OMG, she actually wrote this in her autobiography.

Madonna – her autobigraphy called SEX –  unaware that she is that self centred that it’s funny, funny, funny!

Justin Bieber – well, he’s just like to thank us all because he wouldn’t be here except for – you – cliches gone insane.

Give yourself a treat and see Celebrity Autobiography!!!!

Amazing Psychic Medium Greg Riley is The One

GREG Riley is a medium and he told me some exciting things when we had coffee at The Hughenden. But I’m not telling until they come true.

He has kept a secret for most of his 36 years – he has psychic powers and it’s true.

Greg said that he has been having paranormal experiences since childhood.

“I used to be an altar boy,” Riley says. “I’d be sitting there during a funeral service and up at the back of the church I would see the person who is in the coffin watching their own funeral.

Because I was Catholic, I didn’t mention it, ever.” 

Greg won The One: Australia’s Most Gifted Psychic, hosted by children’s author and TV personality Andrew Daddo.

Ford Street Publishing and Australia Day Ambassador

Ford Street publishing is a dynamic high quality children’s book publisher.

The publisher Paul Collins is also an award winning fantasy author.

www.fordstreetpublishing.com

I’ve never written a picture book before, as I usually write, children’s and young adult novels, as well as adult stories for anthologies. It was a new genre and I needed a publisher who was prepared to risk. Ford St did.

‘Ships in the Field’ is autobiographical as my parents escaped Hungary to be accepted as refugees in Australia.  They didn’t speak English, lost their home and carried the experiences of war and Stalinism with them. However Australia offered them hope and the chance to rebuild their lives and look to a future.

They were deeply Australian and would be so proud to know that I am an Australia Day Ambassador.

I’ll be giving the Australia Day address for Port Stephens this year and sharing ‘Ships in the Field.

Last year I was flown by charter plane to the Shire of Wakool into regional NSW on the border of Victoria.  

I LOVE being part of Australia Day.

‘Ships in the Field’ will be coming out for Australia Day – it’s not only my story but the illustrator Anna Pignataro’s story and the universal story of finding home.

Thankyou Paul for publishing ‘Ships in the Field.

http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com/index.php/ford-street-titles/upcoming-titles

Ford St Publishing supports National Year of Reading.

I am an Ambassador for The National Year of Reading.

Paper Tigers Ezine ROUND the WORLD Reading Challenge~David Almond & ‘Always Jack’

PaperTigers – is a wonderful website devoted to multicultural books from around
the world for children and young adults, with a particular focus on
the Pacific Rim and South Asia.
www.papertigers.org

JOIN & ENJOY.

Subscription is complimentary

www.PaperTigers.org

Pacific Rim Voices
300 Third Street, #822
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 648-4528

Round the World Reading Challenge

It was especially felt to have ‘Always Jack’ and a book by David Almond paired as recommended read for the Round the World Reading Challenge.

www.PaperTigers.org

 I met David Almond at The Hughenden in Sydney when he was on a speaking tour. He is such a deeply thoughtful writer as he explores the human condition and translates it in his evocative books.

The full review for ‘Always Jack’ is available on:-

http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/reading-the-world-challenge-2011-%e2%80%93-update-4-wrapping-it-up/ .

Always Jack was another great read. We loved the previous two books in the series, especially I Am Jack, so our expectations were high and we were not disappointed. Jack himself is, as ever, a well-rounded blend of confidence and insecurity, determined to get the last word with one of his (usually) funny jokes. Several highly charged themes run through the book, including cancer (Jack’s mother), dementia (his Nan), and the Vietnam War (through Jack and his best friend Christopher’s joint school project into their family histories). The book made us laugh; it made us sad (and me cry); and it made us think.

…. It  highlights the importance of keeping the channels of communication open, in the case of illness in a family, or indeed of creating those channels between generations in the first place … wholeheartedly recommend Always Jack and just wish there could be more.