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My First Year on Aussie Soil

What is it really like to start calling Australia home? My First Year on Aussie Soil is an SBS podcast hosted by comedian and actor Suraj Kolarkar. As a youngster he moved Down Under from India and has been obsessed with immigrant stories ever since.

Episodes

Jo Gowda migrated for marriage and ended up with a new career

When Jo Gowda married and moved to Australia she worried she would always miss her life in India. But it wasn't long before she found her feet. With a keen interest in cricket and a taste for the occasional morning beer Jo soon felt right at home in Brisbane. A tough job market meant Jo had to leave her sports analysis career behind, eventually leading to a wildly different path as a comic. Hear Suraj and Jo chat about the frustrations of finding a job as a new migrant, parenting across cultures, and being ridiculed by friends for newly acquired traffic angst during holidays back to India.

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43 min•

19 Sep

Annabelle Borja's musical migration from the Philippines to Wagga Wagga

Annabelle Regalado Borja migrated to Australia from the Philippines with her family. They chose the regional town of Wagga Wagga as their new home on the basis that it was in the same state as Sydney. There was a fair bit of culture shock to overcome! With a keen business mind, Annabelle decided to build her own company in Australia using her experience in the Filipino music industry, after finding it difficult to break into the industry here.

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39 min•

12 Sep

Looking for the funny side in Australia's rental market was the key to Ting Lim's career

Born and raised in Singapore, comedian Ting Lim planned to be in Australia to study for just a year. Despite a crazy rental market and a steep learning curve, she fell in love with the landscape and culture of her new home. Ting and Suraj talk dodgy real estate agents, the impact of migration on cultural identity, and how sometimes a risk is worth taking.

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41 min•

5 Sep

Australia became a second home for Urzila Carlson after she left South Africa for NZ

Urzila Carlson is a hugely successful comedian in Australia and NZ where she now lives, and has also built a significant following overseas. Suraj and Urzila talk about growing up in apartheid South Africa and how it shaped Urzila's world view, how to instil an understanding of privilege in second gen migrants (i.e. her kids), and importantly, how Vegemite outshines all international impostors. A warning that this episode contains strong language.

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42 min•

29 Aug

Comedian Tahir found fame in Australia after migrating as a child

Beloved comedian Tahir Bilgiç has established himself as a fixture in Aussie comedy, starring in shows like Fat Pizza, and Here Come the Habbibs. Born in Ankara (Türkiye), Tahir migrated to Australia in the mid 70s as a toddler. He shares his stories about growing up in Australia, the joy of hot chips, going by one name like Beyoncé, and being tagged as 'ethnic comedy'.

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36 min•

22 Aug

Anisa Nandaula on the shock of Rockhampton after migrating from Uganda

Ugandan-born comedian and performer Anisa Nandaula was told by her mother that she was headed to the most diverse part of Australia. This turned out to be the middle of Rockhampton. Anisa steps Suraj through the story of immigrating and adapting to a strange new world, understanding racial differences and the joy of discovering Billabong ice creams.

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My First Year on Aussie Soil

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Jo Gowda migrated for marriage and ended up with a new career

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Annabelle Borja's musical migration from the Philippines to Wagga Wagga

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Looking for the funny side in Australia's rental market was the key to Ting Lim's career

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Australia became a second home for Urzila Carlson after she left South Africa for NZ

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Comedian Tahir found fame in Australia after migrating as a child

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Anisa Nandaula on the shock of Rockhampton after migrating from Uganda

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