With Help from Uncle Lee
A warm welcome from a loud and friendly Aussie turned Filipino Ariel Padua’s life around
Zarah Padua, 43, lives in Adelaide with her husband Ariel and their three sons. When she’s not working as an administration assistant, Zarah loves to read, visit art galleries, and spend time outdoors.
MY HUSBAND ARIEL arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, in the middle of winter, 2012. He was a migrant from the Philippines, hoping to create a better future for our children.
Starting a new life in a foreign land far from the support of friends and relatives seemed an insurmountable task. Ariel was raised in a family whose life centred around the renowned Naga College Foundation, a school his grandfather had built in Naga City.
He had attended the school himself and, after graduating with a degree in economics from the University of the Philippines in 1988, he returned there to work in the family business with his grandparents, mother and uncles. We were married in 1995 and built a home close to both our parents as well as the school. But opportunities were limited for our sons, so when Ariel had the chance to try for a new life in Australia, he took it.
In Adelaide, Ariel stayed in one room in a house rented to boarders and took on the task of looking for a job. But, with one rejection after another and money running low, after four months he was already contemplating coming home.
Then he met a friendly local man named Lee. They both regularly attended a vegetarian group. After chatting several times, Lee invited Ariel to visit Victor Harbor with him. When
he heard of the difficulties Ariel had been facing, Lee kindly offered him a room in his home for a tiny rent. With this offer came the company that Ariel so longed for.
Not being used to calling people we respect by their first name, Ariel decided to call Lee “Uncle”. Lee laughed it off at first but eventually got used to it. With his big laugh and loud voice, Lee is the exact opposite of my quiet, timid husband. He showed Ariel the best places to shop for bargains and taught him Australian slang. More importantly, he encouraged Ariel when he felt down, as Lee is a trained psychiatric nurse.
When it was my time to join Ariel, Lee welcomed me into his home with a hug. This made me feel that everything would be fine. After four months with Lee, and with our three sons ready to join us, we left his home to start on our own. He insisted on helping us move, driving a trailer loaded with our belongings and appliances given to us by him and his friends.
Two years on we are still in Adelaide, working and loving this city with its beaches, parks and people who wave and smile. Uncle Lee holds a special place in our hearts. He opened his home and heart to us – complete strangers – without asking for anything in return.
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