Home

Discover

Sign up for free to listen for longer

Get unlimited radio, access to exclusive and original podcasts and non-stop music stations.

Control the way you listen to your favourite music, podcasts and radio.

Already have an account?

Home

Discover

Sign up for free to listen for longer

Get unlimited radio, access to exclusive and original podcasts and non-stop music stations.

Control the way you listen to your favourite music, podcasts and radio.

Already have an account?

My First Year on Aussie Soil

What is it really like to start calling Australia home? My First Year in Australia is an SBS podcast hosted by comedian and actor Suraj Kolarkar. As a youngster he migrated Down Under from India and has been obsessed with immigrant stories ever since. Join Suraj as he delves into tales from people who have found their feet in Australia, sharing their hilarious first impressions, the highs and lows of life in a new country, and the perils of the Aussie accent.

Episodes

Tig Terera on the creative journey from Zimbabwe to Swift Street

Writer and director Tig Terera was born in Zimbabwe and raised in Australia. He's the creator of the SBS TV series Swift Street, a love letter to the multicultural inner-Melbourne community where Tig grew up. After an unusual arrival into Australia as a child - travelling in the cockpit of the aeroplane - Tig has continued to walk his own path. In this episode Tig and Suraj talk about the complications of being caught between cultures, where creative inspiration comes from, and becoming comfortable in your own skin.

Mark as played

42 min•

26 Sep 24

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.

Mark as played

43 min•

19 Sep 24

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.

Mark as played

39 min•

12 Sep 24

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.

Mark as played

41 min•

5 Sep 24

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.

Mark as played

42 min•

29 Aug 24

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'.

Home

Discover

Sign up for free to listen for longer

Home

Discover

Sign up for free to listen for longer

My First Year on Aussie Soil

Share

Tig Terera on the creative journey from Zimbabwe to Swift Street

Mark as played

Share

Share

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

Mark as played

Share

Share

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

Mark as played

Share

Share

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

Mark as played

Share

Share

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

Mark as played

Share

Share

Comedian Tahir found fame in Australia after migrating as a child

Mark as played

Share

Share