Helen

=My name is Helen and this is my story:= Hello, my name is Chunlan Li, but you can call me Helen because my Chinese name is very hard to pronounce. I come from the southwest of China where only 400km from Tibet. My hometown is located in Sichuan basin, there are mountains that the average elevation are above 2000 metres around the basin. The temperature in my hometown is cloudy, humid, but warm in winter and cool in summer, the only problem is we see the sunshine and the blue sky seldom, and the skin of the people looks a little pale. I studied Process Controlling in Nanjing chemical industrial college. After I graduated from college, I went back to Chengdu the capital city of the province Sichuan and worked as an instrument technician in Chengdu chemical factory. Seven years I went back to Guanghan where I was born, because David (my husband) was working there and at that time my little daughter was only 1 year old, it is very hard for a family to live apart. We made an important decision in 2003 planning to emigrate to Australia because we heard from David’s sister who has lived in Australia for 8 years that the environment in Australia is very good for kids. Finally we went to Australia in the end of 2005. I love Australia when I see the beautiful land for the first time and my daughter loves here more, she even doesn’t want to go back to China again. She didn’t know any English when we came here, but after 1 year of study in school, she can communicate with other kids very easily without any Chinese accent. That surprised me!

play my film of China and my family
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1. What is a hobby or sport you participate in and how did you get into this? I don’t play sport very much, I swim in the pool or in the sea sometimes in summer. I like to read books in my spare time and listening to music at the same time. I like surfing on line too.

2. Where was your last holiday/ why did you go there? Or What did you do on your last holiday? I went to Kings park with my parents in law on the 1st October and took my daughter and my niece to enjoy the royal show on the 3rd of October, they felt very happy.

3. What area do you live in and how long have you lived there? I have lived in Willetton about 2 years.

4. What do you like about the area you live in? I think it is a quiet, safe suburb and the school in Willetton is very good.

5. What are your goals for the future? 1. 2. 3. I hope I can improve my English quickly and I want to go to another course to learn other skills and I can improve my language at the same time. I wish I can get a new job after that. The biggest aim is having a happy life with my family in my own house.

6. What has been/ is a job you enjoyed? It is hard to say, I was a technician for about 8 years, but I don’t like that job. I was a draftsperson when I was in China. That is an interesting job, but has high pressure. I am an embroidery machinist now, it is a simple job no pressure but the rates are low.

7. What was/ is the most interesting part of the job and why? When I am working, I can see some beautiful logos.

8. What is a part of the job you least like and why? There is little interaction, stimulating conversation or skills development, plus as stated above the pay is very low!

9. What is the difference between a skill and ability? Skill is something you can learn from teaching, for example, computer skill, singing skill. Ability is something you have it naturally, for example learning ability, making friends easy and others.

10. What are some of your skills and abilities? My skills are computer skills, cooking skills, my abilities are learning quickly, talking I’m not shy, so making friends.

11. What are the most important skills that you think you bring to your job and how do these skills help you do your job? The most important skill for me is computer skill. I load a lot of designs into the computer and do some design when I am working.

12. What are the most important skills you think you don’t have and would like to have and why? The most important skill that I don’t have is English communication skill, it is very hard to learn, and maybe that is an ability not for everyone.

13. What other skills and interests do you have that the TAFE side of things never sees? I can sing very well, but I haven’t sung for a long time.

I am a resilient individual with happy smile

I like to read books and listen the music

The most important thing in my life is to have a family and move to Australia

I believe that to live a good life you need to work hard and a happy heart

I am happiest at work/ study when I was in college

I am happiest at home when I’m sitting on the sofa with my family and watching TV or talking

The most important challenge that faces me in life is give up my first job that I have worked about 8 years

One thing I have not done that I would most like to do is travel all the world