The ethnic groups taking part in the Parade included Bangla Desh, China (PRC), India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and - surprisingly - Saudi Arabia. I had no idea that Armidale had such a large Saudi community - mainly, I guess, attached to the University. Several of my workplace colleagues, who I see every day, were marching through town from places like India, Nepal, and Korea and they appear in the attached photos.
When I reflect on it, Armidale has an astonishing range of nationalities living together with a high degree of harmony
AS
2 comments:
It is indeed refreshing to see so many people of different nationalities and cultures getting on so well together. Armidale must be a great place to live. Richard.
You're right, and around me in the office building where I work we have people from the US, India (Pune), Nepal, and Malaysia. Several are also working on Aboriginal culture / development. Australia's population growth has risen to nearly 2% per annum and migrants, who make up 60% of the increase, are increasingly sourced from literally all over the world. Somewhere between 25 and 30% of the population was born overseas! And riding in public transport (especially trains) in Sydney catapults one into some unknown foreign nation - perhaps the UN in New York.
Given this ethnic smorgasbord, it is appears strange that we have not yet experienced any terrorist event here. Then perhaps it isn't so strange because I suspect upwardly mobile melting pots have so many people progressing rapidly and working hard that there isn't any time to contemplate jihad. Moreover, unemployment is so low by international standards, currently 5.2% and falling, that there's work for anyone who wants it. Moreover, the really unpleasant places (climatically) where there is a go-go mining boom pay staggering amounts of money in wages. The average tradesman in the Pilbara is getting 70,000 GBP per annum!
AS
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