Meet Edgar, now leading TasTAFE's international business development team, who arrived in Tasmania 25 years ago as a Chinese-Canadian teen when the island was far less diverse. He had to adjust from Canada's natural multiculturalism to Tasmania's quieter, more reserved ways. A five-year visa limbo nearly split him from his new wife until a last-minute letter to politician Andrew Wilkie turned things around.

Edgar channeled his own struggles and experiences into helping students like me as an international student advisor previously. During the tough COVID days, he didn't just clock in from home—he wrote letters to cut through border chaos and funded his initiative of the "Tassie Devil" food drops to support struggling international students. He gets it. He's been there.

Now, he's working on a bigger vision: growing TasTAFE's global presence and encouraging it to welcome more international students, all while living out his "pay it forward" belief.

Timeline

02:19 Edgar's Tassie beginning and his tough journey to getting permanent residency

06:58 How his decade long career at TasTAFE started with rejections and a fortunate twist

11:26 Life as an international student advisor during turbulent COVID times

37:52 Stepping into his current role as manager after a triple promotion

44:34 Insights from his recent Asia trip to boost TasTAFE's global reach

54:57 His first impression of Tasmania, having moved from Hong Kong almost 25 years ago

69:37 Growing up in a diverse small town in Canada, unlike Tasmania's quieter scene

74:21 Edgar's advice for migrants and those dreaming of a new start

Music Credit

• acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0
• acoustic guitar melody picking relaxing by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Creative Commons 0

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微信公众号: 取景框外

Newborn Eyes – Fresh. Liquid. Curious.

In the last episode, Aui talked about moving to Australia over 20 years ago and how the building of her own family led her to recognise the dysfunction of her original one. She also shared how studying counselling led her to nursing - a career that finally felt right for her.

In this episode, we follow the work that shaped her. She talks about the tough but meaningful work of answering calls at Lifeline, the exhausting but rewarding years delivering mail as a postie, and the challenges of being a new nurse while also caring for her sick father-in-law and mother-in-law with dementia - all while dealing with the loss of her two much-loved dogs. Through it all, she worked hard to still be there for her kids.

Now, she's found her perfect fit as a nurse in interventional radiology, where she gets to do hands-on work and see results happen. Looking back, Aui believes every step - even the hard ones - brought her to where she is today.

Timeline

01:39 Volunteering at Lifeline: to be there for people when they most desperately need it.

14:54 Although she's done it for 4 years, being a postie wasn't a job Aui would choose for herself.

26:20 Aui's finally having a purposeful career that she's always wanted.

36:45 Aui believes that no time is wasted.

49:15 Getting the courage to start a new career in her late 40s, when there were so many things that could have stopped her.

52:06 The freedom that she's giving her son to explore and choose for himself, and how a lot of this freedom and autonomy is limited in Asian countries.

Music Credit

• acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0
• acoustic guitar melody picking relaxing by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Creative Commons 0

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微信公众号: 取景框外

Newborn Eyes – Fresh. Liquid. Curious.

In this episode, Aui shares her journey from growing up in Thailand to building a new life in Australia—navigating motherhood, loss, family estrangement, and the quiet process of approaching clarity. This is a story about choosing presence over performance, and learning to stop reaching for approval when love is already close.

Her journey continues in the next episode, where we hear about her time as a Lifeline volunteer and her surprising chapter as a postie at Australia Post.

Timeline

01:53 On a bridge in Bangkok, Aui meets a heartbroken stranger

06:10 Cutting ties with her Thai family

09:44 Arrived in Sydney in 1999, knowing no one, with very limited English

13:25 Navigating marriage and parenting across a language and cultural gap

30:39 Her journey through studies of psychology, counselling and nursing

44:02 One of her best parenting decisions

Music Credit

• acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0
• acoustic guitar melody picking relaxing by Garuda1982 -- https://freesound.org/s/523825/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Find us on

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微信公众号：取景框外

Newborn Eyes – Fresh. Liquid. Curious.

Esther is a mother of four (latest child arrived after this episode was recorded), a former law graduate, and a thoughtful voice on life in rural Tasmania. From reflections on raising children on a farm to her unexpected path through law school, Esther shares warm, honest insights about seasons of life.

Timeline

02:38 signature hot tub of their Airbnb nestled in rolling green hills (pictured below)

06:37 how has farm life changed her

11:43 how she obtained a law degree, before the topic being cut short by another priority

19:10 mission trips

25:29 Tiger mum? Really?

30:29 studying law - challenging in unexpected ways

45:54 things get a bit complicated working in family business

Pic 3-1: view from Esther's balcony

Pic 3-2: quince - "pregnant pear"

Pic 3-3, 3-4: Hot Tub Prototype v.s. Now

Pic 3-5: the giant tom wynton dahlia

Music Credit

• acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0
• acoustic guitar melody picking relaxing by Garuda1982 -- https://freesound.org/s/523825/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
• Harmonica_At_River.wav by Krisboruff -- https://freesound.org/s/17747/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
• birds chirping.WAV by fotis_p -- https://freesound.org/s/347402/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0

Find us on

小宇宙 | Apple Podcast | Spotify

微信公众号：取景框外

Newborn Eyes – Fresh. Liquid. Curious.

Esther is a mother of four (latest child arrived after this episode was recorded), a former law graduate, and a thoughtful voice on life in rural Tasmania. From reflections on raising children on a farm to her unexpected path through law school, Esther shares warm, honest insights about seasons of life.

Timeline

02:38 signature hot tub of their Airbnb nestled in rolling green hills

06:37 how has farm life changed her

11:43 how she obtained a law degree, before the topic being cut short by another priority

19:10 Tiger mum? Really?

24:10 studying law - challenging in unexpected ways

39:35 things get a bit complicated working in a family business

Pic 3-1: view from Esther's balcony

Pic 3-2: quince - "pregnant pear"

Pic 3-3, 3-4: Hot Tub Prototype v.s. Now

Pic 3-5: the giant tom wynton dahlia

Music Credit

• acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0
• acoustic guitar melody picking relaxing by Garuda1982 -- https://freesound.org/s/523825/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
• Harmonica_At_River.wav by Krisboruff -- https://freesound.org/s/17747/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
• birds chirping.WAV by fotis_p -- https://freesound.org/s/347402/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0

Find us on

小宇宙 | Apple Podcast | Spotify

微信公众号：取景框外

Newborn Eyes – Fresh. Liquid. Curious.

本集因为涉及到的人名和工作单位名字比较多，会听到比较多的哔声，希望不会影响理解。
被哔的部分包括：和蔡老师一起打工度假的朋友的名字，和蔡老师工作的小学的名字。

蔡老师的打工度假tick off了许多经典体验：换宿、农场工、集二签、（几乎）环澳等等。
这一集讲到了我们如何在那拉博(nullarbor)荒原的公路驿站相遇。我离开公路驿站后来到塔州开始学护理，一度以为我们的路径开始分离，和绝大多数打工旅行时的朋友一样，短暂的交集之后分开。但没想到一年之后又在塔州重聚，一聚就到了现在。

从她现在作为老师在课堂渐入佳境，回溯到她在北外的大学生活，“庆幸自己当初没有那么ambitious”。

【时间轴】

01:39 蔡老师的working holiday历程

09:22 来到border village，网友在现实中发生交集

16:06 开始考虑留在澳洲

21:16 选择读teaching作为PR的路径

26:27 教到第四年，也是个“蛮会教”的老师了呢

33:55 大学生活，被学生社团AIESEC派到印度视察项目

44:49 小学老师vs在北京干到抑郁的工作

54:47 “真是个hobbyist”

【下图：蔡老师在border village失而复得的felt（毛毡）外星人挂在树上】

【附：公众号相关文章】
Roadhouse全攻略·上
Roadhouse全攻略·下

【Credits】
gc001 spaced chords.wav by Robinhood76 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
Tranquil Harmony (Calm Piano and Ambient Sounds for Relaxation) by Universfield -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0

【收听平台】

小宇宙 | Apple Podcast | Spotify

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主播：Mon

微信公众号：取景框外

蔡老师是我2018年打工度假时认识的朋友。

她现在是澳洲塔斯马尼亚一所公立小学的老师，兼“塔州健康生活方式代言人”，最近还开了自己的包子铺“Bao Babe”。

这是我们最近几年聊得最畅快的一次，追溯了她的“前世今生”。

聊天分成上下两集：上集主要围绕包子铺和学校工作，尤其聊到了班上有特殊需求的学生们；下集我们追忆working holiday，回溯到她在北外的大学时光，及一切是怎样一步步汇成今天的生活。

01:29 蔡老师的"micro business"

06:20 今年塔斯马尼亚的教育转型——开始有了教材这种东西。蔡老师成为全校最会教语法的老师。

10:02 谢耳朵的孤独症(autism)，以及有孤独症和多动症(ADHD)的学生和朋友

34:48 蔡老师在塔州这几年的生活“迭代”

40:58 “跟人聊天”是我当下最能做到也最爱玩的爱好

46:00 “我觉得声音对我来说有一个很大的优点就是intimacy”。

休息日的蔡老师总在创造美好的事物

“王菲陪我上班”

蔡老师的小红书 @海豹老师在澳洲

【Credits】

acoustic guitar melody fingerstyle #4 by Garuda1982 -- freesound.org -- License: Attribution 4.0

【收听平台】

小宇宙 | Apple Podcast | Spotify

【关注我们】

主播：Mon

微信公众号：取景框外