While Irish student Peter O’Brien loves living in Australia, even he’s wary about ‘celebrating’ Australia Day.
O’Brien went to Australia for a gap year after finishing high school, and fell in love with the place so much that he decided to stay, enrolling in a Bachelor of Design (Architecture) at Deakin University and working part-time at a local bottle shop.
Despite his love for his new country, he realises that the origins of Australia Day are problematic (to say the least), and has chosen not to celebrate.
“I’m usually working on Australia Day, or getting ready for uni, so I haven’t really paid much mind to it. But, one of my work mates invited me to a BBQ this year, so I thought, ‘why not, might be fun.'”
However, O’Brien has stressed that he’s in it just for the free food, the discounted grog from work, and the traditional game of backyard cricket.
“I find the old Aussie Rules and rugby codes a bit confusing, I’m more of a Football man, but I like cricket and I’m learning to play at my local club. And no man has ever said no to free food and cheap drinks.”
To show his ambivalence towards the national holiday, O’Brien will avoid wearing anything with the Australian flag, instead wearing his favourite Shamrock Rovers jersey.
O’Brien has a plan to avoid the political slippery slope of the Australia Day holiday if it’s discussed at the party.
“I’ll pull out my phone and show everyone the hillarious ‘I hear you’re a racist now, Father’ bit from Father Ted. “I’d much rather talk about Father Ted accidently being a racist than actual racism. I’ll distract everyone by quoting that bit word-for-word: ‘I’m so busy down on the farm I won’t have much time for the ol’ racism.’ Absolute classic!”
Everyday News is a brand new general news/parody section of The Gurgler, and definitely not a lame rip-off of ‘The Betoota Advocate’. We swear.
