Rommel Lenon

Story

Reason for leaving homeland

Divorce and search for a better life. My parents were divorcing and my father decided to stay in the Philippines (I do not see him again until 1990, ten years later) whilst my mother Belen bravely immigrated as a solo parent to a new country which I, thinking because it was so far to the south, would be covered in ice, like the Antarctic. Thankfully, this was not so!!

My mother had written to her former workmate Mike and his wife Agnes in Melbourne as well as her first cousin Wena and her husband Efren in Sydney. Since Aunt Wena answered first, we decided to go to Sydney. Had Mike answered first, my childhood would’ve been in Melbourne!

QANTAS Flight No. QF 20 (Boeing 747) left Manila on 4th May 1980 and arrived in Sydney via Brisbane stopover at 9:45am 5th May 1980. I wore a suit and we packed only two suitcases for our new home. My family: grandfather Daniel, uncle Horace and uncle Homer drove us to the airport on Sunday night 4th May 1980. I remember a photo being taken of my uncles looking at a new digital watch I had, which was the fashion in those days, especially just coming out of the ’70s.

The overnight flight didn’t have much turbulence and was very exciting. My mother informed me many years later that a couple of Caucasians asked to be moved further away from us on the plane.

We sat next to this kind gentleman who had the window seat. After breakfast, due to motion sickness, I promptly threw up on him but he didn’t mind at all; he was very compassionate and understanding.

We arrived at Brisbane airport at around 6am and my mom took a picture of me on the tarmac. It’s my first touch on Australian soil.

My first impression of Sydney in May was the cold! The Philippines is a tropical country, whose average temperatures year round is 25-35 degrees Celsius. Upon arriving in Sydney, in May, the cool crisp weather struck this seven year old like a cannonball.

Another first impression was the steering wheel of my aunt Wena and uncle Efren’s car: it’s on the right side whereas in the Philippines, it’s on the left.

In 1980, I went to school at Lurnea, near Liverpool and later to St Vincent’s Primary School in Ashfield. I remember I was possibly the only Asian boy in my primary school in Lurnea but made many friends including Virginia, who gave me a nice Christmas card. Another girl, whose name escapes me, 28 years later, had a cat who had kittens and gave one to me. Since my mother and I were temporarily staying at my aunt’s house, we could not keep the kitten so we gave it to a family friend named Josie and her husband Peter, who raised the kitten for many years.

My first year at Ashfield, NSW, was fun and I had a crush on a girl named Marianne, whose family came from the former Yugoslavia. My best friends Nick, Mark, Chad, Jeff, Chris, Ben, Michael and later Marcel whom I met in my first few years in Ashfield (1981-1983) remain close friends today.

Ashfield is filled with terrific memories and in my heart, my true home. I excelled in English, Mathematics and Art in high school – De La Salle College Ashfield. My first job was as paperboy at Charlotte St Newsagency (1986) and I remember getting a free drink at the Ashfield Park Bowling Club every time I whistled by. Once, I had a couple of friends with me and they astonishingly and kindly gave us a whole bottle of lemonade!!

Australia has become my home and the focus of my identity. It’s now 28 years (and counting) and if I was an Olympic athlete or professional tennis player, the Australian flag will always be next to my name. I am proud of Australia, especially now that Kevin Rudd is prime minister (doing things like saying sorry and having a 2020 debate). I look forward to being buried here (a long, long, LONG time from now!) with absolute joy and pride!

Rommel Avanzado Lenon

Immigrant from San Pablo City and Manila Philippines

Australian Citizen 21 November 1983

Filmmaker

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