Loribelle Spirovski

I could imagine her rolling up her metaphorical sleeves and just being like step aside, boys.

You call that a chili?

Here it comes.

They stayed for about a year and then she got pregnant.

And the intention was to have me there and basically just live out life there and travel all around Europe.

But then pretty quickly, war started to break out in the region.

And so my dad essentially applied for jobs anywhere else in the world as far away as possible.

That's right.

I think he got a job in South Africa and in Australia.

So the only reason he chose Australia was the friend who gave him the job promised him that he would build bridges and building bridges was his favourite thing in the world.

So that's the only reason Australia was chosen.

Well, as with all kind of under the table deals, it wasn't exactly as he had hoped.

He kind of fell out with that friend and tried another job.

And because his English wasn't great, he was relying heavily on the former Yugoslav community, essentially the diaspora that did the same thing that he did, like just fled to as far away as possible to save their lives.

And

I think when you get a lot of desperate people who are just struggling to survive and you end up being taken advantage of sometimes.

So I think that's what he faced.

And all the while, my mum ended up going to the Philippines to give birth to me because my dad figured you have family there, you know, you at least will have some support.

And visa became really the biggest struggle over the next few years.

Yes.