MULTICULTURALISM is a fact of life for Swan Hill siblings Mary and Emuel Gabreil, who have grown up with four different languages in their family.
They were born in Lebanon to their parents Simon, who is from Sudan, and Joy who is from the Philippines.
The story of how they arrived in Swan Hill goes back to the 90s when Simon escaped an ongoing war in Sudan.
He travelled to Lebanon where he found work in a factory and spoke only his tribal language Ahcioli.
Simon met Joy who had moved there for work and they both formed a relationship with only the Arabic language and the celebration of Christmas in common.
After marrying in November 2000 and having two children, the family moved to the Philippines in preparation for a move to Australia.
In 2007, they arrived in Australia and moved straight to Swan Hill, where the countryside reminded Simon of the open spaces in Sudan.
It was here that the family was introduced to a fourth language, English.
Both parents told The Guardian their children were excellent English teachers, being sure to correct them whenever necessary.
For more on this story, see Monday’s edition of The Guardian (11/02/13).
