The happiest refugee/ Anh Do #oznzreads2011

Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. He and his family nearly lost their lives as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in a very creaky, overcrowded boat. Pirates, hunger, disease and thirst didn’t stop them from trying to get to Australia and a better life. Unfortunately, their new life in Australia was not always the dream they hoped it would be. With parents who worked every hour of the day and night to provide for the basics, Anh and his brother and sister lived a far from normal childhood, in sometimes less than ideal circumstances. The one thing that was always constant was the love of his close family and all the extended family that came in and out of their lives. Anh, his sister Tram and brother Khoa always managed to keep optimistic and find the good, even in the darkest of times. When his father left the family it hurt all of them very deeply. It also placed a large burden on his mother to support the family as a single parent. Her perseverance and ability to never give in was Anh’s inspiration to work hard to help the family out and to not lose sight of the dream of making a good life for himself and his family. He graduated from high school, went on to do a law degree and then gave it all up to pursue a career in comedy, all the time putting the happiness and survival of his family above all else. Through every stumbling block and heartbreak he had to endure Anh came out smiling and keeps true to his undying belief that anything is possible
The Happiest Refugee is a truly inspiring story of one of my favourite people. Even though the story is full of tragedy and heartache it is counterbalanced with a huge dose of optimism and determination. Anh never lost sight of what his father told him as a young boy, “There’s today, and there’s too late” and Anh never stops making everyday count for the better.
Chris