Inala and me

May 19, 2016

Our kids don’t notice who is dark or who is not, or that one child may have more expensive clothes and the other does not

I haven’t seen the SBS series Struggle Street, but I have seen the news lately and the hype/furore (depending on which side of the fence you sit) regarding the much talked about series and it’s apparent intentions to film the second season right here in Brisbane and more specifically, Inala.

I’m assuming that unbeknownst to many of you, my readers (or those outside my direct circle of friends and family) I actually live on the border of Richlands and Inala and have done so for almost a year now.

It’s not my first time living in the area, either – my mum, siblings and I moved to Inala during the last part of my high school years and I even worked at Inala Plaza as a check-out chick at Bi-Lo up until my early twenties.

Affordable and affable

People like to harp on about how dangerous or horrible a place Inala is, but I don’t see any of that and rather I see a place full of life and culturally speaking, a place that would rival the likes of the United Nations! I see great food, delicious, CHEAP fresh produce, and some of the best Vietnamese pho in town.

It’s also cheap to live here, with rent and/or house sales some of the cheapest in Brisbane and only approximately 25 minutes from the city—depending on when you travel and if you drive a car or take public transport—it’s great value for money.

In terms of all the “dangerous” or “criminal” people living in Inala, there certainly aren’t any evidence of them in the Inala-based playgroup I attend weekly and only warm, caring women who love their kids and who derive from all kinds of different countries such as Samoa, Sudan, Fiji and Vietnam.

These women are mothers just like anyone else and each has their own story to tell. Our kids don’t notice either who is dark or who is not, or that one child may have more expensive clothes and the other does not and I’m really proud and excited that I am able to provide such a rich, cultural interaction for my girls.

Melting pot of cultures

I’ve lived in many different suburbs in Brisbane and in fact many different countries, and what I really love about Inala is the rich diversity that exists and the melting pot of different cultures.

Yes, there are problems, and yes, there are sometimes people screaming profanities at each other, but if you’re walking around the city as I did yesterday, there is also plenty of that happening there as well, it’s just not something a lot of people like to talk about.

So I just want to say to SBS, go ahead and film in Inala and highlight the struggles that many people there are facing, but I hope you can also keep an open mind and shine some light on the kind, interesting people that also reside there.