Small Bamboo (25 page)

The only thing that was holding me back, I felt, was my voice. It was quite high-pitched and wasn’t smooth. It sounded a bit clunky. I would listen back to it but it would grate on me. I’d cringe every time. Les helped me a lot by encouraging me, telling me I had the foundation for a good voice but just needed to build on it with practice. So I spent hours practising in the voice booth, reading bulletins over and over again. I also printed off scripts to take home and practised reading them in my bedroom.

By my final year at Curtin University, I was immersed in all things radio. I was working in the newsroom at the station and producing the afternoon radio program where I organised people to be interviewed on air and made sure the show ran smoothly. I had completed more units in radio journalism than I needed to, so I had time to gain work experience elsewhere. I picked up some unpaid work at Perth’s commercial talkback radio station 6PR, then I was offered a position as an announcer at Groove FM, a new station targeting WA’s youth community. I decided to work late nights or graveyard hours there so I could still fit in my shifts at 6PR and Curtin FM. I also had a part-time job in retail. I was busy but it didn’t feel like work to me and I enjoyed every step I was taking, learning every day in each of my workplaces. Perhaps I’m more like my parents than I realise when it comes to thriving on hard work.

Edging closer to my final months of university, I had some plans about what I hoped to do once I graduated, such as apply for paid work at 6PR and continue working for Les at Curtin FM. Then one day Les asked me, ‘Trace, would you ever consider moving east?’

Actually, I’d never thought about it. Of course I wanted to travel as part of my job, but I just assumed I’d stay in Perth, with my friends and family. ‘Why would I want to move east?’ I said to Les.

Les knew the boss of 2SM in Sydney, a commercial station which also caters for regional areas in New South Wales. He had called him about a junior journalist position that had become available. ‘He asked me for names of good, hardworking graduates,’ Les said. ‘And you’re one of the hardest working students I’ve had. I think you should go for it.’

I was flattered and grateful that Les would consider recommending me, among other students he put forward—the job, which included reporting and news reading, was a great opportunity. Les also pointed out that even if I didn’t get the job, applying for it would be good practice.

I told him I needed a few days to think about it. I didn’t want to apply for the job if I wasn’t totally committed. It was such a huge decision. I thought I could just stay in Perth and work my way up; an opportunity in another city at the beginning of my career had never crossed my mind. I went home and told my parents. Dad was a little uneasy with the idea. He didn’t want his daughter moving so far away. Mum was supportive and said it was up to me, they couldn’t make the decision for me. That night I went to bed thinking about my future. I really didn’t know what to do.

Over the next few days, I went about my usual routine at Curtin FM. I felt comfortable there; I knew what to do and how it all worked. I didn’t want to leave but I knew I couldn’t stay in this comfort zone forever.

‘Trace, you got an answer for me yet?’ Les eventually asked.

I shook my head.

‘I need to let them know in the next day or two.’

He sat down with me and we talked about how I was feeling. He pointed out, again, that if I got this job, it would open a lot of doors for me. ‘Think about how many media organisations there are in Sydney!’ he said. ‘I really think you should go for it.’

I went into the voice booth, telling myself I needed to do some training but really I just needed to stop thinking about it. My mind was all over the place. There was fear: how would I cope without my family? Am I good enough for a big city newsroom? Would I be able to make new friends? Then there was the reality of my situation: I didn’t have a full-time position lined up in Perth, only casual work, yet here was a chance for a permanent job, and it was in Sydney! And there was excitement: living in a big city, what an experience that would be! I continued practising my speaking voice and after about fifteen minutes I walked out with a decision.

‘Okay, Les. I’ll do it! I’ll apply.’

Les explained the application process and I quickly put together a demo tape, my resumé, and references from Les and the radio station’s program manager. I still have Les’s reference letter:

I had the pleasure of teaching Tracy Vo. She is keen to learn, and therefore was easy to teach.

She has a good work ethic, an excellent attitude, a delightful personality and is not afraid to move outside of her comfort zone.

She has the ability to succeed as a broadcast journalist, in radio or television.

Signed,

Les Welsh

News Editor

Curtin Radio

Even now I read his letter and I feel as chuffed as the first time. Les had so much confidence in me. I was a bit of a cruiser back then. But Les already saw someone who could become a successful journalist. For every employer that I would eventually work for, I tried to demonstrate the attributes that Les saw in me.

While I waited to hear back from 2SM, I prepared myself for the worst. I was sure there would be many applicants for the job from all over Australia, and I didn’t really think I had a chance. But I was happy to have been recommended and that I applied. Then about a fortnight later, I was sitting in the newsroom, writing and recording grabs for the next bulletin. The phone rang and I heard Les pick it up. My heart skipped a beat when I realised he was talking to 2SM, about the job I’d applied for. ‘I’ve got one of the girls sitting in the newsroom right now,’ he said at one point. I tried not to listen. I didn’t want to hear words that signalled the bad news I was expecting. Then he hung up the phone, turned around to me and said, ‘Trace, you got the job!’

I was shocked. ‘Are you sure? Are you serious?!’

Les gave me a hug and congratulated me. ‘He’s offering a job to you and two other students. He couldn’t choose so he decided to take all three of you.’

I was thrilled. I got the job, and I wasn’t going over there alone.

‘The only problem is, Trace, he wants you all to start in two weeks.’

‘Two weeks! But we haven’t finished uni yet.’

Even though I’d completed most of my units, I still had two months of my final year to go, but 2SM wouldn’t budge on the date and they wanted us to start as soon as possible. Les suggested I speak to the course coordinator straight away to see if I could fast track my studies and hand in all my assignments early. Luckily, I had a pretty good relationship with all my lecturers and they agreed. I think they were really happy for me too. But then I had to tell my parents. I knew they’d be thrilled I got the job but I wasn’t sure how they would react to finding out their twenty-year-old daughter was leaving home in a fortnight.

I raced through the front door. ‘Mum, Dad! I got the job!’

They were so happy for me, congratulating me. My first job as a journalist. I could see how proud they were.

‘When do you start?’ Mum asked.

I took a moment before answering. ‘I have to start in two weeks.’

Now they were shocked, and not so happy. Two weeks was too soon. ‘What about uni?’ Dad said.

I explained how I’d worked things out with my lecturers. I also told them how I’d be going with two of my uni mates, and that helped to reassure them as well. Mum and Dad’s emotions were torn, but as always they were supportive and put me first.

‘Okay, then,’ Dad said with the enthusiasm he throws into every challenge. ‘We need to start sorting everything out!’

A couple of days later I received my letter of employment from 2SM.
It’s really happening now
, I thought. Those final two weeks in Perth flew by—packing, seeing friends and spending as much time as I could with my family. I stayed surprisingly calm throughout, and kept telling myself, ‘It’s no big deal.’ My contract was for a year and I figured that I’d just come home after that. In my mind, this move was a temporary one.

It didn’t really hit me that I was leaving until my farewell party, which was also an early twenty-first birthday celebration. It was the Saturday before I had to fly out. All my family and friends were there and I couldn’t have asked for a better night. Then, as the party was ending, the goodbyes got tougher. And by the time I had to say goodbye to my girlfriends—Pia, Nichola and Jen—and my cousins Trinh, Trang and Diem, I knew I was going to struggle without them.

‘You can call me any time. Any time, day or night. I love yo!’ Pia and I have been saying ‘Love yo’ to each other since we were fourteen years old.

Pia kept hugging me. We held each other so tight.

Then it was my cousin Trinh’s turn. ‘I’m gonna miss you, Trace! Who can I talk to about boys and stuff now? Who can I gossip with?!’ Her face was so sad. Then she started crying. Trinh never cries. Even her older sister Diem was surprised.

‘Oh my god, Trinh. Are you crying?’

‘It’s okay, Trinh. You can call me any time and we can keep talking crap like we always do.’

We both laughed.

At home that night I sat in my bedroom in silence. I looked around, saddened by the realisation that this would be my room for only a couple more days. Dad came in to see if I was okay.

‘I’m really going to miss everyone, Dad,’ I said.

‘Don’t worry,
con
. Sydney’s not that far away. And if you don’t like it, you can always come home.’

This was true. It was that easy. No matter what happened, I could always go home. And nothing lasts forever. Mum and Dad always said that nothing is set in stone. I thought about the dangers they’d faced and the risks they’d taken in their own lives, when they were even younger than me, and the courage they showed. Now it was time for me to make the most of mine.

On 19 May 2004 I left my home in Perth. I was expecting only my family at the airport, but Pia, Nichola, Jen and Jeremy surprised me by turning up. It was such a touching surprise to have my closest mates there. Then my flight was called and I must have hugged everyone a dozen times.

‘Take care,
con
. Make sure you work hard. And be careful over there.’

They were the last words from my parents before I boarded the flight. With one more hug from Mum and Dad, I was off to Sydney.

17
SYDNEY-TOWN

I had never been to Sydney before. I was very lucky that I wasn’t going alone. On the plane with me was Ilka, one of the other students who was offered a job at 2SM. We were both emotional during the five-hour flight and couldn’t stop crying, but at least we had each other for comfort. I’m glad I had someone else there with me. It would have been terribly daunting on my own.

Ilka already knew someone in Sydney so I was able to stay with them for a couple of days while I searched for an apartment. Jess, the third student who had accepted the offer of a position at 2SM, and I were going to share and we wanted somewhere that was close to the radio station in Pyrmont, across the road from Star City Casino. We found an apartment in Ultimo. It was horrible. Old and lifeless. But we needed a place straight away and living in Ultimo meant we could catch the bus or even walk home. It took us a little while to settle in but eventually we made it home for us. We lived in that apartment for six months.

After I arrived I had a few days before I started work to explore the city. It was vast, and a maze. I didn’t know where I was going and couldn’t get my bearings. I was intimidated by the city and worried about how I’d be able to do my job if I couldn’t find my way around. Sydney was so much busier compared to Perth and the roads were terribly confusing.

We all caught up with a university friend, Ebbeny, who had moved to Sydney six months earlier. She was also working at 2SM but had just been offered a job at 2GB. She gave us a rundown on what 2SM was like and what kinds of shifts we would be doing. It was great having Ebbeny in Sydney. She would become one of my strongest sources of support, especially in the early days.