Claudia Callisto - The Good Italian Girl and friends

I'm delighted to introduce Teresa Dall’Acqua Leonardi OAM to our podcast series. Teresa shares her remarkable life journey, filled with both triumphs and challenges, including one of her proudest moments: receiving the Order of Australia Medal in 2009. This prestigious honour is a rare achievement for an Italian woman within the Italian-Australian community.
Teresa’s story begins when she arrived in Australia as a young child, a refugee with her Italian parents, who fled Asmara in East Africa (formerly an Italian colony) due to civil unrest between the Black and White communities. Settling in Adelaide, Teresa dedicated her life to volunteering, particularly within the Italian community and various other organisations. Helping others has always been central to her nature, calling, and passion.
At a young age, Teresa began teaching English to newly arrived immigrants, helping them assimilate into Australian society. She later worked in the disability sector and the funeral industry. Beyond her professional roles, Teresa has been deeply involved in many community projects, such as the early development of Carnevale and the Italian Festival. She continues to serve on community boards and Italian associations to this day.
Throughout her life, Teresa has faced many challenges, yet she remains a beacon of strength and resilience. Her message to all women is clear: stand tall, remain strong, and never let life's difficulties bring you down. Teresa is a true role model for Italian-Australian women across generations, and her inspiring insights shared in this podcast offer valuable lessons for us all.
Chapters:

(00:00) The Good Italian Girl podcast focuses on first generation daughters of immigrant parents

(01:21) Theresa Delacolonardi was born in East Africa in 1947

(05:29) You were born in Eritrea and which was an italian colony

(08:46) So, what's your most favourite thing about your italian culture

(09:58) So if you were to think about your most favorite thing about italian culture

(14:40) You went to intermediate and then did leaving and leaving honours in Adelaide

(16:28) You taught migrant education teachers for 24 years and many have become businesswomen

(23:13) You worked in the funeral industry for 37 years. That's a long time

(26:34) A funeral today is just so different to it was when you first started

(27:09) In those days, condolences were taken at the cemetery

(28:42) Claudia has lost two husbands by self inflicted or illness

(31:15) Claudia says people often feel intruding at funerals

(35:54) It's predominantly a southern italian tradition, which naturally...

(36:14) There are many regrets associated with dying, according to Bronnie Ware

(38:34) Far more liberated nowadays to express your feelings, says Claudio

(40:00) I wish I stayed in touch with my friends. As I said, we have friends that come through our life

(44:25) Claudia has been volunteering with Radio Italiana for 40 years

(48:56) The rewards in any community work is that you touch people's lives

(50:03) Claudia was awarded the Order of Australia medal in 2009

(54:03) What's your greatest wish for your children and grandchildren? I have two grandchildren

(56:47) It starts with food, Claudia. It does, it does. I think the culture around food and traditions is important

(01:01:23) Do you feel that we still have the old traditions remaining in our community

(01:04:40) You've had lots of difficulties in your life, but you forge ahead

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In this episode of the good Italian girl and friends, Claudia and her sister Laura talk about the upcoming event, Italian glory boxes of love.
A unique exhibition curated by two Adelaidean Italian sisters displaying a collection of precious ‘glory box’ items that Italian migrant mothers prepared for their female children growing up in Australia. Each item will have its own unique family story attached. These items link us back to our childhood and represent their homeland traditions, their talent as embroiderers and seamstresses and the future hope for their female children. Now a lost tradition within our Adelaide Italian community, we can only Wonderin amazement at this significant historical tradition, the family stories and the beautiful items that were carefully selected, packed and stored in glory boxes. Many daughters still hold on to these items, despairing at what will become of them if their story is lost.

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Another funny podcast with Claudia and her fellow Italian Adelaide girlfriends laughing and talking about life as daughters of Italian immigrant parents.
They discuss the concept of whether they were actually able to achieve it all – corporate career, motherhood and being that perfect Italian wife like their immigrant mothers or did they all end up simply exhausted.
The guests talk about what Italian cultural activities they currently enjoy and the things they love about their Italian culture including the Italian Christmas food traditions.
They laugh together about what life was like growing up in the 80s, the efforts they made to leave the house to go out and have fun and still meet their curfew.

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Today on the Good Italian Girl and Friends podcast we meet another Australian – Italian first generation daughter from Adelaide named Maria who also runs a side hustle called The Barefoot Woman... yes folks she loves going barefoot at home to help her feel grounded.

Her business services however is something totally different in that she provides Malocchio removal, Tarot card readings, Business and House energy cleanses and Astrology.

I was fascinated with the fact that this younger modern ethnic girl has inherited the art of Malocchio removal from her Italian-born Nonna and Mother and I not only had to try her services for myself but also interview her on my podcast.

The belief in the evil eye, or "malocchio," is a fascinating aspect of Italian folklore and tradition. While its origins can be traced back to ancient times, the belief in the evil eye remains prevalent in modern Italian culture.

In Italian folklore, it is believed that certain individuals have the power to harm others by merely looking at them with envy or jealousy. This harmful gaze is believed to cause misfortune, illness, or other forms of bad luck. To protect against the evil eye, various talismans, amulets, and rituals have been used throughout history.

The mixing of oil and water is also a traditional method used in Italian folklore to check for the presence of the evil eye or a curse. The logic behind this tradition is based on the belief that the evil eye or negative energy can disrupt the natural harmony and balance of a person's life, causing illness, misfortune, or bad luck.

For more information about the service provided by Maria contact her via instagram@thebarefootwoman

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Join me, your host Claudia Callisto, as I sit down with my good friends Luisa and Laura for an intimate chat about our unique travel experiences as first-generation Australian-Italians. We explore the fascinating journey of travelling overseas to visit Italian relatives and discuss if it's a rite of passage for Australian-Italian children. We share our funny and challenging moments, our favourite locations and sites, and provide some practical tips for planning a destination overseas.

In this fascinating discussion, Luisa and Laura open up about their recent trip to Europe and the incredible coastal region of Bibione. We discuss the challenges they faced while travelling, the meticulous research and planning involved, and how the trip impacted their children. The girls share their experiences of travelling at different stages of their children's lives, and the benefits they have seen from these experiences. They also share the importance of introducing their children to their ancestral homeland.

Listen in as we discuss the art of packing efficiently for a family trip, and share strategies for only taking the essentials. We also touch on the importance of taking direct flights to save money and the significance of factoring in check-in and check-out times when planning flights.

Finally, we chat about the importance of maintaining connections with our Italian relatives and how these connections have shaped our identity. Whether you're planning your own trip to Italy or just love to travel, this episode is packed with valuable insights and hilarious stories.

--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------

(0:00:04) - Australian-Italian Travel Podcast Series

We discuss Italian relatives, first-gen Australian-Italian experiences, funny and difficult moments, and practical tips for overseas travel.

(0:11:46) - Traveling in Europe and Tour Experiences

Luisa and Laura discussed their trip to Bibione, the challenges of travelling with six people, and Luisa’s research and planning.

(0:23:50) - European Trips' Impact on Children

Luisa and Laura discuss reconnecting with family, travelling with their own and other families, and planning trips to Europe with their children.

(0:33:55) - Experiences in Italy

Luisa and Laura share their experiences travelling, shopping, people watching, and funny stories with their kids.

(0:39:50) - Packing Tips for Traveling

Luisa and Laura share travel tips, such as packing, pre-ordering snacks, and utilising lounge benefits.

(0:45:02) - Travel Packing Tips and Strategies

Packing efficiently for a family trip, taking direct flights, and humorous stories are discussed.

(0:57:05) - Challenges of Traveling and Maintaining Connections

Luisa and Laura discuss efficient packing, amusing shopping trips, and introducing their kids to their ancestral homeland.

(1:07:38) - Practical Tips and Cultural Insights

Luisa and Laura plan trips, discuss homesteads, shopping at Gucci, and their travels to Bibione, Italy.

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