Penka arrived in Canberra in mid February 2024. She has two sons, the elder is studying Architecture in France and the younger one is here with them. Their dog will join them hopefully in July. Penka has a Master’s degree in International Economic Relations and she has worked mostly in the banking sector. Her husband’s postings have had the family living in France and Belgium and as a child Penka lived in Malaysia.

Masako came to Canberra to accompany her husband who is on a diplomatic posting. She has two children and has an interest in plants and ecosystems and enjoyed gardening when she was in Japan. While working in Japan she organised projects to restore vegetation on one of the mountains outside of the city from where she lived. She is also interested in plants of the Aboriginal people of Australia and the uses of these plants.

Ayumi moved to Australia from Japan in November 2023 and as this is her first posting she has little experience outside Japan. She has two primary aged school children and enjoys travelling, fishing and swimming with them. Ayumi also likes cooking and reading books.

Jenn is originally from Ottawa and studied English Literature in Canada. She pursued a career in Technical Writing for high- technology companies and later worked as a consultant for the Canadian Federal Government as a policy analyst and soft ware trainer. She enjoys writing fiction and poetry, visiting galleries and cultural events as well as walking and hiking in Canberra and beyond.

Emily is originally from Cairns but completed her entire secondary education in Southeast Asia. She has also lived in Copenhagen while completing her legal qualification. She studied Law and Psychology at University and is currently a lawyer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Her interests are Law, Psychology and Literature. She also plays tennis.

Anisa has lived in many countries and has experienced different cultures. She has lived and assisted in the Afghanistan Embassy’s in Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Anisa has three sons and one daughter. She loves cooking, gardening, walking and has been a member of WIC before for four years from 2011-2017 and is looking forward to renewing old friendships and making new ones.

Lara arrived recently in Canberra on posting to Australia for a period of 3 4 years. She previously worked in the Greek Embassy in Moscow and is now the spouse of the Ambassador of Greece to Australia. She is interested in History, Art, Literature and Architecture. She was interested in sport but not as much now. She is looking forward to enjoying her time in Australia and spending quality time with the members of WIC.