Emeri from Australia

Photographs courtesy of Emeri’s family

My name is Emeri B. I’m nine years old, and I’m from Australia. I live in one of the driest continents in the world, but I love where I live. Australia is in the southern hemisphere. That means that when many people in the northern hemisphere are celebrating Christmas in the cold and snow, everyone in Australia is enjoying warm weather and sunny beaches.

Australia is home to the world’s largest species of crocodile, the salt-water crocodile, which can grow to be up to 20 feet (6 m) long.

My favorite pastime is reading. That’s why my mum calls me a bookworm.

One of my favorite desserts is a meringue cake filled with whipped cream and fruit. It’s named after a famous ballerina named Anna Pavlova.

Pavlova

Be sure to ask an adult for help when you make this recipe.

3 egg whites

3 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until very stiff. Add water and beat again. Thoroughly mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt, and add it gradually to the egg whites, beating well. Fold in vinegar and vanilla. Pile the mixture onto greased wax paper on a cooking sheet or in a well-greased deep round cake pan. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave it in the closed oven for one hour. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries or kiwi fruit.

Because of President Monson’s example of service, our family was inspired to get a small puppy. We will raise her until she’s ready to be trained. After she’s trained, someday she will help someone with a disability have an easier life.

My neighborhood is in between the hills and beaches, so there are many things for my family and me to do, from climbing mountains to swimming in the ocean.