Notes From an Amateur Writer #52
This Blog series is an exercise in creative writing. Sometimes expressed in short story form, sometimes as a journal, or just my thoughts written down. It is a nursery of sorts for the stories that are on their way, or yet to be written.
This is post 26 in @dragosroua's January 30 day writing challenge.
A Nomadic Australian Celebrates Australia Day
"You don't sound like an Australian. You're too polite. Too well mannered."
Other Australians have manners, I thought. What is this guy talking about? Still, it did make me feel a little chuffed, if not confused. I had always received questions about my place of birth, even when I was in Australia. Being in Melbourne, answering other people's question on my nationality by telling them I was born here, in Melbourne. I had lived most of my life here, in Melbourne. Sorry if I don't sound like Paul Hogan. I'll try harder next time.
And now I was far from Melbourne. Seems the questions had followed me.
"I actually get that a lot. So where did you think I was from?"
My new freind was from one of those friendly, but oh so cold Scandinavian countries. About as far from Autralia as you could possibly get. He also – naturally – sounded nothing like an Australian, so perhap that explained his friendly demeanour.
"English, perhaps."
"Maybe it's all the English television that I watched as a child," I said, taking a wild guess at this perplexing dilemma. Should I sound more Australian. Say g'day more often (I do use the term), and throw a few more no worries about. Strewth, fair dinkum, she'll be right – I don't speak like this. It feels foreign to me.
I actually learned to speak proper Aussie at my first full time job, where the majority of the 500+ work force were Maltese. I still laugh at the irony of this. That is where I learned words like g'day and no worries. Perhaps if my Maltese friends had a greater Aussie vocabulary I may have learned to sound more Australian. But it never happened.
I was born in Australia, never feeling completely at home there. I love it's beautiful natural environment. I feel a deep kindred with the Aborigines in this regard. And I think it's knowing their history, particularly their recent history that has keep me from feeling like this place truly is my home. This is just a feeling I have, I can't explain it more than that. Like I am just passing through, but not sure where I belong.
The Australian people are extremely friendly (even if they don't sound like it, if my new friend is to be believed). The immigrants have expanded the cultural landscape significantly. There is a lot to like, and celebrate.
Learning the lingo (Australian for language) from immigrants from very near where I have now ended up myself (Mediteranean) seems beautifully cyclical to me.
Maybe these are life beliefs I have somehow put into action from the film I mentioned several days ago – Storm Boy. But it gives me things to think about, and prompts me to question why things are the way. And that often leads to writing material.
"Well I am very happy to meet you, my Australian friend," the tall Scandinavian said to me.
"No worries," I replied.
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@naquoya
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Links to earlier works
Who is Naquoya
- Fiction
My Fiction Writing Collection
Writing Myself Out of Existence
When the Levee Breaks
Reality Fading
- Blog Posts
Notes #1 - #39 - Notes From An Amateur Writer Collection
Notes #40 - Read, Write, and Face the Future
Notes #41 - What Are Some Of Your Favourite Books?
Notes #42 - Website Review: Fiction University
Notes #43 - Seeking a Community Of Writers
Notes #44 - What Are Some of Your Favourite Characters?
Notes #45 - When Madness Came Knocking
Notes #46 - Why Do I Write?
Notes #47 - Books vs Movies: Who Wore it Better?
Notes #48 - Google Seems to Know Me too Well
Notes #49 - Conversation With My Multiple Selves
Notes #50 - Revisiting Childhood With Storm Boy and Mr Percival
Notes #51 - Some Of The Books That I Am Reading
-Ramble On (Humour based travel blog)
#1 - Introducing My New Travel Blog
#2 - Making a Deal With the Devil
#3 - Getting Arrested, For Resisting Arrest
Reviews
Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larrson
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Philip K. Dick
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
-Poetry
My Poetry Collection