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
You don't sound like Crocodile Dundee!? How dare you, sir? How dare you! And you call yourself an Aussie... Why I oughtta...
I truly sympathize with your feeling of passing through, like you were born in the wrong place, or maybe even the wrong time. I've resigned to the fact that such dilemmas are normal to have. We're going to question our existence until we find the right fit. Even then, we may even still question if we're worthy of it.
No Crocodile Dundee here! I can sound that way of i force it, but it's not my natural sound. Oh well, she'll be right.
It is an interesting feeling. Probably would be this way no matter where I was born. Perhaps the feeling is emphasised in Australia due to my heritage being from the other side of the world. These thoughts make for interesting question, but no real answers - but great fodder for writing ideas.
I can sound like Crocodile Dundee too, but I fear it would sound too racist. You're probably right that we'll feel this way no matter where we're born. I think this is a case of our brains just being wired this way. I'm sure Einstein and Tesla felt the same way. Yes, I'm comparing us to some of the greatest scientific minds in history.
I love the comparison. Although you're Einstein and I'm Tesla. Always the maverick :)
Why can't we be both Tesla? Is it my hair? Did my hair make you think I'm more of an Einstein? I can be a maverick, too. E=M(I)C-what-you-did-there ;)
Squared!
You out mavericked me. Now that's a thought - we are both Einstein and Tesla at the same time! Free energy for everyone.
And also, free strings for everyone across the multiverses!
Happy Australia day, sometimes its better to stand out from the rest.
You got it :)
G'day, on this 'Australia Day', I feel the 'passing through' feeling as well, even through I'm fifth generation England / Irish Aussie. Every time I look at my skin, it reminds me that my DNA heritage came from a place on the other side of the world with only half the UV rays ;)
Yes, i think I'm 5th generation, from part English/Welsh and Irish also. I kept getting lured back to the motherland. Although i am in Spain currently. Possible next destination is Ireland. I love the sun, but not it doesn't love the fair white skin enough does it?
And g'day to you too :)
I find myself saying "no worries" a lot more these days.
I find myself saying g'day a lot more. No worries is another that has grown on me over the years. I think those are my two staples. They remind me that I am actually Australian.
That's interesting. I never say g'day.
I love how you described an excerpt of your conversation and the different thoughts that followed after. I love pieces that give insight into who you are and think because I love knowing people and getting inside the human mind. Every mind is just so different and what influences, ticks off, excites and upsets every person is so so different and this insight makes me fall more in love with how unique all of us are.
I do tend to write these personal anecdotes in that style. I like to express that inner dialogue, the internal reasoning patterns at work. Okay I do fictionalise it a little, but mostly it's how my mind ticks. So yes, you would get to know me from these little stories. I like to read similar stories also. It's more personal, more unique, in my opinion. Thank you :)
Yeah personalizing a story does attend a unique touch to it and makes it something only you own. Fictionalizing things is alright as long as they are your stories. I do that too, at times. Haven't done that on steemit though.
A lot of my blog posts end up this way. When I write more serious fiction then things can change. Its like I'm acting out the part in my head and just put that on paper. Even if it's made up, it's coming from a part of me.
This bit was quite interesting:
I haven't fictionalized things related to others but yeah I do that with information related to myself. And doing that often helps me understand my inner needs better. It is like a voice inside of me is telling me what I really want.
The only others I would fictionalise about is made-up others. Otherwise I would be veering into lies and dishonesty territory.
If I add characters in to little story segments, as I have done with the Notes series, often they are based on real life encounters, and some alterations (for entertainment) will take place - that is I may base it on someone I met, but it isn't them.
My daughter's born and bred South African, and doesn't sound like one at all. She never has! It's weird.
I think I have an Australian accent, but I suppose compared to the obvious type of Aussie accent perhaps it isn't so blatant.
Im glad you mentioned the aborigines in your article, I wonder what they think of Australia day?
A lot of them would take umbrage at it, I would assume. It doesn't take a genius to understand that or the reasons why. Australia has a lot of past sins to account for. I think I alluded to that. But the post wasn't intended to be political, just a reflection of my thoughts at where I am at right now, given I am on the other side of the world.
good post, I like your post ..
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