Monday, October 20, 2003
There are times when I feel like Sydney is out to get me. For instance when someone zooms up my behind, beeping like crazy, suddenly sideswipes to overtake then pulls in front with a triumphant two-fingered salute. A violation of road space. Or when taxis and trucks beep noisily outside my bedroom window. A violation of my street space. But when it's jimmying my passenger side lock so now I can't open it, it becomes a personal violation.
It's times like these that all my bad feelings about Australia, and Australians, come to the fore. Sydneysiders are known as the most "American" of Ockers: shallow, materialistic, out to grab their slice of pie and to hell with everyone else. (there, now I've offended lots of people). Outsiders, even those in love with Sydney's undeniably sunny weather and gorgeous beaches, are surprisingly unanimous in this evaluation.
It is probably just because I'm feeling incredibly small and alone right now. Though I should be used to it, because I feel like this for at least a few moments every day. Let's not pretend all that stuff I mentioned doesn't happen in the Godzone of New Zealand: it does, all the time. But I'm in a foreign country with a foreign values system, road code and laws: at least if I were home I would know a little better how to deal with it. And more importantly have more than one shoulder to cry on.
I believe that New Zealanders are the kindest, fairest, most balanced people in the world. I admit that I am biased in this. Probably I am the victim of patriotic indoctrination. but that doesn't matter: I believe it, my best friends are Kiwis, and I wanna go home.
email me: piokiwi@yahoo.com.au
It's not all Bad: the view from my house in Annandale on a nice day.
Piokiwi 1:51 am
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