April 02, 2006

 

Chapter 2 Begins (Day 185)

Right now I'm starring at a 10 x 12 foot area of wallpaper which depicts a path leading to a still blue lake through an autumn forest and wondering why nature scene wallpaper ever went out of style. Mounted on the wall is a stick with a stuffed bird who's auburn speckled feathers have miraculously stayed attached inspite of the fact that it's probably 30 years old. I dare not get up and take a closer look, fearful I may see it no longer has it's beek.

For those of you who have been here before you know exactly where I am. But for those who have never been so priviledged, I will explain...I'm at Grandma's. And, as with all grandparents' homes, it is a tribute to different times. Golden yellow fabric flowers, intricately embroidered tapestries, fragile glass figurines, Grandpop's hats hung all in a row(1). As I roam around the house every item begs to have it's story told.

Yet, for a child under 10, time at the grandparents can seem like a voluntary trip to a history museum. Besides the benefit of a sweet from the kitchen sweet jar, the entire event can be boring and filled with the constant effort to evade all adults. You can't run or play, you can't touch anything, and if for some reason you ask about a particular item on display, the explaination is often much longer than desired.

But, as you get older things change. You wonder where the glass swans came from, or when the china was actually used for tea. You wonder who won the 5 foot trophy and which hat was Grandpop's favorite. You wonder how long "The Blue Boy" embroidery took, not to mention why anyone would want to embroider at all. You find you can't help but smile at the colorful stuffed birds or pause at the wooden canes leaning against the wall. What 15 years ago seemed like a dying relic is now more alive than you ever thought.

Getting to know Grandma has been cool, and I look forward to the months to come. I'm not sure she'll ever get used to my eating habits. "That's all you're going to eat?" she asks inquisitively; suggesting I have some more rice, a piece of "brown bread" or another whole meal to supplement the first. It's uncanny to go from being nameless in dingy guesthouses and tasteless cafes to Grandma's house.

My return to the "real world" has been all-around odd. For me culture shock is less about what I see and more about the continuous feeling of being out of place and the random moments when I notice things are missing. Sometimes I'll stop suddenly and wonder where my passport is and then remember I don't need it anymore and it's safe on my dresser wide out in the open in my room at Grandma's.

Most of the time I find myself looking for people of color. Although I was often the only dark traveller on the trail and I grew up in a city who's population was mostly of white European American decent (ooh, watch Jasmine be P.C.!) I've suddenly lost my ability to feel okay being the only one.

This feeling almost stopped me from coming to OZ. On my final layover in Bali, the airport was full of Australians arriving and returning from their vacations. While waiting for my plane to board I was suddenly afraid. The groups of Australians frightened me. I was entering their world. A "western world" where people are working, partying, working out, shopping, judging... I would no longer be in a truely foreign nation. Here I would have no excuses, I knew most of the rules.

While waiting I also realized that I had come to dislike Australians...well not Auzzies in particular, but rather "westerners" in general(2). While in Thailand so many were loud, obnoxious and only there to drink. My only desire (as well as most backpackers' I knew) was to escape other backpackers. And here I was going to their home. After peeking down the ramp for a few minutes and fighting the urget to simply turn around and find myself another shabby bungalow in Bali; I made my way onto the plane and to Australia. It's not as hard as I thought, but it's still odd.

Today I did a load of laundry. Opened the lid, threw in the clothes and carefully measured out 1/2 a scoop of fragrant detergent. Do you know how weird that feels? Or how eerie it is to be comfortable all day? Not too hot, not too cold, not itchy or sweaty. To walk outside and just feel good? To always have cold water to drink and see your clothes hanging in a closet? Or to find yourself attracted to cricket players? It just all feels so bizarre. Using things like a carrot peeler make me smile.

Since I arrived -- other than working out -- I've been touring around Brisbane and the Goldcoast with my cousin Sammy as my guide, and he's doing a fabulous job. The rest of the time I'm on the computer catching up with friends & family and researching. Free internet is truely a luxury. Unfortunately all this free internet has it's drawbacks. It's shown me that grad school is going to be extremely difficult to get into, Australian work visas are hard to attain, production companies don't like the internet, and it reminds me how much I miss Jared and my family everytime I have to hang-up skype. It's a time warp that sucks you in fresh and enthusiastic and spits you out in a swirl of numbers with red eyes, sore wrists and feeling abandoned.

So I guess things aren't exactly that exciting, but they're definitely not boring, and don't worry, I'll do my best to steer clear of the mundane. I'm still traveling people! Don't fret just yet. I'm just staying at this guesthouse a little longer.

I will say one thing. If you ever hear me start saying "G'day", calling bell pepper capsicum, cilantro corriander, mixing up public and private, and losing sight of the true definition of liberal, have someone kidnap me and put me on a plane to Africa with a note stating "Keep her moving" pinned to my chest.


Brisbane



(1) As an American it's Grandpa, but with Grandma it's Grandpop.

(2) Yes, I understand this includes me.


Comments:
Did you know I lived in Brizzie (I still got the lingo, hey?) for 6 months? Semester abroad at UQ back in ohmygod 1998. I am old and stuff.
Anyway, I lived in Toowong. Are you anywhere near there? It must be getting cooler there now... I arrived in January and it was a freakin' sauna. Ugh. I sweat just thinking about it.

Looking forward to more updates from you!!
 
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