Outsider


I grew up in Northern Ireland and have been a teacher and lived in England, Ghana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malawi, Mexico, Colombia, The United Arab Emirates, Australia, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

These are my memoirs which are arranged chronologically by year. Much is social commentary.

Aside from narrative recount, the style is often anecdotal, aphoristic and ironical. I try to soften the heavy social commentary with humour. Some friends have said I tend to 'rant' at times. I don't deny it! Perhaps it is the Irish in me. I apologise in advance then, if that is your impression too.

I do not intend to stereotype various nationalities but inevitably I will generalise for dramatic effect.

In a globalised multicultural world there is an urgent need to identify and face up to our national idiosyncracies and shortcomings. Nationalism has always seemed to me to be a bogus substitute for a genuine sense of connectedness and community. It is a highly dangerous concept when manipulated by politicians to get citizens to do things that are unpalatable to them-like going to war for instance.

If we don't begin to see ourselves as others perceive us - and not as we would like to see ourselves, then catastrophe looms.

I contend we can be comfortable with our heritage and still be able to criticize and even laugh at ourselves at the same time.


The two are not mutually exclusive.

Outsiders are in a unique position to show us our shortcomings because we simply cannot see them ourselves.

I believe that no culture has found the ideal 'solutions' to the challenges of life. Every culture I have lived in has both positive and disturbing characteristics.

In which cultures do people appear happiest? (notwithstanding natural and man-made disasters such as war and famine)

What question can be more profound than that?

The results may be surprising. In my experience, the happiest cultures were Ghana, Malawi, Mexico and Colombia. At the bottom of the list would be England, Ireland and Australia.

I think we need to learn from each other-not try to 'teach' each other...there is a big difference.

Please send me an E-mail if you would like to comment on anything.


Outsider


Outsider1952@gmail.com









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Retirement, Kota Kinabalu

Retirement, Kota Kinabalu
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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Interlude (15A) The South Australian Police

I parked my car in the Flinders University car park and was given a ticket by the University Authorities.

So the University authorities exploit their own workers -what else is new in the corporate deregulated world of liberalism in the new millenium?

Parents will be expoiting their children next Oh! Dear me! Shock! Horror!

So I moved ten minutes walk away to avoid the parking restrictions, and parked too close (within ten metres) of a junction. But this 'junction' had no vehicle in sight for a thousand square meteres. No danger to anyone. Actually, I was the only vehicle within ten thoudand square metres, to be accurate.

I get a 54 dollar fine.

I call the 'complaints'section and am given the 'Nuremberg' defence. "I am only following orders".

What is the point in complaining if the guy can only follow orders?

A simple notice on my windscreen asking me to move would have sufficed-but no an anonymous Orwellian 54 dollar fine...


That is why I don't respect and hate the South Australian police. The Bruneian police I didn't respect -but I didn't hate them either. The Bruneian police were corrupt- but they were human. They had not lost their humanity.

The South Australian police have. That is why people say they dislike them.

I agree.

They are robots. Worse than any I've seen anywhere.

The Nuremberg defendants were all hanged.
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