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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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Summer Heights High

I have been able to view in the past two weeks two DVD box set series of ABC drama which I had missed when I was overseas in Borneo.

Both are absolutely exceptional.

I thought the first one was unique until I saw the second one!

The first one was 'Summer Heights High' about life in an Australian High school.

The second was "We can be heroes" about a competition for 'Australian of the year'

Both are mockumentaries

The remarkable thing about these two dramas is that they both take the mickey out of 'Dinky-Di' Australian culture.

This for me is a totally new phenomenon.

They also attack the banality of the media.

I do not remember being able to watch this sort of stuff fifteen years ago before I left Australia for Borneo.

These dramas are just SO funny!

This man Chris Lilley is surely an acting genius.

I believe he is a recluse and shuns publicity, and this does not surprise me at all because I imagine he will not be popular with some Aussies.

He savagely attacks the vanity of the Australian establishment culture.

For me this is a sign of a maturity-a coming of age of Australia.

At last they are BEGINNING to laugh at themselves - and not at other people.

This is genuine humour.

I feel 'grounded' -an Australian- for the first time since my arrival twenty years ago.
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