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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Sunday, August 23, 2009

A walk by the river in Adelaide

Last night I left the 'Gov' pub which said outside..

"Don't stand here! This area is under police video surveillance"

And we complain about Iran and Burma!



I went for a walk by the river today in South Australia.

It was all there!

The most beautiful place in the world -the trees and the birds!

The trees!

Two magnificent parrots.

The stupid mastiff dog that looked like something form the Hound of the Baskervilles protecting the assets of some some entrepreneur with shares in the stock market and who has sold his soul to the devil like thousands of others in the past decade in Australia.

The unecesary fence which blocked my way on the path-put tere to satisfy some stultifying bureaucratic Council regulation.

The holes in the fence which some sensible person had forged to allow even an elderly person on a walk to let cross.

I fell onto the ground as I tried to cross the fence, but managed to roll to reduce the impact!

There was an 'Orwellian' surveillance notice announcing that the camera had recorded me rolling across the fence!

If this is my last publication you'll know the law has finally caught up with me.

No people.

Why has this beautiful environment been invaded by bureaucratic and officious fools.

Oh, Australia!

What has happened to you the past ten years?

Shame on you!

In my walk by the river in South Australia.

It was all there!
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