I Like Australia, Hockles, and Embarrassment migrating to Australia

I share accommodation with some quite charming and considerate people from China. They are a lot cleaner, tidier, more friendly and easier to live than I am.

That's for sure.

There is one thing which I find difficult to understand though.

It is what we call in Ireland the the 'Hockle'.


When I was growing up, a 'Hockle' in Ireland was when you scraped the back of your throat with the muscles of your larynx (and diaphragm). The action was accompanied by a thunderous noise which could be heard at some distance. As young boys we considered it OK to do it anywhere. We thought it was manly.

But here in this house of Chinese friends the sound reverberates right through the house and even I think probably next door. Moreover, here the hockle always comes from the bathroom.

I must say the images in my mind which the hockling generates are quite disgusting.

I am indeed too embarrassed to say anything of course.

Talking of embarrassment my wife actually asked me to remove my Aussie hat yesterday before we went in to the Latin American dance. This I see as a positive sign for our relationship as she clearly cares enough about me not to want to see me embarrass myself. (There is of course an alternative explantion -that she did not want to feel embarrassed by me. But I choose not to believe that.)

Thirdly,

The other day I found myself telling my son that I like Australia and feel more at home here than I did in Melbourne or Brisbane.

It is true.

Followers of my blog will know that this is a quite remarkable development.

Not only that but I am beginning to feel comfortable here in a way I have not felt anywhere.

EVER!

And this in spite of all our 'adjustment' problems.

I am intending to write an article about setting up a service for newly arrived migrants in Australia. I don't mean refugees -just your average family arriving as a migrant (even for Aussies arriving from another city). I think there is a need for many things for the new migrant - from information on how to handle immigration , medicare, opening a bank account, renting a house without referees, joining a library or video club, getting a driving license, how to board a bus without being injured etc; to the setting up of social networks not based on sport for new migrants.

I know of the Migrant Resources Centre-but I mean something more simple and personal-the basic start-up greeters pack which would help you survive the first three hellish months of living in this country-and perhaps the nine dreadful ones after that.

When you first arrive what is needed is the personal touch-not a map, flyers and to be told to go and look something up on a website.

I intend to set something up myself as a volunteer first with a couple of other interested parties. So, if you are interested-please let me know.