Who are you and where are you from?

Such a simple question. Or is it really? Most people in the world have always lived in the same place, country with maybe an odd house-change here or there sprinkled in the mix, but on the whole are easily able to define who they are and where they are from.

Ask me the same question and you're likely to get a long-winded slightly varied answer. It will depend on who you are, how interested I judge you to be and how much I am willing to share of my life at the time. Something along the lines of I'm originally from Australia, but lived in Zambia for 6 years, have been in the UK about 18 months and have lived in at least 20 houses in the last decade (I have no idea where to begin to count them all). Actually I just wrote down a list of the last 22 something years of my life (see below for the timeline of my life if you are interested) and not counting hostels or other peoples houses I temporarily stayed at, or any travelling of any kind, I have lived in and moved between at least 32 different buildings or 'homes'. No wonder I lack a sense of identity.

Not being able to easily answer where you are from is a pretty common response for TCKs (third culture kids), MKs (missionary kids), CCKs (cross culture kids), global nomads, military brats or any other name used to describe people who spent a fair proportion of their childhood living in another culture becoming ATCKs (adult third culture kids). When asked the question, "what animal are you?" I have always described myself as beign a chameleon, generally able to adapt, fit in and get along with almost any location, situation or person

I am restless, feel more confident with change, am terrible at making decisions finding it easier to make a life-changing decision on the spot without thinking about it, I am rootless and feel like I belong everywhere and no where at the same time. It can be explained as feeling like everywhere is home, being relatively comfortable and at ease no matter what country, house, building or location. I frequently confuse people talking about 'home' because it could mean anything from the current building I live in London, Liverpool, where my parents are in Zambia, where I grew up in Australia.....

Why am I looking into this now? Well, I guess I'm having a bit of an identity crisis. And if I don't know who I am, how can I know where I am going, what I want. I've always struggled knowing what I want. There's things I think I want, but I am rarely ever 100% positive about something, which then comes across negatively in relationships, friendships and family when you repeatedly push people who care about you and who you care about, away for no apparent reason. TCKs are known to often have troubles developing intimate relationships (thankfully this issue has skipped the others in my family, just me to deal with here!) and are more likely to maintain emotional distance as a coping or prevention method of the pain that may come with future separation.

So. I want to sort myself out, become stronger as a person and let in the people I love, let them know and feel that they are important to me, and that ultimately I do love them no matter what.





Time line of my life
Pre 1998 - Grew up in Springwood, NSW, Australia to the age of 11, moved twice (that I remember) George St, then Frazer Rd

1998 (1)- June relocated to Mukinge, North West Zambia

1999 - Mukinge, Zambia

2000 (1)- July, returned to Australia for 6 months, living in Halcion Avenue

2001 (1)- January returned to Zambia, living in Ndola

2002 (2) Ndola, Zambia - flew independently to Australia for a month November-Dec to complete year 10 exams, lived with the Coghlans in Winmalee

2003 (2)- Ndola until October, flew independently to Australia to commence Yr 12, lived with the Coghlans for 3 months in Lee Rd

2004 (1)- Frazer Rd, Springwood for year 12

2005 (1)- Moved to Wollongong for 1st year uni, boarded with a family on Murphys Avenue, Keiraville

2006 (1)- 2nd year uni, moved to Grey Street, Gwynville, Wollongong with a friend

2007 (2) - 3rd year uni, "moved" back to the mountains and commuted the 1.5hr journey to uni 2-3 days with an overnight stay at a friends house for 6 months, then between sydney-mountains doing a research project

2008 (6) - Moved to Coniston, Wollongon with a class mate Feb-May, June-July moved home while on placement in Katoomba, July lived with a classmate's family in Shoalhaven on placement, Aug-Sept lived on site in Liverpool for placement, Sept-Oct moved onsite to Bathurst for placement, October relocated to Bendigo, VIC (10hours drive from Sydney, 2hrs from Melbourne) for my first job post uni for 3 months. Returned to Sydney approx 4-5 times.

2009 (3) - Jan finished in Bendigo VIC and moved to Balmain, Sydney, lived in Nurses quarters for 3 months. April moved to Annandale, November returned to the nurses quarters in Balmain as our lease was terminated unexpectedly

2010 (6) Jan - Balmain, February flew to South East Asia independently and spent 3 months travelleling Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, May - returned to the mountains and my old job in springwood, June - relocated to Mildura, VIC for 3 weeks locuming, July - relocated to the UK and the Lakes District as a locum dietitian living on site until September, October - Couchsurfed in Manchester for 3 weeks with mates while working at Christies hospital, October - affected by the cold with ?SAD volunteered for 2 weeks in South Spain and lived in a bus, November/Dec - couchsurfed Manchester for 2 months until their lease expired, moved to another share house in manchester for 2 weeks prior to Christmas prior to making way back to Australia

2011 Jan (5)- Living in Springwood for a month working at the pool, Feb -April relocated with <24h notice to Liverpool in the UK for a locum position, lived on site in Bebington. April-June, felt like I needed to stay put for a while, moved into Liverpool into a share house and worked at a bar, June -Aug work in Manchester at 2 hospitals, commuted up to 5 hours a day between liverpool and manchester. September - lived in Belfast at a hostel for 2 weeks for a job, then relocated to London to start a Masters curently living in Langdon park in a box.

Are you a digital dinosaur?

I saw this sign on a building just near my house yesterday and it made me smile. I have no idea who put it there or why, but it is an interesting thought to be waiting for your life to begin, rather than living in the moment and what we have here today right now.

The other day I unfortunately had to catch the tube, using the long journey to update my knowledge of news and events by reading the wealth of useful and important information known as the Metro newspaper! *cough cough* Anyway, I came across an interesting article about how technology has changed and some previously normal activities are on the verge of becoming extinct, learning that if you frequently do any of these activities then you, my friend are a digital dinosaur.

As I read through the list it quickly came apparent to me that I am not quite up to date in my technological methodologies. I often write letters by hand, use a map for a car journey (at least I did when I last owned a car!), use pagers and faxes especially when working in the hospitals and while I dont really have a CD collection on me as most of my CDs are in Australia, I do on the odd occasion buy CDs. I will hand wash clothes when travelling to avoid paying for laundry, I always hang washing outside in winter because there is no where else for it to go (I live in a room not much bigger than my bed) and love car boot sales/garage sales and op shops (charity shops). I'm sure there are more but I think I have thoroughly demonstrated here that I am a dinosaur!

Apparently you are also a digital dinosaur if you do multiple of the following:

• Ring the cinema to find out times
• Go to the travel agents' to research a holiday
• Record things using VHS
• Dial directory enquiries (I don't even know HOW to do this!!)
• Use public phones
• Book tickets over the phone
• Print photos
• Put an ad in the shop window
• Ring the speaking clock (there's a speaking clock??)
• Carry portable CD players
• Buy disposable cameras (this one is handy for weddings)
• Take change for pay phones
• Make mix tapes
• Pay bills at the post office
• Use an address book
• Reverse charges in payphones
• Visit a bank or building society
• Buy TV listings
• Own a encyclapaedia
• Queue for car tax at the post office
• Develop and send off for photos
• Read the yellow pages
• Look up something in a directory
• Remember phone numbers or have a phone book
• Watch videos
• Have pen friends
• Pay by cheque
• Make photo albums
• Watch programmes at the time they are shown
• Dial 1471 (anyone who can tell me what this means wins!)
• Warm hot drinks on the stove
• Try on lots of shoes in shops
• Advertise in trading papers
• Send love letters
• Hand write essays/schoolwork
• Buy flowers from a florist
• Work out how to spell something yourself
• Keep a personal diary
• Send postcards
• Buy newspapers
• Keep printed bills or statements

I guess we are living in a society where life is changing faster and more rapidly than ever before. It will be interesting to see what the future does bring - whether in a few years time we will be looking at things like the internet and thinking of how old fashioned and behind the times it is!

Africa United

I went and saw a movie premiere last week, haven't really done that before but the movie sounded really interesting, being about these kids from Rwanda who ended up unintentionally making their way from Rwanda all the way down to South Africa to participate in the opening ceremony of the African United football match, and it sounded very intriguing. Subsequently it is called Africa United. If you ever get the opportunity to watch it, I definitely recommend it, as a light hearted, entertainining and funny movie to watch. It starts with one of the main characters Dudu explaining how to make a football in Rwanda. First you need a condom, any condom will do.... :) Very entertaining. He is a wealth of information on the uses and users of condoms (other than fooballs) in a very amusing way. The producers/directors and writers of the film wanted to produce a film that was producing a positive picture about Africa, rather than a negative one. It was also important for them that they could develop the local film industry, chosing to produce the film in the country it was portrayed as being in (Rwanda), in contrast to the movie Hotel Rwanda which was actually filmed in South Africa (controversial!!!).

The producers/directors of the movie were at the premiere that I went to, and it was really interesting to discuss with them the way they produced the film and where. Even though the movie travels through Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa etc, they were only able to actually film in Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa. God is present throughout the entire movie, particularly through one of the characters Beatrice who prays frequently throughout the film. During the question and answer time one person asked the question why God was such an integral part of the film, to which the response was 'anyone who has ever been to Africa can see how integral God is into much of society'. Having lived in a Zambia, that is definitely true, many parts of Africa God is a real, life breathing and current focus of life, where it is normal and natural to pray and speak about God and live in relationship with him.

All in all, I found it a very entertaining and enlightening film that if you get the chance, I'd recommend you go and watch. :)

http://www.africaunitedmovie.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/africa_united