14.5 years in Australia and homesick - Aussie husband & kids!

**Squareman** · 23-01-2012, 04:36 AM

You don't get tweeting birds in Australia? WTF?

**Rachiegarlo** · 23-01-2012, 05:38 AM

Apparently not. The birds here are too raucous. Even our seagulls have a butch she'll be right squawk. Our pigeons and willy wagtails and other small birds do have a softer tweet but it probably gets a bit too loud in the morning and at dusk when they're partying in the trees. After all the state emblem is the Piping Shrike which must have been called a Piping Shreak, but in the strangulated accents of the Aussies changed over times to become the Shrike. Funny this talk of the tweeting ability of UK birds because in that programme 10 pound poms I'm sure there is an older lady who goes back to retire in the soft greeny cottage UK who mentions something about even the birds here are loud...at the time I said you can't be serious at the TV but it seems people do find this is a valid reason :) Ah well horses for courses, nags for slag heaps. I am just getting poetic here so don't take offence, if you truly miss those things and they are stopping you from grasping life here with both hands and running with it, then going back is probably right for you. After all 50 years ago the South Coast of England was littered with returned army and civil servants from India.

**Squareman** · 23-01-2012, 05:51 AM

I think that if the lack of birds tweeting stops you from enjoying life here then you should never have come over in the first place. You don't make decisions of the magnitude that sees you travel to the other side of the world, based on such frivolous things. Reminds me of the story I read on here about the family that went back after only a few weeks because they couldn't find a pub that does a typical Sunday roast. What a bunch of muppets! LOL

**Allybinoz42** · 23-01-2012, 10:22 AM

Golly gosh.... we are all a bit agressive in Historic Glenelg today, but then 37 degrees does that to you.
I was referring to a general Englishness that I never would have interested me 10 years ago. I miss the things the OP was referring e.g. greenery, the landscape, connection to the land. Many cultures recognise this, including the first people, probably even the muppets miss Sesame Street.

**Rachiegarlo** · 23-01-2012, 10:55 AM

Sorry , but who are the first people you are referring to. I'm not trying to be facetious, only curious. Do you mean American Indians? I watched an interesting programme about the discovery of a caucasian skull with red hair found in a river bed in North America. At first it was assumed to be a settler but carbon dating showed it to be far far older and it was claimed to date from before Europeans sailed past and stopped at America. This caused a large furore and the military became involved to lock away these remains as it meant that there were actually Europeans in America putting the kibosh on the First People's claim. Similarly Asian style pots and designs have been found on Pacific Islands and an explanation of a somewhat asiatic appearance stems from Traders paddling their boats along the joined coastlines that existed then and then mixing with the Islanders. That is brief but the full programme was very interesting. Sorry for digressing but social anthropology is so fascinating.

**ladyarkles** · 24-01-2012, 07:40 AM

I agree about the connection to the land.
We are literally grown from the ground we live on, you can find it in our bones when we die.
This makes us physically connected to the land that we come from.
Perhaps, as we move away from eating foods that are grown in our immediate environment and water from local sources, we will eventually become a little less attached to a particular place. But, until then, we do tend to have "home soil" and for some the yearning can be very great.

As for the first American being a Celt (by the sounds of things), how cool is that?
They do get everywhere!

I suppose if the Pilgrim Fathers had met a load of Celts on landing, the whole Thanksgiving thing might have gone a little differently (and involved Guinness and a punch-up).
Now, that would have made for interesting history and spared the world from pumpkin pie.

~ Rachel

**Allybinoz42** · 24-01-2012, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Rachiegarlo

Sorry , but who are the first people you are referring to. I'm not trying to be facetious, only curious. Do you mean American Indians? I watched an interesting programme about the discovery of a caucasian skull with red hair found in a river bed in North America. At first it was assumed to be a settler but carbon dating showed it to be far far older and it was claimed to date from before Europeans sailed past and stopped at America. This caused a large furore and the military became involved to lock away these remains as it meant that there were actually Europeans in America putting the kibosh on the First People's claim. Similarly Asian style pots and designs have been found on Pacific Islands and an explanation of a somewhat asiatic appearance stems from Traders paddling their boats along the joined coastlines that existed then and then mixing with the Islanders. That is brief but the full programme was very interesting. Sorry for digressing but social anthropology is so fascinating.

Indigenous Australia, Aboriginal Australia. In SA Kaurna people. The Dreaming Stories that every individual has that tie them to the land. The people that were here, in Australia, before European settlement. The high value that is placed on the relationship between land and people.

**Rachiegarlo** · 24-01-2012, 10:41 AM

Oh, sorry, I've never heard them called that here, don't think they call themselves that. I've only ever seen it used in conjunction with the first nations of North America. In SA the Kaurna are not the only indigenous group, there are many more. The Kaurna belong to the Adelaide region roughly from Port wakefield to Cape Jervis.

**Minerbird** · 28-03-2012, 02:57 PM

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update....my husband interviewed for a position in Scotland and was successful :) He has just spent the last 3.5 weeks there and is due back tomorrow, meanwhile I have been trying to sell the house (not looking too good at all - will probably have to rent it out). Also have a couple of cars, furniture etc. to offload!

Hubby will be back for ~2 weeks then is returning to Scotland for another 3 weeks. The next time he comes back that will be it - we'll all be going with him the next time (around end of June). Kids will begin the new school year in August.