Scribbles from the past

As I move out of my current room in Mossman and into a new room near Wonga, I was going through all the things I have collected throughout the years. I came to Australia with 3 bags of clothes, 40 kgs worth of belongings and now I have collected so many unnecessary tokens along the way (most of them being storybooks and board games :D). I had to bid farewell to most of them. I found one token that I refuse to part with because it was truly a life changing experience for me.

It was my mid-year QUT Big Lift trip to a few different towns near Darling Downs region in Queensland, Australia. Essentially, the goal is to serve the regional community in any way possible. I'd been to the short weekend trip to Cherbourg with QUT Big Lifters by then, so I knew some of the members. I wasn't too sure what to prepare for this 5-day journey however, I just winged it. I rocked up to the bus stop and felt a bit awkward because this was a larger group and I didn't know many of them. We were given a trip handbook and we stuck by it. You could see, the organisers really thought of it all for the participants.

Anyway, long story short, I made more friends and I was so happy after a long time moving to Brisbane. I struggled with making new friends all the time and now, I was effortlessly making friends. It made me feel like my old confident self again. However, as I was going through my tokens, I found a scribble on a notepad and found it interesting. I even remember writing it while I was seated alone on the bus. After that scribble, I had a great chat with my friend, Kitt. He made me feel so much at ease, even gave me a friendly hug.

So the scribble as follows:
"Have you ever felt so isolated even when people make you welcomed? The problem is that we have conversations on girls' night but I feel like I can't share my stories. Why? I know the reason and I accept it. It's the damn cultural difference, guys! Our very different upbringing makes it difficult for me to share my own stories. These girls just share their high school stories like stacking up blocks on top of another. I can't do it because then it would be like building another block opposite theirs, that lonely looking block across the street. I have read about the dynamics of cultural differences. So, this is how it works... There's always the dominant culture and the subordinate cultures. People perceive that people who belong to the subordinate culture should accept the dominant culture because of the majority representation. Sometimes people from the dominant culture just aren't interested to know more about the subordinate cultures. In order to co-exist, it is important to realise that two-way communication and interest is the jazz."

It has been 3 years or so since I moved to Australia and these days, I just own up to my culture and just ask questions when I don't know things. I didn't know a thing about going to parties or 'bringing a plate' but I asked people and found out more about it. Some days I say phrases like 'white people spices' or 'Asian mentality' etc, in no way derogatory. I think I belong to a subordinate culture only as much as I think I do. I have always been warned against racist people in Australia. However, I have been lucky enough to never face racism towards me. People always ask me questions with curiosity and respectfully.

So thank you friends for welcoming me into your country with open hands.