This guy Frank Hardy the author, above, was a great pleasure to meet !
He introduce me, through writings, to the Aborigines in NT, and brought me to the Melbourne Cup, the 2nd of November 1982.
My other mentor was the richest girl Australia ever had. She show me the other side of the "coin". Living in her place in Woollahra was of course a great experience.
My 3rd mentor was a Great godlike religious professor at the Sydney University, and later also my best man, at the time. He introduce me for the very first time to an aborigines person . That person said arrogantly to me : "Do you know my background mate?"
New in Australia and silly as I was, I answered him: " Yeah man, a bookshelf !", as we meet in the library in the University.
Until then, please read the "Songlines", Mate !
Did I forget Jill Scott, the artist ? ... or my lecture at the Australian Film Commision in North Ryde 1987.
In fact I meet my old friend Natasha Alexandrovna Princess Jusopov's daughter Katarina Munthe in Sydney the very same day and had a nice lunch in Watson Bay.
A months later I was invited to have a dinner with my ex-wifes schoolmate and friend, Rose Lang Hancock and Mr. Hancock from Perth but my mother died, in Sweden so I have to cancel it.
Unfortunately the Swedish SAS Airlines could not arrange a flight for me back to Sweden, despite my full insurance, so I left for Papua New Guinea to work on my new project, "Body Painting", financed by the Swedish Government.
Rose gave me her own video production " Hancock Legacy" later and wanted to finance a graphic portfolio. Ewwww.
Sometimes I really hate to remember....
One day on the beach in Townsville 1991, I read on the back of an Australian soldier, written as a tattoo on his back: "Speak english or die"
I was dreaming that I was sleeping, when I read it.
Last time I returned to Australia after a job in China I went through the wrong line in Brisbane Airport, through the Custom line, and was asked if I hade anything to declare.
I never buy anything at the International Airports
so I said: "Yes as a matter of fact, I have something to declare."
The policeman said: " And what is that ?"
I said: " I wanna declare that I am very happy to be back home again"
The policeman in the Custom said: " Welcome please passing through, Sir."
So, the sense moral is simply: "Good on you mate!!"
(I am sorry for the grammar, about all this writings, but you know...
I am not a fucking silly academic...), spelling, grammar and semantic bulldust is not a priority in my life.
Nevertheless Dr. Dale Spender at James Cook University recently (2005) expressed it this way:
' all this rubbish which is talked about spelling for instance. correct spelling was only invented because of the printing press. before that spelling had no importance whatsoever. chakespeare spelled his name 16 different ways and nobody said he was illiterate '
I am sure though that I make up the cultural identity of this nation, very well........
Cheers