I have just finsished reading a really good book, it is called “why warriors lie down and die”. I feel a bit nervous about describing it. I am afraid I may say something that could come across as patronising or trivialise the issues in trying to sum it up in this small blog post so I thought I would start with what the back of the book said:

“Why warriors lay down and die is essential reading for anyone intereested in indigenous peoples. It provides hope and new direction for those simply searching for answers to why “the problems” seem to persist in Aboriginal communities. It also offers insights for those who want a greater understanding of the issues involved in achieving true reconcilitaion”.

It certainly did that for me. I have in the past felt so helpless when considering the plight of the aboriginal people. It all seemed so complicated and so big and I just didn’t understand any of it. It also seemed like the suppport of non aborigianl people was not very helpful or very much wanted by the indigenous people. It all seemed so hopeless. This book however explains really clearly some of the issues and how they came to be. For the first time I feel like I have a tiny bit of understanding. It is also very hopeful in that the situation can change and there is things that one, as a non aboriginal Australian can do.

I also think it is a great book to read for anyone interested in cross cultural communication at all. So many things that happened to me while I was overseas that I didn’t understand now make a little bit more sense to me when I consider the cultural stuff that was going on. I can also understand a little more some of the challenges that Martin faces everyday in such a different culture.

It made me realise how it important it is that I know something of the culture and the language of the places that I hope to visit one day. This will mean I can avoid some of those things happening again and also so that I can offer people the best possible support.

I just wrote a nice long post about some very important things and then I pressed new entry instead of save and it is all gone. I guess the importance is debatable but none the less I spent time and thought writing it and now it is gone and I can’t be bothered writing it again. It’s not that I can’t be bothered it’s that the moment is gone and I feel annoyed now so it will all be written in a different light. Maybe another time.

it is nearly as frustrating as disappearing emails

I am not very good at being sick. I see some people and they seem to manage to get up when they are sick and they work and stuff whereas me when I am sick I just lie around and moan and complain and want people to do things for me and writing this blog is requiring way more energy than it should. I am probably only doing it so that I can feel like I achieved something today and not just slept.

The one good thing about being sick is that I don’t have to go to work or uni. I am not very happy with either of those things at the moment. My Spanish teacher and I do not seem to have gelled real well. I asked to leave last week 10 minutes early so I wouldn’t miss my train and be waitingat 9pm on the freezing cold platform for another half an hour and she has been angry ever since. And work well if I get started there I won’t stop and you know I think I decided that it wasn’t very good to talk about people on blogs, probably isn’t at all and my porblems there revolve around a person.

Today two people remembered me, it was a nice feeling really as I never seem to get remembered.

The first time was after my first lecture today I handed in a form to the lecturer who I had once before in my forst semester and she said “thanks Emily, it’s Emily right?’ and I said ‘yes’ of course as that is who I am and she said, ‘I remember you from first semester’ and then she continued to say, ‘I remember you fell in love with Paulo Friere and it was quite exciting to watch’. I was happy I can imagine worse things than being remembered as someone who is passionate about Friere who is also a passionate man.

The second time was when I went to the International Studies department to hand something in and the girl said ‘Hello Gemma’ and I responded ‘no I am Emily, Gemma’s sister’ and she said ‘yes I remeber you’ I was surprised as I didn’t remember her and then she said ‘hey you married a Peruvian. congratulations. I thanked her, of course and thought aagain well it could be worse than being remembered by being Gemma’s sister and married to a Peruvian.