Are the most interesting people in your country to be found abroad?
October 23rd 2009 10:17
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Category: No Category
Today Charlee, the owner of the guesthouse in Bangkok I'm staying in (if you haven't been following), received a guest - an (Western) Australian author named Brian Dunne who is living in Myanmar. Brian insisted that life for him as an author had always paid off financially - he is the author of several books, amongst them books of poetry. Brian has fascinating tales of travelling all over South-East Asia, including getting kicked out of Laos, falling into a sewer in Cambodia and being flown to Sydney for treatment, and, perhaps most surprising of all, his decision to bestow upon his baby girl the name of 'Suu Kyi', which could be interpreted as emulation of Myanmar's rightful leader, still under house arrest (not that he indicated this was the case, just in case you're reading this, Myanmar government officials!). Brian is aware that no-one has named their baby so of late, because nobody wants to draw attention to themselves and possibly be viewed as being opposed to the government. He claims that if the authorities kick him out he will embarass them, and doesn't appear too worried, especially as he is not Burmese.
So there you go - I look and look for the most interesting Australians in Sydney, and whilst I have found some which are very cool, it seems that the most adventurous, free-thinking and ambitious Australians are weaving trails all over the world, re-energising the cultures they find themselves in and experiencing vast personal growth.
There are a few communities that I really get behind, and travelers are one such large minority who can usually be counted on to inspire me. GLBTI ppl and bohemians (especially musicians and writers) come next. Film and theatre directors also do it for me. Actors? To some extent. I guess bohemians and creative people are two categories that overlap significantly, though I believe both are worth mentioning in their own right.
As it happened, today I was able to be a foreigner making a contribution to the country I'm travelling in myself - Charlee took me to the radio station for which he is a host, and decided to interview me! I told him that I could sing, so after he asked me what I was up to in Bangkok (at which I replied I was here to explore the arts scene, learn more about the culture and get closer to the friendly Thai people), he let me sing Hero by Mariah Carey live!
Charlee and his co-worker liked my voice so much that I was asked to send them a CD, if I had one. Unfortunately I don't, but I will certainly try to get one organised soon. Perhaps I can rent out a studio here in Thailand and work some magic...
So there you go - I look and look for the most interesting Australians in Sydney, and whilst I have found some which are very cool, it seems that the most adventurous, free-thinking and ambitious Australians are weaving trails all over the world, re-energising the cultures they find themselves in and experiencing vast personal growth.
There are a few communities that I really get behind, and travelers are one such large minority who can usually be counted on to inspire me. GLBTI ppl and bohemians (especially musicians and writers) come next. Film and theatre directors also do it for me. Actors? To some extent. I guess bohemians and creative people are two categories that overlap significantly, though I believe both are worth mentioning in their own right.
As it happened, today I was able to be a foreigner making a contribution to the country I'm travelling in myself - Charlee took me to the radio station for which he is a host, and decided to interview me! I told him that I could sing, so after he asked me what I was up to in Bangkok (at which I replied I was here to explore the arts scene, learn more about the culture and get closer to the friendly Thai people), he let me sing Hero by Mariah Carey live!
Charlee and his co-worker liked my voice so much that I was asked to send them a CD, if I had one. Unfortunately I don't, but I will certainly try to get one organised soon. Perhaps I can rent out a studio here in Thailand and work some magic...
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Comment by Postmodern Critic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Suu Kyi means 'the winner' in Burmese.
Anotehr things I learnt from Brian is that Myanmar is a fusion of cultures - many different ethnicities co-exist peacefully. He described it as a 'melting pot', with some people lookign visibly different.
I'm at the Praram hospital as I write this, on the 1st of November.