Coming home.

All things considered Australia is one hell of a place! Having lived in Malaysia and London there was never any doubt in my mind that this would be the place to call home. Where exactly in Australia to call home has been a work-in-progress for the past thirty years – but most probably it would be a toss up between Perth and Adelaide. Possibly Adelaide would win out being closer to the rest of the other places of Australia. But as I said, it is a work-in-progress.

You must live in Perth to feel the attraction of the place. It is simply a vibrant city, which promises much, and it is up to you to make what you want of it. But its isolation from all things Australia tends to inhibits some people – including me. But that is I. Sydney was too big a place to enable me to develop any sense of belonging during the six months we were there and so it was back to Adelaide. Everything within twenty minutes of your reach – the city or any suburbs you care to go to. Maybe a bit more time might be needed now that traffic has become dense during the rush hours – morning and late afternoon – but no hassle no stress to get from Point A to Point B. That is Adelaide for you.

I have been away from Adelaide for close to ten years and the first thing that hit me when I got back was the bloody foreigners – so many of them greeting me. Asians and Africans. Well to be more exact it was the driver of the taxi that I took from the Airport to get to our place in Panorama. It was early morning (no planes into Adelaide before 6am!) and when I got to the taxi rank – all taxis there had Asian’s drivers. Never happened to me before in the time that I was here many years ago. I got in and settled into the back seat happy that I will be seeing my wife and son again after two years apart. The driver had some foreign/Indian songs playing on the radio or tape. That disturbed me because I am paying for the rent of the taxi and I wanted my peace. This was not to be and I suffered the music as best as I could at 7am in the morning. He again annoyed me when he only referred to his A to Z after two wrong turns into a dead end road. Patience I told myself. These new Australians are still trying to fit in.

And so I am home in Adelaide again after a long absence. There has been no change that I could see for myself when I went into town later that day for a look see of Rundle Mall. If I could go back in time it would not have mattered, Adelaide was essentially as I left it years ago. I have not changed. It is good to be home.