australia/invasion day.
just when i thought the mess that was christmas consumerism was over the new wave of proclaimed patriots sweep into the stores grabbing anything and everything with kangaroos, the colours green and gold, or the phrase 'gday' plastered over it. Sales of aussie flag bikinis and vegemite jars are sent soaring and these seem to be the only products one can find to validate their place in the world. My over-patriotic dad would fall into this category where free hats in newpapers become the highlight of the year. Once again he threw his annual bbq which was decorated solely by the $2 australiana section of 'House', and with tablecloths, tee-shirts and balloons i wouldn't be surprised if from an aerial viepoint the roof of my house was covered in a giant australian flag. Countless times yesterday he barged inside - aussie beer stubby in hand - accusing his offspring of being 'un-australian'. I'm fairly sure he gave up on me years ago but the realisation his sons are beginning to lose interest in his overdone patriotism seems to shake him to the core. 'It's your countrys BIRTHDAY' he would say to us solemnly while shaking his head, a statement when translated to dad-speak can be roughly decoded to mean 'and for not dressing up, you are dead to me'. I wonder if he realises this birthday he speaks of was the day the British hoisted their flag in Sydney Cove, and was followed by the slaughter of thousands of Aborigines. It's kind of funny really - listening to him rant yesterday the only person he reminded me of was the father from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' instructing his kids 'give me a word - any word - and i will show you how the root of that word is greek'. Yesterday dad was telling my younger brother 'any other country and you'd be either working or dodging bullets. Go on. Give me a country. Any country'. Soon enough I could hear him ramble about the dangers of Ireland and the IRA and how even today walking down the street and a bin could just explode. Maybe he has the same mindset as the father in the recent tv ad who believed the great wall of china was built to keep the rabbits out. I can see how quickly appreciating ones place in the world on australia day can turn to gloating and competing.
Ok - poor dad. I realise he was brought up differently and crushing his sense of patriotism would absolutely crush the essence of his being. But why do we feel such a need to belong? Screw nations. Can't we believe in people instead?
I must admit though - the day wasn't all bad. We did find little ways to torture him by saying we were putting a movie on - his choice of the wog boy, my big fat greek wedding, american ninja, aladdin or the last king of scotland.
Once again I was greeted by the 'dead to me' glare. Ah, how I missed you old friend.
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Shandy, I'm torn!
ReplyDeleteProps to your passive-aggressive 'foreign movie' form of counter-patriotism. Stick it to The Man, man. Also, I hope you watched the ninja movie.
BUT: 'Invasion Day'? Really? Every time I hear someone say that I cringe. Sometimes internally, sometimes not so much. It's just so...aimlessly antagonistic. Don't get me wrong, it frightens me how easily Aussie Pride descends into our own special brand of bogan racism and mud-slinging. But to all those Invasion Day people out there: I completely understand the horrible significance of this day for the Aboriginal people, but personally, I'd rather use January 26th as an opportunity to make love, not war. Enough antagonism from both sides, I say.
RANT: TERMINATED
ohh my first rant and you've crushed my spirit! But oh what else are blogs for?! I've taken a few postcolonial studies classes, i can't help it! And no. You can't sway me this time with your psychological taunting. I like invasion day. When im saying it. If you said it on the other hand...
ReplyDeleteKISS MY PETUNIA
(intertextuality, yay!)