The Place Where You Grew Up

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by evanny

study really hard ^^
no i didn't. i attended one of 14 national schools of Latvia (title is given if some 97% of schools students have levels of C,B,A)
and i never had to study english to get along. even now i have only simplistic understanding of all the times - present perfect, past continuous etc. you could say i've developed a kind of sense of how to use the language - what time is used when and things like that when i simply see the text. english classes - didn't attend half of them and never did my homework teacher gave me 6 at the end of the 12th grade yet i scored at the very top at the exams.

well evanny seems to me that you do a very good job with your ENGLISH skills.

[JohnBraden]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

Please tell us JOHN. If you gave me a year-- it might help me guess.

I was born in 1965.... that pretty much gives it away, though one would have to know a bit about European history....

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by Jaydelart

My hat's off to you, ma'am. You've seen the world in a state I could only imagine, despite all my efforts to understand and appreciate. I fear the day society forgets how fragile civilization can be.

I spent my childhood between countries: America and Australia. Basically, I was born in Queensland, Australia - moved to Hawaii - moved to California - moved back to Australia - moved back to California. The most I've spent in either country is 10 years, which is right now. I don't really have a place to consider my original home. I have no original culture to refer to, just a mash-up of the things I've observed and experienced. I didn't have a problem adapting, but I never truly fit in, either.

I have very nationally and ethnically diverse relatives and very close family friends of diverse origins... A Czech grandmother, Egyptian cousin, American aunty, Filipino uncle -- Indian, Chinese, Hawai'ian, Japanese, Maori, etc. -- rich, poor, medium class...
I've grown to know many different lifestyles because of this.

I stayed in several locations in Australia. Lightening Ridge. One of my grandmothers lived in a fairly remote, rural area. We lived with her for a while. The nearest neighbor was about a 10-minute walk away. The nearest town was about a 30-minute drive away. The community was fairly close. Everyone knew eachother. I loved the atmosphere. Every morning, you could hear nothing but nature; the birds. The air was cool and fresh, with a slight taste of eucalyptus. Almost everyone had a dog, so the dogs would roam around or hang out at people's houses. This one particular dog took to liking me, so she would wait outside our house and follow me around everywhere she could... my little guardian. It was perfectly fine to wander around freely during the day, as long as you were careful about snakes -- and large bodies of water.
The town was known for its Opals, so my family and I would do some amateur opal collecting during our stay. We didn't find the 40 lb. monster we were hoping for, but we filled a few jars with pretty little ones, just for memories.



I saw a film about OPAL collecting, the chap wanted to hide the knowledge of the place where they were.


Most evenings, the neighbors would gather at our place for some BBQ and beer. They were hardy folk, but friendly. This one man would catch the large, bearded lizards creeping about his property. He brought some to show me before he went out to release them.


sounds really fascinating to me jaydelart.
I lived in a USMC base in Hawai'i. K-Bay. My stepfather was a U.S. Marine, at the time. Our entire suburban neighborhood was made up of military families. It's safe to say the area was neat, and the people were generally very polite. I was a child model back then, so we would often drive to the big cities so I could wear fancy clothes and a big smile, say corny jokes, and take some pictures. It was a fun place to live.

Ah so you were a child model-- I hope you were allowed to keep some of your earnings. what a contrast to your Australian experience!!...


Though, they did have a centipede and fire ant problem in the area I was living, when I was there. I had pet rabbits... until a centipede found its way into their cage. And those dangerous critters weren't small... almost a foot long, from what I can remember. As a kid, you also had to make sure you didn't roll around on the ground, because once you had rolled over a fire ant colony, you'd be painfully informed. Of course, accidentally stepping on one was hard to avoid sometimes, also.

I've lived in California for a little over half my life. Richmond. We had African-American relatives whom we stayed with for a while. The American mainland is considerably different from Hawai'i. It was here that I became familiar with the less innocent aspects of life: Of course, there's a lot of good things to be said about California, but, in terms of contrast in my experiences, this is a notable detail. It's a little more worrying strolling down the streets here. I'm familiar with a lot of good people, but also a lot of bad. I've heard gunshots outside my window, seen crime scenes with the bodies still laying on the floor, witnessed drugs being bought and sold... lol. It's not as bad as it sounds, trust me. I'm primarily referring to a certain area of America which is uniquely known for its crime; the less glamorous spots of California. And it is definitely possible to come here and not experience it.

I was fairly well known at my school when I came here. I still had my Australian accent. Interesting enough, I also found that I was somewhat more athletic than most of the kids at my school. When I was in Australia, we would run a lot... and I was usually the slowest. However, moving to CA, I could outrun almost everybody. Oh, and is it strange to walk around with no shoes? lol You obviously were very fit.

... Anyway, sorry for writing a book. I'm home, sick, so there's not much I can do.
I left out a lot of details but tried to include as much as I could. The world is a beautiful place. I would like to believe I've seen some great things... some people here have traveled more than me, and I could only imagine what they've experienced.

I definitely wouldn't want to live life not seeing what it was like in another country. People are people; the sky is the sky; the ocean is the ocean... No. You can learn a lot by just visiting and observing. It can also help you better appreciate where you came from.

I am certain you are right there Jay, you must make the most of your background and places you have lived.

I love to read your story-- so don't apologise. we need to learn about one another don't we.

Thankyou again.


PS sorry if I have messed this up-- I am still hopeless at putting the separate quotes the way everyone else does.

[Jaydelart]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

PS sorry if I have messed this up-- I am still hopeless at putting the separate quotes the way everyone else does.

Lol, no problem. I read your comments.
And thank you, I like listening to people's backgrounds also.

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

house was always freezing cold if you couldn't get near the fireplace.

Oooh I can relate to that description! Those "quaint, antique" bed warming pans were a life saver when I was young.

The places I lived until I was 17 are quicker to list than describe:
Holyoke, MA
Fresno, CA
Oakland, CA
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire,UK
Alconbury AFB, UK
Molesworth AFB, UK
Beavercreek, OH
Fairborn, OH
San Antonio, TX
Biloxi, MS
Rantoul, IL
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Part of the house in Huntingdon dated back to the 1600's and the main source of heat was the coal fire in the main room. I still remember holding the flashlight while my Mom would fill the coal scuttle for the morning fire. And just before bed we would put the last of the hot coals in those bed warmers and "iron" the cold damp out of the bed sheets before crawling in to sleep. Even so, I loved it.

The only place we ever lived that I disliked was Rantoul, IL. Nothing of interest, political issues restricting my freedom, miserable winters, over-crowded school, backward mentality of many of the locals ..... the only thing good about it was the boy I dated most of the year I was there - before he was shipped off to Viet Nam. I still refers to as the 12 month decade I spent in the armpit of the U.S. - a bit harsh, but at 16 there was nothing to recommend it.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by Jaydelart

Lol, no problem. I read your comments.
And thank you, I like listening to people's backgrounds also.

by the wayJAYDELART-- your descriptions were really good. You seem to be a natural.

[Suki]

I grew up in Barcelona, and pretty damn proud of it I'd say it's like any other big city, like New York or Paris or London, only smaller, which is why I like it over any other of those. Plus it's by the sea. I could not begin to imagine living somewhere far from the sea. Also I'm glad to have been born and raised here cause I got two first-languages and that's pretty cool

[Jaydelart]

Originally Posted by Suki

I could not begin to imagine living somewhere far from the sea.

I second that!
There was discussion in my family about moving to the countryside. All I could do was sneer and shout. lol

I'm an ocean boy.

[JohnBraden]

dogsbody 70, I was born in the same country as Suki, Spain, but not in the same city, of course. I am from Madrid, but am not Spanish, though most of my relatives are Spanish. I'm an American citizen but I have a Spanish birth certificate and I don't have dual citizenship.

My father was born in Montana and joined the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s. He was stationed in West Germany, Morocco, Libya and Spain. He left the service and stayed in Spain as a civilian working for the Air Force in the accounting section of the airbase outside Madrid.

My mother was born in Cebu, Philippines before the Japanese invaded the islands in WWII. Her father (my grandfather) was the director of the Bank of the Philippine Islands in Manila (a Spanish Bank) and was subsequently sent to the Cebu branch when the war broke out. After the liberation and end of the war, my mother and siblings moved back to Spain (San Sebastian), since we are of Basque descent. After college she moved to Madrid where the USAF was building a new airbase outside Madrid. Since she lived in the Philippines, she grew up with English as well as Spanish and Tagalog. Her English knowledge was crucial in getting a job at the airbase since almost no one spoke English back then.

It was there they met and got married in 1961. In 1992 the base closed, my father retired and they moved here to Chicago where my mother still lives. My father, unfortunately, succumbed to cancer a few months ago, but he lived a good 80 years.

I lived in Madrid from 1965 to 1986 when I, myself, joined the service (USAF) and went off to Japan and other places.

All this has been a blessing to me as I have a broader view of the world and see things in ways people who haven't traveled or moved around can see. I definitely feel fortunate for my upbringing.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by JohnBraden

dogsbody 70, I was born in the same country as Suki, Spain, but not in the same city, of course. I am from Madrid, but am not Spanish, though most of my relatives are Spanish. I'm an American citizen but I have a Spanish birth certificate and I don't have dual citizenship.

My father was born in Montana and joined the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s. He was stationed in West Germany, Morocco, Libya and Spain. He left the service and stayed in Spain as a civilian working for the Air Force in the accounting section of the airbase outside Madrid.

My mother was born in Cebu, Philippines before the Japanese invaded the islands in WWII. Her father (my grandfather) was the director of the Bank of the Philippine Islands in Manila (a Spanish Bank) and was subsequently sent to the Cebu branch when the war broke out. After the liberation and end of the war, my mother and siblings moved back to Spain (San Sebastian), since we are of Basque descent. After college she moved to Madrid where the USAF was building a new airbase outside Madrid. Since she lived in the Philippines, she grew up with English as well as Spanish and Tagalog. Her English knowledge was crucial in getting a job at the airbase since almost no one spoke English back then.

It was there they met and got married in 1961. In 1992 the base closed, my father retired and they moved here to Chicago where my mother still lives. My father, unfortunately, succumbed to cancer a few months ago, but he lived a good 80 years.

I lived in Madrid from 1965 to 1986 when I, myself, joined the service (USAF) and went off to Japan and other places.

All this has been a blessing to me as I have a broader view of the world and see things in ways people who haven't traveled or moved around can see. I definitely feel fortunate for my upbringing.

thanks so much JOHN I am afraid I would never have guessed.


Fascinating background you have too. quite extraordinary.

I am sorry to hear you lost your father. Really the Air force has been a strong influence in your life-- I often wonder what it is like for children whose parents move around a lot when in the Forces.

You seem to have travelled a lot-- and no doubt have learned a lot.

I am sure you are right when you say the travelling has given you a broad outlook on life and the rest of the world.