@rav3n @avant-garde @Shaz51 @chibam @Till23 

My mother didn’t speak much English and I guess I learned to be sensitive to communication with and without language.

I was also from the wrong part of town and it was repeatedly brought up, even by the father of my children.

 I mingled with more indigenous and migrants than Anglos, tho I was happy to travel to London when I was young and appreciated English literature and British sitcoms.

 I don’t eat typical Aussie foods, though I have been born here. Eventually I have caught up on eating ham sandwiches, hamburger and meat pies, Darrell and Sara Lea/Lee. I cooked more Italian cos  I worked in Lygon st while I was young, and Asian cos I travelled there young.

Yes there so many differences and similarities among people and cultures.  It can be extra work to understand people who are a bit different, but I have found that was a problem all over. What matters is openness to learning and give and take. We all have hearts that need to beat and can break. 

I can often get on better with migrants or people of mixed descent, better than dyed in the wool Aussies, or. People gung ho about their own culture without regard to the huge diversity who do live here. Attitude can make a big impact, and individuals can vary greatly within the “same” group. Eg I joke… put a dozen Irish in a room and see if they all agree… it’s doubtful…but probably true of most ethnicities.

Because I am such a mix and had a weird start I don’t know what is normal. I also wonder if class stigma and discrimination has been overlooked. 

Sadly, the traumas in my family may have been exacerbated by cultural misunderstanding, with trauma not processed or understood or respected. We all tried and were open and inclusive but the load on us was overwhelming and people broke and the family fractured. Mental illness can be caused by trauma and cause it.

Diversity can be great if it there are adequate resources whether it be time, people or material. 

I don’t really like generalisations about the west. West of where? Are the west dominant or the underdog? Eg I have lived in western suburbs of 2  major cities and they get a bad rap. I also object to people assuming I lived like Americans on tv when I have never been there and don’t want to go. I am learning more about my Aussie side and have a dedicated book case now. I have done a lot of cultural exploration and glad to champion Australian artists Eg playing Peter Sculthorpe on the organ. In the arts it was thought Australia had a cultural cringe, but I am learning to dig deep and find gold. 

Kulcha is complicated man.