When people move to another country one of the biggest challenges is the language. But, moving from Ireland, an English speaking country I never imagined the challenge to be so big.
When I arrived in Melbourne in 1968 it was a whole different world. We settled in our temporary lodgings then went out to explore our new home.
Having never experienced Asian culture, I was amazed at how many restaurants this bloke Dim Sims had! It was not until some time later that I discovered that it was actually some sort meat covered in a pastry type substance.
When I was invited to the “footy,” I was told I would be picked up at “sparrow’s fart”. Now I’ve never heard a sparrow fart so I lay awake all night listening…
Once at the footy I was amazed by the calls from the crowd with such things as “Ya mug”, “Ya ripper”, “dill”, “corker” and other fine words.
To me a mug was something you drank your tea from, a ripper somebody who tears things up, dill some sort of herb and a corker is just a bloke who puts corks in wine bottles!
The boys suggested we have a dog’s eye and dead horse! I passed, preferring to have a pie with sauce instead!
I was starting to learn the lingo…
On the way home we broke down and my mates told me the car was cactus. Back in Ireland we never made cars from a prickly plant found in the desert!
Another time some mates told me we were going to the beach to have a look out for white pointers! I did ask them whether they thought it would be safe as my very limited knowledge of the shark species old me that these were the worst ones to be found in the sea.
Once experiencing my first white pointer (and I didn’t realise they came in twos) I was totally reassured and spent many more times at the beach looking out for these fine creatures!
On the way home I was asked if I needed some tucker? Being 18 I declined as my Mum had always done that but ended when I was about 8!
These days I speak Aussie fluently, so I’ll finish and wish to all Oooroo!
I’m keen to hear if there are other migrants out there who have had a similar experience to me?
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