A tribute to where the heart is

WARNING: This post probably contains nothing of interest to anyone but me. You are welcome to skip to the below post, on Buddhism and homosexuality.


Isn't it pretty?

So whenever it comes close to going home, I have a weird habit of becoming obsessed with my home town. I tried to make this blog as anonymous as possible, but obviously I am not a very anonymous person so I might as well say where it is: Rock Vegas. aka. Rockhampton. (On a side note, did anyone realize that Brisbane locals have started calling their town Bris Vegas? It's completely ridiculous and doesn't even make sense. Stupid South East Queenslanders...now you shall not get our water...)

Anyway, to feed my obsession, I become equally obsessed with googling my town in Google Blogsearch.

Of course, most of the blog entries mentioning Rocky come up as travel memoirs from tourists or visitors. And most often, they say things like "not much in Rocky, passed on to Townsville", or "this is plastic bull city!"

When I read these comments, I begin to think, why on earth do I ache to go back there once a year around Christmas? Why do I bother even thinking of the place that I yearned to leave for much of my pre-teen - teenage years?

In one of my other blogs, I was overwhelmingly excited about going home:

I can almost smell the strong scent of the meatworks, can almost see the rich brownness of the Fitzroy, can almost feel the sizzling sensation of the Queensland sun on my skin.

I am such a nerd for being so excited to go home!

I've figured out that it's little things that make me think of home. And they're weird, silly, irrelevant things. Like India makes me think of home. My friend Melissa's stories make me think of home. Fish and chips makes me think of home. And the beach makes me think of home. Why? I wouldn't have a clue!

To the outside eye, Rockhampton is termed as a 'hole', a 'dive', or a 's***y place'.

To an extent i agree. As a tourist, i would never visit. I would bypass it for Cairns or Townsville or Brissy.

So if you are ever silly enough to go, here are my list of essential places to see.

1. Sit on the banks of the Fitzroy river and pretend not to notice that you can't see the bottom. You can also try your hand at crocodile spotting or try and make up what illegal activity people are up to on their houseboats.

2. Go to the Dreaming Centre. Apparently it's one of the largest Aboriginal museums in Queensland. Then drive down the road and go to the heritage village.

3. Check out the Botanical gardens and zoo - which have been there way before my dad was born, and believe me, that was a long time ago.

4. Leave Rockhampton...i am officially including this list to Central Queensland...and go up to Emu Park and eat fish and chips by the beach. Also go and see the singing ship.

*ahem* Excuse the fact that I am a complete nerd. It's not genetic, I developed the disorder all by myself and am constantly reminded of it when I dream of Mal Brough at night (not in that way you sickos!)

But back to the question - why do I bother getting excited to go home?

It could only be the people and my long ancestral history with the land.

I was reminded of just why I love the place when I recieved a completely unexpected call from my good friend Lisa, who is quite possibly the nicest person who ever lived (I'm not exaggerating either, she is seriously amazing!)

I don't know if she reads my blog, but speaking to her just completely brought me back down to earth. It was like I just became myself again, I wasn't trying to be anyone important, or to prove myself, or to criticise and condemn other people.

Then I realized that's exactly how I feel when I step off that plane and hit the hot tarmac and see my little brothers practically ready to bash down the sliding doors of the arrivals entrance. I feel it when I recieve hugs from my parents, real ones, not gammon little polite things that don't mean anything.

I feel it when I drive down to my grandma's place and sit and talk to her for ages. My grandma is one of those people who has that youthfulness about her, regardless of how old she is (she's not even that old either! :P)

I feel it when I go down and see Melissa or Chris and realize that we must have some sort of karmic connection, because it is just ridiculous that we can be such close friends. I have never had a fight with them or been annoyed and when I'm around them I feel at peace with myself. If I could marry both I would (Melissa, it's impossible with this government. Chris, you never know :P) And I also feel it when I become closer to new friends who I didn't hang out with as much when I lived in Rocky - such as Princess Jo ;), who I count as a close friend now!

I feel it when I go out for late night coffee with Elizabeth or go around and see Lisa and Becky or sit by the banks of the Fitzroy and talk with whichever person I have gone with that day!

I feel it when I visit my cousins and when my cousins visit me. When my aunties and uncles give me hugs and I suddenly retreat into this shy, childlike state just because that is how I've always been around them. But I love it anyway.

I feel it when I visit THAT soccer club, the one I really hated just because of principle, but now absolutely adore.



I feel it when I can come home to the house I grew up in for my whole life, with the horse paddock and the iconic mango tree in the middle of the road. And after spending a whole day out, I feel it when I can immediately hug my little boys and match their faces to their voices. It's so much better than having to pretend to see them on our once a week Saturday phone calls ;) According to one of them, he has already forgotten what I look like! :P

I realize then that my home will always be in this place, regardless of where I live. Even though I will never live there again, I feel very blessed to have resided there for so long, with some of the most beautiful people in the world.

Two weeks to go ;)

Luv
Me

P.S. That concludes my emo post for the day. Am putting away my black eyeliner now :P

P.P.S And as a reward for sitting through my ramblings, and because I have realized that I have been neglecting the great love of my life (Bollywood), here is Salaam-e-ishq. I adore Akshay! When this movie came out I was obsessed with this song....but the weird thing is, I haven't yet seen the movie! Christmas present *hint hint* IT stars the gorgeous Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, deadliest dancer Govinda, John Abraham and many many more. Oh! And Akshay Khanna (CHRIS: SYD!!!). Also to Chris: You would recall that Priyanka is one of the girls on the first cover of India Vogue.