My cousin will be migrating to Australia. Not something very new, a lot of people are migrating so one more joining the bandwagon is hardly something to be remarked upon.
From the point of view of the family however it is more significant, there will be almost no one from the younger generation left. My family; Anglicised, Christianised and thoroughly debased in its outlook belongs to a section of the community that is fast disappearing.
The usual method by which such families disappear is by drinking. I've lost a fair share of my Uncle's to alcohol, on both sides of my family. While some of these uncles were married, many (not surprisingly) were not, thus cleaning up the future gene pool. Invariably the drunkards were also gamblers, so what they did not lose drinking they gambled away, thus leaving the families broke as well as neutered.
Now it seems that the few remaining sober members of the family are migrating. The trend started in the 1960's and has continued ever since. I have no immediate family left on my fathers side, and of the 15 first cousins on my mothers side I will be left with just one, after the latest one leaves. Well, perhaps not quite, one other is only 'temporarily' away, her husband has a job in India, but I have a feeling that this will eventually translate to another permanent migrant.
Once out, they never come back. Indeed the one cousin I have left is the only one who ever returned and one is never sure when he will decide to move on.
Perhaps this is how it was meant to be. The colonials left shortly after independence and now their agents, the Brown Sahibs (my maternal grandfather fancied himself as an English country gentleman, with his passion for shooting and fishing and his fascination with the Empire) have all but left, abandoning the land to the native populace.
5 comments:
Hmm. True.
As physical borders and boundaries keep thinning and disappearing, people find greener pastures and happier places to live. We love our country – there’s land like no other – its the current mess that’s repelling us, forcing us away.
If there is peace and stability prevailing in our paradise, one could expect a reverse-migration (not necessarily the ones who left though). I know a lot of foreigners who’d love to live in SL – the Paradise Isle is one heck of place to live, and retire. No matter where life takes me, I know I will return for good, one day.
It’s just such a sad state of affairs at the moment. Really.
"I know a lot of foreigners who’d love to live in SL" ..well said SI. I've met a few actually. They love the untouched-something in our country. *shrugs*
best plan is to make some dough and come back. plus, it's nice when kids have their roots. no place like home ;)even if it is a bit messy.
Yes Dee Cee. This is what a friend of mine who left three years ago said when he came back for his wedding. When he had to leave he said despite all the shit he was still sad to be leaving.
"The colonials left shortly after independence and now their agents, the Brown Sahibs (my maternal grandfather fancied himself as an English country gentleman, with his passion for shooting and fishing and his fascination with the Empire) have all but left, abandoning the land to the native populace."
Lol, you make it sound like its a bad thing...
"They love the untouched-something in our country."
Yeah, but then they would 'touch ' it ands then it would no longer be 'untouched' would it? :D
Yeah, dough and come back... and yes there’s no place like home. Besides, even if it IS a dump, it is OUR dump, right?
@Anon, I think DeeCee was talking about a certain magical attraction, something intangible, that CANNOT be touched, but one feels, in Paradise.
:)
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