I lived the first 24 years of my life in Australia; Western Australia to be exact. Since then, the longest time I have spent in Oz was about 7 months or so, which I have done a couple of times.
I have lived, all told, about 29 years in Malaysia (18 months of that in Borneo); almost 7 years in Vienna, Austria; and two years in Tunis, Tunisia.
That’s no less than 4 continents and a very large island… So where is home?
Well, I think I found out when the West Australian Science Fiction Foundation (WASFF) invited me to be a guest at the next Swancon 2008 (which in 2008 also happens to be the Australian National Convention for science fiction and fantasy).
Quite frankly, I’m delighted to be invited to be a guest at any sff convention, but the idea that my home town issued the invitation just bowled me over.
It is especially meaningful on a number of levels:
- W.A. is where I grew up. It is “home” in that special way that no other place can ever be.
- They invited me in a year when Swancon is also a national convention.
- Swancon was the first sff con I ever went to, back in 2003. I attended knowing no one, in trepidation, thinking I would be out of place, or lonesome, or something. I was made welcome, met some fantastic people, was made to feel as if I belonged. I realised right then that I was a con junkie. If I had the money I’d go to one every couple of months…
- Because I am from West Australia, the invitation seemed to be an acknowledgment to a local “made good”, a tribute from the home team. [They may not have meant it, but that’s how it feels…don’t disabuse me, will you?]
So you folk from W.A., I am looking forward to being a guest at Swancon. Very much. Thank you for the invite. I can’t wait for Easter March 20-24! Besides, I get to meet Ken Macleod and Paul Cornell.
How cool is that?
I’ll see you there – and of course it’s because you are a local made good. If I miss you at Swancon, don’t forget to give me a call. There are other people who want to catch up with you.
I’m so ecstatic that you’re a guest for 2008, and I’m looking forward to catching up with you again, as it was lovely to do so in Melbourne!
I understand what you mean in that sense of ‘coming home’ if not in precisely the same way 🙂 I went back to my hometown for the first time as an adult just this year and it was strange how much had changed, and how much had stayed the same… it was a very surreal feeling, both welcoming and telling – telling me that I’d moved on, but here were my beginnings.
Hi both of you – yep, I know what you mean, Ju. And yes, I.M. We must arrange something, although I am not sure how many people you can find out of my past…
Oooer, looking forward to it, so much and it is still SO far away!
And me! Wheeeee!