Sally Langford, Author at The Localist

Mexico – Montse Zavala

28 October 2013

[bilingual article: English – Español]

I was born in…….Guadalajara, Mexico. I have also lived in Malaga, Spain and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Today I’m living in……Guadalajara, working and trying to save to see where my next destination will be. My favourite local films are…..Matando Cabos and Bajo la Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon). To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Mexican cinema, because for a period of time a lot of films made here portrayed a poor, backward Mexico with an emphasis on sex and drugs. When I want to remember home I listen to……Mariachi and “Norteno”. There’s nothing better than a combination of this music and a few tequilas to remember my home. My favourite time of the year is…….Autumn. I love nature at this time of year, and I bet its the same all over the world. I love the colours, and also the clothes we get to wear! My favourite local phrase is….. ‘que esto y que lo otro ¡Salud!’ (roughly translated as ‘this and that … cheers!’ My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are….Live the life you love, love the life you live. I think there is nothing better in the world than following your dreams no matter what anyone else says. You should always look to the future, while being grateful for what you have in the present. What I love the most about my home country is…..its people and its food. I am yet to find a country in the world with such warmth. We are people who give ourselves to others, always giving the best of ourselves and trying to show the best of our country. Once, when I was shopping in Argentina, for example, the clerk knew I was from Mexico not because of my accent but because I was polite and well-mannered, believe it or not. And of course, the food. Although you can eat amazing food in other countries, i do think there’s no other place like Mexico for its cuisine.

Yo nací en….Guadalajara México, a los 20 años me fui de intercambio a Málaga una ciudad al sur de España y ahí tuve la oportunidad de recorrer un poco de Europa y también cruce a Marruecos. Regrese a Guadalajara para continuar con mis estudios y al terminar la Universidad, junto con mi novio me fui a Buenos Aires, Argentina, ahí vivimos 7 meses, también pude recorrer un poco de ese País y de Uruguay, ahora regrese a mi ciudad natal para trabajar, hacer un poco de dinero y ver ahora hacía donde apunta la brújula. Mis películas locales favoritas son……Matando Cabos, Bajo la misma luna, la verdad es que no son muy fan del cine mexicano ya que por un tiempo no hacían películas de mi agrado, puesto que retrataban un México pobre, sin educación mostrando solamente sexo y drogas en ellas. Cuando quiero recordar a casa, escucho……Mariachi y Norteño, no hay nada mejor que esa música y unos buenos Tequilas para acordarme de mi México. Mi época favorita del año es……Otoño, los paisajes son hermosos en esta época podría apostar que en la mayor parte del mundo, los colores que vemos y sobre todo la ropa que usamos. Mi frase local favorita es……Que esto y que lo otro ¡Salud! Mis palabras sabias favoritas o mi lema favorito es…..Live the life you love, love the life you live. Creo que no hay nada major que perseguir tus sueños, sin importer lo que te digan los demás, siempre viendo al futuro pero agradeciendo lo que tienes en presente. Lo que más me gusta de mi país es……..su gente y su comida, no he encontrado en el mundo personas con la calidad humana de los mexicanos, somos gente entregada hacía los demás, siempre dando lo mejor de nosotros y tratando de mostrar lo mejor del país. En Argentina, mientras compraba ropa en una tienda, el que me atendía me dijo: ¿eres mexicana verdad? Y yo le conteste que si lo había notado por mi acento y cómo se había dado cuenta y el me contesto que los mexicanos somos los más educados, aunque ustedes ni lo crean. El señor supo que era mexicana, porque pedí las cosas por favor, le había dado las gracias, no agarre las cosas sin pedirlas, etc. Y bueno que les puedo decir de la comida, aunque se come muy bien y muy rico en otros países, simplemente no hay como la nuestra.

Sri Lanka – Virandi Wettewa

22 October 2013

Virandi Wettewa is a PhD student and tutor at the University of Sydney. She loves travelling, poetry and learning different languages.

I was born in……Kandy, Sri Lanka, and I have spent most of my life in…….Kandy, Trinco and Badulla. I spent my undergraduate years in the UK and Singapore and I now live in Sydney, Australia. My favourite local films are…..any classics from the 70s and 80s with actor Vijaya Kumaratunga. Whenever I need a reminder of home, I listen to….Calypso style Baila. It’s a genre of music that is a fusion of Caribbean beats and Portuguese dance rhythms that has evolved from colonial times to be uniquely Sri Lankan. No Sri Lankan festivity is complete without a Baila dance session! My favourite time of the year is……anytime with sunshine (which when I am in Sri Lanka happens to be most of the time!). My all time local heroes are…..the Lankan Lions (Sri Lankan Cricketers). Players like Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan are definitely to blame for the cricket craze that I so willingly suffer from. My favourite local phrase is..….‘ne?’ which literally translated means ‘no?’ but technically means ‘yes?’ and is used like a rhetoric affirmation after almost all sentences. You understand what I mean by that ne? Ok so let’s move on then no? My favourite words of wisdom are.……‘there are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants and the other is getting it’. Thank You Oscar Wilde for showing me to be content with all that I have and have not! What I love most about my home (country) is….the smiles, the cricket and the elephants!

Sri Lanka – Thilina Weerasekera

22 October 2013

Thilina Weerasekera is a chemical engineer, a die-hard fan of Sri Lankan cricket, and a classic car enthusiast. He also loves travelling around the world as it gives him the opportunity to observe and experience different cultures and how they interact with each other in this world that we share.

I was born in….Sri Lanka, where I have spent most of my life. As a child I spent a year in Kenya and then went to University in the United States. I have also had the pleasure of visiting several other countries in Asia and Europe as well. I live in.…..Colombo, Sri Lanka. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to……songs by Clarence Wijewardene, who was a prominent musician in Sri Lanka in the 80s and 90s and hence a favourite of my parents. They would play a lot of his tapes when taking us on trips around the island and as a result his music is the fastest way to get me back home from wherever I am. My favourite time of the year is…….Christmas. My all-time local hero is…….the late Mr. Laxman Kadirgamar, the former foreign minister of Sri Lanka. My favourite local phrase is…….“what to do men”. My favourite words of wisdom……a quote by Sir Winston Churchill: “Success is going from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm”. What I love most about my home (country) is……our diversity. The fact that we celebrate the customs and traditions of multiple ethnicities and religions. I believe that we are strongest as a nation when we unite while respecting our diversity and this is best seen when we unite to support our beloved cricket team.

Mexico – Adrián G. de la Peña

10 October 2013

Adrián G. de la Peña is a director, writer and editor from Guadalajara, Mexico.

I was born in…..Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where I have spent most of my life. I have lived in Vancouver, Canada, where I worked in construction, and in Denmark as an exchange student. I’ve also studied filmmaking in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Today I live in…..Guadalajara. My favourite local films (films made by Mexicans) are.……Matando Cabos, Alucarda, Voces Inocentes (Innocent Voices), La Zona (The Zone), El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth), El Violin (The Violin) and Cronicas. Unfortunately in Mexico there isn’t much investment in the distribution of local films, so I am not very familiar with many productions made in the country. When I want to remember home I listen to…….despite not liking them very much, Canciones Rancheras. They always give that me that “feeling” of being in Mexico. I also listen to bands like Molotov, Nortec Collective, Control Machete or Café Tacuba. My favourite time of the year is……spring. The cool weather begins its departure and weekend BBQs arrive. When you visit the beach the heat is not as unbearable as it can be in the summer. I also like the cool change of autumn. There is something magical about the leaves of the trees changing colour. My local hero is…the film director Guillermo del Toro. He lives in the US now, so he’s not exactly ‘local’ anymore, but he’s from my state, Jalisco. I think he’s a Mexican worthy of admiration. My local favourite phrase is… mmmm, I don’t think I really have one. My favourite wise words or saying is…….patience is rewarded. What I like the most of my country is……..the diversity of its landscapes, the variety of its cuisine, the warmth of its people and its renowned hospitality.

Yo nací en…..Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, en donde he pasado la mayor parte de mi vida, sin embargo viví por un periodo de tiempo trabajando en construcción en Vancouver a los 19 años, volví a México por un año y medio y me fuí de intercambio a Dinamarca, a mis 21 años. Regresé a México y después de 2 años me fui a Buenos Aires, Argentina a estudiar la especialidad en cine. Ahora vivo en….Guadalajara. Mis películas locales favoritas (o por lo menos hechas por Mexicanos) son…..Matando Cabos, Alucarda, Voces Inoscentes, La zona, El laberinto del Fauno, El violin y Crónicas. El problema es que no hay mucha distribución en México por lo que no conozco muchas de las películas que se realizan. Cuando quiero recordar a casa, escucho……a pesar de no gustarme mucho, canciones rancheras, siempre darán ese “feeling” de estar en México, sin embargo también escucho bandas como Molotov, Nortec Collective, Control Machete o Café Tacuba. Mi epoca favorita del año es….primavera, ya que el frio se empieza a ir y es la época cuando uno hace mas asados los fines de semana, visita las playas y no hay un calor insoportable como lo hay en el verano. También me gusta mucho el otoño, tiene una sensación agradable, fría pero no congelada, el cambio a calidez de las hojas también tiene algo “místico” que ver. Mi héroe local favorito es.…..Pues ya no es tan local, pero Guillermo del Toro, siendo originario de Jalisco, logró posicionarse en el lugar en el que está, y a pesar de vivir en Estados Unidos, es un Méxicano digno de admiración. Mi frase local favorita es.... mmmm, no creo tener una frase favorita. Mis palabras sabias favoritas o mi lema favorito es……la pasiencia es bien recompenzad. Lo que mas me gusta de mi país es…….la variedad de paisajes y lugares que uno puede visitar, la calidez de la gente y su reconocida hospitalidad. El poder encontrar una gran variedad de comida.

Australia – Jennifer Goodwin

3 October 2013

I was born in….New Zealand and, like many of my friends, hit my early 20s and disappeared off in search of adventure. In the decade since then I’ve lived in London, done big trips around India and Asia and found myself back here in Sydney, enjoying every moment of this awesome city. My favourite local films are….I love Baz Luhrmann’s creativity and his films, even though they’re not necessarily ‘local’. Romeo and Juliet is my favourite film of all time. Controversially, I even liked Australia, though I’m a little out on a limb with that one. Other favourites: Animal Kingdom, Wolf Creek, Candy, Balibo, Little Fish, Samson and Delilah. The TV shows Love My Way and Offspring are also worth a mention. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to…..music by Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga and any kind of Dub music always make me think of home #1 (NZ). I’m still working on the soundtrack for home #2 (AUS). My favourite time of the year is……summer of course! When it ends I’m already anticipating the next one. My all time local hero is…..I’m constantly inspired by my friends. My favourite local phrase is…..‘brunch?’. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are….this is a really, really long quote, but an awesome one: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson. What I love most about my home (country) is….where to start! The weather, freedom, nature, opportunity and the fact that I’ve managed to find the most amazing bunch of progressive and inspiring people here to hang out with.

Australia – Rachel Wintle

1 October 2013

I was born in…..Auckland, New Zealand, and I have spent most of my adult life in……Sydney, after moving here in my early twenties. My favourite local film is…..The Castle. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to….Led Zeppelin – it reminds me of being a teenager in the North Shore of Auckland. My favourite time of the year is….Spring – before the humidity of Summer. My all time local hero is….Cate Blanchet. My favourite local phrase is….Stone the Crows! Only when said by Alf from Home and Away. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are…..‘don’t sweat the small stuff’. Easier said than done. What I love most about my home (country) is….the ability to escape the city and within an hour’s drive be in the middle of nowhere.

Iran – Shafagh Helalat

28 September 2013

I was born in Iran, I have spent most of your life in Tehran, Iran and now I live in Madrid, Spain. My favourite local films are….A Separation, About Elly and Children of Heaven. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to……Mohsen Namjoo, Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri and even Andy Madadian. My favourite time of the year is…..autumn. My all time local hero is…..Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is a human rights lawyer. My favourite local phrase is…..a bit of patience, dawn is coming. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are…..Wherever I am, let me be.  The sky is mine.  The window, the mind, the air, love, earth are all mine. What does it matter if mushrooms of nostalgia  grow from time to time? What I love most about my home (country) is….literatura, poesía, música…

Mexico – María José Céspedes

28 September 2013

I was born in Mexico City, I have spent most of your life in Mexico City and now I live in Mexico City. My favourite local films are those from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema – everything with Cantinflas, El Santo. Newer ones like La ley de Herodes, Matando Cabos, and Amores Perros are great too. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to Caifanes and Café Tacuba. My favourite time of the year is winter. Winter in Mexico City is a dream, we get really blue skies, sun and chilly wind. My all time local heroes are Mexican artists: Toledo, Tamayo, Siqueiros, Javier and Jorge Marin, Andriacci, Ruben Leyva, Diego Rivera. Artists for me represent the very best of Mexico. My favourite local phrase is “Pasele a lo barrido” It portrays perfectly the importance of hospitality in Mexico. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are “everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about”. What I love most about my home (country) is the food, the weather, the beaches and the cultural diversity.

Australia – Lisa Siberry

28 September 2013

Lisa Siberry is a freelance writer and digital product manager for the ABC.

I was born in….Sydney, raised in Melbourne, travelled a heap and ended up back in Sydney. My favourite film is…..Gone with the Wind. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to….Debussy. My favourite time of the year is….April. My all time local hero is…..my husband. My favourite (Canadian) local phrase is…..“Right On”. My favourite words to live by are……“the shortest answer is doing the thing.” What I love most about my home (country) is……the light. And the sound of magpies in the morning.

Canada – Kristine Bernabe

28 September 2013

I was born in….Manila, Philippines, but I have spent most of my life in…..Toronto, Canada. My favourite films set in Toronto are….Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, This Movie’s Broken, Crash and Strange Brew. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to….Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, Ohbijou, Holy Fuck, Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy and Nick “Brownman” Ali. My favourite time of the year is….the summer. My all-time local hero is….Jack Layton. My favourite local phrase is…“eh!”. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are….I don’t have any. What I love most about my home (country) is….the diversity, the progressivism and the great outdoors!

Australia – Charmaine Pang

28 September 2013

I was born in….Hong Kong. I have spent most of my life in……Sydney and now I live in…..Sydney still! My favourite local films are…..Candy, Samson and Delilah, Mary and Max, and Animal Kingdom. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to……a playlist that I constantly save to called “songs for right now”. It’s got all the songs that make me beam from ear to ear! My favourite time of the year is……Spring, with Summer coming in a very close second! My all time local hero is…..Ronnie Kahn, the founder of Oz Harvest which delivers excess food that would otherwise go to waste to those in need. And if I could name another – Jono Fisher, the founder of Wake Up which is a community group created out of a desire for a kinder society. My favourite local phrase is…..“way out near whoop whoop” (it means some place far away). I kept hearing this when I first came to boarding school in Sydney and wondered where this amazing town was that everyone seemed to live near…My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are…..be in love with your life. every detail of it. – Jack Kerouac. What I love most about my home (country) is…..the salty sea and the sunny skies.

Australia – Lac-Viet

28 September 2013

Viet is a local with a penchant for strange foreign language films and making stuff, like food, furniture and clothing (you can view her fashion collections at www.lac-viet.com). She currently lives between Sydney and London.

I was born in….Sydney, I have spent most of my life in….Sydney and London and now I live in….Sydney. My favourite local films are….can’t remember the last Aussie film I saw as they aren’t all shown on overseas cinemas but I loved Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Strictly Ballroom back in the day. I got sent the Tropfest dvds each year while I was living overseas, which are always enjoyable. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to…..my parents’ voices (on the phone) and maybe Nick Cave. I remember dancing drunkenly to Down Under after the Socceroos tied with Croatia in the World Cup soccer, some years back, in London. Doubt I would ever do that here but things like that are definitely heightened when you’re overseas. My favourite time of the year is……autumn in Sydney (beautiful amber leaves everywhere, not too hot and just before hayfever strikes) and spring/summer in Europe when the cities and canals come alive. My all time local hero is…..I suppose most kids growing up in Marrickville, Sydney in the 80s thought Jeff Fenech the “Marrickville Mauler” was pretty entertaining. Later I remember admiring the former Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court (even though he is a monarchist) and then decided we were kindred spirits when I found out that we were born in the same hospital and went to the same schools. He has had a far more remarkable life – but I have 40 years to catch up to him! My favourite local phrase is…..Haha, there are so many! Maybe “I love youse all” (infamous Jeff Fenech quote). My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are….I have a terrible memory for these things but I recently read The Happiest Refugee for book club and remember the author, Anh Do, quoting his father: “there are only two times. Now and too late” – which I will try to remember when I find myself procrastinating, which is most of the time! What I love most about my home (country) is….that there is water everywhere. Literally. It just takes a minute to walk down to the river, which leads to the sea. And the water out of the tap actually tastes good.