by Domnall Óg
Home >> Barbie Girl?: Interview with Paola Lizares
You have travelled all your life. What is it with you?
Ask my mom and ask my husband! Only once did I myself decide to live in another place, and that was when I went to the University of Heidelberg to study for a year. The rest of my travelling was my mom’s and, since last year, my husband’s idea.
What are the good points about having globetrotted?
You become cosmopolitan. You learn languages. You learn to adapt to other cultures and to accept different ways of thinking. And you can show off!
And the bad?
People can get intimidated, especially when you’re growing up. I had a hard time between the ages of 10 and 15. It’s tough to be a teenager, and even tougher if you don’t fit into the norm.
Are people very different in different places?
No, they aren’t. In my opinion, the more you travel, the more similarities you see from place to place. Few things surprise you. The square in city X looks like the square in city Y. The food in country A is very similar to the food in country B. And, with people, it’s just the same.
Tell us about Australia? Is it all strange animals and barbecues?
Barbecues (or ‘barbies’, as they are called here) are very common because of the warm weather. Where I live, there are barbecues on the esplanade, free for anyone to use. The last time my husband and I went out for a barbie, not only was I attacked by mosquitoes (‘mossies’) but I also heard something ruffling in the branches of the tree above me. I thought it was one of the very large bats that fly around at night. It turned out to be a possum, the marsupial version of a squirrel. You can see a picture of this mammal in the Beginner’s Weekly.
Anyway, yes, there are some strange creatures here, who don’t seem to be shy at all! But Australia is more than that. It’s a continent full of friendly people!
Is it hard for a polyglot Filipina wife to understand a German husband?
Of course not. But it is obviously hard for a German husband to understand a polyglot Filipina wife!
What are you doing now?
Well, I’m volunteering for the Fraser Coast Cultural Festival, which will take place this weekend. I signed up as a volunteer, among other reasons because I thought it would be a great way to meet interesting people. And I was right!
Tell us about the festival.
I’m basically in charge of organising the Cultural Pavilion, where arts and crafts from different countries present on the Fraser Coast will be displayed. To organise this, I had to contact several embassies and consulates. I’m also in charge of the Parade of Nations, which will be a bit like the parades that you see at the inauguration of the Olympics, but on a much smaller scale. People will parade wearing their national costumes (except the Aborigines, who would have to appear naked or semi-naked). I would have liked to organise the International Cuisine area, but you can’t do everything.
Where will you be in 5 years time? What will you be doing?
Typical job interview question! In 5 years’ time I’ll be the CEO of my own company, which will appear on the stock market. No, of course not. I doubt it! I’ll be somewhere in Australia married to a neurologist or internist and with a toddler on my lap. Oh, and someone from the Weekly Letter will be visiting. I wonder who!
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2007-03-22 09:00:00 +0100
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Hi Dónal,
I envy the life of Paola. I think it could be wonderful travelling around the world. Meeting different people, knowing different cultures. But I think it could be a bit stressful packing the things and getting used to a new culture.
In any case it could be a good experience.
Hi Dónal and Paola,
I think that you have to have a lot of problems in your country or a lot of dreams before to emigrate. In my case, I haven’t problems but I’m not so brave emigrating. It’s a decision so important that you need to have the priorities very clear. I admire you, Paola, and more after knowing that you have emigrated to Australia!. Is it possible to go further away?. I think not.
I would like to know Australia. I like to travel very much (as a tourist), and Australia is one of my future’s trips (I hope so). I think that it would be like another planet, the weather is the opposite (cold in July, and warm in January), the animals are different, but I agree with Paola, and I think that the people must be the same as here, or almost the same, (in Australia people hunt crocodiles, and in Spain we have bullfighters). It’s a joke!.
Paola, it has been wonderful to heard you again, and Dónal, thanks for the interview.
Conchi Calvo
Monica, yes, moving is very stressful, especially if it’s from country to country! They say that moving is the most stressful thing after giving birth.
Conchi, maybe the next country on my list is New Zealand. That’s even further away from Europe! When are you coming to Australia?
I agree that emigrating takes courage. But it also carries many gifts in its hands. Meeting new people, experiencing new ways of thinking and different customs helps us to see where we come from in a new light. Many people in the West think that their country has a monopoly on wisdom and how to do things. Travelling can help us to see ourselves as we really are. If we have our minds open, that is.
Hello Dónal,
Let me tell you that it is a pleasure to know about my previous teacher.
It is a good way to know the feelings and the point of view of a
globetrotter.
And hello Paola,
How are you doing? I see everything is OK. I’m happy to know that.
I’m afraid you know who will visit you in Australia. And with a big
reason if you have a toddler…… ;-))
Thanks to both.
Kind regards,
Ramón
There are so many reasons for emigrating. One doesn’t necessarily try to “seek greener pasturesâ€? in any material sense. In fact, sometimes what you want is browner pastures. Sometimes you just want new sensations or new definitions. You may be attracted to the idea of reinventing yourself in a place where no one knew you before. Or you move to a certain place simply because your Significant Other is there, and you happen to be the more easily migratory one. Then, there are people who can really only be themselves as expatriates. And if there happen to be other expats in your midst who are like you in that way and many other ways, then so much the better.
Hi all!
In my opinion, the best thing one person recieve when emigrate to other country is open his mind …
Any country have his own culture, education, habits, etc. and live in ohter place teach us that there are a lot of point of view …
Unfortunately, some people don’t seem emigration like a opportunity to enrich each other and live in a world without “mental” flags and barriers …
Finally, I think Internet is help a lot and bring us the opportunity, like this moment, to communicate with people around the world and make this Eatrth smaller …
Bye all and have a good weekend!!
Let me tell you that the Fraser Coast Cultural Festival, which took place yesterday, was a complete success. It’s the talk of the town! The weather was sunny (perhaps a bit too hot) and there were hundreds of people from as early as 9 am.
My personal highlight was the Parade of Nations. The RSL Scottish Pipe Band led the parade. They were followed by me and two other ladies, the three of us carrying the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait flags. After us came a large group of Australians, followed by people representing several nations present on the Fraser Coast.
When the parade was over, I was more or less free to walk around the venue and have a good time. I was particularly impressed by the performances of the Malaysian Lion Dance Association, and of the mariachi harpist Victor Valdes (who came to the Festival because I contacted him).
In the International Food Court, I really liked the Hungarian langos and the Dutch poffertjes. Ian, the man who makes the poffertjes, didn’t let me pay. You clearly have some privileges when you are festival coordinator!
And, when feeling a bit tired, I just sat in the shade under a palm tree and watched the boats sailing on the Pacific horizon.
Dear Paola,
I’m so glad to hear from you.
It’s nice to see that in your life everything is still as excityng!
As we told in the past, if you’d asked me for a place to live the rest of my life, I’d tell you: in Madrid. I like to travel but only like a tourist and for a sort period of time.
I wish you my best.
Lourdes.
I think emigrate to other country is a hard step in the life of one person. In my case, I prefer to life in my country (Spain) if the job is good and the economy.
Australia is a very nice place for to live, I think, what Australia is a exotical country with interesting animals and vegetation.
Australia is derived from the Latin Australis, meaning of the South. Legends of an “unknown land of the south” (terra australis incognita).
Very interesting place for to know and life and to drink Foster’s beer with friends.
Regards,
Javier
Hello,
A very interesting life! I believe that to have the opportunity to live in other countries has many advantages, you know other cultures, learn of natural form a language, to have a vision of life and customs, also it has disadvantages; you have to adapt to the local customs and do new friends, If you are an extrovert person, there are no problems, but if you are shy it costs you more work.
Also to leave behind your friends must make sad, although I from my point of view, I believe that it must be a wonderful experience to live so…. It must be a challenge !!
Ah ! certainty, I love the barbecues, It’s a magnificent opportunity to enjoy your family and your friends.
Bye, Reyes… :))
Lourdes, I think Madrid is a great place to live, too! But circumstances of life make you move to other places, the same way you moved from the Canary Islands to Madrid. In the end, you don’t necessarily live where you want to, but where destiny takes you.
Francisco Javier, here in Queensland we don’t drink Foster’s. We drink XXXX (pronounced four-eks). Australians from other states don’t really like XXXX. They say it’s called XXXX because you can’t write ‘shit’ on a label, or because Queenslanders don’t know how to spell the word ‘beer’.
Reyes, yes, it’s sad to leave friends behind. But, if you look at the bright side, just think of the vast network of friends and acquaintances that you make when you move a lot! Free accommodation in a lot of places!
Hi Paola,
it is nice to hear from you again!!
Maybe because of the National Geographic videos, every time I heard about Australia, I coudn’t help to see spiders, snakes and all kind of dangerous creatures. Now, I think ” Australia? Yes, that’s where Paola lives now” which is a much better thought.:-)
By the way, was there a Spanish representation in the Parade of Nations?
Regards from the other side of the world
JC
Hi Paola!,
Thank you very much for your time. Your interview help us to learn English and at the same time we can know details about other people as you. Congrutalions, in my opinion you have a extraordinary rich life with a lot of of experiences. In order your experience with different cultures and people sure you can do a nice job in the cultural festival organizing events.
You must be very used to change of people and cultures, I disagree with you in the opinion that you comment on about a square in country A is similar to a square in country B, from my point of view there are some differences depending of country that you stay, for example,it is completly different the costums of Morroco than for example Argentina, and food too. I suppose that is a question of adaptation.
I wish you all the best for you and your family.
See you soon
Albert from Barcelona, Spain.
Paola,
It’s so nice to hear from you again, literally!
I’m glad things are going well and thanks for telling us about Australia !
Best wishes,
Cristina
Yes, Juan Carlos, Spain paraded on Sunday. A little girl wearing a flamenco dress carried the signboard that said ‘Spain’. She happens to be half-Maltese and half-Australian, but who cares?
Albert, I know exactly what you mean. But when I say that countries are similar, I am talking about essence, not about accidents, to use Aristotle’s terms. In my opinion, countries and people are essentially the same. Accidents can be overlooked.
Cristina, have you bought your tickets to Japan?
Hello all!
I suppose it’s a little stressful travelling during all your life, but however it can be very good if you meet a lot of people, differente customs, foods, friends, and perhaps when you’ll be elder, you’ll have time to stop, but now, good luck and enjoy yourself!!!. Conchi.
Hi!
I envy Paola.
I like travelling and I would like to know Australia but I think I’ll never go there. It’s so far and I have 3 daughters that spend all my time.
Perhaps when I’ll retired… Who know…?