Comments on: My Story as an African Immigrant:Part two http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/ African's personal development blog Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:44:15 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Patrick http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1054 Patrick Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:37:54 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1054 Mwangi, Tell you what? I think you're definitively in my "to-see" list of wonders and things once I'll be in Aussie land... This blog is close to perfect. keep it up. Mwangi,
Tell you what? I think you’re definitively in my “to-see” list of wonders and things once I’ll be in Aussie land… This blog is close to perfect. keep it up.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1053 Mwangi Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:59:20 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1053 @Patrick: The possibility of being alone and lonely out in the West is very real and very possible and you will actually have to work hard a lot of the time to fight against it by joining clubs, groups and making friends on common interests and then making effort to follow up on these relationships on a regular basis. As far as I can tell, there are no limits on how high you can rise in this society if you are willing to put in the effort regardless of race. When I discover this glass ceiling, I may write about it....but so far, sky is the limit. Thanks for the kind words and enjoy Perth man.......... @Patrick: The possibility of being alone and lonely out in the West is very real and very possible and you will actually have to work hard a lot of the time to fight against it by joining clubs, groups and making friends on common interests and then making effort to follow up on these relationships on a regular basis. As far as I can tell, there are no limits on how high you can rise in this society if you are willing to put in the effort regardless of race. When I discover this glass ceiling, I may write about it….but so far, sky is the limit.

Thanks for the kind words and enjoy Perth man……….

]]> By: Patrick http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1052 Patrick Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:03:26 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1052 hi mwangi. I'll be moving to Australia (Perth) in about two weeks (still waiting for my visa) for studies and I'm positively surprised by the discovery of your blog. I have nothing very specific to say about this post. Just wanted to say thanks for the very positive advices I found on your blog about Life in Australia. I would have loved you to give me some hints about life in Perth as an African, but you seem to have never been in Western Australia. It's okay buddy. However, there's this thing I'm concerned about: Here in Cameroon, I have a very healthy outgoing social and spiritual life and it seems from your own experience that being lonely as a stranger in Australia is just toooo probable. Am I wrong to be scared? (Unlike you, I will be moving alone, with no family or relative around) Plus, is it a society where I can be valued for who I am and move up the ranks of society? I mean, can the Australian fair go apply to me? I need some hints, man. Be blessed. hi mwangi.
I’ll be moving to Australia (Perth) in about two weeks (still waiting for my visa) for studies and I’m positively surprised by the discovery of your blog. I have nothing very specific to say about this post. Just wanted to say thanks for the very positive advices I found on your blog about Life in Australia. I would have loved you to give me some hints about life in Perth as an African, but you seem to have never been in Western Australia. It’s okay buddy. However, there’s this thing I’m concerned about: Here in Cameroon, I have a very healthy outgoing social and spiritual life and it seems from your own experience that being lonely as a stranger in Australia is just toooo probable. Am I wrong to be scared? (Unlike you, I will be moving alone, with no family or relative around) Plus, is it a society where I can be valued for who I am and move up the ranks of society? I mean, can the Australian fair go apply to me? I need some hints, man. Be blessed.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1051 Mwangi Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:53:03 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1051 @nkosi: As an interesting segue from one of your points, I read an article a couple years back that the biggest killer in young adult males, 18-25 is suicide. The reason they said is because a lot of young men here didn't have the strong, social bonds and links that young women the same age here have which is interesting........ That soul searching that comes from being alone is pretty powerful isn't it. There's this TIME article that I love where Will Smith basically traces back a lot of his success to the fact that he got cheated on by a girl when he was 16, so negative energy and negative emotions don't always have negative consequences and I think you expressed that pretty well. Looking forward to reading what you have to say about the interracial relationships, I have responded to your comments and asked some questions. Later man.......... @nkosi: As an interesting segue from one of your points, I read an article a couple years back that the biggest killer in young adult males, 18-25 is suicide. The reason they said is because a lot of young men here didn’t have the strong, social bonds and links that young women the same age here have which is interesting……..
That soul searching that comes from being alone is pretty powerful isn’t it. There’s this TIME article that I love where Will Smith basically traces back a lot of his success to the fact that he got cheated on by a girl when he was 16, so negative energy and negative emotions don’t always have negative consequences and I think you expressed that pretty well.
Looking forward to reading what you have to say about the interracial relationships, I have responded to your comments and asked some questions. Later man……….

]]> By: nkosi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1050 nkosi Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:31:32 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1050 Mwangi wsup man i'm back. bra just like your jungle fever article i resonated fully with this article. Most of the Africans i was close to were not actually immigrants to Australia but they were international tertiary students like myself, and they relate too, cos i've catually discussed this with them. this one Tanzanian girl told me that after 1 semester of being in Australia, she blackmailed her dad into buying her an air ticket for a mere 2 week holiday cos (as she told me) she was ready to 'hang herself' in the shower..she did go home, but when she came back, she seemed so spiritually invigorated and i don't know what her family told her back home, but she coasted through the rest of her studies just fine until she graduated a few years later and went back home. i stayed with 2 african girls who asked me 'if i ever felt lonely in Australia?' they told me that even though they had each other, they felt lonely from time to time..i read a report wen i was in Australia that 33% of people that commit suicide do that due to LONELINESS...yes, there can be no denying it, there is this loneliness and spiritual emptiness that hovers over the land which you will simply not find anywhere in Africa..i had a greek friend who related how Melbourne seems so boring and empty as compared to Greece..and imagine, he's Greek..at least he had a 400,000 strong community of Greeks to confide in, whereas we Africans are too few and far between. i will tell you that even my first six months in Australia, i felt that loneliness & people ignoring you that you talk about..but honestly, i believe that situation helped make me who I am today because I was 'FORCED' to do some soul-searching to survive. i belive you have also done a lot of soul searching too. that's what they call the gift from the curse. extreme loneliness can force you to do one of two things...kill yourself, or do some serious soul searching! i did the latter, and i've benefitted immensely ever since..like you i don't want to be just an ordinary guy who dies and is forgotten easily, and i know i won't be...thanks in part to Australia. look, this scenario is one all us Africans can relate to..and we've all survived and learnt from that, so thank God. in terms of my relationships and friendships, luckily i knew lots of African international students, who introduced me to a East Africans (maily Kenyans) who had lived in Australia since childhood and had assimilated to the Australian way of life..through these people, i got to meet genuine friends of both sexes of many nationalities...and i even ended up dating a gorgeous Samoan girl (my Angolan friend was dating a Sri Lankan girl who introduced me to this girl)...now speaking of IR, i never dated a white woman whilst in Australia - await my post in the jungle fever section about my take on black men/white woman relationships in Australia..i have a lot to say. peace Mwangi wsup man i’m back. bra just like your jungle fever article i resonated fully with this article. Most of the Africans i was close to were not actually immigrants to Australia but they were international tertiary students like myself, and they relate too, cos i’ve catually discussed this with them. this one Tanzanian girl told me that after 1 semester of being in Australia, she blackmailed her dad into buying her an air ticket for a mere 2 week holiday cos (as she told me) she was ready to ‘hang herself’ in the shower..she did go home, but when she came back, she seemed so spiritually invigorated and i don’t know what her family told her back home, but she coasted through the rest of her studies just fine until she graduated a few years later and went back home. i stayed with 2 african girls who asked me ‘if i ever felt lonely in Australia?’ they told me that even though they had each other, they felt lonely from time to time..i read a report wen i was in Australia that 33% of people that commit suicide do that due to LONELINESS…yes, there can be no denying it, there is this loneliness and spiritual emptiness that hovers over the land which you will simply not find anywhere in Africa..i had a greek friend who related how Melbourne seems so boring and empty as compared to Greece..and imagine, he’s Greek..at least he had a 400,000 strong community of Greeks to confide in, whereas we Africans are too few and far between. i will tell you that even my first six months in Australia, i felt that loneliness & people ignoring you that you talk about..but honestly, i believe that situation helped make me who I am today because I was ‘FORCED’ to do some soul-searching to survive. i belive you have also done a lot of soul searching too. that’s what they call the gift from the curse. extreme loneliness can force you to do one of two things…kill yourself, or do some serious soul searching! i did the latter, and i’ve benefitted immensely ever since..like you i don’t want to be just an ordinary guy who dies and is forgotten easily, and i know i won’t be…thanks in part to Australia. look, this scenario is one all us Africans can relate to..and we’ve all survived and learnt from that, so thank God. in terms of my relationships and friendships, luckily i knew lots of African international students, who introduced me to a East Africans (maily Kenyans) who had lived in Australia since childhood and had assimilated to the Australian way of life..through these people, i got to meet genuine friends of both sexes of many nationalities…and i even ended up dating a gorgeous Samoan girl (my Angolan friend was dating a Sri Lankan girl who introduced me to this girl)…now speaking of IR, i never dated a white woman whilst in Australia – await my post in the jungle fever section about my take on black men/white woman relationships in Australia..i have a lot to say. peace

]]> By: My Story as an African Immigrant: Introduction and Part One » The Displaced African http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1049 My Story as an African Immigrant: Introduction and Part One » The Displaced African Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:10:18 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1049 [...] in: Part two/ Part three/ Part four /Part [...] [...] in: Part two/ Part three/ Part four /Part [...]

]]> By: My Story as an African Immigrant:Part Five » The Displaced African http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1048 My Story as an African Immigrant:Part Five » The Displaced African Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:39:31 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1048 [...] you read this, make sure you have read: Part one, Part two, Part three and Part four of my African immigrant [...] [...] you read this, make sure you have read: Part one, Part two, Part three and Part four of my African immigrant [...]

]]> By: My Story as an African Immigrant:Part Four » The Displaced African http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1047 My Story as an African Immigrant:Part Four » The Displaced African Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:11:02 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1047 [...] reading this, please make sure you have read: Part one, Part two and Part three of my story as an African [...] [...] reading this, please make sure you have read: Part one, Part two and Part three of my story as an African [...]

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1046 Mwangi Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:10:06 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1046 @gal africana: I'll have a look through your archives and see what you have had to say about the situation. Yep, it's a real trick to come out of this situation without being somewhat bitter and resentful and in a healthy way. At this time, I am simply at a place of tolerance where it's a "you do you, and I'll do me and no hard feelings," type of deal with some of the conversations we have to have being excruciating because even before we begin, you know it's going to end. Friendship and trust: in this place, truly rare and extremely valuable when found. @gal africana: I’ll have a look through your archives and see what you have had to say about the situation. Yep, it’s a real trick to come out of this situation without being somewhat bitter and resentful and in a healthy way. At this time, I am simply at a place of tolerance where it’s a “you do you, and I’ll do me and no hard feelings,” type of deal with some of the conversations we have to have being excruciating because even before we begin, you know it’s going to end. Friendship and trust: in this place, truly rare and extremely valuable when found.

]]> By: gal africana http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/03/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-1045 gal africana Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:12:34 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/190/my-story-as-an-african-immigrant-part-two/#comment-1045 I think I have a post or two about some of the stuff I've gone through...and you're right not many people own up to the experience. The explanations for the dynamics of those disastrous relationships still escape me, so I end feeling like I'm whining and being a victim when I talk about it. Also, because those situations tend to bring out the worst in us, e.g. anger, a need for vengeance, we soon become just as guilty in enabling the situation (make sense no?) making it even harder to identify what's going on. I've become really good at identifying people who pretend to be friends and then ignore you...thus hitting you where it hurts most and identifying situations which are not healthy for me. It has required getting rid of A LOT of relationships and I'm still learning. I think I have a post or two about some of the stuff I’ve gone through…and you’re right not many people own up to the experience. The explanations for the dynamics of those disastrous relationships still escape me, so I end feeling like I’m whining and being a victim when I talk about it. Also, because those situations tend to bring out the worst in us, e.g. anger, a need for vengeance, we soon become just as guilty in enabling the situation (make sense no?) making it even harder to identify what’s going on. I’ve become really good at identifying people who pretend to be friends and then ignore you…thus hitting you where it hurts most and identifying situations which are not healthy for me. It has required getting rid of A LOT of relationships and I’m still learning.

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