From kismayo to new zealand: a nice story!

[roobleh]

I resisted from highlighting few sentences that made me say hahaha! Now, read the whole story.

 

 

 

Hassan Aden (Ali Yare)

 

Hassan Aden was born into a nomadic life in Kismaya, South Somalia. Hassan tells of how he came to New Zealand with his wife and children, and the difficulties he has experienced integrating into the society while trying to retain his own cultural identity.

In Somalia we lived a nomadic life with no pen or paper, so we didn’t know about dates of birth or birth certificates. I was born in the year of the big rain, counting since then but celebrating no birthdays.

 

Our assets were a camel, goats, cattle and some horses. Nothing else. We did not buy in markets, just used our own resources: milk from camels and goats, camels and horses for transport, and fruit and roots from trees that we found in the bush. Sometimes nomadic people fight one another, and the animals would be used for war. Work started for me at six years old when my duty was to take care of the camels.

 

My mother, who had 14 kids, died when I was only eight years old. My father served in the British army. At age 12, I took the decision of going to a town, and left the nomadic life. There for the first time I saw an electric light, cars, bicycles and houses . It was also the first time I saw a white person. It was a Russian man. I observed him from different angles, believing if I touched him he would bleed. That day my relationship with New Zealand also started. On a small tin of shoe polish I saw a picture of a Kiwi, which I came to see again many years later.

 

At age 14, I was placed in an institution for abandoned kids. There I attended school and in a class of geography learnt where New Zealand was. Later, I learned about telecommunications, telegraphing systems and worked as radio operator on a ship.

 

African life is a good way of life. There is plenty of happiness beyond the hard circumstances. There are no power or telephone bills, and sometimes no food at all, but you know that food will be in the bush or in a tree, and that might be enough for the day. We learned to take care of each other, there are no nannies around because everybody is too busy with their daily duties.

 

By age 25 I met my father for the first time. I went to Kenya and started a small business as a livestock trader. After the Somalian war, my sister who was living in New Zealand told me how wonderful this country was and offered to sponsor me. By this time I was married with seven kids, and we decided to start another adventure.

 

It was not easy to adapt to life in New Zealand. My sister never told me the reality of this part of the world. New Zealand is the best place to be in the Western world and it is full of friendly people. But I never found the happiness I had in a small African village. I grew up in a place where I knew everybody, It is difficult to meet your neighbours here. Everything is fine, but the loneliness is hard.

 

Now I am part of this society and promote New Zealand and African culture everyday at Cathedral Square by selling Maori and African crafts. My kids are Kiwis now, and I am divided, trying to preserve my culture while passing it on to them.

 

That is my dilemma and my sadness. What was mine might never be passed on to my family and what they might become I might never understand.

 

Story contributed by Hassan Aden

Interviewed and transcribed by Cecilia Guridi, Ethnic Advisor, Christchurch

Photography by Cecilia Guridi, Ethnic Advisor, Christchurch

[Buuxo]

Nice story. Where's the link Roob.

[roobleh]

Here it's

[Jacaylbaro]

I can't see what is ineresting about it ,,,,

[roobleh]

"What was mine might never be passed on to my family and what they might become I might never understand."

 

 

JB, that one is something u don't have to worry bro, but it's in the minds of most families living overseas.

 

 

"It was also the first time I saw a white person. It was a Russian man. I observed him from different angles, believing if I touched him he would bleed."

 

You probably heard similar stories, but still this one is priceless.

 

On the other hand, if u were writing an assay, Eng. 101, this sentence will give u A+. It's simple, yet very imaginative and puts u in the spot.