Yes, my grandmother is here in Real Audio. Stay tuned for the link. But first let me explain why:

A question you often get asked in China, is "When do you plan to go home?" And I usually have some difficulties answering this question, because I really don't know where home is anymore. For those of you who don't know, I grew up in a tiny town at the bottom of Newfoundland's "Irish Loop." That is, the Southern-shore of the Avalon Peninsula, on the East Coast of Newfoundland, which is an island on the East coast of Canada (see picture if that sounds complicated).

When I was growing up, our town had a whopping population of about 250 people. But due to a cod moretorium in 1991, almost all industry anywhere in the province (except in the Capital city -the only city in fact - of St. John's) has been about as successful as the mens Chinese football team. Population is likely now somewhere around 70 really friggin' old people, 12 dogs, and 1 tree... Most of my classmates are either in Alberta in Western Canada, where the oil money is - or in Iqualuit, in the far north, freezing their balls off for high isolation pay. And I'm here.

Anyway, my mom just sent me a radio clip of an interview my grandmother did with CBC radio, about how all these small towns are dying faster than... well... an angry Chinese protestor? These metaphors are gonna get me in trouble... My grandmother has done a ton of really admirable work, trying to save what's left of a dying Newfoundland Outport Culture. Hence the radio spot.



For anyone out there who wants to hear a Newfie accent, check it out. My grandmother has a hint of Irish in her voice, but I'm sad to say my accent is all but gone, and the best I can do these days is try to pull off some dongbei hua, just to look cute every now and then. For some other interviews from this same series on the Irish Loop, click here, here, and here.


Tags: China, Chinese, Dalian, Newfoundland, Irish, Loop, newfie, Southern Shore, pandapassport, podcast, radio, out-migration, population, outport