My Buddy Mario - A True World Traveller and Conoisseur of Intercultural Experiences

In the 16 years that I have known my friend Mario Idecided to stay there due to his fondness for Friuli
have heard many different tales of his world travelsculture. In 1953 my father moved our family to Australia
and he is one of those people who have lived, workedwhere he worked with a French contracting firm and
and hitchhiked through different exotic countries. Mariowe settled in Brisbane, Queensland when I was 2.5
is a Toronto high school teacher and teaches Frenchyears old. It was there that I had my first memories of
and world issues. He spent time living and working inthe immigrant reality which was a very simple house
places like Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and Quebec andmade of wood. The roof leaked into our house and
came face-to-face with often vastly differentwe had plants growing through the floor in the kitchen.
cultures.Mario is also an immigrant in two differentThe conditions were very basic, but this would set the
countries, Australia where he moved as a small child instage for 11 years of a very challenging cultural
the 50s, and Canada, where he arrived as a teenager.adjustment period, following which my father moved
Here is his story, the story of an immigrant, travelerus to Canada in 1964.At that time, Italians faced a lot
and global adventurer.1. Please tell us a bit about yourof discrimination, even harassment or sometimes
background. Where were you born and where did youviolence in different forms, physical and psychological.
grow up?I was born in San Vita al Tagliamento inMy family was actually the target of a number of
northeastern Italy in the province of Friuli. But mydifferent forms of attack because we were
parents are of Calabrese origin from Southern Italy.immigrants. It made for a rather paranoid existence,
After his military service in the north of Italy my fatherconstantly having to looking over your shoulder.