‘Here Aussies have some difficulties to pronounce and write correctly my name. I am Guillaume but sometimes they call me Gullianume, Guillamte and many other names. So now, when I am going in a take away shop for example, I used to say my english name, William ! Every month I see a lot of people on Facebook asking for help in english because they are not good enough. I remember when I was trying to learn english, I was always looking for translation of english’ lyrics on the internet, watching series in english, talking to myself in english, and finally I’m good now. So keep practicing guys, you will succeed !
How do you feel since you are in Australia as a backpacker and what change for you ?
I have to tell you something funny. I have been twice in Melbourne with an Australian I met in Tasmania. When we travelled together in this city we took a room in … the Sofitel. My mate was laughing at me seeing me in this hotel and said to me : ‘the hard life of being a backpacker’. I was a lucky guy because he invited me and I have to admit that I didn’t even have an idea about the price of this room. Now I am living in a backpack in Darwin, so yes I am still a real backpacker. In general, I feel better in an english country, probably because of the way of life and way of thinking. Things seem easier and people more friendly. Here the way to interact with people is so different. A simple ‘Hi’, a smile or a wave on the road makes me happier every day. Even if in Australia people are individualists, the notion of community is a very basis and people don’t forget it while in France, individualism erase and mash up everything.
I already thought about one point when I will go back home is how to stay opened, smiling when people who surrounding you are not ? But even if the person in front of me won’t even care and will maybe think I am weird, I will keep giving smiles. Since I am traveling, I also understood how TV is bad for us and how much time we are loosing by watching it. So I will definitely not buy a TV when I will be back home. Beyond all of this, I think we are lucky to live in France and the only way to put this into perspective is by traveling.’
