Jean-Headshot

It may seem odd to compare myself to a man long dead who lived in the 1800s but Jean Serisier and I have something very important to his (and my) story which we share in common.

That is to know the feeling of being the Stranger in a Strange Land. He from France first lived for a short while in Cuba (so the family story goes), in attendance at his sister’s wedding, then in  Nouvelle Galles de Sud (New South Wales), a British colony that was just 51 years old.

I have lived almost a year now in the USA, moving here from Australia, and have lived a month in Tucson, Arizona. But I have much more experience up my sleeve than Jean in being that Stranger… having moved to India, the United Arab Emirates, the USA (twice) and Singapore.

Oddly returning back to your homeland can possibly count because viewed with fresh eyes, you often see things about yourself and your culture, you had never noticed before. Good and bad. 🙂

Jean only had the luxury of returning to France once as far as I have found and he most certainly would have felt like a stranger, having left Bordeaux around 1836 and not returning until 1880.

Paris, where he died, was a cosmopolitan hive of activity and industrial advancements and was probably unrecognisable, had he ever visited there before.

Compared to Dubbo which in 1851, just 30 years prior, had the official population of 28 males and 19 females, Paris for Jean’s son, Hippolyte, too must have been a constant surprise for all the new things he would have witnessed.

On his arrival in New South Wales however, back in 1839, there would definitely have been a British slant on everything as they were the administrators.

For a French man, or boy really, Jean was about 15 years old, the British side of things was probably a little hard to swallow given the political and historical relations France and Britain “enjoyed” for as long as anyone cared to remember. Hence what appears to be a natural gravitation toward other French nationals, and potential employees including an early employee, Fesq & Despointes.

Aussies are few and far between in Tucson Arizona, though I know they’re out there but almost everyone speaks English here and that is one big hurdle surpassed without trying.

Jean, whose father I think was a translator in his early days for the merchant navy, he probably spoke English and wrote it. His success later in founding Dubbo would have been hindered by a lack of understanding English as much of the early days required negotiations with administrators in Sydney who no doubt – jobs for the boys – were all Brits.

In a new place, I like to find out what’s going on, where are the things that interest me the most: best mountain bike trails, best cafes and restaurants, best places to visit and where to get great photographs (http://yvetteaubusson.wordpress.com/).

I, of course, have the luxury of exploring everything first, via the internet. For Jean it would have been word of mouth, early newspapers and church yard gossip. No doubt other expatriates divulged more information about Sydney than he probably could take on board, telling him where the best places were.

I have encountered nothing but generosity from my many neighbours in America who are also so willing to help with anything and give great advice about what’s on and where. Local knowledge is probably still the greatest resource.

Introducing yourself gets easier the more places you visit. I’m joining a writer’s group tomorrow so that will open up new doorways for me.

Jean went to work very quickly I think. Early colonial days were no picnic and it often was a matter of survival. You had to work to live, quite literally. As enterprising as he clearly was I doubt it took him very long to build a network of people. His two greatest connections being Michel Despointes, his boss, and Nicolas Hyeronimus, a lifelong mentor.

I too have made lifelong friends and when that happens, I suppose you stop, being a Stranger in a Strange Land.

(Photo courtesy the State Library of New South Wales, Holtermann Collection – http://goo.gl/9oTwT3)