I woke up this morning later than the 6am usual weekday start thanks to the Australia Day public holiday. I started to think what Australia Day meant to me. It's a day off. I don't do anything special. In fact, I relax. Years and years ago I might have spent the day around the city, on Sydney Harbour, hanging out with friends in cafes etc but now I just like lounging around. It's not a celebration for me. Well, apart from having the day off work. One must always celebrate that!!
I'm not being unpatriotic when I say that. I am actually proud to be Australian. In fact, I wish people would pronounce the country name correctly. Aus-tra-lia. It's not Aushtraylia or Austraya. It bugs me immensely that sports commentators in particular - yes, Warnie I am referring to you - say the word in such an ocker way, it sounds ridiculous. And walk around the streets. You hear others say it. Awshtraya. 'stralia. We are so incredibly lazy with our speech.
Yes I'm guilty sometimes of dropping the "g" at the end of a verb like "walkin" or "talkin" but that's when I'm tired and don't feel like pronouncing the words correctly. But Awshtraya is not how you say our country's name day in and day out. It's Australia. Pronounce the "t" people and the "lia". Don't get lazy every single day.
It's our country. Say the name proudly. And correctly. It's my one wish for this Australia Day.
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