Landing in Lansing: The G'Day Issue

On Jan. 5, 2006, I packed my bags and headed to Sydney, Australia's Kingsford Smith International Airport, traveling with a rolled-up family heirloom, a Ziploc bag full of liquid necessities and my first ever one-way ticket. I was embarking on one of the biggest adventures of my life.

My final destination? Lansing, Mich.
 
Looking back now, it probably wasn't the wisest decision to fly Hawaiian Airlines. Don't get me wrong, the flight was comfy, the immigration officers in Honolulu were so pleasant I was concerned for my welfare, and I've never been so happy to have a six-hour layover.

But my January airport experience in Hawaii changed my view of what winter should be like in America.

Needless to say, I was scarred. I left the warm hibiscus-tainted air of Honolulu and arrived in the brisk, crisp, crunchy cold that is Lansing. And I've lived here ever since.
 
Why Lansing?

When Lansingites find out I moved here from Australia, the question I hear most is, "What are you doing here?"
 
Well, let me be honest for a second. At first, I wasn't quite sure either.

I'd like to blame my wanderlust most of all, but that would be a lie. So I'll blame my adventurous spirit and the propitious nature of the Lansing area.

Oh, and I guess my husband, who was born at Ingham Regional Medical Center on Pennsylvania Avenue, may have had a little something to do with it.
 
All that aside, I could have remained living in one of the sunniest cities in Australia, and I chose to be here instead!

Believe me, that sentence right there says a lot about an area. So, even though I may suffer from a small case of SAD, and get a little bit agro when a snowflake stabs me in the eye, I am still an advocate for all things Lansing—its pros and its cons.

I'm an Alien. . . I'm a Legal Alien

The second most common question from Lansingites is a little touchier for me:
 
"You don't sound Australian, you sound more British."
 
And here's when I have to stop, take a deep breath and courteously explain that not everyone in Australia sounds like Paul Hogan or Steve Irwin.

While I'm at it, I'll also clear up a few other misconceptions:

• I did not ride on the back of kangaroos to school.
• Sydney is most definitely NOT the Nation's capital.
• Not every Australian loves vegemite.*
• I might be black, but I am not an Aboriginal.

So now that I've covered the basics, let me introduce myself. My name's Suban Nur Cooley, and I'm a freelance writer who's a proud new Lansing homeowner (representing the best neighborhood ever: Moore's Park Neighborhood! Woot woot!).
 
Since living here, I have experienced culture shock at its finest.

There's nothing like moving from one English-speaking country to another. I'd have had it easier in Japan! At least all the subtle cultural misconceptions and misunderstandings (as noted above) would have flown under the radar until I learned the language. I would still be smiling and nodding, not having a clue that all the whispering and chuckling on the train was because I wore white after Labor Day!

On top of that, I call sweaters and jerseys "jumpers," and if a "field" has sheep on it, it's a paddock. Don't kid yourself!

And if I say I want to "shout" you a drink, I'm not going to bellow drink names at you and blow your eardrums, it just means I'm going to pay for it. So try not to look so befuddled; I'm just a legal alien trying to get by with the slang and speech that I know best.
 
And lastly, as Whitney Houston proclaimed in the '90s, "My name is not Susan." So, no, you cannot call me Sue. It's bad enough having an atypical name that's one letter off a typical one.

How do you pronounce it, you ask? Well, think of a Rueben sandwich. Now take off the R, replace it with an S, and Bob's your uncle! You've got Suban!

As tempting as it is to gentrify my name, you don't walk around calling Tim's Tom's and Tom's Tim's. So in all fairness, I ask very little.

Saving Grace

Handsome husband aside, I was genuinely excited to move here. I don't think people who live in Lansing realize just how rich the area is.

Let's put it this way: I managed to plan my entire wedding 17 days after moving here. I found my perfect dress at Lett's Bridal, just sitting on a rack waiting for me to wear; my sister-in-law made me a gorgeous bouquet with Horrock's as our main flower source; and even though I didn't use them (because I know my mother-in-law's best friend sold her soul for her cake-baking abilities), A Piece O' Cake had me drooling and ogling over cakes I would have felt bad cutting into. Talk about resources!

I would like to say I felt the same way about entertainment when I first moved here. But I didn't.

Luckily, I made great, life-long friends right away, and we had bloody awesome house parties (and still do). But there was a certain niche that wasn't being filled at that time.

It has definitely improved since then. Lansing's Downtown went from barren to buzzing after 5:00 p.m., with people wining and dining at 621, Tavern and Harem to name a few.

And just as I'd given up on a non-smoking venue, I heard about the Chrome Cat in Old Town.

See, the only way is up, baby . . . it's ooooooonly the beginning (OK, I'll stop getting songs in your head now.)
 
So tune in to Capital Gains every once in a while for a fun look at Lansing through my spectacles (always wanted spectacles growing up). It'll be enlightening for all involved, including myself!
 
Cheers mate!
 
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*Vegemite on toast should be illegal it's so good. But please make sure an Australian prepares it for you, so you have the right ratio of butter and vegemite (too much of anything good is bad.)

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Suban Nur Cooley is a freelance writer for Capital Gains.

Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.

Photos:

Suban Nur Cooley in the flower shop at Horrock’s and at home with here husband Caleb Cooley.

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie