It was very amusing then but at the age of nine, a lot went through to the keeper. Later I dug ditches for the MWS&DB with Mario and Salvatore. And later sat outside American Express in Rome holding a piece of cardboard inscribed 'VW Kombi, $200'. And after several returns to Bella Italia I'm starting to get it.
Buy this, and a pizza, and settle in.
Ciao, John Flanders

Theyre a Weird Mob is the first book by John OGrady writing under the pseudonym Nino Culotta, and purports to tell the tale of Nino, an Italian journalist sent to Australia to write articles about the country and her people for Italians to read. Nino has learned English, so he shouldnt have a problem, his boss thinks. But English, Nino finds, is not Australian. As Nino experiences true Aussie culture in the form of Kings Bloody Cross, labouring for a brickie, drinking in the pub, picking a fight in the street, almost being arrested, travelling on the train, being invited to tea, a bucks night, a wedding reception, going shooting and swimming at Bondi, he relates his interactions with Australians and his puzzlement with their language. Some of the conversations he overhears, like the discussion of horse racing in a caf, are confusing to me now, after having lived in Australia for 55 years. Nino learns about the attitude of many Australians to migrants, but finds his appearance and his willingness to have a go soon defuse this, and finds himself taking part in many Aussie-male rites of passage. He also learns that many words (ticket, drum, shout, before, only) have multiple meanings. This novel is a very long way from being Politically Correct: when Nino decides he wants to marry, the discussion on sheilas begins blondes are easy on the eye, but they get dirty quick. One needs to remember, though, that it was written in 1957, and reflects attitudes of the day, and if one bears this in mind, there are many laugh-out-loud moments. While OGradys writing does an excellent job of portraying a nave Italian migrant, his eulogising about the Australian and how to become a good one is a bit transparent. Hilarious!