Comments here.

Thanks.

Corrina.

Hi Corrina,

An interesting premise!

I am enjoying learning along with Clark about your country. The links you included at the end wree quite helphful. Melbourne looks like a beautiful city. (And this from someone who is a country gal through and through.)

I'm looking forward to reading part two.

cheers,
Lynn

This looks like a fun story and of course a great one with L&C. I love alternate beginning stories.

Kathy
www.chili-everyway.com

Interesting premise. Certainly left me curious.

I am having a really hard time imagining Lois Lane with an Aussie accent. The image your writing has left me with is that her accent is a strong bush one (as if from somewhere out Lightning Ridge way). I've not known Melbournian's to have such strong accents (normally you have to live a little rural... or in Queensland *ducks*) but maybe seeing so much colloquial terminology is skewing my perception. Either way, great education lesson for the yanks and POMS out there on how people 'down under' speak a language of their own.

I am sure Clark will however make the correct choice and support the Sydney Swans.

Failing that, he needs to change codes and follow Union instead.

Very interesting story. I'm not going to lie its hard to understand but I'm up for the challenge.

I agree with the others - this is a very interesting premise and I am looking forward to see where this story goes.

Also, I can't actually imagine Lois with an Aussie accent - but I guess anything is possible in the multiple realities the writers write these stories.

Looking very forward to part 2!

It's on the to-do list. But I have to catch up on the other WIPs first before starting a new one

Michael

Bonzer!

Heh. Bloody West Coast supporters!

What a fun premise... very interesting, from one Melbournian to another, I'm looking forward to reading this.

Oh, and go cats!

yay! in addition to a new female hawk fic (i almost started cheering in class) i get to learn how to be an Aussie! yay!

Very nice! Looking for part 2!

Sheila

Fun concept but I have trouble seeing Lois as a sports reporter.

And with no Lois, I guess there is no Superman? ...yet!

Will this mean that the super suit colors will be brown and gold?

But why did Scardino have to be Lois's boyfriend?

Now, for the record, Melbourne is my favorite big city (big by my standards) in the whole world. I spent about 2 months there in 1999 - 2000.

Looking forward to more.
Bob

Error sorry

Thanks for the FDK everyone.

Lynn I'm a country girl too, but my husband's job keeps me tied to the city for now.

Thanks for commenting.

Kathy I enjoy alternate beginnings too because you can take what you want from canon and leave the rest. Thanks!

Lisamaree Melbournians might not have such strong accents, but still use colloquialisms. It is really hard to write accent into dialogue.

In some ways, our language has become more Americanised the past twenty years. This fic is set fourteen years ago, and when I said it was possibly more characteristic of the eighties than the nineties, that was mostly what I was referring to.

Not in my fic, he won't!

Your kiwi-ness is showing!

Thanks for leaving FDK.

Seme Thanks for reading. If there is something you don't understand, feel free to ask. I was concerned that if Clark asked about every little thing that was unfamiliar, the fic was going to get very monotonous.

DW Thanks for giving me some leeway with Lois. She has a backstory, which we'll get to.

Michael Thanks. This is going to be like a relaxed walk in the park, so there should be plenty of time for you to catch up.

Marcus

Anagram

Yep!!

For those not from Australia, the Eagles supporters who hassled Lois barrack for the West Coast Eagles.

You can alert me to any facts/details I mess up!

Uh oh - I'm going to have a little fun with the Cats. But having those two flags in the trophy cabinet should ease any pain I inflict!

Thanks!

Sarah Wow! Thanks for your enthusiasm. Hopefully by the end, you will know more about Australia and will have enjoyed another LnC fic.

Sheila Thanks (and sorry about the reference to your name!)

Corrina.

Bob Hopefully when we get to more of Lois's story, her love for sport will seem more reasonable.

No comment ... times 3!

Glad you enjoyed Melbourne!

Corrina.

It's fun to see an alternative beginning with Lois as an Australian - oops, sorrie, and Aussie (Ossie!).

It's definitely fun to learn som Australian English, too!

Australia seems very beautiful, too. Myself, I'm just a sucker for the opera house in Sydney.

After reading the first part of this fic, however, I was thinking to myself... maybe it's a good thing that I don't live in Australia myself, considering that I'm a woman! (I don't mean that I hate sports - okay, I don't get that much out of it - but to be regarded as a "Sheila" all the time and to be spoken to by a gang of drunk guys the way Lois was and to have to think of that incident as a normal thing in life...)

Ann

Great idea for a story! And I always enjoy learning foreign languages. <g>

I'm a little intrigued by the "events" you refer to that happened in the summer of 1996, because I have no idea what you are talking about. (I guess we'll learn.) I usually don't follow sports much, and all my attention during July 1996 was taken up following the Olympics in Atlanta. (I was working as a police officer at the badminton venue.)

I will definitely be watching for each chapter you post on this one. Do you know how many you will have?

In modern Australian life virtually no one in the cities uses the "sheila" terminology these days. In the 15 years I lived in Sydney, I never heard any of the people I was around use it once (unless they were mimicking Croc Dundee) and one of my bosses was a fair dinkum rugby league yobbo (in many ways the rugby league fans are the worst type out there in my opinion).

BTW: The Opera House isn't all that impressive up close, but the Harbour Bridge is what I miss the most...

Sorry for Sydney-ising the thread FH... back to focusing on Melbourne we go. XD

Curious to see where you take us next and can't wait to see how you describe the hallowed ground. (although I appreciate it for another sport entirely - cricket).

Me, I like alternate beginnings. A lot. So I'm already enjoying this. And I'm learning a bunch of Aussie slang, most of which I'd never heard before.

I remember the Daphne Moon character in Frasier saying in great frustration, "No matter how often I hear them called truck, elevator, or crossing guard, to me they'll always be lorry, lift, and lollipop man!" Our language centers are strongly tied to our visual memories, so Clark should pick up the lingo in short order, if not the accent. And I'm certain Flinders will be impressed by the speed at which he acclimates himself.

It was nice to see Lois go easy on the new kid on the block. She not only helped him out with the rounds at the pub, she thanked him (well, almost!) for his help at the station. I'm certain the Shelia could have taken care of the situation, but now Clark will get a local rep as a defender of women and a dude who can throw down if need be. And he might get some dates out of that, too.

I can't wait to see Clark tell them that he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan. That will go over like a burp in a gas mask.

A good friend of mine visited Australia a few years ago, and he told me that one of the best parts of the trip was the people Down Under. They were uniformly open, friendly, and glad to see him. No one made any cutting remarks about Americans in his hearing, and he said he wished he was young enough to emigrate, he liked the place so much. It's one of the places in the world I'd love to visit myself, should the opportunity ever present itself.

Keep this one coming, Corrina! I like it a lot!

Lisamaree wrote:

That's terrible! I'm really sorry to hear that. But doctors are so smart these days. I'm sure they can clear that right up and get your former boss back to normal in no time at all.

Ann

As I said, our language has become Americanised the past two to three decades. Example - 'guy' is used much more than 'bloke'. But in a fic like this, part of the fun is to contrast the differences. So that's what I'm going to do - even if it means my Australian characters sound more like they come from the country than the city and it's the seventies/eighties rather than the nineties.

*Lois* referred to herself as a 'sheila'.

The incident with the unruly supporters was from Clark's POV so we don't get the benefit of Lois's thoughts. However, I made it very clear that Clark believed Lois knew she could handle them. There was nothing in the story to indicate that Lois put up with it because she had no other choices.

cookiesmom Thanks for your FDK.

The 'events' happened in Australia, so I'm not surprised you aren't aware of them. A small amount of research on the 'net would probably give you some answers - or you can wait for it to unfold in my fic.

(This is probably obvious - but if anyone does know some of what is to happen, please keep it out of the FDK thread, so as not to spoil it for anyone who doesn't want to know beforehand. Thanks )

As for number of parts - my guess is 30. (This from the writer who told her BR that she thought AMH would be 18 parts!!)

Lisamaree

Agree with you on the Opera House, but my first impression of the Bridge was 'where's the rest of it?'

However, Sydney is a beautiful city - the Harbour is spectacular and you can Sydney-ise the FDK as much as you like.

Hallowed ground - not too much in the fic, partly because I couldn't remember the exact stage of the renovations in 1996 and partly because it just worked that way.

I love it for cricket too - the Boxing Day Test Who has your support - The Aussies or the Kiwis?

Terry Thanks for your thoughts Terry. Aussies have a reputation for being friendly - of course it's hard for us to judge if we are more/less friendly than everyone else. As with all places, the people are a mix - some are friendly and open, some are twisted and closed. I'm glad your friend ran into the nicer Aussies.

I tried to add this trait to my Lois Lane in this fic.

As for comments about Americans - I'm surprised they weren't said, but with extreme light-heartedness.

Thanks for your lovely positive FDK, Terry.


Corrina

Terry commented: That's exactly what happened to my cousin and he did emigrate and taught in the High School in Perth for 30 years! He now lives in Margaret River. (wine country like Napa, CA)
Yes, we've been to Australia and it is great. We met Tricia W there in Sydney and had a great time.
Looking forward to your story, FH. Throw in all the slang you want. I really don't understand footy, rugby or cricket.
Keep it coming. It's a great story.

Artemis

This really was a great introduction. You see Lois holding her own against the "blokes," and you see Clark taking up his role of defender! I've really enjoyed looking over this--the Australianisms are really fun. Definitely makes me want to visit Australia! And it gives this fanfic a distinctive flavor that really marks it as unique.

I really like Lois's money move here. It's nice of her to do that for a stranger. It's not something many people would think of, and I think it's great that she does it.

Yay, you posted!

Readers, you are in for a treat! Plus, you're going to learn a lot about footy. I know I have in BR'ing this fic.

I think I'm not giving anything away that FH hasn't already said, but Clark isn't going to barrack for the Swans. Who is Union?

FH: In cricket I support the green and gold (much to my hubby's delight - he would rather if our son is ever good enough he wear a baggy green than some revolting shade of brown). Have supported the Aussie team since I was about 10 (many many years ago) before I even move across the ditch to Sydney.

However when it comes to Union - Rugby Union for those unfamiliar with the sport that, in New Zealand, has more followers than the catholic church - my blood will always run black. I'm a devout All Blacks supporter.
Rugby Union is similar in some way to American football only no ad breaks, not very much padding, no helmets, the ball can only be passed backwards and you score a try, not a touchdown.

Wait till you find out how Aussie Rules is played - woooh boy! Is it a sport to watch!

I guess one thing about Australia (and New Zealand) those of you unfamiliar with our humble down under nations might be starting to realise from FH's fic is that some sports are regarded as akin to a religion. In Victoria and South Australia, it is Aussie Rules - the sport FH will be focusing on in this fic.
You'll also find a lot of down under women enjoy their sports teams just as much as the male-folk (but with far less hooliganism... MOST of the time).

Artemis Thanks for your comments, Artemis. Margaret River is a lovely area.

Deja Vu Thanks! And if you do ever get to Oz, make sure you come to Melbourne!

Iolanthe Thanks!

I don't think I could write a main character convincingly if he/she barracked for another club.

Union is Rugby Union, as explained by Lisamaree.

Lisamaree You supported Australia? Even when you still lived in NZ? Did you like a particular player?

As I hear it, that's the only sort!!

In my experience, it is the women who are most fanatical.

Hooliganism - I hear about footy hooliganism, but I really don't see much of it. I haven't missed a Hawthorn game in Victoria since 2003, and I travel interstate a couple of times a year to go to games, but even in Adelaide (they have the reputation of being the most feral), I've never had any problems.

Thanks for your FDK.

Corrina.

In no particular order…

Looking forward to hearing about Down Under from a native. So far, my knowledge comes from Crocodile Dundee and the couple of JAG episodes when they went investigating or something.

I have to say, I got the impression from your descriptions that Australia is a much more macho place than Metropolis. Which then translates to Lois having to be that much more one of the guys and leave her sensibilities at the door and instead roll with the guys in the dirt. But maybe that’s just because of the first impression Clark got of a couple of hoodlums accosting Lois and she not decking them immediately.

Dan Scardino is a reporter?

So, is that Australian for ‘they were rooting for each other’?

The whole sticking out of Clark, the Yank gave me the impression that Clark must look to Lois and her fellow Ozzies like H.G.Wells must have looked to LnC. Including the difference in roughness and ‘distinguished behavior’.

So, does this mean, if you don’t drink, period, you can just go and kiss a crocodile?

Sounds like they either would try to get him drunk and have fun with him, or, if he finishes first, gets to shout again. The first one should be funny. Unless the beer is the Smallville Green.

How come everyone knows Lois as Flinders, i.e. how did the nickname spread to the hooligans from a different part of Australia?

And last but not least. I have no idea what went down in Melbourne in 1996 and am trying not to go google it. It was so much easier with NK. Google didn’t help there. So, sports event. Riots. Fire. Great bank heist.

Great start!
Michael

Hi Michael

Yep, that's pretty much it!

In the footy world, nicknames of those in the public eye become well known. Lois wouldn't have as high a profile as a TV journalist, but being the first female in the business would definitely mean that many fans know of her.

Yes. Close. No. Almost.

Thanks, Michael,

Corrina

Re JAG: Hmm, good to know. Way back when it aired, they all sounded like Germans to me

Michael

This is interesting. I always thought Trevor Goddard (Mick Brumby) was Australian, but it turns out he was born in England and went to English schools.
Here's what IMDB said:
He also did vacuum (hoovers) commercials in the US.
Can't fool a real Aussie on the accent! There are some foreign actors with some supposedly American accents that are truly bad, so I can understand how it can grate.

Artemis

Wow - I knew nothing about the intrigue, I just knew he didn't sound Australian.

Thanks for that Artemis, very interesting.

Corrina.

Came across this today and I'm hooked. (BTW, I looked and didn't find Aussie Rules on the archive. Not sure how that's possible. )

My greatest regret about my time in the (U.S.) Army was that I could have gone to Australia on a military transport for $40 round trip and I couldn't do it. The catch is that they guarantee that you will fly within a 10 day window. The timing wouldn't have been a problem the trip would have been in two legs. Bottom line is that I could've ended up in Hawaii for up to 20 days and I didn't have the funds for that long a stay. I'll make it someday.

Shallowford,

Check the thread for the Epilogue FDK.

Female Hawk never posted it to the archives. I and a few others have contacted her about it and her reply has always been that she wasn't satisfied with the ending. Marcus is planning on compiling the doc. You may want to send him a PM.

SpaceA can be a pain. One time I was trying to catch a hop from Pensacola NAS to Dover AFB. But it was a no go. If you ever do get a chance to visit Australia, go. I spent three weeks in Sydney. Love that city.