I lay prostrate on the hardwood floor of our Budapest flat. I was pounding my fist and screaming unintelligible things as I lost my struggle with hyper-mania (a symptom of bipolar disorder). My children had been taken to a friend’s house. But not before they heard me shouting at their father. My husband found […]
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After my mother’s death last year, my sister and I sorted through the items in her house, and I came home with some boxes that Mom had saved for me. Inside were things I didn’t know she’d kept, such as grade-school spelling books, birthday cards, newspaper clippings, and some college acceptance letters. There were posters, […]
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This post originally appeared on The Culture Blend.com “I AM NOT A RACIST!” The Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan Donald Trump Bill Clinton Malcolm X (and practically everyone who has ever been accused of racism) This post is hard for me. Here’s why. I’m not that kind of blogger. I’m not an […]
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by Kris Gnuse I was not just upset; I was upset with myself for being upset. After years of “maybe someday,” I had finally auditioned for worship choir. Kick your thoughts of robes and high sopranos to the curb. This group was cool. I stepped onto the risers that first Sunday, trembly with nerves. My heart was full […]
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This year two of my three Third Culture Kids are graduating. Last year, we went on college tours in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We observed some, um, interesting cultural things. Our observations were specific to the Midwest and our perspective comes from 16 years in the Horn of Africa. But, they just might help you with […]
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My first summer in China was before the internet was invented. Okay, it had to have existed somewhere in the world, but it was not part of daily life and I did not know words like email, internet, Facebook, IM, DM, IG, WWW. LOL, or hashtag. I spent six weeks with other North Americans teaching oral English in […]
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I used to have a job description. I had hours, and a lunch break, and yearly goals. I knew what was expected of me and someone paid me to do it. Then I moved overseas as an accompanying spouse. “What will you do when you move overseas?” people would ask. As an accompanying spouse without […]
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by Renette The African saying ‘Ubuntu’ never resonated with me. I knew the definition for years: “I am what I am because of who we all are.” But it wasn’t until recently that I came to realise how much truth the saying holds. We commonly ask one another to ‘tell me more about yourself’ or even ponder it ourselves: ‘who […]
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I felt my face grow hot. I was in a small town shopping at a smaller store when a well-meaning woman stopped and asked me about the purse I had with me. “That’s a beautiful purse” she said brightly. “May I ask you where you got it?” “Oh” I said, a smile lighting up my […]
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Things I used to believe: You’re supposed to “deal with all your stuff” before you go overseas. If your stuff starts to resurface while you’re overseas, that’s because you didn’t deal with it enough beforehand. Stuff resurfacing is bad and an indication of failure. You better be perfect, or close to it–or else. If you […]
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Moving overseas starts as an experience. When you move to a new country, the remnants of your old life stay with you for a long time. At first, keeping in touch with your friends back at home is a big priority. You get lots of packages in the mail. You grieve the loss of all that […]
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