Third Culture Kid Spotlight: Meet Christina

1. What is your name?

Christina Hoag

2. Where were you born?

I was born in a small town in the South Island of New Zealand.

3. What is your heritage?

My mother is English and my father was from New Zealand, of Scots and Northern Irish ancestry. My parents met in Northern Rhodesia, which is now Zambia. I was almost born there but my parents left shortly before I arrived in the world.

4. Where have you lived & how long at each place?

It’s a bit of a travelogue! We left New Zealand and went to Fiji for a year, then we lived in England and Sweden for maybe two years. We moved to Lagos, Nigeria, when I was about three. I don’t have any recollection of these places. We moved to Wellington New Zealand, when I was about three. I remember that. When I was seven, we moved to Sydney, Australia. When I was 13, we moved to the USA, New Jersey specifically. I went to Boston University, then returned to New Jersey and became a newspaper reporter. In 1992, I moved to Spain because I wanted to live in a country that had a language other than English. I stayed there a year and then moved to Guatemala. I was there for a year and a bit, then headed to Venezuela, where I stayed seven years. In 2002, I moved back to the US (Miami) and in 2007 moved across the country to Los Angeles, where I am still. It’s the longest place I’ve ever lived!

5. What is your definition of "home" and how is it different from those around you?

As with most TCKs, I’ve struggled with identity and the concept of “home” my whole life. I have no hometown or home country. May parents were from different countries so I don’t even have that to hang my hat on. I’ve had many homes, and all these places I still hold great affinities for.  After much inner turmoil over all this, I have come to the simple conclusion that home is where I am currently. That’s really the best I can do. Most people have roots to one country, many to one town or state/province. I just don’t. Most people find this odd. They can’t relate to someone who grew up in multiple countries. I often get blank looks when I tell people my story. I may get a perfunctory question such as “was your father in the military?” but often the topic conversation is quickly switched to something else. People just can’t seem to wrap their heads around a childhood like mine. And they don’t seem even vaguely interested.

6. Where do you consider "home" and why?

Right now it’s Los Angeles because I live here. But I am not “from” here.  I’m really not “from” anywhere. When people ask where I’m from, I have to decide whether to tell them the long version or the short version (I just say New Jersey). It depends on my mood, whether the person looks receptive, how much I plan to invest in this relationship. For years and years, I just trotted out the short version. Becoming aware of the term “Third Culture Kid” just a few years ago was a huge watershed. I found out I belong to a group just like me! It’s helped me become more comfortable with my “long version.”

7. Do you have interests in the following: foreign languages, international relations, travelling, international politics, different cultures of the world, etc...  Yes/No If so, do you think your background has helped you develop these interests?

I’m totally interested in all those things and I absolutely attribute it to my upbringing! I love languages – I speak Spanish fluently and decent French. I go to a monthly French conversation club to practice and meet other international types. Very nerdy, I know! I follow international news closely and I travel – the more remote place the better. I’ve been to about 65 countries and definitely want to visit more. My house is decorated with things I’ve bought in all my travels. I love going to handcraft markets. People have said my house looks like a museum. Graham Greene is probably my favourite author. His books are set in different countries and are often about the outsider/the foreigner. I definitely relate.

8. What are your thoughts on globalization? Current political situation?

There are winners and losers in everything, globalization is no different. But no one likes to be on the losing end and now, after a couple decades of globalization, we are seeing the backlash. How this will play out, I don’t know as world economies are quite enmeshed. There’s really no unravelling of it. Politically, we are seeing more populist leaders in the West and more racial/ethnic tension under the guise of “otherism,” which is a step backward, in my opinion.

9. How are your thoughts on world affairs different from those around you?

I am far less judgmental and more broad-minded than the average person. I know what living conditions are like in many countries. I also know from my own experience how the world sees the United States – like the 800lb gorilla with a heavy foot! I think I see things from a more humanist perspective as opposed to a political one. I don’t believe there is any one right way of living or doing things. There are just different ways. We should celebrate those differences, learn from each other instead of always trying to prove superiority. Alas, the quest for power is human nature.                                                 

10. Do you plan on incorporating a large amount of travel with your career?

I already have. I’m a journalist. My dream in high school, where I discovered journalism, was to be a foreign correspondent, thus combining my two passions of writing and travel. After about seven-eight years of working as a reporter and editor at newspapers in New Jersey, USA, I grew bored. I knew the world was bigger and that was what I wanted. So I quit and ended up teaching English in Spain, then moving to Guatemala, where I got back into journalism at an English-language newspaper. I was covering fascinating stories involving human rights. I travelled all over Central America, as well. Then I moved on and landed in Caracas, Venezuela, where I started writing for major media outlets: Times, Business Week, New York Times, Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, Financial Times, and Sunday Times of London, and many others. During my career, I reported from 14 countries around Latin America and the Caribbean. After seven years in Venezuela, there was a coup attempt and the political situation was shaky. I went to Miami and worked for the Miami Herald. I had accomplished my dream of being a foreign correspondent and it was the highlight of my career. I really loved it. It was an adventure every day.

Now I write fiction and do freelance editing.  I still travel widely and I’d love to write more books set in foreign countries but I keep getting told that American readers have limited appetites for foreign settings, which I find frustrating! But only 35 percent of Americans have passports. That says a lot.

You can find Christina on her website at www.christinahoag.com

If you would like to be featured on this series please drop me an email at ahdancecompany@gmail.com

FIGT conference 2018: Reconnecting and connecting with other ATCKs and Expats

Coming home to my "tribe" of people who just "get it"

In 2009, I wrote to a lady named Tina Quick (Author of The Global Nomad's Guide to University Transition and Survive and Thrive) about being an Adult Third Culture Kid. At the time, I was in the midst of resurrecting some choreography from my senior thesis production of "Third Culture Kids" to create "Chameleon, the experiences of Global Citizens" dance production and the start of this blog. She told me about a conference called Families in Global Transitions that happened annually.

A whole conference with Expat writers, researchers, and TCKs!?!!! Whoa...

Ruth Van Reken who wrote the TCK 'bible' book "Third Culture Kids" with David C. Pollock was one of the pioneers and started this conference 20 years ago.

I sent in my conference proposal to showcase my simple documentary film "I am a TCK" which would later be used as the backdrop and catalyst for the dance production and proposed to perform my short solo as an excerpt and do a little movement improvisation workshop with the large "jewelry" chains that TCK Jewelry designer, Natalia Krasnodebska created specifically for Chameleon based on her own TCK experiences.

Chameleon Project- TCK Arts in the Community from Alaine Handa on Vimeo.


Little did I know that my proposal would get accepted into the conference in 2010! That was such a busy year for Chameleon with the premiere at University Settlement, Capital Fringe Festival, International Childrens' Festival, and multiple excerpts performed in smaller festivals in the NYC Tri-State area. I received my first grant from Singapore International Foundation...the list goes on and then receiving a scholarship for me to attend and present at FIGT 2010 in Houston.

THAT was 8 years ago... life was so different.

The subsequent years of 2011 and 2012 rode on the hurricane of 2010.

Then I moved to the other side of the world halfway through 2012. It was tumultuous and dramatic.

My life changed so dramatically.

Ok, I can do this... I thought. I've lived here before. Why is it so hard? Reverse culture shock hit me hard. I felt really lost. Life events happened that changed the course of my life in a dramatic way and it took me a long time to find my feet again.

A really long time...

6 years later, I found myself at FIGT 2018 conference in The Hague.

I missed "the tribe" and reconnecting with all the faces and friends whom I've stayed in contact with over the years via Facebook and email really left me glassy-eyed. They "get it". Words cannot express what a wonderful group of ATCKs, Expats, writers, researchers, trainers, coaches, educators that comprise the family at FIGT are. The organisation and the conference has grown tremendously and more people are coming in droves.

For a group of Global Citizens its hard to navigate the cultural landscape of the world sometimes. People will judge you and label you a certain way that will often make you feel misunderstood. Returning to FIGT after all those years was refreshing for me and talking to people about their experiences and my experiences was like therapy.

There were some familiar faces and they welcomed me with open arms. The new faces were plenty and inspiring. The sessions I chose were really hard to sit through because they hit so close to my heart. I really needed space to recover.

I caught myself crying in a corner a few times.

Pull it together Alaine....

My co-presentation about telling stories with Olga was very technical and we gave clear examples how one can tell our stories: the good, bad, ugly about growing up as a TCK and living around the world as an expat.

A shout out (and many hugs) to Isabelle Min, Arnie Krogh, Katarina Holm-Didio, Eva Laszlo-Herbert, Amanda Bates, Olga Mecking, Tina Quick, Ruth Van Reken, Judy Rickatson, Kaye Rickatson, Kira Miller, Alice Wu, Kristine Racina, Marilyn Gardner, and so many more... I miss the tribe!

TCK Identity: Leaving it all behind and in search for home

As a TCK, we find ourselves changing with each new location. As a digital nomad, I live in many places at once. The luggage, trains, planes, trams, and automobiles is so much flurry that it doesn't leave me a second to grieve. A proper farewell. 

Its important to be able to have a proper farewell to the places and faces we once loved. 

When you grow up mobile, the sense of identity and home is skewed because its never a constant place. Sometimes TCKs associate their previous homes as places but some associate them to the faces. The people they forged real connections with. I think its important to be able reflect and grieve properly on those physical places and people once they are gone. 

Like a proper break up.

I met up with a TCK friend of mine recently and she was telling me about her weird break up with a man she had been dating for a while. She told me that she felt shattered because it felt like a part of her sense of home was pulled from under the rug. She found solace in the people she chose to get close to for a sense of home and normalcy. It got me to thinking about my own friendships and romantic relationships. I was in a long distance relationship with a man for a few years and recently had to make the decision to tell him that I couldn't keep flying to his town anymore. Long story short, I felt terrible but then we had a couple days of saying a proper goodbye. We visited my favorite  places in town, reminisced about all the good times we had traveling together and the first time we met halfway across the globe, they were all good memories. Memories are my home. 

I found solace in creating memories that would mark time periods of my life that I felt at home. Home is not a physical place for me but I get these questions a lot by well meaning family and friends. 

"Where do you want to settle down?"

"You need to find a permanent place to settle down."

"Just pick a place and settle down." 

"Where do you see yourself permanently?"

"Are you going to keep traveling?"

"You can't keep on traveling. You need to set down roots" 

These are all valid concerns and questions by all the people that have said them to me. To be honest, I can't answer the questions. I feel very conflicted because in my heart I have places and countries I would love to live in for a long period of time and settle for a while BUT then its a challenge to live there due to logistical, political, and visas. Believe me, I have tried to apply for jobs and live in my chosen places. I have struggled for so many years. 

My passport pulls me back in many respects and I have not been able to accept it. It has to do with something greater than just me. It becomes a power struggle of politics, privilege, and current affairs. 

But all I know is this. People and places that make me feel welcome feel like home. Sometimes there's a gut feeling that you just feel so comfortable there. Its like falling in love. I remember when I fell in love with a city. I made it my home for as long as I could until I had to leave. It broke my heart. 

Home is a feeling. A memory. And a comfort. 

I don't know where I'll be but I will know when I am home. 

It will be a place of comfort, love, support, and warmth to me. 

Third Culture Kid Spotlight: Rafika

I met up with Rafika and her friend Kimberly in Vienna over Christmas. With TCK meet ups, it was like meeting old friends. In my experience with meeting a lot of TCKs and long time expats, the global connection makes us feel like we "get it". Its a family community of sorts. 

L-R: Kim, Me, Rafika in Vienna

1. What is your name?
Rafika

2. Where were you born?
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

3. What is your heritage?
Both of my parents are Indonesian

4. Where have you lived and how long at each place?
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, 0-2 years old  (2 years)
Geneva, Switzerland, 2-4 years (2 years, I can't exactly recall because I think 

we went to Indonesia for a few months before going to Switzerland)

Depok, Indonesia (kindergarten and elementary, around 2-3 years)

Helsinki, Finland (4,5 years, elementary)
Depok, Indonesia (3, years, junior high school)

Paramaribo, Indonesia (3 years, high school)

Jakarta, Indonesia (4 years, bachelor)

Vienna, Austria (4 years, masters)

5. What is your definition of "home" and how is it different from those around you?

Home is any situation that can make me feel accepted and content, whether it be the current residence, family, friends, pets, hobbies, passions, and life partner/future family. Some people might define home as their birthplace, parents' countries, or where they grew up. I was born in Tanzania, my parents are from Indonesia, and I grew up in different countries, so either I don't know which to consider as home or I would call all those as my homes.

6. Where do you consider "home" and why?
The whole world is home for me. It is everywhere and the homes that I have lived in before even though it is unlikely I will ever come back. I feel belongingness not only just one specific country. Since my homes are scattered, I see the world as home for all human beings.

7. Do you have interests in the following: foreign languages, international relations, travelling, international politics, different cultures of the world, etc...  Yes/No If so, do you think your background has helped you develop these interests?
I like learning foreign languages and I would love to use my background for a greater impact, although right now, I am  still searching that one job that can make me feel fulfilled.

8. What are your thoughts on globalization? Current political situation?

I think there is positive and negative consequence. Globalization can emphasize differences of cultures, due to the communication technology that connects the world, allowing internet users to learn different customs without having to be there, but it can also erase diversity since there is a uniformity of cultures through the shared communication culture.

9. How are your thoughts on world affairs different from those around you?
I tend to see it more from an observer, open-minded, global perspective, usually concluding that there needs to be more progress

10. Do you plan on incorporating a large amount of travel with your career?
Yes, would love to.

Laughing while trying to get the selfie stick to work..

Rafika is currently working on gathering TCKs for an anthology to document the diversity of TCK stories from around the world. If you identify as a TCK please fill out her form http://bit.ly/2rZgcIv

The Best Books for Third Culture Kids

I've attended Families in Global Transitions conferences in 2010, 2011, and 2012. One of my favorite activities at the conference besides meeting amazing people like Ruth Van Reken, Jo Parfitt, Tina Quick, Apple Gidley, Julia Lee Simons, Killian Kröll, Eva Lazslo-Herbert, Lois Bushong, Becky Grappo, Isabelle Min, Alice Wu, Cheilaugh Garvey, Margie Ulsh, Mary Wertsch, Craig Toedtman, John Liang, Noel Roberts, and more! I like to check out the bookstore. 

Here's my list of best books for Third Culture Kids:

1) Third Culture Kids, Growing up Among worlds by David C. Pollock & Ruth Van Reken

2) The Global Nomads Guide to University Transition by Tina Quick

3) Sammy's Next Move: Sammy the snail is a traveling snail who lives in different cultures by Helen Maffini

4) Unrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing up Global by Faith Eidse and Nina Sichel 

5) The Mission of Detective Mike: Moving Abroad by Simone T. Costa Eriksson and Ana Serra

6) Home keeps Moving by Heidi Sand-Hart

7) Letters Never Sent by Ruth Van Reken

8) The Global Soul by Pico Iyer

9) Cross Cultural Connections by Duane Elmer

10) Sunshine Soup Nourishing the Global Soul by Jo Parfitt

11) The Art of Coming Home by Craig Storti

This is just a short list (for now) of books that I found helpful. I still have quite a number of books that I have yet to read on my Kindle and storage. 

Olympics are filled with TCKs

Stock image taken from Pixabay

The Rio Olympics is underway and so many elite and inspiring athletes from around the world are competing at their highest level to be the best in the world. Its been a rising trend that so many of these athletes are globally mobile and travel to get the best training in the world. So many athletes as a result become Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Expats as a result.

Sports has a long history of soft-core diplomacy for countries. The exchange of good sportsmanship between athletes, the inspiration these elite athletes give to budding athletes, the athletic rivalry in competition, and the pride in representing a whole nation.

Wait... Patriotism among TCKs can be a tricky thing.

As a spectator, TCKs are torn between multiple countries. Who do we root for?

I recently asked my mother this question and she responded by saying "I don't have a country to root for"

To which I replied "I root for the winning athletes and the countries they represent"

She responded "So we should have multiple country flags and wave the winning flags"

"YES!"

Its trickier for athletes. Some are third culture kids early on in their childhood and had their training all over the world. Some move because they need to get the highest training they can get to make it to the top of their chosen sport. Some move because they would have a better chance at representing a country at the Olympics.

With global mobility becoming easier, an elite athlete would be able to get the best training she/he needs to make their dreams come true. There are so many critics to this tactic as it may be seen as un-patriotic. But what is patriotism these days for the global nomad? Global nomadic athletes train hard to push themselves to realise their dreams for competing with the best for an Olympic gold.

We should support the athletes and their hard work, sacrifices, and for having the determination that many of us lack to push through many long hours of sore muscles, injuries, etc.

Cheer on for the athletes that moves from Singapore to the USA, from China to Germany, from Greece to Austria, from USA to Georgia, from USA to Sweden, etc.

Celebrate the diversity of cultures mixing and healthy sports competition.

Stock photo taken from Pixabay

Digital Nomadism for this TCK

A vicious cycle for a TCK: Packing up, Unpacking, Moving, Transporting, Goodbyes and Hellos

My tiny hands are worn from carrying multiple bags

My arms are filled with big bruises

I beat myself up with my luggage

My heavy load. 

Head heavy, eyes tired. 

Thinking: "I hate this moving business"

Like a drunken haze, we have all said "Never again"

Do not believe it. 

The stares from other travellers at the train, bus, plane

I'm embarrassed and flushed. 

Sweat beads form and my clothes are starting to stick to me. 

Why, oh, why me!? 

Moving again. 

Saying good bye to beautiful places. 

See you soon to my dear friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.

Hello again to another location.

My unsightly bruises on both arms. June 2016.

I've been a digital nomad for the past few months and my body is weary but I am also a typical restless TCK who just can't seem to find home or stay put. A few things, I've learned from being a digital nomad and working from "home" is that 1) I like being able to be mobile. 2) I can live a peaceful existence and work efficiently on my own. 3) When I need to see people, I need to make an effort to see them. 

Working remotely from the Swiss Alps. May 2016.

I question myself every single day: how did I get here? The past several years has been such a challenging and trying time for me. A career change is difficult. Combined with a changing world and never being satisfied with where I am.

The world is changing and becoming incredibly volatile. I'm uneasy about it all because it is affecting me on a personal level. I have such an awful time when it comes to applying for visas and whatnot. Sigh. This is not a post for my rant. I am sure there are TCKs out there that can empathise with me on this. Feel free to drop me an email or a Facebook message if you'd like to commiserate.

Atomium, Brussels, Belgium. June 2015

Digital Nomadism. 
Its a thing and so many more companies should embrace this. If there is anything I've learned from my internship is that THIS is possible. I wish more companies would embrace this concept. For starters, I'm currently "funemployed" so decided to embrace this concept of digital nomadism and expand my network reach around the world through my social media channels. Its a dream of mine to be able to work anywhere and inspire others to embrace travel and adventure.
Can one truly work remotely and live a comfortable life? The answer is YES. Its been done and there are so many successful people doing it. I aspire to be able to do this so I'm not a prisoner of location and limited in my career and life aspirations. I just need to find the strength to shut everyone who tells me that its impossible, that I can't do it, that I'm too old, that I'm wasting my time, that I'm running out of time, and to settle down to a mediocre life that everyone else has that I don't want so I can be miserable. I don't want to be miserable.
There is really nothing tying me down and I'm not in the rat race so why not embrace a life that is colorful.
Another thing I learned in 2016 is that I cannot plan my life beyond a few months at a time because something is always going wrong and sh** hits the proverbial fan. Too many things have happened this year in the micro and macro scale that have affected and impacted me on such a personal level that all I can say is c'est la vie.

The life is short, death is inevitable, seize the day.
Malmö Slott, Malmö, Sweden. Feb. 2016

I am a Nomad

Wandering planet earth

Stopping for shelter, food, drink, company, and stories.

Neither here nor there.

Homeless.

Belonging everywhere and nowhere.

Learning languages

Studying cultures

Observing people

And making friends wherever I go.

Missing friends around the world.

I want to be there, there, and there.

I want to go somewhere far 

Finding little rocks I can settle down on for a while.

Settling my weary body, mind, and spirit. 

Blending in

Not blending in. 

Repeating my story. 

No, I don't want to give you my life story but you asked

"Where are you from?"

Are you actually interested?

Or is that a form of small talk and you don't really care.

Or you could also be a wanderer too.

Lets talk.

Lets be friends.

Keep in touch, k? 

Why I grieve for places I've lived in.

Brussels.

I left suddenly due to complications with visa (always my TCK conundrum) and it hasn't been easy dealing with it.

Tragedy struck Brussels.

For many days, I went through the gamut of emotions from feeling really lucky to sadness to anger to guilt.

Yes, Guilt. I feel guilty for having narrowly missed this kind of terrible acts of terror.

Then I started to feel helpless and isolated. As the city of Brussels is coming back together and breathing a new and beautiful community, I wanted to do something to help.

As I watch the security alerts and emails flow through from work. I wanted to do something. I needed to do something. The only thing that I can do is remain in contact with my coworkers in the office and continue working with the mantra "business as usual" and post images that give others inspiration.

I complained about my life in Brussels but it was all due to not adjusting to living there. I feel guilty for all of it. I started to adjust to life and had to leave when it became a new normal. We all go through periods of adjustment as a expat when moving to some place new.

Jakarta. There were explosions in January in the centre of the city near an area where there was the first McDonald's that opened in 1990 and I spent after school hanging out there with my childhood best friend eating happy meals then going to her house to play until I got picked up to go home for dinner. I was shocked at the explosion. Though I was so young when I lived there, the memories of that area really came flooding back. I grieved.

When hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, just a month after I left. I felt the same emotions of feeling helpless. I made a dance. I donated money to the red cross.

An ode to NYC danced by my lovely students. I grieved for leaving, I grieved for New York. I spent most of my adult life starting out in NYC and have so many stories and memories that I felt I needed to do something.

As a mobile Adult Third Culture Kid, I am very tired of hearing about acts of terror around the world, Mother Nature will do what she wants so I forgive her. But I hope to never have to 'mark myself safe' on Facebook ever again due to an attack.

Peace to the world.
Make love.
Embrace.

How many times do I have to tell "my TCK story" before it gets tiring

I moved again in December. Every move comes with the period of adjustment and I feel like I'm still adjusting. Along with that, is meeting new people. People mean well when they ask about "where are you from" however, its a small talk conversation for non-TCKs but a confusing long winding conversation for a global TCK. I keep thinking about... asking the person what they think about the weather, favorite color, where to eat, etc. just to deflect the question.

It seems like some people glaze over when I tell them my story. I sometimes think I'm boring them and/or think I'm boasting or lying... I don't know. Even more complicated to the "where I'm from story" is also the number of different kinds of jobs I have done thus far.

So here's a bulletproof summary:

• Singapore to Indonesia to Singapore to Los Angeles to New York City to Singapore to Switzerland to Belgium to Switzerland to Singapore/London 
• Multicultural heritage and culture family background with family scattered around the world
• Attended private International and American Schools for K-12
• Pitzer/Pomona ->UCLA
• Performed as a contemporary dancer for various dance choreographers and dance companies in LA then New York City
• Formed a dance collective
• Founded a dance company
• Performed, Choreographed, Directed productions and did some touring to festivals all over the New York area, Toronto, Washington DC, Edinburgh, Singapore, LA, etc.
• Taught dance all over the world at studios, community centres, public schools, private schools, etc.
• Speaker at 3 Families in Global Transitions conferences in Houston, Washington DC (twice)
• Recipient of a grant by a private foundation (3x) for my productions of Chameleon and Habitat
• Worked in nonprofit management (grant writing, Public relations, digital marketing, design, photography/videography, booking agent), telemarketing, retail sales, make up artistry, events, fine dining service, front desk for a hotel gym, lifestyle blogging, TV/Film extra, weddings, street team marketing for a yoga studio, and of course teaching dance - just to name a few - sometimes juggling 3-5 jobs
• Postgraduate in Hospitality Management from Les Roches
• and now... I'm a full-time social media intern for Carlson Rezidor group

This reads slightly like a resume (Check out my LinkedIn profile: PS. I am looking for a job starting in July/August) . But this is the most concise I've ever told my story publicly. I confuse myself sometimes. My hobbies and passions are many. I've not had a dream goal that I haven't accomplished yet. You know, I have to step back at life and take it for what it is. Its not a walk in the park. I have never taken an easy way. I have the choice to take an easy route but that has many consequences that I am not willing to sacrifice my independence for. 

I have always fought my way through to make things happen. I stress myself out sometimes with the winding difficult paths I tend to take even though there are easier ones. 

I just want a full life of little regrets. The older I get the more weary of answering "Where are you from?" as small talk. Or perhaps I'm disillusioned to think that people just want to make small talk and when it isn't... they are overwhelmed and can't handle it. 

I fall down a lot in life and feel very sad. Then I push myself through. The life I want to lead in my head and heart is simple. But somehow I always find myself in sticky complicated situations so I just stand and fight through life. Grit my teeth and just do because c'est la vie. 

My interview with Paulette Bethel for Lost in Translation series

I recently was interviewed by Paulette Bethel about being a TCK & Chameleon. Here's the recording of the live telecast: http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=48995067

The audio interview is about an hour long.

Paulette's Lost in Translation series is amazing, she's interviewed so many guest experts in the Third Culture Kid, Expat, Relocation world. Ruth Van Reken, Tina Quick, Kilian Kröll, Myra Dumapias, Rahul Gandotra, Jo Parfitt, Eva Lazlo-Herbert, and more! It was such an honor to be asked to be interviewed for this series. Reminded me how much of an impact I've made already among the TCKs, Expats, Cross-Cultural coaches and experts, Educators, etc. with the work I've done so far with the Chameleon project and even the TCKs I meet around the world. Its quite humbling and a reminder that I still have a lot of work left to do using dance/movement to tell the stories, memories, and experiences of TCKs.

Chameleon interviews - Heather

In my previous post I mentioned that I've been working with TCKs/CCKs at SAS for the re-setting of Chameleon.
I've been conducting interviews to accompany the solos as the soundtrack. Like in previous solos in Chameleon, the performer is talking about their cross cultural experiences. Most of the time, I can choose what I want for the sound based on the interview. However, this re-setting and editing of the soundtrack is proving to be a challenge for me because I want to use EVERYTHING! Its rather challenging to edit it down to a 2 min. sound byte from a 30 min. interview. Heather in particular has a lot of interesting and relevant things to say and I've gotten the permission to share with you her interview. (Don't worry, I've edited it down to a 17 minute podcast format)

Coming full circle with dance & TCKs & Chameleon

I haven't mentioned it in my past couple posts because I thought you'd be more interested to read about my reverse culture shock experiences... I can't not mention it since its pretty exciting stuff (at least to me.

I've been re-setting an excerpted version of Chameleon, the Experiences of Global Citizens to TCKs/CCKs (faculty and dance students at Singapore American School) to be performed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sept. 22nd. The process has been pretty exciting to work with so many TCKs. As with the previous performances of Chameleon, I work with each dancer's personal story especially for the solos. It is very much a collaboration between the dancer and myself in creating a solo that is completely personal. The dance teachers have been cast for solos, a recent alumni and three current students have been cast to learn the choreography from "Frozen Memories" section. The sound for the solos are personal interviews that I've conducted with the dancer and I'm truly fascinated by their stories. It is super inspiring to have this experience!

I'll be looking for more opportunities to work with Third Culture Kids, Expats, Cross Culture Kids, Adult Third Culture Kids, Dancers/Non-Dancers, Artists of other Genres to re-set a version of Chameleon in the near future!

My other part-time gig at the moment is teaching tap dance at a performing arts centre and all of my students there are TCKs as well and all the teachers there are Expats/CCKs/and maybe even TCKs themselves!

How exciting all of this is for me. I'm feeling a little bit more like myself again these days... (more on readjustment at a later post).


btw- I'm excited to also be performing as a Professional in the region for the first time ever! Salud!

While walking through the familiar hallways of SAS, I found these billboards of past dance productions. I was a part of these productions when I was a student at SAS!

UPDATE:
Here's the information about the performance in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 22nd.

My Journey of Reverse Culture Shock (or is it just regular Culture Shock?! I'm confused) part 1

Greetings from Singapore!

I've been here for a little over a month now and it has been a whirlwind of emotions. I am still playing tourist in the city/country that I grew up in and also my birthplace. It has changed so much since I left over a decade ago. 

Oh, little red dot. You have reinvented yourself. I don't recognize you anymore. 

The last time I visited was 2008 and even then, I was a foreigner in a place that was very much my home growing up. 

Some changes based on my observations:

1. The once deserted Marina Bay area is now a sprawling behemoth casino & shopping center known by residents as MBS a.k.a. Marina Bay Sands. 

2. Tanjong Pagar has become a mecca for working expats in the nearby financial area to get expense account dinner & drinks. The old shophouses are now turned into multiple trendy eateries, bars, spas, lounges. 

3. There are so many new condo buildings all around the island! The housing market in Singapore is robust and thriving. Rental rates are through the roof here (even more expensive than Manhattan!)

4. Lots of younger expats. I've noticed that there are a lot of foreigners working here that are around my age bracket. When I was growing up here, most of the expats were older and had families. Now there are quite a number of folks that come here are single, un-married, no children, and younger. 

5. New shopping malls crowd Orchard Road and they are also building up shopping centers in areas that were predominately residential neighborhoods. 

Will post more observations in my next post....

Culture Shock....or rather Reverse Culture Shock

The humidity and heat. I'm constantly sweating. Some days, it will rain and I feel grateful for that because its not as hot. Living in tropical weather has never been comfortable for me. My hair has sucked up all the humidity and moisture in the air resulting in flat, limp, greasy, and life-less hair.

Ugh.

I miss my easy-to-style hair. I like to curl my hair and in the States, I don't have to apply gobs of products to make the style stay put (with the exception of Summer in the East Coast). I have to apply lots of products here and it will still fall limp at the end of the day.


I talk and act differently but yet I look like everyone thus resulting in weird stares. I'm feeling the "hidden immigrant" role that everyone in the TCK world talks about. Back in New York, everyone is from all over and the society embraces the crazies. You have to really work hard to stand out. I stand out here because I talk and act differently but if I were walking on the street, you wouldn't peg me as different. When I open my mouth to talk or make a social faux pas, everyone stares. They are probably either thinking I'm a) an idiot or b) a snob for speaking and acting differently. *sigh*  I'm neither here nor there.  

Such is a confused TCK.

More to come....