tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post2527567731860284121..comments2023-10-20T13:36:38.807+05:30Comments on Scribbly Katia: My Global Bookshelf : The Expat Arc, by Danielle BarkhouseKatiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-82835503769315323822008-05-31T13:45:00.000+05:302008-05-31T13:45:00.000+05:30Hi again Katia, I think that Rilla has mentioned a...Hi again Katia, <BR/>I think that Rilla has mentioned a point... it's much "easy" to migrate with a secure position. Different is to migrate on your own, without nobody waiting for you at the airport, without a house ready to welcome you and your stuff, dealing with issues like: need to extend a visa, finding a way to work without going against the local laws and so on...<BR/>For sure, meeting people who had similar experiences, in different levels, helps and let you feel you're not alon. Unfortunately not always is like that... I've met different expats around the world... most marvellous and warm and humble, but also some very "cold" and jelous of their expat staus in a foreign country not welcoming at all as if they belonged to an exclusive group. Maybe this conservative behaviour is a way to hide their incapacity of confronting with their new country and also a way to feel they are not loosing their "identity" !?!? <BR/>ValentinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-91496986912781639812008-05-31T10:30:00.000+05:302008-05-31T10:30:00.000+05:30Hello, Rilla, good to see you here.It's interestin...Hello, Rilla, good to see you here.<BR/>It's interesting to read the definition of expatriation. But of course, words have a life of their own and their meaning can evolve. And yes, going to a place for a few years - even if you don't always know how many - or forever is not the same thing. The latter would be immigrating, actually, but there, too, a lot of immigrants don't think they're leaving their country forever. Also, one can find support systems in the immigration experience, too. Often, immigrants first land at family members - remote or not - or friends' places before they move on to settle in their own place, and that is definitely a strong support system. Some expats don't have that much of such a support system - and definitely, not all expats have housing provided, we don't, so that's another proof that there are many levels and experiences in the expat experience.<BR/>BUT as you mention, culture shock is culture shock, and one needs to be aware of it.Katiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-35475616193424624412008-05-31T07:15:00.000+05:302008-05-31T07:15:00.000+05:30Hey Katia,interesting post. I had no idea that exp...Hey Katia,<BR/>interesting post. I had no idea that expatriatism (if indeed there is such a word) had levels to it! Wow! You learn something new everyday. I looked up the word and found the following meanings:vt. to banish oneself from one's native country, to withdraw from residence in one's native country, to withdraw from allegiance to one's country, to settle in another country.<BR/><BR/>What's interesting to me is that etymologically at least, that puts me in the category of being an expatriate. However, I have never felt I am one as I find more and more that the word has come to denote people who take postings in other countries while working for international organizations. I believe there is a huge difference in the psychological reaction to a foreign country when one moves there for a specified length of time that is generally known in advance and when one does not have to depend on their own resources in order to find a job in the new place. Generally housing is also provided.<BR/><BR/>It's quite different when you relocate to a new country without any notion of how long you will be there or whether you will sink or swim in terms of finding a place to live, a job, remuneration that will sustain you, how you will survive without any known support group in place.<BR/><BR/>But, at the end of the day, culture shock is culture shock. It is painful, lonely, depressing and can be ruinous. And by creating a support group of people who have been through it and know what you are going through the way you are doing with this blog, you are providing a service to all of us lost souls that is invaluable. Keep the discussion going!<BR/><BR/>I have to admit it's kind of funny to hear people discussing India as 'foreign' -- always great to hear what other people think of what you consider mundane and normal!rilla jaggiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17259015787424108654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-73435502732441241072008-05-30T08:39:00.000+05:302008-05-30T08:39:00.000+05:30Vijaya, thanks for visiting, and thank you so much...Vijaya, thanks for visiting, and thank you so much for your kind words about my blog. <BR/>As for getting India - or any other place, actually - out of you after spending a significant amount of time there, I totally agree. I carry all the countries I've lived in with me, even the hard duty station ones, and that has certainly be the biggest lesson I've learned. Always try to make the most of every place, because if will not leave you in peace, anyway. And always bring closure before you go, or again, no peace :) And of course, India IS a fascinating place.Katiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-75307145111203409212008-05-30T06:07:00.000+05:302008-05-30T06:07:00.000+05:30Great review, Katia. I'm looking forward to picki...Great review, Katia. I'm looking forward to picking up this book.<BR/><BR/>You hit the nail on the head about moving outside your comfort zone. It challenges you, makes you realize what you're made of.<BR/><BR/>I'm an ex-expat, and it's sweet to be home in the US. One thing is true: you can't get India out of you if you've spent any signficant length of time there. I still miss it.<BR/><BR/>Your blog a delight to read. Congratulations on your new book!Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-32957670244675423312008-05-29T18:03:00.000+05:302008-05-29T18:03:00.000+05:30Thank's Katia, I believe I will find good schools ...Thank's Katia, I believe I will find good schools in the above mentioned places and around if I decide for a new place. My intention is to let the children attend a good public primary school not private of course. As they cannot speak properly English, they will start attending school just for practicing the language and starting following their age grade lessons. Anyway thank's I'll consider mailing you to ask you suggestions about school admission and so on. Thank's Katia.<BR/>valentinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-52432434662097694492008-05-29T16:02:00.000+05:302008-05-29T16:02:00.000+05:30Good luck, Valentina. South Goa is a good place to...Good luck, Valentina. South Goa is a good place to land. Minimal culture shock, really :) Cochin and Bangalore could not be more different. Cochin is like a small town. Bangalore is that over-congested city, pleasant climate, very big expat community, but a little cold. That was my feeling, anyway. Are you considering schools to help you make a decision? Anyway, don't hesitate to email me, OK?<BR/>KatiaKatiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-48032837989570261242008-05-29T15:43:00.000+05:302008-05-29T15:43:00.000+05:30Thank's Katia, well I 'll first approach South Goa...Thank's Katia, well I 'll first approach South Goa where a friend of mine lives then from there I belive I'll moove between Karnataka and Kerala, maybe Bangalore, maybe Cochin. I need to be there to know to feel what will be the right place for us. Definetly I'll let you know, would be lovely to meet and have a talk. Good luck for your children's book, I've seen it has been published. Are you going to launch it in schools or bookstores somewhere? Will surely bring you lots of satisfactions.<BR/>ValentinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-12212600838728450672008-05-29T15:05:00.000+05:302008-05-29T15:05:00.000+05:30Valentina, good luck with the move and everything ...Valentina, good luck with the move and everything else, and thank you for visiting my blog.<BR/>Where will you go, in India, do you know already? We're still waiting to hear about a possible relocation, so I don't know if we'll still be in India in November, but if we are, we'll have to talk, and maybe even meet, shall we ? Do keep in touch,<BR/>KatiaKatiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-60868982743615113402008-05-29T14:46:00.000+05:302008-05-29T14:46:00.000+05:30I totally agree with you Katia, I've been an expat...I totally agree with you Katia, I've been an expat for almost 24 years ... through my experience,most in difficult countries as well( South Africa under apartheid regime, Mauritania, Somalia, Etiopia, Kenya,Udgana)I realized that what usually people call "homeland", for me is not just a geographical data but a "place" inside me made of feelings, knowledges, experiences, emotions, thoughts, ideas.... Also the idea of "citizenship" is too limited to represent a specific culture to belong to. I was asked many times where my roots are? I answer that my roots are inside me, and I bring them everywhere I go, and collecting experiences these roots become always much longer and stronger, I share them and contaminate them in a very creative way.<BR/>I recognize that this awareness has grown much inside me thank's also to writing. The writing process is a metaphora of the journey we first do from and towards ourselves before then from and to places. I feel a very strong identity that I've built through my many migrations. I think that the problem is that most of the poeple define their identity as a static experience, instead of considering that is a metamorphic process, indipendently from being an expat or not. <BR/>I also met those expats who find themselves lost! Who totally ignore the meaning of confronting with other cultures.<BR/>Maybe we can say that being an expat is a choice, a style of life. Those who feel unconfortable with the "new" and the "different" <BR/>are those who will never be free.<BR/><BR/>Ah!!!! I'm going to be soon an expat again .... within November I'll be in India with my girls! Very excited to deal again with a life where you don't have to expect anything!!!! After few years of Europe I was getting tired!<BR/>ValentinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-59931841706800800712008-05-28T14:17:00.000+05:302008-05-28T14:17:00.000+05:30Linda, that's another of the many advantages of le...Linda, that's another of the many advantages of leaving one's home and comfort zone to go explore another part of the world. It puts things back into perspective. I, for one, often get quite angry at the French, forever complaining - I like to say that it is a national sport, and let me add that I'm not immune to that tendency :) - because really, the quality of life in France - generally speaking - is way above what you can find most anywhere else, but in order to discover that little fact, it is necessary to get out !<BR/><BR/>And, Sue, you're always so kind to me. Thanks for being one of my faithful visitors. :)Katiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-71767761802148515992008-05-28T13:50:00.000+05:302008-05-28T13:50:00.000+05:30Fascinating post, Katia! And I'm not even an expat...Fascinating post, Katia! <BR/>And I'm not even an expat. <BR/>SueSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02568248990156297457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-37038872455376196182008-05-28T07:52:00.000+05:302008-05-28T07:52:00.000+05:30Well, after having lived in the UK for a mere year...Well, after having lived in the UK for a mere year I am the first to admit that some expats ARE more expat! (Does one year even qualify as an expat?) My family loved being in England and we had a great life there...no language barrier or custom confusion (except we did not push the July 4th holiday) - we had it easy even though we did find out how spoiled we are in the U.S. By the way, we discovered Indian food there and are forever in love with it.Linda Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12440198392313322295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-92231785935590353362008-05-27T18:04:00.000+05:302008-05-27T18:04:00.000+05:30Danie, I know you had not thought about the "expat...Danie, I know you had not thought about the "expatness" issue, as you mention, in that way. I just felt it was important to point that aspect out, as these types of expats are also out there. That said, and I hope I make it clear, many experiences remain eerily similar, and this one point should not deter anyone interested in those topics to read your book. :)Katiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423190518569699882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33369112.post-29287202798288501822008-05-27T17:27:00.000+05:302008-05-27T17:27:00.000+05:30Katia, thank you for the lovely review. As I had ...Katia, thank you for the lovely review. <BR/><BR/>As I had admitted to you privately in an email, I'll now admit to everyone...I had not thought of "expatness" in that way until you had brought it to my attention. Mainly because it was not at all in the context of the strange conversation I'd had with another expat which had led me to write that particular post. <BR/><BR/>I think that's why I've enjoyed communicating with you (and other expats) via email and blog posts. I feel like we're able to discuss meatier topics than the usual face-to-face expat conversations of...<BR/><BR/>"Where are you from?"<BR/><BR/>"Where else have you lived?"<BR/><BR/>"...insert other typical banal expat opening liners here..."<BR/><BR/>I'm looking forward to discussing more of those topics with you in the future.Danie B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05511535869022410118noreply@blogger.com