Did you just say no? That would be OK. I'm sorry it was a triggering type of thing for you. At first I was reading this and thinking that I didn't understand because say if you were riding around here somewhere and I happened to know of a cheap place, I'd also tell you about it and I wouldn't mean for it to be like rich helping rich or privilege helping privilege etc., but then i kept reading and I realized what you mean in this context. I'm sorry you are having to deal with it.
I did say no, and of course that was that, but i suppose this is how anxiety operates, you get yourself all worked up over something that shouldn't be a big deal
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And suddenly I realize I've been giving you a ton of info and places to stay and whatnot and prolly setting you up for anxiety over it.
Know that my knowledge of cross country roadtrips is free for the taking, with nothing expected or reciprocation needed. I offer it, because I have it, not because I want to barter, put you in debt to me, or expect any kind of return.
And saying no is fine, cause if you don't tell me "no" I'll keep doing it. :)
Oh, don't worry! First of all, i have learned over the years that this is just a personal neurosis of mine, and it's something i need to learn to live with. It shouldn't be on my friends to walk on eggshells around me. But on the topic of roadtrip ideas specifically, this is something i know you love and are passionate about, and you would freely share with anyone, not just me, so i don't feel it's somehow creating an imbalance, if that makes sense. I enjoy reading your suggestions on where to go, even if i never end up taking the route myself, so don't stop posting on my account :)
When my cousin had arrived to teach English in Seoul South Korea she got noticed and was invited to the embassy Canada Day Party. I thought she turned down the invite because she didn’t want to be recruited in the world of being a spy and maybe it was really because she didn’t go to any country to be a part of any expat community. It was to work and experience the culture and the people.
I think it must be a sort of personality thing, because i know quite a few expats who really enjoy the expat community. For me, i think one of the things i want the most in life is just to be taken as an individual. I really hate when people identify me as a "foreigner" or an "expat" or a "trans person" or "gay" or whatever other category i might fit into, and then expect me to behave as a representative of that group, or in solidarity with other members of that group. It bothers me to be reduced to a stereotype in that way. I prefer to approach the world as an individual without any particular group identity, and i wish the world would treat me that way too. When i find myself pushed into a group - whether by outsiders or by members of that group - i find it awkward at best and divisive or offensive at worst. Like, just because we share some common immutable characteristics or life experiences doesn't mean we have anything else in common, or owe one another any more than any other two random people on the planet.
The losing your voice thing might be connected to having to do loads of talking in class now after being relatively mute for so long. It's said to be a problem for teachers.
I asked my teachers about this in class and they agreed that this is an issue for them too. I definitely still have/had some kind of viral infection as well, because it wasn't just the throatache, but i suspect talking for so long every day definitely contributed to stretching out the misery for several weeks.
The expat community is so *weird* to me! As a Canadian living the US now for 20+ years, I feel like I should be open to hanging out with other Canadians or something
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It's even more weird i think to be an America-hating Canadian expat, because i mean... "home" is literally just a short drive or flight away, there is no political persecution preventing you from returning, you can enjoy most Canadian entertainment on American television, you can get most Canadian food in the US, all the major Canadian sports teams play in American leagues... It's not like you're isolated in a bubble of a culture that is wildly different
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It's even more weird i think to be an America-hating Canadian expat
Yes! I totally understand if you live somewhere where you are constantly having to speak another language - it would be nice to sometimes just hang out and speak the language you grew up with? Totally makes sense.
Now - I moved from BC to California - so I think there wasn't really that much "culture shock" - possibly I would have found it much harder if I moved to the deep South or someplace like New York? But I would have a similar culture shock moving from Vancouver to Toronto, to be honest.
It really is weird to me - like you said - it's not particularly difficult or expensive to go home to visit - certainly not like my friend who emigrated from Northern BC to New Zealand right after college.
Somehow i find those folks different to poor ethnic groups who move to richer countries and fail to integrateI can see that - it feels like if you emigrate to a country where things cost less and you are able to maintain a "richer" lifestyle - then you are basically
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Comments 13
Did you just say no? That would be OK. I'm sorry it was a triggering type of thing for you. At first I was reading this and thinking that I didn't understand because say if you were riding around here somewhere and I happened to know of a cheap place, I'd also tell you about it and I wouldn't mean for it to be like rich helping rich or privilege helping privilege etc., but then i kept reading and I realized what you mean in this context. I'm sorry you are having to deal with it.
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Know that my knowledge of cross country roadtrips is free for the taking, with nothing expected or reciprocation needed. I offer it, because I have it, not because I want to barter, put you in debt to me, or expect any kind of return.
And saying no is fine, cause if you don't tell me "no" I'll keep doing it. :)
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When my cousin had arrived to teach English in Seoul South Korea she got noticed and was invited to the embassy Canada Day Party. I thought she turned down the invite because she didn’t want to be recruited in the world of being a spy and maybe it was really because she didn’t go to any country to be a part of any expat community. It was to work and experience the culture and the people.
Get better soon.
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Yes! I totally understand if you live somewhere where you are constantly having to speak another language - it would be nice to sometimes just hang out and speak the language you grew up with? Totally makes sense.
Now - I moved from BC to California - so I think there wasn't really that much "culture shock" - possibly I would have found it much harder if I moved to the deep South or someplace like New York? But I would have a similar culture shock moving from Vancouver to Toronto, to be honest.
It really is weird to me - like you said - it's not particularly difficult or expensive to go home to visit - certainly not like my friend who emigrated from Northern BC to New Zealand right after college.
Somehow i find those folks different to poor ethnic groups who move to richer countries and fail to integrateI can see that - it feels like if you emigrate to a country where things cost less and you are able to maintain a "richer" lifestyle - then you are basically ( ... )
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