I have never lived in a foreign country however i have been to many. I have been to Italy, France, England, and Costa Rica. I have never lived in a country other than the U.S. though. I think that going to a country, and living in one are completely different experiences. When i go to a country i always have the same things that i would have here. I buy what I want there and bring everything that I can't buy there from home, but if you live there you cant do that. When you live there you will run out of whatever you bring and of you can't buy it you must go without it. I think that living in another country would be an amazing experience, but I also think that it would be a slightly frightening. I think that I may eventually go and live in another country for a six months or a year just for the experience. One novel that really emphasizes on the fear of living in a new country is American Born Chinese. This novel shows the fear of Jin a chinese boy in a foreign land.
Jin seems like he tried to cope but eventually could not and became Danny. That made him have less fear than he did before because he fit in. The hardest part about living in a foreign country is fitting in. By changing or slightly adapting to the foreign countries native culture. By doing this you could live in a foreign country and be much happier.
Matt: I appreciate your general insights into travelling, being in exotic settings, etc., and thought your connection back to "American Born Chinese" was interesting and relevant, but I really wish you shared a SPECIFIC anecdote-- a unique experience you went through-- and used humor and self-depracation, the same way Sedaris did.
ReplyDeleteFor future blog responses, make sure to use more IMAGERY and built-up narrative in telling your tales.