Such a thoughtful and thought-provoking reflection deserves a much larger audience. Would it be all right if I linked this post to my FB account? I think Fulbright also has spots for folks to post. So many memories came flooding back while reading this. I participated in a Fulbright teacher exchange in Germany. While I could pass for German (many Germans were convinced I was Austrian,) I never “felt” German. Each interaction was a mini-performance to see if I could “be” German. Success and failure followed. Many of the fails were hilarious. I also reflected on my Israel Fulbright. More stories…..lots of them. Thank you for your insightful, deep observations and sharing your cultural experiences. Both Korea and Japan seem more understandable after reading your writing. Safe travels!
Hello Paul! Thank you so much for reading and responding... I'm heartened to hear that my writing resonates with you. It can feel very lonely being an expat, but there is great comfort in knowing that the experience of alienation is shared—regardless of where one ends up! Please feel free to share on any platform—I don't mind :)
Such a thoughtful and thought-provoking reflection deserves a much larger audience. Would it be all right if I linked this post to my FB account? I think Fulbright also has spots for folks to post. So many memories came flooding back while reading this. I participated in a Fulbright teacher exchange in Germany. While I could pass for German (many Germans were convinced I was Austrian,) I never “felt” German. Each interaction was a mini-performance to see if I could “be” German. Success and failure followed. Many of the fails were hilarious. I also reflected on my Israel Fulbright. More stories…..lots of them. Thank you for your insightful, deep observations and sharing your cultural experiences. Both Korea and Japan seem more understandable after reading your writing. Safe travels!
Hello Paul! Thank you so much for reading and responding... I'm heartened to hear that my writing resonates with you. It can feel very lonely being an expat, but there is great comfort in knowing that the experience of alienation is shared—regardless of where one ends up! Please feel free to share on any platform—I don't mind :)