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Grade 10 - "To be a Third Culture Kid" |
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Surprisingly, the TCK lifestyle includes having friends- whether new or old- from around the world. The specialness of these friendships is that we understand each other better. It is easier to talk about our problems to other TCKs than with kids who are stationary.
by Belinda Brusoni
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Ever since I've been a child I have never quite been able to define where I come from, where I feel 'at home'. To me, that isn't something negative or positive, a bad or a good thing, but much rather my reality. In its truest sense, home for me, is where the heart is.
Having grown away from my parents homelands, I was exposed to different cultures, religions and customs at a very early age. This gave me the opportunity to grow up with different languages and learning how to adapt rapidly to different cultures. Wether I was in Turkey, Greece, Germany or India, I've never had to face the challenge of feeling 'lost' in a new enviornment. I believe that in my future, it is this very upbringing that will show itself as an advantage, as something that will set me apart from others. I do not intend to sound vainglorious yet whilst observing peers without a similar upbringing, I do see strenuousness when they are confronted with an alien environment.
On the other hand I was never able to develop 'friendships for life', having been subjected to a haphazard upbringing, where the oppurtunities to establish long-term social acquaintances was never possible.
In our contemporary modern times, new ways of communicating have been contrived.
This means that through social networking, e.g 'Facebook' and 'Instant Messaging', new gateways to a cyber existance have been opened, facilitating the communication between friends, family and colleagues. For me, this has meant, keeping in touch with friendships of the past and present along with family far far away.
Apart from providing me with an academic advantage, I believe that my upbringing has given me a stronger personality, able to accept and tolerate others faster, for all my life I had to adapt. I strongly believe that through being exposed these diverse cultures, I, myself, have developed into some sort of a reflection of these very cultures.
I might not have a single place where I feel at home but I am able to feel at home any place.
by Etkin Haskamp
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A third culture kid is a person who has spent a part of his life outside their parents' culture. Third culture kids create their own culture. They mix the culture of their parents with the culture of the land in which they are living. There are a lot of third culture kids spread around the world. But how does it feel being a TCK?
It isn't always easy to be a TCK. In a lot of situation you feel different from the others, because you have learned and changed a lot while you where in another country. As I went back to Germany for holidays, a lot of my friends didn't understand why I was so glad when I saw a supermarket. As I was there I was amazed as I ate Leberwurst or Kartoffelpuffer. For them this is normal, but I enjoyed every bite. I felt that I didn't belong there.
I consider India as my home, but I don't always feel at home there. There are many things, about the way Indian think that I don't and I will not understand. For example the mentalities while the Indians drive. Why does this car stop in the middle of the road? Why can't this car wait so that we pass and so that he would have more space to turn? I don't feel really at home at any place, there will be always something that I will miss when I move away from the country.
In a lot of situations being a TCK has a lot of positive aspects. As TCK you learn how to adapt fast into new situations, and you find new
friends for life. As third culture kid, you get to know a different culture, you get to see new things and learn different languages. As I came
to India I couldn't say a word in English. I had to learn it fast, because the English level here was a lot higher. When I came to Germany my
friends wanted me the whole time to speak English, because they said that it sounded so different and that they didn't understand the way that I
was talking.
I like to be a third culture kid, I experienced something that very few people in Germany experienced and I enjoy it. Sometimes it feels good to be different; it sometimes gives you the feeling to be special. Being a TCK helps you to see the world out of different perspectives. To be a TCK is an excellent experience, and I would recommend everyone to walk out of his/her country and to experience the world of a different perspective!
by Elvira Ginsbach
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