I’ve had the chance to live overseas three times: from late
1964 to mid 1969 my family lived in Bangkok, Thailand; then from 1984 – 1985 I
lived in Cambridge, England, doing the study abroad bit; and finally I lived in
Germany for a couple months in the summer of 1996 doing research. Each experience had an impact, but today I want to dwell on Thailand. Well, Thailand and Oklahoma.
Of course in the 1960’s I was young: I turned 4 just after
we arrived and was nearly 9 when we left.
But I spoke Thai well, I spent lots of time with folks who were very
different from the typical 1960’s American kid, and I grew up thinking about
the world differently than I would have, had I been raised in the States. In Thailand I cannot claim to have
experienced society as the Thai people did, because we interacted with the international
community in Bangkok as much as with the Siamese. But because I was a kid the
mix of Thai and international “expat” culture did not seem “different” to
me. It was just the world as it
was. Our cultural environment socializes
us, and while these influences are profound they are largely unnoticed. The only way to truly appreciate a cultural
difference is to experience it.
We returned from Thailand to live in rural Oklahoma. It was this move that created the true culture shock for me. I did not know what to make of that space, I
did not know what to make of the other kids in elementary school, I did not
know how to behave in their world. In
reality, even though I was born in the US, moving from Thailand to the States
was my first international experience. I
was socialized in Thailand, and was now observing a new culture. It was fascinating and strange and
frustrating, but I was too young to think of it in any articulate way. Fortunately these transitions are easier for
us when we are young, because our minds are more open.
But still, moving back to Washington DC in
1969 was a bit of a relief, because at least the traffic was more like that in Bangkok!
Indeed - living in a foreign environment can heighten our senses and provide a new perspective on what it means to live in the (privileged) US culture.
ReplyDeleteAfter study abroad (South Africa), teaching abroad (Mexico) and research abroad (Kyrgyzstan) student experiences, I moved my family overseas to live in Brussels, Belgium for 5 years (2001-2006).
Believe me, this took cultural immersion to a whole new level: How do we meet with a Doctor? How do we buy groceries? How do I navigate teacher conferences for my children? It was amazing to watch my son adapt to the local school system ("Mom, the kids in my school are so slow...they don't understand anything I say!") Of course, my son was speaking English to his French-speaking counterparts :)
I found myself following a special mantra: I will survive; I will persist; I will thrive. And this is just what I did. I studied French; I made mistakes; and I made wonderful friends who forgave my ignorance of European culture, but admired my willingness to learn.
Stepping outside my comfort zone forced me to be creative, resourceful and resilient. These are the same qualities I want our students to gain when they travel overseas.
My son lived in Belgium from age 3-8. He is now studying high school French in Ann Arbor and can't wait to study abroad in Europe. He tells me, "Knowing another language is like knowing a secret code - it's fun! And after all, kids are kids. Even my friends in Belgium still like soccer."
International experience bring us closer to understanding human differences and human commonalities. Both are critical to making the world a better place for all.