Bicycling, with an old man draped across my back who never stops spouting endless commentary directly in my ear. This better not find its way into one of my nightmares. "Get off my back Dad! When did you ever give me good advice?"
Interesting essay on "What does it mean to return to a land you are supposed to belong to as a descendant but in which you are functionally a foreigner?"—
Thanks for the article. It was interesting that the writer created all those special categories for reverse immigrants. Culturally the world is probably more mixed up than ever and mono-cultures are rarer (though there are still quite a few!) I've lived as a literal foreigner, with a job and rent to pay, etc., for a couple of stretches of my life and in my experience language fluency trumps ethnicity when it comes to fitting in. (I'm responding to your article now, not my story). My story wasn't really meant to be about those sorts everyday immigration struggles though I suppose that can be one way to look at it.
I just thought that article was interesting tangentially. Your story just reminded me of having read it a week prior. I forgot to mention that I really enjoyed your story. Also, I find that what you said about language fluency trumping ethnicity is 100% true.
I love the voiceover. Your narration adds another dimension to the story.
Thanks. Maybe I'll start doing that more with these short stories.
Bicycling, with an old man draped across my back who never stops spouting endless commentary directly in my ear. This better not find its way into one of my nightmares. "Get off my back Dad! When did you ever give me good advice?"
A native to the country yet afraid of being exposed as a foreigner. Very interesting and something I can relate to.
We can be a foreigner literally. Or we can be a foreigner emotionally, and a lot of other ways too I think.
Interesting essay on "What does it mean to return to a land you are supposed to belong to as a descendant but in which you are functionally a foreigner?"—
https://aeon.co/essays/i-migrated-to-my-ancestral-homeland-in-a-search-for-identity
Thanks for the article. It was interesting that the writer created all those special categories for reverse immigrants. Culturally the world is probably more mixed up than ever and mono-cultures are rarer (though there are still quite a few!) I've lived as a literal foreigner, with a job and rent to pay, etc., for a couple of stretches of my life and in my experience language fluency trumps ethnicity when it comes to fitting in. (I'm responding to your article now, not my story). My story wasn't really meant to be about those sorts everyday immigration struggles though I suppose that can be one way to look at it.
I just thought that article was interesting tangentially. Your story just reminded me of having read it a week prior. I forgot to mention that I really enjoyed your story. Also, I find that what you said about language fluency trumping ethnicity is 100% true.