– After traveling some of the world and living a few different places. This is my experience of the feeling of home and belonging*:
* I do feel at home with my parents, make no mistake, but the world is bigger than the three of us.
New York – Without a doubt, New York is THE melting pot of the world. People from all over, speaking in different accents, wearing different styles and attitudes all come together as one: The New Yorker!
No one ever asked me, where I was from. I never had to explain my accent or look – everyone just took me for being from New York. It was the first time in my life, I wasn’t met with the: ‘Where are you from?’
Bangkok, Thailand – First country I visited, where I blended in. Even the Thai’s all thought I was half thai/ half chinese/ japanese/ korean, and I didn’t speak the language, I felt strangely at ease with everyone having black hair and brown narrow eyes. It didn’t feel like looking in the mirror – cause believe it or not, not ALL Asians looks the same. But it was my first time in an asian country and it felt good.
Seoul, Korea – First time back in my home country. Strange feeling of being home, and yet not home. Unlike Thailand, I could sometimes see myself in some of the women I met in Korea. A strange sensation of belonging and yet a harsh dose of ‘You’re not one of us’. Aside from the language – which I unfortunately don’t speak – there were several culture gaps that made it plain as day, I was not a ‘real korean’. I’m not a docile, quiet, servant disguised as a woman, and it showed through. From the way I moved to the things I did.
I found myself feeling at home, but as the black sheep of the family. The outcast daughter. The alienated sister – but it was a kind of home, that can only be found, when your surroundings look like you. All advertising, media, celebrities, movie and rock stars looks like you – You’re home.
London – After living in Ireland (which is also an English-speaking country – sort of anyway – when you get past the accent), London feel so much more like home. Like in New York, here is people from all over the world. Nobody is looking twice at me and wondering where I’m from or making conversation extremely difficult, because they’ve decided before I even open my mouth, that they wouldn’t understand a word anyway (Happenend several times in Ireland). If it weren’t for the posh English accent, I might even go for a born and bred Londoner.
If you wondering why I only used the city names after NY and London, it’s because I’m not certain my experience of home, would be the same if I had lived in Milwaukee or Somerset. In both Thailand and Korea, I would however be fairly certain I would keep finding myself surrounded by asian looking people – except some very touristy places like Phuket.
LondonGook 