Temporary TCKid Home

 

Hi there!

My Name is Anna. I am new in this communitiy and I would like to ask you for kindly supporting my study.

I would be very very happy, if the german speeking users of this community would fill in the questionnaire of my study. The participants should be in the age-range of 14 to 24 years.

I am interested in finding out, how Teens and Young adults use Internet to cope with the new situation connected with moving house.

 

Onlinelink:

http://ww3.unipark.de/uc/hh_fak4_anagel/3293/

I would be really really happy for your interest and participation. Thanks in advance.

Today, we went to the Highland Gathering in the suburb of Kelmscott, in the city of Armadale.

As the name implies, it is a celebration of all things Scottish! We didn’t know what to expect but figured it would be a fun day out. We arranged to go there with 2 families from my son’s school.

We were pleasantly surprised at all the effort the town went through to put together this event. Bagpipes, Highland dances, ceilidh, the tossing of the caber, strong man competition, live celtic music, a kids corner where they go to try out sword fighting and fencing, a medieval fair, tasty food and a lot of fantastic Scottish goods, arts and crafts and all kinds of paraphernalia.

Best of all, it’s free!!

For those sporty types, there is also a kilt run!!

So many people turned up in their best Scottish gear, and most of the performers tried to put on their best Scottish accent.

We had a complete blast, despite the unbearable heat. Our 5-year old became over tired and grumpy around 3.30pm so we had to cut the trip shorter than we liked.

We’re not sure if this event takes place every year but if it’s on next year, we are definitely going to go again!

“Don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if it means standing alone” -unknown

This has been something that I have struggled with throughout my time here in Ireland, and to be perfectly honest, it’s something that I have failed at as well. When my parents and I first moved to Dublin in 2010, I fought very strongly for my faith, even to the point of losing friends. I thought that I had support in my beliefs, but unfortunately found that the support was few and far between. That hit me hard, and it hurt like hell. Over the next couple of years, I struggled with my faith, and struggled with what I believed in. It wasn’t easy, and I made a lot of mistakes I wish I could take back; mistakes that I still struggle with to this day. In the beginning of my Freshman year, a lot had been happening, and it all boiled over. I basically renounced my faith, and for a while I didn’t know if there was even a God. I did what I wanted to do, when I wanted to, with whomever I wanted to. Now, I wish I could take it back. It was probably the darkest few months of my life, and I wish they had never happened. Though I still struggle from time to time, I now feel confident in my faith. I know that there IS a God, and I know he cares and loves me more than I could ever imagine. I don’t feel like I need a hundred people to help me stand up for what I believe in. I know that sometimes I will be standing alone, but I know that I won’t be alone. God with be with me forever and always, and it is a comfort to know that.

I challenge you that you will remember that God will always be with you, to support you and care for you. Know that if you stand alone, you are all the more strong, for you are making a stand that others are too afraid to do. Take comfort, and stand for what you believe in.  -moses

We were told that Aussies didn’t really celebrate Halloween, so my son’s school organized a “trunk or treat” which entailed parents volunteering the trunks of their cars, decorating them with Halloween paraphernalia, parking them all nicely in a row, so the kids could go “trick or treating” at each car like they would have in a neighbourhood.

So, off we went!

I have to say I was really impressed at the great lengths and efforts these parents went to! I had been thinking about volunteering but I could not have pulled it off like they did. They were amazing!!

The kids had a great day (how hard can it be when you’re shoving all the candy you can possibly eat down your throat?) and we were able to meet and socialize with some of the families a bit more.

One thing I did learn later on however, was this: some Australians do celebrate Halloween. In fact, we drove through suburbs where the houses had Halloween decor outside their homes – a clear sign that they were welcoming trick or treaters. And if that weren’t enough, we actually saw kids dressed up and walking around their neighbourhoods… I don’t think they were doing it for kicks!

Some areas of Scarborough and City Beach seemed more Halloween-willing. My husband also said that his work colleagues, who all live quite south, had told him that Halloween was big in their suburbs and they were leaving work early to get the house ready (and their children) for trick or treaters.

Our suburb was completely quiet unfortunately! We knew we wouldn’t be getting any trick or treaters this year, so we didn’t bother doing much. However, even in those suburbs, the local small shopping centres arranged a trick or treat event within their shops. Our local shopping centre sweetly had all the retailers dress up and set up their shops in such a way so kids could trick or treat the retailers. And there were kids trick or treating the shop owners on October 31st. It was really cute!

The school’s Trunk or Treat was fantastic! And then af ew days later, on actual Halloween’s Eve, we went to a friend’s house, so the kids got to dress up all over again and enjoy eating lots of sugar!

I think next year we’ll make more of an effort… and who knows… we might be living in a suburb that makes a big deal of Halloween.

And a Blessed Samhain to all!

Trunk decorations

OK, so I’m not Canadian, but when I lived there I loved their Thanksgiving tradition, and it’s one of the many things about Canadian culture that I took with me when I left.

With a family of my own now I felt it was important to instill a sense of gratitude in my children. Unfortunately, we are not grateful for things we have every single day of our life, so having a dedicated day, once a year, is not a bad thing is it!

We’ve been celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving for a few years now anyway. The kids are getting older and they are remembering it more and more, and best of all, they are able to take part in it (well, at least my 5-year old can…)

We started the day by going to the beach and spent the morning there. We made a picnic and just enjoyed being in the warm (but cold winded!) sunshine.

 In the afternoon, we were home and started preparing our Thanksgiving feast… I use the term “feast” very loosely here!

As Thanksgiving is traditionally a ‘winter’ celebration, it was hard to find the right ingredients in an Australian Spring/Summer, so we had to modify a few things!

We served a big roast chicken, instead of turkey, maple-syrup glazed carrots, potatoes roasted to perfection, and some other vegetables (like peas, which the kids like). Sadly, no pumpkin pie!

maple syrup glazed carrots!

The best part was how my son understood the concept of giving thanks, and at the table he said thanks to the food that we made and for his family whom he loved (aaaaaaawwwwwwhhh!!!!!!)

image: http://www.good.is/posts/what-is-canadian-thanksgiving-anyway

I am working on a project in my university to raise awareness about TCKs. I’ll be done this week and hopefully if it is good enough I can post it here. Working on this project has proven to be therapeutic at times when I feel like I don’t belong (you know, when it creeps up on you in the form of anxiety?)~~~

Wish me luck my TCKs!
xx, 

Me.

I remember when I was fifteen or so, I first described myself as spilled marbles. It was true. I felt called in many directions, none to which I belonged apparently, or seemed to belong. 

I remember when I was lied to, or used as a pawn because my decisions were made for me. I wanted to stay in Mexico, but we moved. I wanted to grow up with my father, as any child would, and we were separated. I didn’t want him to be my stepfather, but they were married behind my back. Once I was a young adult, I wanted to be heard, but I was lied to as well and told only half the truth in exchange for things I saw little value in. No matter how loud I shouted, nobody understood. They just kept choosing what was “best” in their own world of who they were, which I did not fit. Seldom have people asked me, “What do YOU want, and why? Let’s see if we can make that work.” Now when things like this ARE said to me, I don’t believe it. It’s too late. What do they want from me? is what I think.

From what I have read from different sociology journal, TCKs tend have strong support from their parents (that’s more than one person) and the organizations that the parents belong to. I don’t think that applies to me at all. I get support only when I “succumb” to what they think is right for me which in the end I don’t see through because I know it is not right. 

As a TCK, or maybe just as a person, I have so many trust issues. Like the text above, I try to explain and understand why it is that I have become that way, but I don’t truly come to any one conclusion. I only know that I do not trust my peers. It makes me wonder how I will ever get married and raise a family if I can not trust fully. Without trust, fear thrives. There are times when I am so fearful, I cannot move; I am so untrusting of someone that I cannot function. I am convinced that I have been lied to, or something underhanded has happened.

What is it? It may or may not be related to my circumstances. I don’t know. At the end of the day, I’m just left confused, just like spilled marbles.

Once again the internet has helped me find some research on third culture kids. This time it is a thesis on the subject “Third Route Kids: A New Way of Conceptualizing the Adult Third Culture Kid Experience” by Tamara Lynn Williams at the University of British Columbia (February 2013).

I want to quote part of her research. I know she writes specifically about the therapeutic setting but there are some great themes here: third culture kids as hidden immigrants, fitting in to the dominant group, silencing their voices, and not telling their stories.

I wonder what your views are on this topic I would love to hear them! click here to the post on the DrieCulturen blog.

I only learned of the term TCK this year and I can’t express how excited I was to know that there were others like me. I’m not a missionary kid. I’m not a military brat. I’m biracial. I’m half Mexican, and half Mongolian. Two cultures at opposite sides of the world, err, my upbringing was a bit rocky indeed. And I could go on endlessly about my views on how my upbringing has positively and negatively affected my psychology, my way of thinking, reasoning, and feeling. It’s fascinating, sometimes depressing and sometimes equally as exciting. 

My parents met in Russia and had me, so my first language was Russian, but I don’t speak it anymore. My years in Russia were few, if not a couple. I’m seen as Mongolian by my Mongolian peers- like an out of place Mongolian I suppose. That’s the impression most of them give me, anyway. In Mexico, they love me either way, but I’m the “Chinita” Mexican with brown skin. I really like my brown skin. 

I speak Spanish, Mongolian and English. Languages fascinate me, and the languages I already speak fascinate me just as much as the ones I don’t speak. I don’t know about you guys, but when I speak Mongolian, my attitude toward life changes. When I speak Spanish, it changes again. When I speak English, it changes yet again. Languages seem to give us a different personality. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Sometimes I feel marginalized and then sometimes I feel really special about who I am. Usually when I feel marginalized is when I want to fit in with people who I cannot relate to and vice versa. When I feel special about who I am is when I read about people like us with, say, a special “calling” and “birthright”. We shouldn’t forget that we are really special. It gets very, very lonely, but maybe that’s part of the package. Aren’t all superheroes kind of lonely anyway? Like the XMen, Superman, etc?

I’m happy to be here, in any case :) 
To explore, read, understand, relate, and connect. 

Yeah go ahead, you can be a little jealous…. we went. We went to the Singapore Grand Prix!

So there are some perks to living on the other side of the world after all! And having a brother-in-law who lives in Singapore is also one of them.

We took a long weekend to Singapore to have a much needed break, some alone time as a couple, and to see friends and family there. Oh, and of course, watch and hear powerful engine revving all day and night long!

The view from my brother-in-law’s apartment

 We went to Sentosa….

To continue reading, please visit Singapore Grand Prix at Cross Cultural TCK’s blog. Thanks!