Nostalgia

I'm in such a nostalgic mood at the moment. It's crazy: though I don't really have any reason for not liking it here, I am missing India, Singapore, Switzerland and even Hong Kong (which was more than 12 years ago!). I'm glad I have so many good memories, but somehow I just wish I was somewhere else, with other friends. My friends here are great, but I don't see them as often as I saw you guys in Singapore (which was daily), or as often as I saw my students and Cristy in India (which was also daily), or my family in Singapore (which was also daily!)! When we do see each other, it's usually in larger groups, so it's not like I can have a more personal and lengthy conversation with them. I'm really missing some of the conversations I had with my friends in IB! They weren't just about the weather and school worries, but about all sorts of things! And I really miss that Internatinal aspect, too. It's not like people don't recognise my internationality, it's more that they can't relate to it or have conversations about it, and I miss that.
I walked past 2 Filipinos the other day, and when I heard them speaking Tagalog I felt like being in Singapore soo much! I miss being surrounded by people who are not of the same nationality as me (ok, I'm surrounded by Canadians and Americans, but I miss being surrounded by Asians...). Yesterday I talked to a guy from Hong Kong, and afte he found out that I'd lived there for 5 years, he said: 'I can't believe I've found someone who knows what I mean when I say "Causeway Bay"' (That conversation made me miss our HK Junk outings so much!). I guess that's what I miss: being able to say things, and people being able to relate to it and discuss it with me.
You know what's funny? After two months in India, I felt so at home there, I could have been a local. But I've been here for more than 2 months, and I'm still coming to grips with things (like guys actually being interested in me; the different culture - I so have culture shock, and I've never had it this bad before in my life! That tells you just how Asian at heart I am). I don't think I'll ever feel at home here. I feel comfortable here, but I see it as a place I'm going to enjoy for the moment (while I'm here), but when I leave, I won't miss it. I guess that's the interesting part about being a Third Culture Kid. You move around so much, you learn to feel comfortable almost anywhere almost instantly (I felt right at home here in my first week, and ever since then), but you know it's only temporary.
You know, they all say that Canada is so different from the US. OK, some Canadians might not speak as unclearly as some Americans do, and they have their own special phrases (like 'for sure'), and of course, in Quebec there's a French influence, but other than that, I might as well be in the US. I need to start listening to BBC news (not just reading it), because I miss the refreshing British accent, and I'm afraid mine is going to change (though everyone still says I have it). But I've decided that I can't live in North America on a permanent basis (unless I live in Mexico - I could do that!). I probably couldn't live in Europe for more than a few years, either. I think I really need to be in Asia. Of course, things could be so different in a few years, but I hope not, because I do want to live in Asia. I feel out-of-place anywhere else (how ironic).

Yep, that's my life at the moment. That plus much more. :) The written post about Canada that I promised you will hopefully follow soon.
Please leave comments if you want! I'd love to hear from you guys. :)