According to wikipedia
“An
expatriate (in abbreviated form,
expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence. The word comes from the Latin
ex (out of) and the Greek and Latin
patria (πατριά - country)...
”
Another sort-of-definition comes from English, where these people are often termed the “When I” s, or “When we”s, as they are accused of starting conversations by saying “When I was (for example) in Bordeaux” or “When we were (for example) in Paris”. This is already something that we are all (I mean all the authors of this blog) knee-deep in, aren’t we ?
To me it is reassuring to become an outsider officially: someone who tries her best to adapt and feel at home in the new place but cannot be accused of anything if she fails in some respects. (You would never ever be excused in your homeland.) To me this is an experience that teaches you that the “warmth of the nest” is an illusion ; getting rid of your problems is not a matter of distance; feeling great right where you are is nothing else but a mental challenge and home is where you want it be, etc. That’s why I will probably always remain an expat and probably will never mind. Will you ever?
6 comments:
I'm in that not knee- but neck-deep. Sometimes I can't stand myself for telling all these hundred years-old stories but I miss those moments so much!
So I am an expat, OK. Nice to have names for everything. It's even nicer that you get a bunch of habits and features typical to your category, so you don't have to struggle inventing them yourself.
I learned that dinkies are also existing. What's more, I am one of them.
I learned about my habits and personality and also my socio-economical circumstances what led me to become a dinky. Good to know.
We, dinkies, don't have our paper yet, but now that I think about, I might start one.
This case I can tell the others how they should feel and behave. That worths the effort, doesn't it?
:)
hey there,
what about those of us who feel like "official outsiders" in our own country? are we still ex-pats??
i love your statement that "feeling great where you are is a mental challenge." so true!
Expat.
Yes, of course.
BUT: feeling home for me means the circumstances. Standing at the phone box of Zalaövő, talking with San Fransisco was home.
Cap Ferret was home. Paris was home. Because I felt relaxed and accepted.
We are conditioned to connect this emotional state with a flat. Which is not bad, if it has the effect later as well ...
"Dinky can be the definition of one's penis or vulva in a childish manner. Either used as an adjective or an insult towards the type of penis you have. - "A Child's one"
Adjective
1. (informal) Tiny; small and charmful
2. small and cute
Acronym
1. (of a relationship) double income, no kids yet.
I am guessing it is the last one? :-D
On a more serious tone: nanaimo, are you aware that NEITHER of us will be able to publish in your newspaper??? So sad...But at least, we won't have to behave like you tell us! :-p
Dear beansoup, you know that to me you are more French than anything else? Quite normal that you feel an expat! Maybe we could establish a category (just to please nanaimo) say, how do you like "mental expat"?
To me home is where I can go out and have a drink with someone I like having a drink with, any time. That's why Brussels is no home yet. Or not always.
"Mental expat" is brilliant, lynx. But I always feel like an ex-pat, no matter where I am, and always have, so maybe for me the term is meaningless. How about, instead of "ex-pat" I refer to myself as a "resident of nowhere-in-particular?" I wonder how this would impact my taxes.
Thanks for the French comment, though. I was quite pleased!
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