While listening to the podcast called "Happy Again: The power of expressing your deep emotions" I thought I have to share this on my blog. It has been too quiet on my blog lately. The podcast is produced by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Each week they challenge someone to try a research based practice. This time Sulyman Qardash is challenged to write about his emotions. He is the lead singer in Kabul Dreams, which is the first rock band from Afghanistan. Sulyman was 17 years old when he moved back to Kabul, Afghanistan and started the band. He was a refugee in Uzbekistan before moving back. He grew up as a cross culture kid. His music talks about growing up in Afghanistan. Displacement. The life of a refugee. The current political climate.
In the research based practice Sulyman is challenged to write about his deep emotions. He writes about loss. Listen to the podcast to hear all about it. Sulyman tells about growing up in different places. "My mom always used to say that, don’t don’t get too attached to things because you know that—because she had to be very upfront about that—yeah, you know that we’re gonna leave. That’s something that I was like okay, nothing is permanent for me."
As you know I grew up abroad and moving and loss is something you have to deal with. I noticed similar themes. Growing up in Africa nothing seemed to be permanent for me either.
You can try the expressive writing challenge. I've done it and it has helped me. It is a simple and effective way to work through an emotional challenge. I would love to hear your thoughts on the expressive writing challenge or about the podcast.
Showing posts with label CCKs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CCKs. Show all posts
Friday, 31 May 2019
Wednesday, 10 August 2016
Q & A with Tanya Crossman author of the book "Misunderstood" The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century
As you probably know I love books and especially on the topic of growing up abroad. I am pleased to announce that a new book on the topic is about to be released and the author Tanya Crossman has agreed to answer some questions specially for you. Thank you Tanya! By the way if you want to know what children or young people say about growing up abroad then you have to read this book. Now over to Tanya.
- Please tell us about your book “Misunderstood”. Tell us about how you were inspired to write the book? I spent a decade mentoring TCKs (third culture kids), listening to them and learning how they felt about life. Parents began to ask my advice, and I saw lightbulb moments as they saw their children's situation in a new light. When asked for resources I pointed to lots of great books, but couldn't find anything that did what I did – stand in the gap, and explain the TCK perspective. That is what Misunderstood does: explain how international life affects a child, often in their own words (I interviewed nearly 300 TCKs for the book, plus conducted a survey of 750 TCKs). Misunderstood shows TCKs they are not alone, and helps those who care about them provide more support and understanding.
- What is the most important message you have for parents of TCKs? What would you like to say to every TCK?
Being a TCK isn't a bad thing!! Over 80% of the TCKs I surveyed for Misunderstood were glad for their experience, and only 2% would take it back if they could. But TCKs do have a different experience of the world to their parents, and understanding that experience is essential for supporting TCKs well. - Many people want to write a book someday, but you did it! What was the key to success?
The key to my success has been other people! Wise people I listened to, leading me in directions I would not have gone alone. A mentor read my first attempt and told me I could do much better – that I needed to put my passion in it. A close friend approached me about having my book published professionally, and did the work to make that happen. Then the team at Summertime Publishing helped make Misunderstood better. - What's your advice for other TCKs or anyone wanting to write a book?
Know why you want to write – what do you care about, and why does it matter? What gap exists that you want to fill? Find anything similar out there, read it well and work out if you have something new and different to say. Secondly, benefit from the experience of others. Cultivate relationships with people who challenge you with wise advice – then listen to them, even when it's hard. - In which countries did you live as a child and what age were you at the time?
I grew up in my passport country (Australia) but also lived in the US from age 13-15, with my parents and my two younger sisters. As an adult I lived in China for over ten years and also spent a lot of time in Cambodia. - What was the reason that you were living abroad? If it was work, what kind of work did your parents do?
My father worked for a multinational technology company. When he was assigned to work in the US for two years, our whole family went along. We lived immersed in the local life (local schools, etc.) but we all found a cross-cultural friend or two. - What did you most like about living abroad as a young person?
I enjoyed engaging with a new physical environment. The houses, food, trees, birds, animals, and seasons were all different. I hoarded new sensory experiences – the crunch under my feet walking across our frozen yard in winter, the soft twilight in summer, the bouncing tails of squirrels – and filled myself up with them. - What was most difficult?
Learning new cultural norms (especially when people didn't think of me as coming from a different culture) was really hard. Simply existing outside my house was tiring! I didn't have words to express the difficulties I experienced, so I had an unhelpful tendency to blame my frustrations on the entire country. It took me years to unravel my feelings. Now I'm very thankful for my time in the US, even though it was hard. - How did living abroad influence your choice of career or study?
I think it showed me there's a whole world of opportunity out there, and not to limit myself to what is “normal” in Australia. - Which languages do you speak? Do you have advice on learning languages for families living abroad now?
English is my native language, and I am fluent in Mandarin Chinese. I've forgotten most of the other 10 languages I've studied, but I have basic survival skills in Khmer, Thai, and Indonesian. My biggest piece of advice is to embrace your ignorance – give it a go knowing it won't be perfect, and be humble about your lack of perfection. Another thing that helped me was watching and listening to native speakers doing life – by copying them I picked up the language as it's actually used, rather than stiffly repeating what I'd read in textbooks. - When and where did you first hear of the term “Third Culture Kid” (TCK)? How did you hear of it and in which way did it help you?
When I first started working with TCKs I didn't know that there was such a thing as a TCK! I quickly realised there was something different about these kids due to their unique situations, but it was still two or three years before I started reading literature on the topic. David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken's classic “Growing up among worlds” was eye-opening. What really struck me was the section on repatriation – I kept thinking “that's me!” For the first time I realised my time in the US was a TCK experience. It helped me understand why it had been so hard to “go home”. - How was it to return to your “home country” (passport country)?
HARD. Both times. When I left the US at age 15 I was excited to “go home and be normal”. I was stunned to discover that although in the US I stood out as Australian, to Australians I sounded American. It was quite a letdown. It took less than a year to re-acclimatise but it was still a significant experience. When I moved to Australia 18 months ago after 11 years in Asia as an adult, I was more prepared for what repatriation might be like, and blogging about the process was really helpful for me. The funny thing is that this time I found it comforting when people thought my accent didn't quite sound Australian! - With which countries do you feel a bond? Where's home?
Ah, always a tricky question! I am definitely Australian – it 's an important part of my identity – but Australia doesn't really feel like “home” anymore. Beijing feels like home – but I have no family there and no legal right to be there, so I don't feel like I'm “allowed” to call it home. I guess neither one is completely home – so the Third Culture is very important to me!
Thank you once again Tanya for answering these questions but in the first place for writing the book. You can visit Tanya's website for more information. Tanya is on twitter @TanyaTCK and on Facebook at MisunderstoodTCK. You can preorder the book Misunderstood on Amazon, for more preorder options click here. We will be doing a giveaway of the book soon, so come back and check the blog for more information. What questions would you like to ask Tanya?
Related posts:
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Ruth van Reken speaks on the Impact of Growing up in a Globalized World
Two years ago I had the privilege of meeting and hearing Ruth van Reken speak at the Euro TCK conference in Germany. Ruth van Reken is co-author of the book Third Culture Kids Growing up Among Worlds. You should hear her too.
In this short video Ruth explains what third culture kids are and what cross-cultural kids are, she shares her personal story. She encourages parents who are raising kids cross-culturally to make sure that they know how to prepare their children for their transitions. It's so important to say goodbye appropriately. This TedxINSEAD talk was given in May 2015.
There are challenges for children that grow up cross culturally. The 2 main issues are:
In this short video Ruth explains what third culture kids are and what cross-cultural kids are, she shares her personal story. She encourages parents who are raising kids cross-culturally to make sure that they know how to prepare their children for their transitions. It's so important to say goodbye appropriately. This TedxINSEAD talk was given in May 2015.
There are challenges for children that grow up cross culturally. The 2 main issues are:
- Identity: Who am I? Where do I belong? Where am I from?
- Unresolved Grief: this can be a result of all the invisible losses, called "hidden losses". With one plane ride the whole world as the child knew changes. These are the kind of losses there are:
- loss of their world
- loss of status
- loss of lifestyle
- loss of possessions (it can be a bicycle, toys, tree houses, pets)
- loss of role models
- loss of system identity
- loss of the past that was/ or wasn't
Parents should not just tell their children how great it will be in the next country, but they should take a minute and say "I understand", it's hard to leave and say goodbye. They should validate the emotions their children feel.
Recently there was an interesting discussion on Goodreads on the topic of unresolved grief. Lois Bushong was the facilitator of the discussion.
What can we do with the grief? Some people use journalling, music or painting. It can help to talk to a friend about it. Others talk to a therapist. If you need a therapist you could check the International Therapist Directory.
In the talk Ruth poses the following question: How can we help people to use the incredible riches of their childhood? She suggests the following:
- Normalize the story
- Celebrate the both/ and's (celebrate the positive and acknowledge the challenges)
- Identify/mourn the hidden losses
- Re-define identity (can we be international?)
- Establish portable roots
- Recognize marketable gifts (like language, cross-cultural adaptability)
I recently wrote a guest post on MaDonna's blog called Raising TCKs. In it I share my personal story of leaving the African nest, leaving Zimbabwe to go to university in the Netherlands. With one plane ride my whole world changed drastically.
Did you grow up cross-culturally? Did you celebrate the good things and acknowledge the challenges? Please share your story or your advice. I would love to hear from you.
Related links:
- 14 Ways to embrace your global identity by Tayo Rockson (HuffingtonPost)
- My 10 disadvantages of growing up cross-culturally DrieCulturen
- Meet More Third Culture Kids (uydmag.com)
- Transtioning Globally to university guestblog (DjiboutiJones)
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Easter twitter update all about kids growing up in other cultures
My last twitter update was in March 2012 so it's time to keep you posted with some nice new links. I always hope that you find new interesting information here on this blog and that it motivates you to return again some time soon. If you follow me on twitter @DrieCulturen you will get the news faster of course. By the way it's colder here in the Netherlands than it was at Christmas last year. There was snow at Easter, so now I am dreaming of the warm sun in Indonesia.
Sharing 10 great links with you:
Photo by Janneke @DrieCulturen
Sharing 10 great links with you:
- 10 Things Expats Raising Children in England should know by Bonnie Rose, who is an expat living in England, she grew up a third culture kid living on military bases.
- New: third culture kids Linda and Cassandra tell about what it's like to grow up in Jakarta, Indonesia
Dreaming of Indonesia and the warm sun “Lucky!”... http://bit.ly/XR1Tf7 "It is difficult being a third culture kid but we would not trade the life we have lived, as it is unique." - 15 Things I want to tell my Third Culture Kids by Rachel Pieh Jones. A post written by an expat mum raising her kids abroad. This post has been shared many times on twitter since it was posted. It's worth reading.
- Insightful article in the Copenhagen Post today about "Growing up half-Danish: A tale of Two Cultures" http://bit.ly/XmNETz
- Gr8 challenge by
@expatyouth for expat kids betw13-18 yrs Make a video: How you will make a better world... http://t.co/ZHE2bhDHmv - Inspiring! Write your way to a happier & healthier you by
@RawiaLiverpool http://t.co/JHQPXArX0Y Good idea for expats and TCKs - So true "when ripe you can smell it from a distance....guavas!" http://t.co/MM5i7bhBU9 Brings back memories of growing up in Africa
- Where are you from? Third Culture Kids delve into complex answers at Clark University conference.. http://tinyurl.com/c3sboxp
- Knowing yr family narrative shown to be gr8 predictor of resilience. Super advice 4 our expat kids! http://tinyurl.com/d2jrqd3
- Linda @in_expatland Attended Families in Global Transition conference & came away INSPIRED http://wp.me/p1iIk2-n3 Top 10 Reasons Why FIGT Rocked
Photo by Janneke @DrieCulturen
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
A Christmas Giveaway "Fly Away Home"
Maggie Mykleburst is the author of the book "Fly Away Home". It's actually a great title for a giveaway at this time of year. Isn't it what we all want to do at Christmas: fly home! Sometimes the question is where's home? Maggie was born and raised on the Jersey Shore. She is married to a Norwegian and they have lived as expats
in Houston and the Netherlands.
The giveaway is a signed copy of Maggie's book, it will be send to you.Thank you so much Maggie for providing the giveaway and for answering my questions. I really enjoyed reading the answers, I hope you do too. To enter the giveaway leave a comment at the end of this post before the 31st of December 2012. I will draw a name from a hat and publish the name of the winner here on the blog on the 31st. The competition is closed now.
What was the reason that you were living abroad?
I’m actually still living abroad. I was born in the US and moved to Norway with my three children in 1988. I married a Norwegian and had two more children. My husbands job took us to Houston in 2005, where I became an expat in my own country. In 2007 we moved to the Netherlands, in 2010 we returned Norway.
Please tell us about your book "Fly Away Home".
Fly Away home is a memoir of my life. It starts before I was born, with my grandmother’s struggle to leave Norway and move to America. Years later, in a cruel twist of fate, I was forced to flee America with three young children and relocate in Norway. The story continues as I strive to find identity, happiness and love.
What inspired you to write your book?
I was inspired by the need to tell my side of what is at times, a very complicated story. To explain to my children and to future generations of my family the decisions I made, and why I made them.
Many people want to write a book someday, but you did it! Who was your inspiration and what was the key to your success?
It started with scrapbooking, putting the events of my life together with pictures. I wasn’t a writer, but I knew I had a story to tell. Then while living in the Netherlands, I attended a ‘Write Your Life Stories’ class, which definitely helped put me on course.
What's your advice for other people or third culture kids wanting to write a book?
Don’t pressure yourself. Make an outline of your story and then take it one chapter at a time. You’ll be surprised how memories come flooding back. I had to keep a pad and pencil with me at all times.(If you don’t write things down on the spot, there’s a good chance they’ll disappear) Don’t get yourself tied up with trying to write like a professional, let it flow naturally. Later, a good editor can help you polish it up and it’s not as hard as you think to self publish.
Do you have any interesting new projects and the moment?
I’m taking an advanced writing class in Norwegian, who knows maybe someday I’ll be able to translate my own book into another language. (Big dream)
What did you most like about living abroad?
What was most difficult?
I’ll start with the most difficult... Learning to talk Norwegian! I only lived in the Netherlands for three years and didn’t feel the need to learn the language. But I’ve made Norway my home and my husband is Norwegian, so learning the language was a must.
What I like most about living abroad is all the new people I’ve met and the different experiences I’ve had.
How did living abroad influence your choice of career or study?
There would most likely be no book if I had not left America, since my book is mostly about having to start over. I probably wouldn’t have studied Norwegian either.
You parented cross-culture kids, what was that like?
After moving to Norway in 1988, my three older children had to spend summers in America with their father and that was hard. Two of those children moved back to America after finishing school, so now I have children in two countries. MY two youngest children were born in Norway, but after living in the Netherlands for three years they had difficulties readjusting to the move home. All of my children like to travel, they have compassion for others, an interest that extends beyond borders and a variety of friends from different cultures. I’m proud to be the mother of five, cross-culture kids.
Which languages do you speak? Do you have advice on learning languages for families living abroad now?
I speak English, Norwegian and can read a Dutch menu (hehe). If you’re living in a country temporarily and have the time, its always good to learn a new language. If you’ve made a new country your permanent home, then in order to fit in, I think it’s important to learn the language.
Do you have advice for families with children making international moves?
Listen and be supportive, but chances are they’ll adjust to their new surroundings faster than you. Mine went to school, joined sports and made new friends before I knew my way around the grocery store.
When and where did you first hear of the term “third culture kid (TCK)? How did you hear of it?
My children had very little trouble adjusting to living abroad, the problem for us came when it was time to move home again. They didn’t want to leave their ‘new’ life. It broke my heart when my son told me he no longer felt like a Norwegian or an American and that his ‘home’ was in the Netherlands. In looking for information to help, I came across the phrase ‘third culture kid‘ and was amazed by what I’d read. My son still refers to himself as a citizen of the world instead of a Norwegian or an American.
Do you have advice for TCKs or adult third culture kids (ATCKs
Although I think its great to consider yourself a citizen of the world, I still think its important to know where you come from. To feel a sense of pride and belonging to your passport country.
What characteristics have you developed or do you think you have developed due to living abroad?
Living and traveling far from home has definitely made me more adventurous and self reliant. It has also taught me to be more openminded and respectful of people from other cultures.
How was it to return to your “home country”?
This is a tricky question for me to answer. Although I’m American and proud of it, Norway is my home country now. Its where my house is, its where I live and it felt good to return.
With which countries do you feel a bond? Where’s home?
I feel a bond with the Netherlands, I will always be an American and Norway is my home.
Seeing as you lived in the Netherlands too: what is your funniest memory of the Netherlands? Anything you miss from here?
The first week we were there I was tired, cold (we had just come from Texas) and confused (didn’t know my way around or anything about Holland). With our kitchen supplies still in boxes, we took the children to McDonalds for dinner one evening. After receiving our order and finding a table, we started to eat. Realizing the girl had forgotten to give us ketchup and not seeing a self serve station, I went back and asked for some.
Me: “Could I have some ketchup, please?”
Her: “How many packets would you like?”
Me: “I don’t know, just give me a handful.”
Her: “Okay, that will be two euro’s please.”
Me: “What?! I have to pay for Ketchup?!”
Her: “Yes, 25 cents each.”
I paid the girl, went back to our table and start yelling at my husband (like a loud American) “Can you believe I had to pay for Ketchup? I’ve never paid for a ketchup packet before. What kind of country is this?!”
What I miss most about the Netherlands is riding my bike everywhere (here in Norway there are few bike paths and lots of mountains). I also miss buying fresh cut flowers every week (here in Norway flowers are mostly imported and therefore expensive). I miss the tulip fields in the spring and the park (De Horsten) which was directly across the street from where we lived. I miss shopping in the Hague, the market in Leiden, the beach in Scheveningen and the charm of Wassenaar. I miss everything (except paying for ketchup, hehe). Luckily I still have friends there and visit quite often.
Thank you!
If you are interested there is more information on Maggie's website www.flyawayhomebook.com. You can find her on twitter too @flyawayhomebook. The competition is closed. The winner is a Dutch third culture kid living in Norway.
Related Posts
The giveaway is a signed copy of Maggie's book, it will be send to you.Thank you so much Maggie for providing the giveaway and for answering my questions. I really enjoyed reading the answers, I hope you do too. To enter the giveaway leave a comment at the end of this post before the 31st of December 2012. I will draw a name from a hat and publish the name of the winner here on the blog on the 31st. The competition is closed now.
I’m actually still living abroad. I was born in the US and moved to Norway with my three children in 1988. I married a Norwegian and had two more children. My husbands job took us to Houston in 2005, where I became an expat in my own country. In 2007 we moved to the Netherlands, in 2010 we returned Norway.
Please tell us about your book "Fly Away Home".
Fly Away home is a memoir of my life. It starts before I was born, with my grandmother’s struggle to leave Norway and move to America. Years later, in a cruel twist of fate, I was forced to flee America with three young children and relocate in Norway. The story continues as I strive to find identity, happiness and love.
What inspired you to write your book?
I was inspired by the need to tell my side of what is at times, a very complicated story. To explain to my children and to future generations of my family the decisions I made, and why I made them.
Many people want to write a book someday, but you did it! Who was your inspiration and what was the key to your success?
It started with scrapbooking, putting the events of my life together with pictures. I wasn’t a writer, but I knew I had a story to tell. Then while living in the Netherlands, I attended a ‘Write Your Life Stories’ class, which definitely helped put me on course.
What's your advice for other people or third culture kids wanting to write a book?
Don’t pressure yourself. Make an outline of your story and then take it one chapter at a time. You’ll be surprised how memories come flooding back. I had to keep a pad and pencil with me at all times.(If you don’t write things down on the spot, there’s a good chance they’ll disappear) Don’t get yourself tied up with trying to write like a professional, let it flow naturally. Later, a good editor can help you polish it up and it’s not as hard as you think to self publish.
Do you have any interesting new projects and the moment?
I’m taking an advanced writing class in Norwegian, who knows maybe someday I’ll be able to translate my own book into another language. (Big dream)
What did you most like about living abroad?
What was most difficult?
I’ll start with the most difficult... Learning to talk Norwegian! I only lived in the Netherlands for three years and didn’t feel the need to learn the language. But I’ve made Norway my home and my husband is Norwegian, so learning the language was a must.
What I like most about living abroad is all the new people I’ve met and the different experiences I’ve had.
How did living abroad influence your choice of career or study?
There would most likely be no book if I had not left America, since my book is mostly about having to start over. I probably wouldn’t have studied Norwegian either.
You parented cross-culture kids, what was that like?
After moving to Norway in 1988, my three older children had to spend summers in America with their father and that was hard. Two of those children moved back to America after finishing school, so now I have children in two countries. MY two youngest children were born in Norway, but after living in the Netherlands for three years they had difficulties readjusting to the move home. All of my children like to travel, they have compassion for others, an interest that extends beyond borders and a variety of friends from different cultures. I’m proud to be the mother of five, cross-culture kids.
Which languages do you speak? Do you have advice on learning languages for families living abroad now?
I speak English, Norwegian and can read a Dutch menu (hehe). If you’re living in a country temporarily and have the time, its always good to learn a new language. If you’ve made a new country your permanent home, then in order to fit in, I think it’s important to learn the language.
Do you have advice for families with children making international moves?
Listen and be supportive, but chances are they’ll adjust to their new surroundings faster than you. Mine went to school, joined sports and made new friends before I knew my way around the grocery store.
When and where did you first hear of the term “third culture kid (TCK)? How did you hear of it?
My children had very little trouble adjusting to living abroad, the problem for us came when it was time to move home again. They didn’t want to leave their ‘new’ life. It broke my heart when my son told me he no longer felt like a Norwegian or an American and that his ‘home’ was in the Netherlands. In looking for information to help, I came across the phrase ‘third culture kid‘ and was amazed by what I’d read. My son still refers to himself as a citizen of the world instead of a Norwegian or an American.
Do you have advice for TCKs or adult third culture kids (ATCKs
Although I think its great to consider yourself a citizen of the world, I still think its important to know where you come from. To feel a sense of pride and belonging to your passport country.
What characteristics have you developed or do you think you have developed due to living abroad?
Living and traveling far from home has definitely made me more adventurous and self reliant. It has also taught me to be more openminded and respectful of people from other cultures.
How was it to return to your “home country”?
This is a tricky question for me to answer. Although I’m American and proud of it, Norway is my home country now. Its where my house is, its where I live and it felt good to return.
With which countries do you feel a bond? Where’s home?
I feel a bond with the Netherlands, I will always be an American and Norway is my home.
Seeing as you lived in the Netherlands too: what is your funniest memory of the Netherlands? Anything you miss from here?
The first week we were there I was tired, cold (we had just come from Texas) and confused (didn’t know my way around or anything about Holland). With our kitchen supplies still in boxes, we took the children to McDonalds for dinner one evening. After receiving our order and finding a table, we started to eat. Realizing the girl had forgotten to give us ketchup and not seeing a self serve station, I went back and asked for some.
Me: “Could I have some ketchup, please?”
Her: “How many packets would you like?”
Me: “I don’t know, just give me a handful.”
Her: “Okay, that will be two euro’s please.”
Me: “What?! I have to pay for Ketchup?!”
Her: “Yes, 25 cents each.”
I paid the girl, went back to our table and start yelling at my husband (like a loud American) “Can you believe I had to pay for Ketchup? I’ve never paid for a ketchup packet before. What kind of country is this?!”
What I miss most about the Netherlands is riding my bike everywhere (here in Norway there are few bike paths and lots of mountains). I also miss buying fresh cut flowers every week (here in Norway flowers are mostly imported and therefore expensive). I miss the tulip fields in the spring and the park (De Horsten) which was directly across the street from where we lived. I miss shopping in the Hague, the market in Leiden, the beach in Scheveningen and the charm of Wassenaar. I miss everything (except paying for ketchup, hehe). Luckily I still have friends there and visit quite often.
Thank you!
If you are interested there is more information on Maggie's website www.flyawayhomebook.com. You can find her on twitter too @flyawayhomebook. The competition is closed. The winner is a Dutch third culture kid living in Norway.
Related Posts
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Exciting! A Multicultural Children's Story Competition
As you probably know I just love books. I love reading and writing. I really love children's book too. I enjoy reading children's books with our daughter, it's something we do together every day! Here's an interesting article I just found: 10 Reasons Why you should read to your kids. If you don't read books to your own children please start today. It's so important.
Recently I wrote about the the Dutch Children's Book week (Kinderboekenweek 2012). The theme this year was "Hello World". It was all about travel, exploration, discovery and our multicultural society. It's important that children can identify with the stories they hear or read. In our multicultural society our children need to have multicultural books to read. On the InCultureParent's website there is a nice article: 10 Reasons Parents Should Read Multicultural Books to Kids. Here's a quote from the article:
"Ultimately, books that open up the world are essential for a child’s well-balanced reading diet. When children grow up exposed to diverse cultures, people and places, they become much more open to exploring broader possibilities in careers, relationships and decision-making as parents or leaders. Without ignorance and prejudices inhibiting them, they can be prepared for wherever life takes them and whatever life brings."
One initiative that is pushing for a wider range of books for our children wherein the multicultural society is present and where gender is presented in a progressive way, is that of Inclusive Works.
Here's the challenge: write a children's story. The subject of the children's story is "New gender roles in the multicultural society". It's a call to be creative and write an "out of the box" children's story. We all know the stereotype stories about the white little boy who becomes a doctor. It's time for new stories. In this global age there are so many possibilities open for our children, let's write new books full of possibilities.
The Prize: One winner will be chosen for each category. Both stories will be published by Clavis Publishers as illustrated children's book in English and in Dutch.
The competition is open to everyone! Anyone who likes to write stories can participate regardless of age, ability, background, education, language, nationality etc.
There are 2 categories:
Deadline: submit your stories before the 31st of December 2012 email info@inclusiveworks.eu. For more information click here.
The organisers are Febe Support, Inclusive works and the British Council. Thank you for organizing this competition. I hope you receive many entries. I would say this is a great possibility for third culture kids, expats, immigrants, cross culture kids to write a story. We all have experiences that are out of the ordinary.
Some time ago I read this post The Secrets of Writing a Multicultural Children's Book. It's worth checking out the post. It's an interview with Tessa Strickland, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of one of the leading publishers of multicultural books, Barefoot Books.
Why wait any longer. Let's start writing. Do you have any tips more for me? Any advice? Please share it here. The winners of this competition have been announced on 18th March 2013. Congratulations!
Related posts:
Recently I wrote about the the Dutch Children's Book week (Kinderboekenweek 2012). The theme this year was "Hello World". It was all about travel, exploration, discovery and our multicultural society. It's important that children can identify with the stories they hear or read. In our multicultural society our children need to have multicultural books to read. On the InCultureParent's website there is a nice article: 10 Reasons Parents Should Read Multicultural Books to Kids. Here's a quote from the article:
"Ultimately, books that open up the world are essential for a child’s well-balanced reading diet. When children grow up exposed to diverse cultures, people and places, they become much more open to exploring broader possibilities in careers, relationships and decision-making as parents or leaders. Without ignorance and prejudices inhibiting them, they can be prepared for wherever life takes them and whatever life brings."
One initiative that is pushing for a wider range of books for our children wherein the multicultural society is present and where gender is presented in a progressive way, is that of Inclusive Works.
Here's the challenge: write a children's story. The subject of the children's story is "New gender roles in the multicultural society". It's a call to be creative and write an "out of the box" children's story. We all know the stereotype stories about the white little boy who becomes a doctor. It's time for new stories. In this global age there are so many possibilities open for our children, let's write new books full of possibilities.
The Prize: One winner will be chosen for each category. Both stories will be published by Clavis Publishers as illustrated children's book in English and in Dutch.
The competition is open to everyone! Anyone who likes to write stories can participate regardless of age, ability, background, education, language, nationality etc.
There are 2 categories:
- A children's story for children ages 1 - 3 years old. Maximum length of the story for children between 1-3 years: 600 words.
- A children's story for children ages 4 - 6 years old. Maximum length of the story for children between 4-6 years: 1000 words.
Deadline: submit your stories before the 31st of December 2012 email info@inclusiveworks.eu. For more information click here.
The organisers are Febe Support, Inclusive works and the British Council. Thank you for organizing this competition. I hope you receive many entries. I would say this is a great possibility for third culture kids, expats, immigrants, cross culture kids to write a story. We all have experiences that are out of the ordinary.
Some time ago I read this post The Secrets of Writing a Multicultural Children's Book. It's worth checking out the post. It's an interview with Tessa Strickland, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of one of the leading publishers of multicultural books, Barefoot Books.
Why wait any longer. Let's start writing. Do you have any tips more for me? Any advice? Please share it here. The winners of this competition have been announced on 18th March 2013. Congratulations!
Related posts:
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Meet Rebecca, an expat raising trilingual kids in the Netherlands
By chance I met Rebecca. Well actually we met through Marktplaats. It's a website on which one can buy and sell things. I was the buyer. Rebecca comes from Texas, lives in the Netherlands and together with her German-Italian husband she is raising two trilingual daughters here (16 and 14 years old). I would say that her girls are real cross cultural kids. I was interested in her experience. Rebecca writes a blog: http://signalsminusnoise.blogspot.com/
Twenty four years ago Rebecca moved to the Netherlands with her husband. Both her daughters were born here.
Where’s home for your daughters? This question comes up a lot. They have done “Home country”
projects at school. When my youngest daughter had to make a map of her home country city, she did a map about Dusseldorf,
where her grandparents live. When it was a project on the climate of your home country showing rivers etc she
choose to do a map of Texas (so that’s a home too). There is no one answer for kids that
are brought up this way. Home ends up being something you carry in yourself, both girls are at home in Texas, where their cousins, granny, and the lake house are. The Netherlands is home too.
Germany is where the German grandparents and other paternal relatives are so it is home too. We were there every Christmas, Easter and part of every summer. The basement at their grandparents' home was their
playground.
The downside of
it is that they don’t have a fixed home, they don’t have deep cultural ties, they don't have the deep roots
to any of these places, but they do have a connection. My home is Texas. They will
not miss their house in the Netherlands like I miss mine in Texas. If we went to Portugal that would be a
home for them too. In some ways they miss some of that. They will never have
that patriotic aspect. They will never get tears in their eyes with any
national anthem. My husband has a tie to the Germanic culture, it gives him pride in his
country. The girls don't have any of that kind of connection or loyalty, but instead they have flexibility and a less judgmental attitude.
What languages do you speak in the home?
I spoke only English to the children, my husband spoke only German, they were raised in a Dutch creche from 7 months of age. Until the age of 5 the children had
full choice about which language they wanted to answer, it was usually Dutch. Then they were encouraged to speak English back to me, German to to their dad, usually they communicated Dutch
to each other. They were trilingual from the beginning.
They both changed from a Dutch school to an international school when the oldest was 10 years of age. She was furious. Her thought
processes were in Dutch. Understanding English was no problem, input was fine but she had to think
about it in Dutch and translate it to English to answer. It slowly switched over. It's harder for me to switch from one language to the other I make more mistakes.
Do you have some concluding words?
The most
important thing to deal with about third culture kids or cross cultural kids is that there is nothing that
you can do that can make their experience like yours. Be flexible, see what fits
your kids, adapt to what comes a long. For example our daughters celebrated the Indian Diwali festival in the international
school. You may not be able to understand some of the things they are going through but
there are compensations in lots of different ways.
************************************************************************
Thank you Rebecca for sharing your experience. You had so much to tell me so this is just part one and part two will follow soon. We will compare growing up in Texas with growing up in the Netherlands next time.
What's your experience? Where's home for you or for your kids? Do you have experience with raising trilingual kids? Or with raising cross cultural kids? Please share your stories with us.
Related posts:
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Book review of "The Globalisation of Love". There's love in the air, all around the globe.
I heard about the book “The Globalisation of Love” on The Writer’s Abroad Radio show. Jo Parfitt interviewed the author Wendy Williams and my interest was awakened immediately. When I started to think about it, I realized that there are so many people around me in a multicultural relationship (a GloLo relationship as Wendy calls it in the book). I have neighbours, colleagues, family and friends around me in multicultural relationships. Even my own relationship brings together different cultures. The reason I choose to write a review of this book on this blog is that I have a feeling that third culture kids (TCKs) probably have more chance of entering into a GloLo relationship just because they mix with people from lots of different nationalities. Adult third culture kids usually love traveling too, so you have more chance of meeting your sweetheart on the other side of the globe.
The author Wendy Williams lived in 6 different countries and worked internationally for 18 years. Wendy is Canadian and she is married to an Austrian and is living in Vienna. They have an Austro-Canadian daughter.
GloLo couples have to bring together in addition to two personalities (which is already big challenge) their two worlds. In the book Wendy touches on different issues that are all part of a multicultural relationship, for example religion, language, location, food, and children. There is even a separate chapter on the topic of meeting the parents, this event often includes lots of traveling. Wendy has interviewed many multicultural couples and has included many examples and funny illustrations of things these couples differ in. I like all the examples because it makes it easy to relate to the different topics.
The children of GloLo parents are called GloLo children. They could actually be called Cross Cultural Kids, that’s the term introduced by Ruth van Reken.
In the book there are several Top 10 lists, like the Top 10 GloLo celebrity couples (glad to see that our Dutch Prince Willem-Alexander and our Argentinean Princess Maxima are included in the list). There are also Top 10 clues that you have GloLo children.
I can imagine that this book would be really good for couples that are extremely in love (living in the “love bubble”) as well as not so in love and struggling with multicultural issues in their relationship. The book is down to earth and helps you get an idea of what the consequences are of starting a GloLo adventure together. The book gives you “food for thought” while you enjoy reading it. Even parents and other family members of couples in a multicultural relationship should read the book because it will help them to understand the challenges faced.
You know love is in the air and it is all around the globe, so it’s good that there are books like this one.
“There is a world of multicultural romance happening out there and it is all captured in The Globilisation of Love.”
www.globalisationoflove.com
Related posts:
The author Wendy Williams lived in 6 different countries and worked internationally for 18 years. Wendy is Canadian and she is married to an Austrian and is living in Vienna. They have an Austro-Canadian daughter.GloLo couples have to bring together in addition to two personalities (which is already big challenge) their two worlds. In the book Wendy touches on different issues that are all part of a multicultural relationship, for example religion, language, location, food, and children. There is even a separate chapter on the topic of meeting the parents, this event often includes lots of traveling. Wendy has interviewed many multicultural couples and has included many examples and funny illustrations of things these couples differ in. I like all the examples because it makes it easy to relate to the different topics.
The children of GloLo parents are called GloLo children. They could actually be called Cross Cultural Kids, that’s the term introduced by Ruth van Reken.
In the book there are several Top 10 lists, like the Top 10 GloLo celebrity couples (glad to see that our Dutch Prince Willem-Alexander and our Argentinean Princess Maxima are included in the list). There are also Top 10 clues that you have GloLo children.
I can imagine that this book would be really good for couples that are extremely in love (living in the “love bubble”) as well as not so in love and struggling with multicultural issues in their relationship. The book is down to earth and helps you get an idea of what the consequences are of starting a GloLo adventure together. The book gives you “food for thought” while you enjoy reading it. Even parents and other family members of couples in a multicultural relationship should read the book because it will help them to understand the challenges faced.
You know love is in the air and it is all around the globe, so it’s good that there are books like this one.
“There is a world of multicultural romance happening out there and it is all captured in The Globilisation of Love.”
www.globalisationoflove.com
Related posts:
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Veelkleurig Nederland
Wist je dat Nederland nog nooit zo veelkleurig geweest is als nu. Dat hoorde ik in Het Klokhuis op donderdag 10 november 2011. Er leven in Nederland ongeveer 190 verschillende nationaliteiten naast en door elkaar heen. De klokhuispresentatoren Dolores en Mustafa leggen samen met hun ouders uit hoe Nederland zo veelkleurig geworden is. De ouders van Dolores zijn uit Suriname gekomen en de ouders van Mustafa destijds uit Marokko. Het is een leuke uitzending om te bekijken.
Kijk hier naar: Het Klokhuis, uitzending Veelkleurig Nederland
In 2007 was Amsterdam de meest multiculturele stad ter wereld. Of het nu nog steeds zo is kan ik niet goed terugvinden maar volgens mij is het wel zo.
De top 3 multiculturele steden van de wereld zijn:
De top 5 talen in de steden in Nederland zijn:
Het leuke van third culture kids (zoals ik ben), wij zijn niet bang van de veelklerigheid van Nederland. Wij zijn gewend om mensen van verschillende nationaliteiten om ons heen te hebben. Ik geniet ervan.
Ook worstelen wij als TCKs met soortgelijke zaken als immigranten. Dit gedicht genoemd "Gevangen tussen twee culturen" sprak mij erg aan. Hier ook een gedicht van een Nederlandse TCK "Wortels".
Hoe kijk jij als third culture kid naar de veelkleurigheid van Nederland? Wat vind jij ervan?
Kijk hier naar: Het Klokhuis, uitzending Veelkleurig Nederland
 |
| by J.Durham Morguefile |
De top 3 multiculturele steden van de wereld zijn:
- Amsterdam met 178 nationaliteiten in één stad in 2010
- Antwerpen, België met 164 nationaliteiten in 2007
- New York, U.S.A. met 150 nationaliteiten in 2007
- Marokkaans
- Turks
- Brits
- Duits
- Surinaams
De top 5 talen in de steden in Nederland zijn:
- Turks
- Hindi
- Arabisch
- Engels
- Berber
Het leuke van third culture kids (zoals ik ben), wij zijn niet bang van de veelklerigheid van Nederland. Wij zijn gewend om mensen van verschillende nationaliteiten om ons heen te hebben. Ik geniet ervan.
Ook worstelen wij als TCKs met soortgelijke zaken als immigranten. Dit gedicht genoemd "Gevangen tussen twee culturen" sprak mij erg aan. Hier ook een gedicht van een Nederlandse TCK "Wortels".
Hoe kijk jij als third culture kid naar de veelkleurigheid van Nederland? Wat vind jij ervan?
Monday, 29 August 2011
Rina Mushonga een voorbeeld van een cross cultural kid (CCK)
Rina zegt "ik kom niet van één plek en mijn muziek ook niet".
"Ik verwerk zowel mijn Europese als mijn Zimbabwaanse achtergrond in mijn muziek"
Luister naar Rina:
Wil je meer muziek van Rina horen? Dan kan dat op http://www.youtube.com/rinamushonga.
Er zijn veel meer mensen die een deel van hun jeugd in het buitenland hebben doorgebracht. Hier zijn meer voorbeelden van Nederlandse adult third culture kids (ATCK). Ik heb ook eerder geschreven over Ank Oosting en Jutta König. Haikaa is ook een artiest net als Rina Mushonga. Haikaa is geboren in Brazilië en heeft in Amerika en Japan gestudeerd. Vaak zie je dat mensen die een deel van hun jeugd in een andere cultuur doorbrengen ruim denkend zijn, creatief, inventief, and they "think outside of the box"! Er zijn meer voordelen wat betreft het opgroeien in het buitenland, maar er zitten natuurlijk ook nadelen aan.
Het lijkt er op dat het Rina goed gelukt is om de verschillende culturele componenten van haar jeugd te mengen in haar muziek. Is het jou gelukt in je leven? Zou je er misschien iets over willen delen? Voeg dan een opmerking toe. Ik wardeer het. Wil je meer over mijn verhaal lezen?
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