Video: Third culture kids and Global Nomads, their point of view!

Here is a film produced by ECIS. In the film children third culture kids are interviewed on different topics. These kids have lived in many different countries across the globe. Watch and listen to their story. First they explain in their own words what a third culture kid is.

This is list of the advantages of growing up as a third culture kid, as told by the children in the video. 

The kids say that they:

1. Are more accepting of different cultures and other people.
2. Learn more new cultures and learn new languages.
3. Can understand the world better if you live in different parts of the world.
4. Can see more of the world and not live a boring life.
5. Can move around and have experiences that most other kids don't have.
6. Get to meet new people.
7. Get to make many new friends.
8. Have an extra level of knowledge.
9. Enjoy life and do not take things for granted (they have seen poverty and seen the extremes of life).
10. Have more opportunities and can get a better education.

 

In a future blog post I will talk about the challenges the kids mention. Here's a list of My 10 disadvantages of growing up in another culture. I have written about My 10 advantages of growing up in another culture.  

If you want to know more about what children think of growing up abroad then I can recommend this interview What it's like to a third culture kid. Eleven year old Eliana explains all about being a TCK. She even has her own blog: TCKids (for Kids by a Kid).

What's your experience? What's your story? I would love to hear from you.

Twitter update: week 49. All about third culture kids

 Having a Baby Abroad - Global Differences Series: QATAR http://is.gd/59kGNC

New book coming up: Third culture kids & Global effects on Business Sustainability.
http://bit.ly/shRSDE

How Third Culture Kid’s Natural Cross Cultural Vision Can Power International Business Expansion http://bit.ly/vDTWhB 

Christmas traditions that just didn't happen. http://awe.sm/5bPbS

Immigration and Language: http://owl.li/7TLgV 

Debora talks more about moving back to Switzerland as a TCK. Adjustments. Difficulties. http://bit.ly/tnPGCV

Many #expat children are 'third culture kids' find out what this means and the challenges expat parents can face  http://bit.ly/u2injw

A recovering third culture kid tells of fond memories of a "Displaced Christmas" in #Japan #Brussels #Philippines http://bit.ly/vtPMwG

#TCK Writer Pico Iyer describes himself as "a global village on 2 legs" Check out this interview: ow.ly/7NKC0

So true and funny too! Read this: Top 10 Third Culture Kid Quirks http://bit.ly/uK26CA

Gijs woont nu in #Spanje: een interview met een third culture kid http://bit.ly/uUAvQa bij Wereldkids.

Want to read more? Here's my Twitter update week 43 all about kids growing up in other cultures.
Here you can find Great third culture kid information on the web.

Please add your links if you have an interesting blog or know of a good blog or website. Thanks!

To do or not to do: Celebrate Sinterklaas abroad?

Sinterklaas coming to town 2011, Nederland

It's the time of year in the Netherlands that all the children are excited. They are full of anticipation, they are expecting a bag full of presents. It's the time of year that "Sinterklaas" is celebrated. He arrived in the Netherlands on the 12th of November this year and since then there has been a daily Sinterklaas news show on television for the children. This is the Dutch website of het Sinterklaas journaal (the news). Here the Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports that Sinterklaas arrived safely in the Netherlands. This is an interesting fact: The arrival of Saint Nicholas #sinterklaasintocht even became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter for a while on Saturday.

I was talking to my brother-in-law last week and he told me that he enjoys hearing our stories and seeing the photos of our Sinterklaas celebrations in Malawi and Zimbabwe. He said "that is probably the most Dutch thing that you did when you lived there". For the Dutch community in Harare, Zimbabwe my dad was the Sinterklaas and as teenagers we dressed up as zwarte Piet (black Peter). I remember being stared at driving through the streets of Harare dressed up as zwarte Piet. I must admit I have fond memories of our Sinterklaas celebrations abroad.

On the InCulture website there is a blog post about St. Nicholas day. There a several countries in Europe where they celebrate a variation of Sinterklaas.

I met an expat here in the Netherlands and she has written several blog posts about Sinterklaas. I will add the links because sometimes it's good to have an objective description from an "outsider". To get into the feel of it. Here is Fourier Analyst her English Pepernoten recipe and her English recipe for Kruidnoten. Both pepernoten and kruidnoten are biscuits that are typical for Sinterklaas celebrations. Many schools and even daycare centres have the kids make these small biscuits as a fun activity. Here Fourier Analyst writes about the history of Sinterklaas. In the following posts she explains the traditions of adding poems to the presents and there is a lot more interesting information.
Who is coming to you house? part II
Who is coming to your house? part III
Who is coming to your house? part IV
Who is coming to you house? part V
Who is coming to your house? part VI

Did you know that half a billion chocolate coated pepernoten cookies are expected to be sold this holiday season?

There is a Dutch website for children abroad called Wereldkids. On their website you can see Sinterklaas in Madrid, Spain and in Singapore. There is even a photo competition for the best photo of a Sinterklaas celebration abroad. The winning photo's were made in Austria, Entebbe (Uganda) and Accra (Ghana), have a look.

This year for the first time in many years Sinterklaas did not officially arrive in Vancouver, Canada. The reason was that Zwarte Piet (black Peter) was not allowed to be part of the celebrations. There were accusations of racism. They decided that if Zwarte Piet was not allowed then the celebrations would be cancelled. So the question is to celebrate or not to celebrate Sinterklaas abroad? Do we teach our third culture kids abroad our home traditions or not? What do you think? What are your memories of celebrations abroad?

Vliegende Hollanders

Wist je dat er een website is van de Vliegende Hollanders? Vliegende Hollanders is een stichting die 11 jaar geleden is opgericht. Met als motto: "Voor, door en met Nederlanders die in het buitenland hebben gewoond". Helaas heb ik in het voorjaar van 2012 ontdekt dat deze website niet meer bestaat en dus de stichting ook niet meer. Ik vind het erg jammer. Er is ook informatie verloren gegaan doordat de website niet meer bestaat.

Helaas is de stichting niet meer actief maar de website blijft in de lucht. Er zijn wel tips te vinden wat betreft boeken en publicaties. Zo hebben er de afgelopen jaren een paar artikelen in de Spits en één artikel in de Trouw gestaan, deze artikelen zijn op de site van Vliegende Hollanders terug te vinden. Persoonlijk vind ik het erg jammer dat de stichting niet meer actief is omdat ik denk dat het wel in een nood voorzag.

Een andere website met veel informatie voor vliegende Hollanders is de site van de: Nederlandse Wereldomroep. Er staat veel informatie over expat zijn of expat worden.

Nog een tip als je naar het buitenland wil gaan of er al zit. Neem een gratis digitaal abonnement op het WereldExpat Magazine. Het magazine bevat veel informatie over alles wat met emigratie, remigratie en allerlei praktische zaken die er mee te maken hebben.

Voor kinderen in het buitenland is het leuk om de verhalen van andere kinderen te lezen. Daar is de site van wereldkids goed voor. Voor kinderen in het buitenland is het zelfs mogelijk om "reporter" te worden. Zo kunnen ze dan zelf hun avonturen opschrijven voor andere kinderen. Jong geleerd oud gedaan zeggen wij toch altijd? Een unieke kans in deze tijd. Succes vliegende hollanders!