I am sitting alone at a long, old wooden bar running along the glass walls of a champagne bar in the City. I gaze directly through the window and out onto a spectacularly lit St. Paul’s Cathedral, an impressive sight. The bar is already packed with the typical weekday after-work financial crowd and has a lively and sophisticated air. I relish the fact that I am here, in London, in this very bar, and enjoying a view few others would have the opportunity to see.
“What are you celebrating? Birthday? Engagement?” I am abruptly brought out of my trance as the waiter comes by with the bottle of champagne I ordered and 2 glasses. He carefully sets them onto the bar and in a meticulous manner pops open the champagne and pours a small amount into my glass. I watch as the bubbles settle, pondering his question, and take a sip.
The taste of champagne is accentuated by my intrigue in the current surroundings and deliciously trickles down my throat. I nod my head in approval and the waiter proceeds to fill the second empty glass near the empty stool, soon to be filled by a new friend I was shortly meeting.
“Life” I respond.
Thursday 31 January 2008
Saturday 26 January 2008
The Revolving Door; An Expat’s Life (M)
It is a Saturday night, I am in London, with several invitations to go out to various places and yet I am at home, alone. Glass of wine in hand, laptop, well on my lap, and the FT (Financial times) Weekend at my side, I have chosen to make it a relaxing “me” night.
I have been living in London for several months now, very happy with the decision I have made, and yet in this short time I have made and lost two friends to China and India, countries which are experiencing rapid economic growth, and while Europe and the US are about to slide into recession, are largely unaffected and whose economic potential is tremendous.
I feel almost a twinge of jealousy for those who are moving out there and able to experience and take part in the changing dynamics of our world economy, even more so because they will have the opportunity to experience a culture so completely different than the American or European culture we are accustomed to.
But then I have to step back and breathe. I mean, I just moved to London. I absolutely love it here, and to be blunt, the move was a pretty awful one. I have no intention of going through that again anytime soon.
So, being the FT junkie that I am, sitting here on a Sat night reading the paper, I pause at one particular article discussing the life of the business nomad. It was funny reading an article which so eloquently phrased my life, one which so many others also lead.
One social scientist was quoted “Home for these people (business nomads) is not a fixed place where one lives or the place where one originated but a set of social relationships that includes professional peers and family.”
However, I would like to clarify a few things as I do not necessarily agree with the above statement in relationship to who I am and how I live my life. I do have a fixed home. That is in Walnut Creek, California where I spent the first 17 years of my life, and where my parents still live. In addition, I “feel” at home in many other places including Utah, Barcelona, Vienna, Santa Barbara, and of course San Francisco, Zurich, and London. These cities offer physical places such as apartments, schools, stores, landmarks, etc. and most importantly that feeling when you first step out of an airport into that city, where you simply feel at home.
I do like the notion of how one can also identify a “home” as not merely only a physical location, but rather a set of social relationships that includes professional peers and family, which in my case extends to friends as well as acquaintances who may have entered my life for only a short period but who left a strong impression.
One person quoted in the article claims “I continue to travel because each journey triggers unique insights and adventures. I feel privileged to work with special people in special places.”
I could not agree more. Of course my experience extends well beyond simply work colleagues and my home away from home is not the room I am renting but the people surrounding me while I am there.
The friend of mine who is preparing for a 2 year assignment in India made a comment that he was avoiding new relationships prior to his departure and trying to “wipe his life clean” in preparation of his secondment (overseas assignment).
Perhaps it was misinterpreted, but I didn’t like the way it sounded. I have moved around alone quite a bit and have had to rely very heavily on many of the people I met along the way. I am so grateful for many of the relationships (and I am referring to all kinds here), regardless of duration or strength. I always look at moving around, establishing new relationships, and having new experiences as adding a new layer or dimension to your life. You don’t need to discard or avoid one in order to obtain another.
This “set of social relationships” does not necessarily make up just another “home” for me, but rather constructs a part of who I am. An expat life is a bit like a revolving door when it comes to relationships. People come and go, but each person passing by leaves a lasting impression, and that person exiting may always someday swing around and come back again.
I have been living in London for several months now, very happy with the decision I have made, and yet in this short time I have made and lost two friends to China and India, countries which are experiencing rapid economic growth, and while Europe and the US are about to slide into recession, are largely unaffected and whose economic potential is tremendous.
I feel almost a twinge of jealousy for those who are moving out there and able to experience and take part in the changing dynamics of our world economy, even more so because they will have the opportunity to experience a culture so completely different than the American or European culture we are accustomed to.
But then I have to step back and breathe. I mean, I just moved to London. I absolutely love it here, and to be blunt, the move was a pretty awful one. I have no intention of going through that again anytime soon.
So, being the FT junkie that I am, sitting here on a Sat night reading the paper, I pause at one particular article discussing the life of the business nomad. It was funny reading an article which so eloquently phrased my life, one which so many others also lead.
One social scientist was quoted “Home for these people (business nomads) is not a fixed place where one lives or the place where one originated but a set of social relationships that includes professional peers and family.”
However, I would like to clarify a few things as I do not necessarily agree with the above statement in relationship to who I am and how I live my life. I do have a fixed home. That is in Walnut Creek, California where I spent the first 17 years of my life, and where my parents still live. In addition, I “feel” at home in many other places including Utah, Barcelona, Vienna, Santa Barbara, and of course San Francisco, Zurich, and London. These cities offer physical places such as apartments, schools, stores, landmarks, etc. and most importantly that feeling when you first step out of an airport into that city, where you simply feel at home.
I do like the notion of how one can also identify a “home” as not merely only a physical location, but rather a set of social relationships that includes professional peers and family, which in my case extends to friends as well as acquaintances who may have entered my life for only a short period but who left a strong impression.
One person quoted in the article claims “I continue to travel because each journey triggers unique insights and adventures. I feel privileged to work with special people in special places.”
I could not agree more. Of course my experience extends well beyond simply work colleagues and my home away from home is not the room I am renting but the people surrounding me while I am there.
The friend of mine who is preparing for a 2 year assignment in India made a comment that he was avoiding new relationships prior to his departure and trying to “wipe his life clean” in preparation of his secondment (overseas assignment).
Perhaps it was misinterpreted, but I didn’t like the way it sounded. I have moved around alone quite a bit and have had to rely very heavily on many of the people I met along the way. I am so grateful for many of the relationships (and I am referring to all kinds here), regardless of duration or strength. I always look at moving around, establishing new relationships, and having new experiences as adding a new layer or dimension to your life. You don’t need to discard or avoid one in order to obtain another.
This “set of social relationships” does not necessarily make up just another “home” for me, but rather constructs a part of who I am. An expat life is a bit like a revolving door when it comes to relationships. People come and go, but each person passing by leaves a lasting impression, and that person exiting may always someday swing around and come back again.
English Fun Facts- Part 1 (F)
#1 England and the United States are two great nations, separated only by a language barrier.
#2 Women should order only half pints at a pub, men order pints. It is low class to break this rule.
At my firm’s Christmas party I obliviously proceeded to not only order a pint of beer, but then also a cider ( US equivalent of a wine cooler in which only young teenagers drink and one would expect that after you have reached the mature old age of at least 18 you should no longer order.) This error was quickly pointed out to me by my English colleagues, but I was excused in this one instance as it was clear I did not now the social indications of ordering a drink at a bar.
I still drink pints of beer and love my ciders.
#2 Women should order only half pints at a pub, men order pints. It is low class to break this rule.
At my firm’s Christmas party I obliviously proceeded to not only order a pint of beer, but then also a cider ( US equivalent of a wine cooler in which only young teenagers drink and one would expect that after you have reached the mature old age of at least 18 you should no longer order.) This error was quickly pointed out to me by my English colleagues, but I was excused in this one instance as it was clear I did not now the social indications of ordering a drink at a bar.
I still drink pints of beer and love my ciders.
English Wonders- Part 1 (F)
FYI: American Revolutionary war never happened
No English person has ever heard of the American Revolution war. I am stared at in bewilderment and well, to be truly honest, a bit like a lunatic when launching into my story of the Declaration of Independence, red coats, and our guerrilla like tactics which enabled us to earn our independence.
English response, “War? We just gave it to you didn’t we?”
However, defending the British, they do learn in school one major event of American history; the Boston Tea Party. They do not know the significance of the event, but love the idea of a bunch of people running around dressed in Indian costumes dumping tea into the water.
Why English history teachers believe the Boston Tea Party was more important than the American Revolutionary war is a conundrum I have yet to decipher.
2 Faucets
Walk into a bathroom, go up to a sink to turn the water on to wash your hands and you will find yourself staring at 2 separate faucets, one hot, one cold. So what do you do? Place your hands under the ice cold water or the scalding hot one?
My only pathetic attempt is to do the “sweeping cupped hand approach” which is as follows:
Stretch out one hand, place palm up, slightly cupped. Then in one swift and fluid motion glide the hand under the 2 faucets so that you catch both the hot and cold water into one cupped hand. The result: warm water.
Unfortunately this rarely works and you end up either freezing or burning your hand, but this is the best solution I have come up with thus far.
No English person has ever heard of the American Revolution war. I am stared at in bewilderment and well, to be truly honest, a bit like a lunatic when launching into my story of the Declaration of Independence, red coats, and our guerrilla like tactics which enabled us to earn our independence.
English response, “War? We just gave it to you didn’t we?”
However, defending the British, they do learn in school one major event of American history; the Boston Tea Party. They do not know the significance of the event, but love the idea of a bunch of people running around dressed in Indian costumes dumping tea into the water.
Why English history teachers believe the Boston Tea Party was more important than the American Revolutionary war is a conundrum I have yet to decipher.
2 Faucets
Walk into a bathroom, go up to a sink to turn the water on to wash your hands and you will find yourself staring at 2 separate faucets, one hot, one cold. So what do you do? Place your hands under the ice cold water or the scalding hot one?
My only pathetic attempt is to do the “sweeping cupped hand approach” which is as follows:
Stretch out one hand, place palm up, slightly cupped. Then in one swift and fluid motion glide the hand under the 2 faucets so that you catch both the hot and cold water into one cupped hand. The result: warm water.
Unfortunately this rarely works and you end up either freezing or burning your hand, but this is the best solution I have come up with thus far.
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