It dawned on me the other day that one of the biggest reasons for coming to Bulgaria was getting away from British culture and British ways. As it happens my time here has been spent in total isolation from everything British and that included British expatriates.
The strange thing is with this in place is why on earth I blog and extensively communicate with other British expatriates or other non-British expatriates in the UK? I didn’t have to think too hard to find the answer it was quite simply to figure out.
There are a couple of factors to the reason for this. One is that most of us have the urge to tell the story we have to tell about our adventures abroad to all that want to hear about it. That also includes many eyes and ears from their abandoned countries. This might also have a little poke to those there who still endure things there.
The other reason is to share our thinking and common goals with others who are also telling a public the stories. To me the thing that we have in common is the comradeship of writing about our foreign adventures. Alongside support and pats on the back reaffirming that we have all done the right thing, not that many need it, but some do. This is what pulls expatriate bloggers together.
Many expat bloggers may well have a language barrier to overcome in their respective host country and the writing is a form of communication that relieves a lot of frustration and is a good way to let off informative and daily or weekly steam that comes from this.
Expatriate bloggers in the main are people who have got away from their homelands for many reasons. Most, if not all I communicate with have the same ideals as when it comes to setting up or joining regular expatriate communities in the land they are living in now.
There is one massive difference between me wanting to associate and communicate with expatriate bloggers and that is all down to what they get up to in their new homes. It is plainly obvious that bloggers have lots to say about the culture and the people they are living with as opposed to those who tend to just mix with their own expatiate communities and have nothing to say other than idol gossip, scandal and backstabbing other expatriates in their little vicious circles.
Well with this realisation, it is no surprise that there are so many decent expatriates blogging.
The strange thing is with this in place is why on earth I blog and extensively communicate with other British expatriates or other non-British expatriates in the UK? I didn’t have to think too hard to find the answer it was quite simply to figure out.
There are a couple of factors to the reason for this. One is that most of us have the urge to tell the story we have to tell about our adventures abroad to all that want to hear about it. That also includes many eyes and ears from their abandoned countries. This might also have a little poke to those there who still endure things there.
The other reason is to share our thinking and common goals with others who are also telling a public the stories. To me the thing that we have in common is the comradeship of writing about our foreign adventures. Alongside support and pats on the back reaffirming that we have all done the right thing, not that many need it, but some do. This is what pulls expatriate bloggers together.
Many expat bloggers may well have a language barrier to overcome in their respective host country and the writing is a form of communication that relieves a lot of frustration and is a good way to let off informative and daily or weekly steam that comes from this.
Expatriate bloggers in the main are people who have got away from their homelands for many reasons. Most, if not all I communicate with have the same ideals as when it comes to setting up or joining regular expatriate communities in the land they are living in now.
There is one massive difference between me wanting to associate and communicate with expatriate bloggers and that is all down to what they get up to in their new homes. It is plainly obvious that bloggers have lots to say about the culture and the people they are living with as opposed to those who tend to just mix with their own expatiate communities and have nothing to say other than idol gossip, scandal and backstabbing other expatriates in their little vicious circles.
Well with this realisation, it is no surprise that there are so many decent expatriates blogging.
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Martin I couldn't have put it better. Whilst I shy away from some of the Thailand expat community (physically) I enjoy the contact blogging provide with all my virtual friends. Its the best of both worlds.
ReplyDeleteI am with Mike too. I tried to meet up with other expat wives here in Singapore but I didn't feel like I am gaining any useful knowledge other than gossips and showing off "stuff".
ReplyDeleteWhat I do enjoy is to read about the experiences of the expat bloggers that are all over the world. I am glad I met you guys!!!
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Well said. Though I know of no other expatriates in the area, I have found some on-line. It's nice to be able to share experiences living in different countries. And you can't really gossip because you don't know the same people. Even other expatriates in the same country as myself do not write about the same things, so we're able to help each other out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your vote of confidence Mike Jade an A in B. With such post you run the risk of conflict with expatriates who disagree with my views. I would be interesting for someone to commment who did disagree - I'd like to know their views. The may be scenarios such as working abroad and not there for the culture for example.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you! I think you're pretty decent too!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't disagree with you. I live in a part of Italy where in a town of 5,000 there is only one other English person, and I've never met her. It's something of a relief sometimes to communicate in English with other mother-tongue English-language speakers, and I do that through blogging (although it's not the only reason I blog). louise www.carminesuperiore.it
ReplyDeleteSounds great, where do I sign up? Actually, I'd love to live in another country and become an expatriate.
ReplyDeletepeace,
mike
livelife365
It's funny, I had something of the opposite experience--I was only in England for three months, but I discovered I tended to gravitate toward fellow international students. Felt like most of the people I missed after I came home were other Americans. Well--actually, that's not entirely true. I did seem to get closer to the Americans I met, but the creative writing society I joined on campus and the Bible study I went to were all or mostly Brits, and I did miss them. I just seemed to make few close British friends, which disappointed me, since...that was part of the point.
ReplyDelete(I blog at Dusk Through Narrow Streets, by the way--I've been meaning to comment for a while since I've really appreciated you commenting on my entries, I've just been pretty busy. And I tend to be lazy about commenting...bad blogger.)
Whew! Finally I found the comments and managed to log in. I must be being especially dim this morning.
ReplyDeleteDuring my three years as an expat in Paris, I did have a great deal of contact with other expats, through our sons' school mostly. Many of them used the expat associations as a safety or comfort blanket. They felt insecure in a country where they didn't speak the language, understand the culture or the bureaucracy. Not everyone does bloom well where they are planted and not everyone actually wants to be in the country where they find themselves. It was, of course, well before the days of blogs being commonplace so that outlet wasn't available, but it's made me a great deal more sympathetic towards immigrant communities in the UK.
You're half right Emm, I'm decent but not pretty! lol
ReplyDeleteHi Louise,
ReplyDeleteI think many of us can see your point here, thanks for the comment.
Hi Kyra,
ReplyDeleteLovely ot see you here and give an honest opinion.
Hi Sheila, nice to see you again,
ReplyDeleteI agree that some have to be in another country and the cultures is not their cup of tea, then the comfort zone comes into play with others int he same boat.
I'm a blogger hoping to become an ex pat and your views echo what I hope mine will be. I think Mike got it about right with the virtual friends bit. Best wishes and if the sun really does shine on the righteous I should slap on some sun block when you wake up tomorrow. Martyn
ReplyDeleteWhen I traveled, it was to see the culture and how the people of the country lived so I stayed in smaller towns. That interest is even more acute now that I am living in Italy, and there is no desire to find a group of english speaking people to hang out with. I like the full effect of what Italy is, without diluting it a touch of America (or England as they are more apt to be here).
ReplyDelete