Foolin' by Def Leppard. Yes, I am old.

I am currently an expat and I agree with this. The one thing I told my ds when we moved here (he had just turned 11) was, "It is ok to love both America AND Malaysia." When we first moved here it was almost as if he felt disloyal to America by liking Malaysia and so he criticized our new home a lot. Now that we have been here 4 years he says this feels more like home to him. I was happy, though, last summer when we visited the states to see him acknowledging the good and the bad in both countries rather than bad-mouthing one of them. Another thing I see in TCKs all the time is an attitude of superiority over being "well-traveled" as compared to many Americans who have never left the country. While it is true that a huge benefit of living abroad is having a more global perspective, you won't win friends by lording it over them. Also, be prepared for people to get sick of hearing about the country you came from really quickly. This was an eye-opener for me last summer during our visit. We came armed with pics and videos and brimming with stories to tell and only a very small fraction of family and friends were actually interested. The rest listened politely but you could tell they weren't that interested. For some reason I thought they would be but I had to come to the realization that moving abroad was my decision, not theirs. So while I may find life in Asia endlessly fascinating, they really don't.

Started Reading: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (American author, DD class 900) God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts (British author, DD class 200) Still Reading: The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters by Albert Mohler (American author, DD class 300) The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200) Finished: 12. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500) 11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600) 10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200) 9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300) 8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100) 7. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) 6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600) 3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800) 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800) 1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

School counselor? I don't know how that works with your current degrees but I do know that you don't need a PhD. Also, if you have ever thought of living abroad, school counselors are in HIGH demand and they make buckets of money (not at my school but at the big secular international schools). Think 50-70k or more per year, tax-free with benefits at the bigger schools. Even just doing that for a short bit would allow you to save a lot of money for your future. Just a thought...

I don't know about natural remedies but I take giant doses of acyclovir when it first comes on and that knocks it out every time.

That is so wonderful!!!

It is very real but it is also very dependent on the person. For some it will be really hard to adjust but for others, not so much. I think teens and adults have it the hardest. I visited the states last summer after being away for 3 years and it took me FOREVER to grocery shop. The choices were overwhelming. The bread aisle alone is enough to send me running. But there was also many things that were really fun to have again like Target, free and plentiful parking, and red meat.

I spent a summer in Mexico with a Mexican family that spoke no English. To make me feel welcome they feed me Frosted Flakes for breakfast. Every day. For en entire summer. I cannot stand Frosted Flakes now.

That is awesome. We are a tennis-loving family, too!!

He is risen indeed!

Psych is awesome... One of our favorites!!

I have been slowly making changes at least in the elementary division which I am in charge of. But it has taken me a bit. I actually call it "the audience participation" portion of the show where I make everyone take out their cellphones and turn them off. I tell them all children have to actually sit in a seat. They can't run in the aisles or run in and out of the auditorium 30 times. And so on. I am pretty sure they thought I was crazy the first time but now they go along with it. I can't get the whole culture to change but I can at least change what happens in the elementary plays. Now if we could just get the parents of high schoolers to stop talking during graduation....

:) I think my dh was afraid I was going to stand up and yell at everyone to be quiet. I admit I was awfully tempted....

Perhaps it was a popular thread. I've been embroiled in a few of them from time to time. But really, I don't need a reminder right now. I am too sad that I completely missed hearing my ds perform. Completely. I took video of it and the only thing you can hear is the audience noise. My ds was scared to death to give his first recital. He finally got up enough nerve to go through with it and this happens. So no, I don't think the two compare and bringing it up to me as if I somehow deserve this for my past opinion is bad timing. Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow and we can debate it further but for now I'll stick with the JAWM tag.

That is so true!! LOL

Gosh, I have no idea. Maybe. I've written thousands of things over the years. The fact that you would remember something I wrote a several years ago is flattering. I don't really remember what I said but if I had to answer it today I would say I'd much rather my child sit quietly with a small, handheld game emitting a small bit of light than what happened today and at every public performance I am at here where children run up and down the aisles laughing and playing tag during the performance and adults have no problem talking, laughing and causing so much noise you can't hear the performers. One performer actually tripped over the children wrestling in the aisle. I would have been thrilled with an audience full of quiet children on hand-held devices. The two hardly compare. And in case you didn't notice, this is clearly a JAWM thread. If you don't care to be sympathetic then don't be. But JAWM was stated from the beginning.

This is definitely me venting... 90% of the time I absolutely love living cross-culturally and everything that goes with it. I love learning about all the people I live around, the way they do life, the way they look at life, how we are different in so many ways and yet the same in so many others. But the other 10%???? AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Today was a 10% day. First, we went to our son's piano recital. I have been to LOTS of recitals over the years but this one was different. Why? Because in this culture, no one really sees a need to be quiet during performances of any kind. They talk to each other, loudly, answer the phone, make phone calls, get up and walk around, etc., all while the kids are trying to perform. It is the same thing at the school where I work. Plays, concerts, even graduation ceremony... It floors me. I couldn't even hear my ds play at all because everyone was so loud and, as the only non-Asian family there, no one was upset except us. I get that it is culturally acceptable to them and it is their country so I have to respect that. I just really wanted to hear him play. :( Second, I am so tired of being STARED at. It's not because we are expats. There are loads of them here. It is because we have a multi-cultural family and those are very uncommon here. And I am not talking sideways glances like we get in the states where people are curious but at least try to be discreet about their staring. No, this is gaping, gawking, pointing at us, going and getting their friends to come stare at us, etc. Tonight we went out to dinner and the family at the table next to us stared at us through our ENTIRE meal. It makes me not want to leave my house sometimes. I am tired of feeling like a zoo exhibit. My kids are sick of being pointed at constantly. Most days we deal with it but today was tough. :(

Trust your gut and keep an eye on the situation. I know the "popular" idea is that we should never interfere with our children's decisions but I am VERY glad my mom ignored that idea. She trusted her gut and kept me from marrying someone who would have been terrible for me. I was mad at her at the time but she was willing to live with that and I later understood and thanked her for it. It may turn out to be fine but it may not. If my ds acted like that when meeting his girlfriend's parents I would be mortified. Keep an eye on it.

I haven't had a massage in a while but I get a pedicure once a month. I also get my hair highlighted every two months. But honestly, my dh is totally supportive of me getting "me" time. So I could go do things more often if I want to. But I am kind of a homebody. :)

My current church does not but the church I grew up in did. It was a highlight for me as a child.

Exactly. The world is fallen not evil. It is the difference between total depravity and utter depravity... Every aspect of the world is touched by sin but it is not as bad as it COULD be. Yes, I am a Calvinist and I still think this earth is a pretty wonderful place in a lot of ways.

Darn. You caught me. Fine, I am not actually comatose. I am just really generous. :lol:

I totally agree. We also left the trendy church movement for all of the above reasons and more.

Started Reading: The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500) Still Reading: The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters by Albert Mohler (American author, DD class 300) The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200) Finished: 11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600) 10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200) 9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300) 8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100) 7. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) 6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600) 3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800) 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800) 1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

Zero for me. Loads for my dh and kids. I have no idea how many. A lot.