Both East and West - Where Do I Belong?

I circle back to this theme a lot - of belonging, of where our home is, of who we are.

Recently, my son said to me, 'Mummy (still with his British accent), I like it here in the US better than the UK because there are many more different kinds of people.'

I have to admit that it has been an easy enough transition here to the US, and I have been waiting for the penny to drop. Where is the snag (other than the mountains of paperwork to fill in!)? I am told I live in a bubble, but this bubble proves to have expats and locals who are warm and friendly, who immediately made (and continue to make) us feel welcome here. I've been fortunate to have friends who have introduced us to their friends via the internet. There are some uses to the internet besides cute doggy videos!

The UK has been a bit of a difficult journey for me. Fitting in has never been easy there. Was what I had the best it could be? Probably. Yet, it didn't quite feel like home in a way. Maybe I knew in my bones that Brexit was coming. (If only it were that easy).

But then, I unconsciously thought I was European just the other day. (Yes, the E word we won't be able to use soon). What made me think I was European? There must have been some sense of belonging to a greater collective, an identity there that I had acquired over the last 16 years in the UK. I will miss being in Europe if we ever do leave, I'm not sure of the reason. Politicians will have their high brow reasons for not leaving. For me, it's just a sinking feeling of rejection and hurt.

I also see myself as Southeast Asian. The brash, the loud, the uncouth. The kind, the gentle, the welcoming. Don't stand on ceremony. Feed everyone. Welcome them in whatever the time.

So what am I? And where do I belong? A Singaporean Chinese who is European who is trying to figure out America (albeit California, which some people say isn't quite America!). I figure this time round, it's on me. This time, I make my mark.

Can I be both East and West?

In my mind, it shouldn't be the East vs West concept anymore, that there can be an 'in addition to'. We make our own rules. Perhaps with all the mashables around, we can mash them together to produce something unique, new and appealing. An inclusive perspective, that we can be both East and West. Not a division, but an inclusion.

Love from sunny California xoxo

Happy Mothering Sunday to all in the UK! I miss those daffodils!