I was confident I would settle in easily.
It was not to be.
The first two years, it was though my feet did not touch the ground.
That was the only way to describe the feeling.
One day, I saw a Chinese man at the bank and stared at him.
I had not seen a Chinese person in three months.
I was reminded of what a Chinese Carmelite priest shared.
He went to India to join the Carmelite Monastery there.
He told us, “Homesickness for family, I understand and get over it with time..
What was very hard was not to be with your own race.
That took a lot longer to get over.
Next was the cultural differences. It did not take me long to notice, here in this country new to me, there are things we do not ask a person.
A line of boundary that should not be crossed.
Coming from a culture where we live close to each other,
Where it is accepted to ask any questions however personal or intrusive.
This came as a shock to my system.
One, I never really recovered from.
It made me wary around people, not sure what I could say or not say.
Ask or not ask.
It did not help with blending in.
Over time, it caused me to isolate myself.
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