There comes a point when you have to decide who you are.
Are you a Frenchman temporarily living in Mumbai? Or are you an Indian who happens to have roots in France?
How far do you let your new culture impact your life? Do you simply wear kurtas around the house? Do you decide only to eat Indian food? How much of their mindset will you adopt? Do you go beyond understanding hierarchy to actually participating in and leveraging it?
How strongly should you hold on to your home culture? When is it appropriate to be your “normal Australian self”, and when are you being culturally insensitive?
Everyone must answer these questions individually, but the answer might be, “it depends.”
In an article I submitted to InterNations Magazine, I examined some times when it is better to adopt the new culture and when it is best to stay the same.
You can read the article here: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3.
For those living abroad, or preparing for a move, InterNations can be a great resource. It is a vibrant, informal network of expats around the world. No matter where you are going, you are likely to find some events where you can meet like-minded people. They also have some really good, quality information on their website for those needing a global perspective.
Photo Credit: Prince Roy on Flickr
This was an awesome article! Thank you for sharing. I could relate to a lot of what you wrote.
Hey Neil, great article! I just discovered your blog through Carissa Hickling. I can’t deny the fact that my spoken english has deteriorated noticeably since living in India. Sometimes I think I must sound like Yoda! Thanks for sharing.
Haha, yeah, I get a bit embarrassed sometimes when I listen to myself speak. Glad you made the connection!