Culture Crashers Although with some delay, I still want the report to € TCK conference at which I was recently and was very enriching. So I first took some little time to digest all the inputs ...=)
particularly was that the conference took place in Spain, in ner tourist area between Barcelona and Valencia. As a poor missionary child was one, of course, never been on vacation and the 4 star hotel was new and strange for me .=) The outward journey was adventurous, as I missed the shuttle bus and the trains were all booked up. Since the gant was made relatively spontaneously about, I had collected (contrary to my nature) or no information about the city, transportation, etc. So I was somewhat perplexed at the airport in Barca and prayed that I would have any idea. My help came in the form of a colleague who saw me on the name plate, and thank God, had a driver with car who had just even a seat-Praise the Lord!
Area dsa and hotel were really great and it felt more on holiday than a conference. The weather was also, the sea was 50m away, even if the water was only tolerable for the feet.
This is still only a framework, because of course, was also worked. 60 people from many different countries and backgrounds came together to learn about working with TCKs (third culture kids) exchange and collect ideas to make it better. For all non-insider: Third Culture Kids are people who are an important part of their childhood and adolescence spent in a culture that is not that of their parents. They have special problems because they find the culture of their Parents and the culture of the host country its own new culture in which they feel need to build. This is exciting and rewarding, on the other side but also tiring and not easy.
Many TCKs have problems when they return after years of use in their passport country, which was supposed to be home, but is foreign to them. From the outside they look like German, but inside they are much more Brazilian, Kenyan, Japanese, etc. This special challenges that TCKs in return, but even years later, tried MK-care encounter. They organize camps that have helped me when we returned from Uganda at that time and since a very few years I worked with there.
The conference was very rewarding for me, to see how many different ways there are to help TCKs and promote in them the potential they have as an intercultural person. I was shown things to which I had done it before even keien thoughts, but also old things just refreshed again. Great to see how creative other people are and what you can do anything if you look outside the box!
Many people think back a few years ago in Germany, the TCK has adapted and has come back normal. That may be true in the outward appearance, but many have the abiding wanderlust and longing back to their country of assignment, which was the home for you / is. Despite efforts, the people around them often do not understand them and respond with rejection, criticism or not simply compliance. In the circle of other TCKs are TCKs feel good, no matter where you come from, understanding each other and can talk as if you are already familiar with forever.
At this conference, I realized that the permit in Germany more needs. It's not about self-help groups or that TCKs entrench each other and can be closed to the world. But who has the exchange of experiences and practical help, this also strengthened to cope with everyday life in the German foreign environment.
TCKs also look at the Return to more than mere words and invitations to all local communities. They often need someone to show them how life works, how young people behave around you, what's in and what not. TCK that a deal will not find in Germany, is often underestimated by their peers, parents, friends. This need me again realized quite new and I've found a few people who have something missing on their return, and together is the dream of a network created to TCKs more practical to stand aside. In the sequel I'm excited!
