"I have a person in my city that I can physically see, connect and hang out with. I am really delighted and hope that this will be the beginning of a lovely friendship." - Nioucha

Do you feel like a stranger in your passport country? No Tckid group or meetup in your area? Learn how Nioucha and Yu successfully met each other on tckid.com, and how you can do it too.

“Without [Tckid], which has become this lovely net for us all to caught in, we would have wandered the streets of Portland and missed each other!

Find a Tckid in your city in 10 minutes
Who would you like to meet? You can search based on age, interest, location and much more. Login to my.Tckid.com and use the “Advanced Search” to find members interested in making friends or networking in your city. There are new members joining every day, and we invite you to keep searching. (Can”t find someone in your location? Learn how to help raise awareness of Tckid in your region.)

Our First Meeting

“So, Yu and I agreed to meet in a lovely modern “European” style café in an area in the center of Portland called the Pearl District in the afternoon. Yu spotted me right away as I was getting ready to order my chai latte. We made warm our warm introductions, ordered our respective drinks and then sat down and talked…and talked…and talked. 2 hours and 45 min flew by so quickly as there was so much to exchange and parallels to draw.”

2. Break the ice: Introduce yourself
Yu wrote in her profile that she was interested in meeting new people in Portland, and Nioucha sent her a message to introduce herself and meet at a cafe. Sometimes you have to take first step to break the ice. You can start getting connected and meet people today.

"I travel... because I want to see the world through different eyes... and to meet TCKs around the world!" - Yu

“Yu is warm, very pretty, engaging, upbeat, easy-going, well-educated, well-rounded and a keen listener. While our stories and backgrounds are different, we are both transplants to this city, we are both struggling to find steady employment, we are both thinking about leaving and going elsewhere (but where to and when are the main issues), we both have an education/teaching background, we both feel a bit lost and ‘stuck between two or more worlds’, we both want to travel more, we both are fascinated by different cultures and languages and we both miss feeling connected to other internationals.

There were several moments when Yu was telling about her feelings or what she was experiencing that I felt “I know, I know what you mean. I have been there too!” That intrinsic sense of understanding the delicate and complex framework that makes us TCKs was such a lovely reprieve, a kind of “chicken soup for the soul”, from my more overall current feelings of frustration, isolation and at times profound loneliness. Now, not only do I have a little haven to connect with my TCK friends and companions online, but I also have a person in my city that I can physically see, connect and hang out with. I am really delighted and hope that this will be the beginning of a lovely friendship.”

What if I get no response and it doesn”t work out? And I still don”t know where I belong?

You may reach out to a few people and get no response or maybe you won”t connect with the right person right away. The reality is that you may have to meet more than one person before you find a connection that “fits”. Every friendship takes time to develop and requires persistence. However, taking the time to build a strong social network of friends in your city will reap many rewards. Learn more on TCK Academy.

Scott M writes:
“When I lived in Texas, I struggled to fit in, no matter how hard I tried… then I actually met a TCK here in the Tckid.com chatroom. We exchanged emails, and eventually got on Skype … and now we’re best friends. This community really changed my life, this is why I got involved to help.”

Want to meet Tckid today? Here”s how to get started:

1. Login to  http://my.tckid.com

2. Find a Tckid in your city
Who would you like to meet? Use the “Advanced Search” to find members interested in making friends or networking in your city. You can search based on age, interest, location and much more. There are new members joining every day, and we invite you to keep searching.

(Can”t find someone in your location? Learn how to help raise awareness of Tckid in your region.)

3. Join an interest group

Do you want to connect based on interests?  We have groups such as: Writers, Singles/dating, Parents, Office TCKs, Universities, Pre-teens, Missionary/Christian, Adult TCKs over 50+, and much more.

4. Read More Stories

Want to learn where you can read more stories and share yours?  Learn why over 21,000 members joined Tckid and read their stories.

More Questions? Check out our FAQ to get answers!

Popularity: 31% [?]

Ladies and gentlemen,

I present to you, Interaction International’s first YouTube production…

Come on over, and give it a watch!!

Popularity: 4% [?]

I went to the 5 days of trip with my Mom to NYC….

All I can summarize is that it feels so secure and

happy to be in the cosmopolitan city

because it reminded me of the every places I lived

and visited

I felt that I have found myself and that it’s time to let go

of all the grudges and pain that I have experienced in

my life

The few drawbacks are dirty bathrooms and dirty and hot

subways (It made me miss subways in Asia, but I was

so happy to use public transportation)

I also got offended by the question of

“Do you speak English?”, when thinking about my

friends and the fact that I was already fluent in

English even before the moment I stepped into

the United States…

I guess minorities have still long way to go to

be accepted as an Americans -_-

My Mom teased me that I was ‘Californian country chicken’,

and I argued back that I am still a Seoul person

(Ok, I do admit that I got somehow used to

the suburb, but I’m still a city girl)

Fortunately, my Mom likes NYC so much that

she’s planning to return there to visit again next

year with me to see my brother in Canada

(He will go back to Canada this fall to finish his studies)

Overall, NYC people, especially the people who

were in hospitality industry, were very patient, nice,

and friendly

One time, my cellphone rang at the Metropolitan Museum

and the worker standing next to me danced

to the ringtone…HAHA

My favorite places that I visited were Ellis Island

and UN (Go UN!)

I took “Third Culture Kids” book with me and

read everything in this book…

I love reading, so I read tons of books since I was

a little kid, but this book was the book that made me

cry for the first time in my life

I’m going to post the review about this book next time

NYC and ‘Third Culture Kids’ book, thankyou so much!

I will miss you a lot, NYC!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Now thats the truth!! Missing In Action- but the world calls more than ever! People come hear to be international but I came here because I am ! Hmmmm -oxox As I put it we have seen tooo many movies! So our minds are open beyond all obviouse– Hooooldd On People I have some great! People on the way here! Just found out about this site! Allll The Best Keeeep Onnn Keeppin Onnnn!

Popularity: 4% [?]

How do you all deal with the issue of divided loyalties to different countries? For example, when I watch the Olympics on TV, I am just happy for whoever won because that person did well -it does not matter to me which country he or she came from…and I feel don’t really feel that proud when I hear the national anthem of the country I grew up in or my passport country – it is sort of neutral…

Right now I live in my passport country in an area where there are a lot of very conservative people who are very nationalistic and patriotic. I don’t open my mouth much when they talk about national politics because I have a very different opinion…And in this area, people who support the government are very strong and state their opinions very passionately – so I just don’t say much. But inside I feel very uncomfortable. So, the result is that I don’t get very close to these people – at least this part of me I don’t share.

I know some countries you can have dual citizenship, but with the country I grew up in and my passport country, you can’t. And I have lived in my passport country for many years now, but my feelings about my two countries and cultures have really not changed very much over the years.

What experiences have you guys had with this sort of thing?

Popularity: 5% [?]

The title says it all.

I hate it. Anytime my boyfriend goes out with his friends, it makes me realise how I have no one but him. I can’t relate to anyone and I feel like I have nothing in common with anyone. I can’t take it anymore. And since I have no one to go to, this is my only way of releasing it; typing it on a computer screen alone in my room in tears. Hooray.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Little bit of myself: I am South Korean who grew up in midwestern America for 8 years and also spent another year in Japan. Now I am back in South Korea, working with bunch of South Koreans at a local university. Usually in midwest there are less than 5% of asian population, and sometimes Asians fall under “the other race.” Fun times. All my parents are Korean-Korean, born and raised and educated in Korea.

Since I came back, working and living with my parents in the same home, there has been some communicational problems with my parents. My mom and I get along alright now, but the communication between my dad and I are not improving (note: the following story is written from my point of view – I have no intention to point my dad and blame everything on him). Basically, whenever we have trouble and get into an argument, I start with stating my status and and what I am feeling clearly. He takes this as “talking back.” Whenever I try to give my opinion on what he says, he replies that all I have to say is yes and nod even if I do not agree. Okay, so I do that. Then frequently he goes that I am not being sincere and that is rude. What should I do?

Let me give you some examples.

In the early stages, dad would call me with some weird, (to me, often not very pleasant,) nicknames. Obviously I always got upset whenever I hear it. Dad keeps saying he’s just joking around. Eventually we got into an argument. I was trying to make it clear that 1) even though he did not intend to hurt me, it makes me upset and 2) I do not think it is appropriate to use such vocabs to a full-grown adult or treat me without considering how I would feel just because he is my dad. My dad’s reaction was I am just overreacting and if I am to overeact on everything he says, he cannot hold a decent conversation with me. And he can do #1 and #2 because he is my dad.

I believe the 1st step of working things out by conversation is stating your position/feeling clearly to the other person. Whenever I do this, he would just go how I am being disrespectful, and don’t dare to talk him back. Sometimes I feel like he is obsessed about keeping his face as a dad, rather than listening to me.

Sometimes I cannot believe the whole situation: this is very recent example. My family came back from a dinner out. Since I plan to take a 15 min rest and then go out for a workout, I was watching TV mindlessly.

(The whole conversation was carried out in Korean)

Dad: You’d better get washed.

I: Oh,no worries, will be back in the outside in 15 min for workout.

Dad: Well, but still, you’d better get washed.

I: Er, but I’ll be dripping sweaty within 15 min…

Dad: *sudden yelling begins* You brat, you always keep talking back to me!! Just wash your hands when I say it!

I: Eh…? Oh, you mean hands! I thought you meant body shower. I see, but again no worries, I always wash my hands with anti-back gel. Thats the 1st thing I do whenever I come back.

Dad: *still yelling* Whatever! Stop talking back to me and do it when I say it!

I: * shrugs, eye rolling*

Next day all of sudden he came to my room, gave me a book and says I should read this. The book is written by some Korean businessman who worked for korean firms about 30 years, listing how to behave in front of your boss and stuff. Of course I was not very happy. Also for the realistic reason, I said “well I have something I am reading, so I’d rather read it after I finish what I am reading.” I could see my dad getting upset again so accepted the book anyway. Only 2 days later, he asked “so did you start on it?” I mean…I don’t even know what to say about this. I feel like he just wants to mold me in a way he wants, rather than listening to me or try to understand that I grew up in US, with very low percentage of Asian population.

Long before the example above happened, I already started sharing all my daily stuff only with my mom. Yes I still interact with my dad but only with some shallow jokes. Whenever he says or asks something I just go “yesss…” because I don’t want to make him all angry again. I’ve been talking with my close friends about this matter and there are lots of different opinions: well he’s man, maybe it’s because he is the parent of different side from you, etc etc. I personally believe it is because him being Asian, familiar with Asian rigid hiearchy system and me growing up in US where you have to state yourself clearly.

So in summary, do other TCKs have this problem too? How did you work it out? Please share your stories – and of course any kind of advice is welcomed.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Hey all,

wow I haven’t been on here in about a year and it’s changed a lot, looks good brice!

Anyways, to get to the point I just arrived in Nairobi, I’ll be here for a few months, and I don’t really know anyone so I was wondering if anybody here is in Nairobi/Kenya or knows ppl here

Marie

Popularity: 4% [?]

Hey, check this out guys (video): The Shan + Rozz Show: EP7 – The Singaporean White Boy

“Shan and Rozz meet a Caucasian kid who speaks perfect Singlish! To prove it, he faces-off with Shan in a Singlish showdown, and the results are HILARIOUS.”

Tyler is obviously a TCK. I wonder if Shan is also a TCK (considering how his Singlish is worse than mine.)

So, do any of you speak Singlish or any other accents or languages (that are not your parents’) like Tyler? How did people react to you?

Popularity: 9% [?]

I don’t want to go home.

Popularity: 4% [?]