Do you want to update our Facebook Logo picture? The picture of the book is better known and it has been in use on Facebook for a few years, but our friend Ruth Van Reken is updating the TCK book this year …. maybe it’s time for a change for us too? The new logo has pictures of TCK meetup groups from Taiwan to New York of members that would better represent the community.

Old logo on Facebook

New logo on Facebook

(New logo Option #3)

(New logo Option #4)

(New logo Option #5)

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

You decide. Vote or leave your comments.

Do you have suggestions? Want to create a logo? Please feel free to submit pictures and suggestions.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Do you think the pain of rejection and not belonging make you stronger or damage you?

Personally, it made me stronger and the challenges became a positive blessing. I explain why below.

Listen to our interview with ABC News on TCKID. Ruth Van Reken, Daniela Tudor and I discuss the benefits and the health challenges of being culturally mixed:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2009/2583257.htm

Vote here:
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

The reason I ask is because as you may already know, I struggled to find a sense of belonging.

I thought I was weird and there was something wrong with me.

Several years ago, I got a surprise from the doctor: a diagnosis of a terminal disease. The doctors told me, then I was 19 year old man preparing for university, that there was no cure or explanation.

For several years, I couldn’t write, shower myself, or even hold a glass of water. But worst of all, I was isolated and had no purpose in life.

However, my life was turned around when I discovered that the emotional stress had caused the physical pain.

According to research, emotions can cause years of chronic pain and physical disability.

Did you know that your emotions can weaken your immune system and make it more vulnerable to disease?

One day, after releasing those emotions, I was completely healed. I couldn’t believe it, I was completely healed in one day!

After being healed, I made a promise to myself to relieve people from pain and give them a sense of belonging regardless of their culture, race, or color of their skin.

The pain became a blessing. TCKID wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t for this challenge.

Maybe your emotional pain didn’t give you a physical illness.

Maybe you have relationship pain, and you’re struggling to connect and belong anywhere. Maybe it’s the pain of restlessness, and you just keep moving or pushing people away. We all have experienced emotional pain, but…

Is it a curse or a blessing?

For me, it was a positive blessing.

What are your thoughts?

Talk soon,
Brice

Barack Obama, who spent his childhood in Indonesia and Hawaii, writes:: “I used drugs and alcohol to push questions of who I was out of my mind.” (…) “What I needed was a community, I realized, a community that cut deeper than the common despair that black friends and I shared when reading the latest crime statistics.” – Barack Obama’s Third Culture Kid Team | List of Famous TCKs

Recommended Reading on Emotions and your health:

How Emotions Affect Your Health- Family Doctor

Emotional Pain Hurts More than Physical Pain - Telegraph

The Mind and Body Connection - Science Daily

Popularity: 7% [?]

Jennifer, a member of our community asked this question:

“Hello everyone…I’m a parent of a Cross Cultural Kid. I have one 3 year old son who is half American and half Filipino. We are currently living in the Philippines but may soon relocate to another Asian country. My husband and I are in the process of deciding when and if we should expand our family with more children. Due to the current economic situation and extreme expenses of living and traveling abroad, we are contemplating not having any more children. A main concern of mine, however, is that my son will feel even more “alone” if he doesn’t have another TCK sibling to share his unique and many times frustrating experiences with. Is anyone out there an only TCk child? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts you may have on this. I really want to try to be senstive to my son’s (and any future children’s) needs when it comes to being a TCK. Any and all opinions are welcome. ”

What’s your opinion? Vote Now
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Do you want to chat? Let’s come together get to know each other a little better. Listen & discuss the common challenges we face, share inspiring stories, make new friends and make a difference in our communities.

TCKID Chat is an open and free service sponsored by TCK Academy and run by volunteers.

WHO can join?: Anyone is welcome. It’s open to people of all ages, races, and backgrounds.

What People Say:

“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 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. - Scott M.”

What to do next? Register to TCKID Chat

When is the next TCKID Chat? Enter your name and email to register on TCKID Chat. You’ll receive a notification of future chat events and more details on how to join. See you there!

Technical issues? Please e-mail manager@tckid.com

What happened last year? TCKID Live Global Chat 2009
1st: “What can we do to have a sense of belonging?” - Saturday 3rd January
2nd: “Depression, Career and how to make a difference.” – Sunday 4th January
3rd: “Obama’s Third Culture Team” with Ruth Van Reken. January 10th: 7:00pm Eastern/24:00 gmt
4th: Cross Cultural Relationships – Part 1
5th: Last TCKID chat 2009: “Cross Cultural Relationships – Part2: January 31st at 1-4PM Pacific Time

www.timezoneconverter.com/

Not registered yet? SIGN UP WITH YOUR E-mail address in the section to ensure that you will receive the chat link 30 minutes before chat time!

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Popularity: 13% [?]

But others will also spend it alone, and focused on reducing stress instead of spreading cheer.

What can this community do to help TCKs stuck in a place and feeling isolated?

Share your ideas and vote.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Popularity: 2% [?]

I’d like to pose a question to ATCKs regarding settling down. I think this question might have been asked before but I’d like to generate a poll.

I’m really interested to hear if any ATCKs have decided to settle down and why. I am sort of at this point in life where I kinda want to just stop moving.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Decide How We Can Help TCK writers (Vote now)

The Challenge:

We have many incredible and valuable stories written by TCKs which aren’t getting the online visibility and credit they deserve. To solve that problem, we propose adding a Featured Story section or starting an Online Magazine. Every article would go through an editorial process, have a graphic, and be featured on our main page.

Your decision:

How do you want TCKID to give more visibility to TCK writers?

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Links of interest:
What’s the difference between an online magazine and a blog?
Among World Magazine

Tell us if we should go ahead with the feature section, or position it as an online magazine with regular contribution from aspiring TCK writers.

If you’re a writer or editor: This is your chance to use our resources and make a difference. How do you want to get involved? What would you want to write about? If you’re already an editor of a magazine, how do you want to get involved and help? Share your ideas and thoughts here.

Reminder:

Please do not post links to promote your blog, website, etc, as this will not encourage discussion so please leave your interests at the door and come for a conversation to get connected and share ideas.

If you want to post links, please do it in the appropriate category. Click on Blog or Organization. Thank you!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Design the new TCKID re-launch.

Big changes are coming to TCKID.com, and you can help shape the future of the TCK community. Mark your calendar for the TCKID Re-launch on Monday December 8th, 2008. At the time of writing, there are 6 days left to share your ideas and shape the new design.

Starting this week, you’ll have more interactive opportunities, see a dramatic new design, and find new ways to get involved in shaping the future of TCKs. We’re also working on a social network for you.

This is your community. You’re here because you care about TCKs. You should be given the opportunity to decide what you want this community to look like. Change is coming, and you can be a part of it.

1. WEEK 1: Design the new TCKID. (Official RE-LAUNCH is on Monday December 8th, 2008)
2. WEEK 2: You decide how we should celebrate.

What is your opinion of the new design?

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Get involved in building your Third Culture Kid community. Share your ideas to improve and shape the design.

If you want to get more involved, join our TCKID team by volunteering.

DECEMBER 4TH UPDATE:

Thanks to everyone for sharing your feedback! The response from the community has been very impressive. There has been 87 emails today, and they keep coming.

Many offered some great quote suggestions, and 6 new people offered to volunteer. I hope we can bring them on the team. You will all soon be able to share your ideas and decide on what they should work on.

Thanks again for being part of this change. It’s great to see everyone getting involved in shaping the future of this community.

Keep the feedback and ideas coming. If you want to get involved, volunteer to join the team.

I’ll post a follow-up soon!
-Brice

We’re going to take all of your feedback and update the design in the coming weeks.

I’ll make a list of the recent changes:

-World map added in the background
-Mosaic added
-World languages added
-Plane added. (will possibly be removed)
-Passport added. (will possibly be removed)
-Obama’s handsome face has been removed, and we’ll continue to change the theme from the Obama site. (If it was up to me, I would put his face everywhere of course because I’m a fanboy, but you design this site!)

We need your help to choose our TCKID’s new official quote.

Please share your ideas in the comments below. Keep your feedback and suggestions coming!

Popularity: 18% [?]