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Crazily Schooled TCK here.
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Joined for a few weeks and at last here’s my intro.
I’ve really only lived in two countries, China and Canada, all my knowledge of other countries mostly come from friends who’s lived in other countries…or currently LIVE in those countries. Or, it comes from school systems, and I would have to say, there reli should be a book for Cross Schooled Kid.
First Identity: Just a mono-cultured kid.
Until 10 year-old: taught in pure local Chinese school. So basically, I was not a TCK right from the start. I’ve gone through all the traditional Chinese education and because I have always been crazy about literature no matter the language, I get influenced quite easily by any culture at all. Sometimes I feel more torn apart than others because of how strong my emotional connection are with both countries I lived in. It’s even weirder regarding how extreme the difference is between them. So basically, I rarely dislike any place
Second Identity: Just another immigrant
10-12: Moved to Canada, went to local public schools (switched 3 different schools) like you see in any typical North American movies. So I was an immigrant kid, still not a real TCK yet… But wow, the local schools were filled with Oriental Asians and Middle Eastern Asians (just because of where I lived).
Third Identiy: Just another boarder (often misunderstood as just another international student).
12-13: I went to a private girl school, that offered boarding…even though my parents were in town. But hey, Chinese parents love to send kids to boarding school cuz it’s like a tradition. Funny how all the kids at both my public schools and the day students at my new school thought that was ridiculous…There’s the first misunderstanding of culture. Then, the day students thought I was an International student who lived far away from home, although they were nice to me, they did not realize that I was in fact already canadianized. Because of boarding, I became very close to the real international students from Asia. It was just great cuz it made me so confused. FIrst I was completely CHinese, I became very canadian in a very short time, but immediately, I was sent to this super confusing place where I was out of place no matter who I was with. However this was also the greatest time because I got to know my best friend (a seriously real TCK who’s lived in way too many countries for me to count, she is also mixed with way too many blood to count…not to mention bilingual also). By now I was confused enough to have developed my TCKness. I also visited China after being gone for three years, which made me crazy because after seeing my friends I just couldn’t take it anymore. I missed how simple and absolutely painless the life of a mono-cultural kid was. I was too tired and hated all the troubles that came with being way too knowledgeable about the world outside. I was depressed for a long time and suffered from every type of teenage disorder there was. Especially after my best friend left again to go to Africa.
Fourth Identity: A preppy private school girl (I don’t like this one at all-_-)
so my mom made me live at home instead because she thought I was so depressed all the time…except I think most TCKs noe that parents ALWAYS make matters worse. So I was just a private school girl, who came to school everyday in a pretty car. P.S. the dayschool is dominated by Caucasians and some asians (and I am talking about all of the smartest, scientific and intense asians there are) Most awkward year ever without my best frd and not boarding anymore. It’s a wonderful way to isolate myself even further from absolutely everyone.
Fifth Identity: An international school kid (at last)
15: So my parents can’t stand Canada anymore, and are overprotective. THey made me go bak to China, but not my hometown, instead, Shanghai, well it’s not like we had a choice because that was the only place with international school. I preferred HK but I was kinda late for the application at the time. And regarding how big China is, we noe how China is so different even from different city to city. However, I absolutely loved Shanghai, and I just hated that I came to an International School so late, it felt like instant home for TCK. However…not the entire school, it was a rather Asian dominated school. When I say Asian dominated, I mean Asians who don’t have a China MAINLAND passport (that’s a lot of them including the ones who were born abroad and lived there for like one day). Basically meaning, this school is not the most international international school there is. It was more like splitted between the Chinese, with other Asians in the middle and the seriously well travelled TCKs… THat was way confusing cuz I hated to choose a side. Yet I was an idiot and picked the Asian side… because of that desperate desire to go back to mono-culture. Yah then things backfired at me hard because I acted like I had multiple personality. I was so TCK that it was a complete joke to tell people I don’t want to be one anymore. At last things fell apart so badly because I basically behaved deliriously and was like the freakiest drama queen scene maker in the world. Then I finally realized the only way to solve the problem is to accept that I am TCK and enjoy it. and it was about time to be active and independent like a real TCK should be. So because I was basicaly failing due to the incompetent teachers adn resources at my school-_- I love IGCSE (so yah this school was using British curriculum mostly) but it’s not ok when the teachers arent even smart enought to teach it properly. but I have to admit IGCSE is so much harder than canadian curriculum. Plus I couldnt stand my parents so I decided to reapply for my school, which is actually such an awesome school. Plus I wanted to study theatre so badly there was really no better place for me other than one of the schools with best art program in the Toronto (third largest city in the world for film and theatre industry). Plus this school was not an art school, it keeps you up with both. So yah that can satisfy my parents too. I decided to leave without discussing with anyone at all (not even my parents…I just kinda told them that I decided to leave, obviously I needed them to agree, but they didnt beleive the school would take me bak, so they said if I can manage to get the school want me bak in a week, because there was only 1 week left until school starts, they would let me go). I was extremely lucky to have written by far the most convincing application letter in history. I was bak in Canada with such short notice that all my frds were just too overjoyed and surprised to see me randomly in the hallway.
16-17: A TCK who is too proud to be one, however decided to become a rather lonely TCK for theatre arts. And is stressed out by Advanced Placement and SAT -_-
So I am a bit lonely sometimes, but it’s ok, because my frds at this school are seriously very UNDERSTANDING for none-tcks, just because of the number of TCKs they probably have met and the fact that we take international students. Plus private school kids are often a misunderstood bunch themselves because of the one society portrays them. So they are pretty understanding…comparing to others for sure. However there’s still loads of things they don’t understand. I guess that’s why I developed a mad passion for theatre arts because there reli was no other way for me to control my feelings in real life. I realized theatre arts is the best choice because u can be completely emotional and a “DRAMA QUEEN” without offending anyone. I am also frightened extremely by University Application…cuz I have ridiculous standard even higher than my parents-_-. Taking AP is kind of interesting because it makes me understand the American school system too, and it feels like university classes.
In conclusion…although I am TCK, I’ve also being mono-cultured, immigrant, international student, prep, and international school kid. the school systems I’ve gone through? local Chinese School, North American public schools, Private school which quadriple tasks as all-girl school, boarding school, art school and abit of American University influence, and of course the most common factor of all TCK schooling: International school.
Haven’t ever been homeschooled, but am very glad that I didn’t. I know may people chose home school to not complicate things too much by all the different school systems. but I just wanna say, different schooling system can proabably challenge u a lot more drastically than different countries. and it truly makes you love the places so much deeper. Many other TCKs tell me they find their relationship not as intimate and deep because there are so many. But I think it’s actually possible to develope that intimate relationship with every place you go to. It’s super hard but wonderful once you do develope it.
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February 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Haha yeah, but all other Asians seem to think it’s business, especially since the Chinese economy is booming… but that’s the kind of thing parents do to their kids.
My parents had us do Tennis lessons. I thought it was just, you know, to play tennis, but I found out later that it was because they thought it was the “sport of business,” outside of golf.
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February 27th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Yeah, that group is a bit funny, I think it’s catered towards American TCKs/CCKs, because it started out with that whole public/private school crap.
Americans tend jump at the chance to band together for the little things they find in common and identify themselves with. “I went to a public school, and that makes me egalitarian!” Big assumptions, I say.
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February 27th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
It’s the kind of thing the Cultural Revolution did to the Chinese language too
It’s kind of ironical since communism isn’t supposed to be about capitalism at all, but this is what it’s come to :p
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February 27th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
ergh yah… egalitarians is about the last thing they are.
but I’ve seen worse. THere was a group called “I went to a international school and I AM WORLDLY bitch”
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February 27th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Haha, I was in that one for a while.
Early on when I found out about the TCK thing, I was inclined to say “YEAH! Take that!” to the people I knew during my bad “return” to the US… Because over there I felt so inadequate.
I mean, I’m balanced about it now, but at the time I wanted to scream it out, just to feel good about it.
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February 27th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
wow u guys noe China so well it’s not funny
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February 28th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Oooh Shanghai! Mind if I ask which school you went to in Shanghai? I am currently in Shanghai and I went to high school in Shanghai like…10 years ago LOL
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February 29th, 2008 at 7:42 am
lol…i kinda shouldn’t reveal it cuz I said lots of bad things about it…and I am worried ppl might use it as sum evidence against me in the future. but I can tell u…there’s only one absolutely terrible IGCSE/IB international school with reli ugly uniforms and a diversion line between the asians and the westerners in shanghai.
i think it’s not hard to guess if u r there.
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