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Hi, I’m new..

ellen

Author:
ellen

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Hey!

Well, I guess I’ll just my “about me” section as my first post, just so people can learn about me & why I’m a TCK! If you don’t want to read all that: clif notes
-Born in Seoul, Korea
-Spent time in Sydney, Australia & Seoul, Korea & Tokyo Japan
-Now I’m a sophomore at Purdue University (Indiana, USA)

Hmm… I’d say I’ve struggled a lot with finding my identity, because of moving around so much & always being the minority where I am.. So I’m really open to discuss with people about what it feels like when you move/when your friends move away/when you have to constantly adjust. If anyone feels like talking about that I’m all for it. Or just talking in general :) I’m friendly, I promise!

Ok, “About Me”

Hi everyone!

I’m really excited to be part of this community. I love to make new friends, especially people who have shared similar experienced to mine.

I’m currently a sophomore at Purdue University, which is in Indiana (USA). I’m studying Biology with hopes to become a high school biology teacher at International Schools overseas.

I guess I should start with WHY I’m a third culture kid. My parents are both from the mid-west of America; they met at Indiana University and from there decided they wanted to travel and spend some time overseas. My dad started working for a bank which innitially sent them to Tokyo, and my parents started having kids! I’m the youngest, with two older brothers.

I was born in Seoul, Korea (1988)..year of the Dragon! I spent a little time there before moving to Chicago, IL until I was 3 (I don’t remember any of this!) Then my family moved to Sydney, Australia where I lived for 2 1/2 years. I started school here (and developed an Australian accent! how fun!) Next, I moved back to Seoul, Korea where I attended the Seoul Foreign School until 4th grade. (And lost my accent) I lived in Songbukdong and my family and I liked to shop at Itaiwan or go to the American Army Base on weekends to “experience America” - by that I mean, there were parks and playgrounds, places to rollerskate, we could eat Anthony’s Pizza… :) I have fond memories from here.

Ok, Next, I moved to Tokyo, Japan! I was here from 5th through 12th grade (A long time for an expat kid!) So I’m very fond of Tokyo and when people ask, I usually say this is my “home.” Here I attended the American School in Japan (located in Chofu). One of my favorite places to go in Tokyo was Shibuya.. I love being in a busy city, and Shibuya is about the busiest you can get during rush hour! I lived in Omotesando, which was about a 20 min walk from Shibuya, Harajuku, and Roppongi–so it was a great location to get to know the heart of the city.

When we moved to Japan, we also decided to buy a house IN Cincinnati, OH to use for a summer home (and a place to “call home”.. learn to drive.. get summer jobs, aka try to have a “normal American life”). So I’ve spent each summer here since 5th grade.

Through my schooling, I learned a couple years of Japanese (but I’ve retained very little of it, unfortunately) and I spent 6 years learning French- including college courses.

I’ve traveled a lot throughout Asia, my parents currently live in Hong Kong, so I’ve spent holidays with them there- Love the city! The mountains are beautiful (on a “clear” day) and there is so much going on on every street.

Anyway :) Enough about me! I’m excited to get to know everyone else here!


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February 4, 2008 | Filed Under Introduction 

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Comments

6 Responses to “Hi, I’m new..”

  1. 1
    Unregistered
    Chryss Says:
    February 5th, 2008 at 10:24 am

    Hi Ellen!

    My introduction is in here somewhere (looks around).

    What a wonderful blast from the past to hear someone who knows all the cool Tokyo hangouts. I lived in Tokyo (Hiro-o) between the ages of 9 and 16 and also attended ASIJ in the mid to late 80’s. I love Tokyo and still consider it one of my hometowns, even though I haven’t been back. My friends and I used to hang out in Shibuya, Harajuku, Omotesando, and Roppongi as well!

    Now, I live in the Midwest as well (Madison), although my family’s “home” is back East.

    (Is this spam?)

  2. 2
    Ayako
    Ayako Says:
    February 7th, 2008 at 1:53 am

    Hi Ellen

    Living in Omotesando…just sounds great. It’s close to everywhere you’d want to go to really. All the places with the nicest restaurants and shops! One of my favourite restaurants was Aux Bacchanales which sadly closed down a few years ago.

    I used to work at an office in Hiroo so I frequented those areas a lot. Thought about buying an apartment in Shiroganedai but ended up not doing it as the only trees I could see from the window was the green in a cemetary. I ended up buying property in Spain instead because I wasn’t too happy about what I could buy in Tokyo with my money.

    Anyway welcome to this site :)

    (Is this spam?)

  3. 3
    mairabay
    mairabay Says:
    February 7th, 2008 at 11:16 am

    Hi Ellen!

    Welcome to TCKid!

    I’m also struggling with my identity, finding out about TCK has got me rethinking a lot of things about myself (in a good way! :)

    So here’s your picture welcome:

    lolcats funny cat pictures

    (Is this spam?)

  4. 4
    ellen
    ellen Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 12:52 am

    Hi, Nice to meet you! I bet Madison is nice, I almost went to the University of Wisc, but decided on Purdue in stead, but I bet Madison would have been a bit more liberal & open to TCK opinions..

    Shibs and Ropps ‘haven’t changed’ probably since you were there. And by that i mean of course.. it probably looks completely different (as cities do!) but you probably did the same things i did when i hung out there with friends :)

    I’m happy to meet someone else who went to ASIJ! I love that school. I’m studying to be a bio teacher and I really want to go back and teach there. The campus was just so nice (even though it was in the middle of nowhere) and I think the faculty and students were pretty well rounded. Nothing like anything else i’ve experienced (in america).

    (Is this spam?)

  5. 5
    ellen
    ellen Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 12:54 am

    Thanks for the welcome!

    YEAH, the green problem. I love how on a map of tokyo, you see like three large green spaces - but they don’t tell you that one of those is forbidden to the public, and the others are pretty much cemeteries. I lived right next to aoyama-bochi, and that was my only access to greenery. I even built a snowman there once because it was the only open space that wouldn’t be swept up!… I hope that’s not bad karma!

    Tokyo is too expensive :( Some day I hope i can afford it though.

    (Is this spam?)

  6. 6
    Uncle Dan
    Uncle Dan Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 4:28 am

    Hi Ellen!

    I used to go to the University of Michigan, but didn’t actually make it past sophomore year. It’s a long story, but I ended up moving to Switzerland and haven’t regretted it since!

    If you’re feeling troubles about living in the US after a long time abroad, feel free to ask!

    (Is this spam?)

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