The Nomadic Diaries: Canned Food and Trains
2. Canned Food and Trains
Unlike many other TCKs, I have yet to repatriate (which often makes me wonder if I even am a tck or some other cck type nomad). However, that has never stopped me from seeking out my “home” culture; and each time realizing that I no longer fit into it.
When I was little I spent extended years isolated from my culture and immer
sed into that of Quebec and others (there, being many immigrants but few or no other Russians around me).
After which, Russians (unlike me, my parents clung to our culture and befriended mainly russians who I met on occasion; once or twice a year) no longer recognized me as one of their own and I realized how much I had drifted from my own culture. Even then, I missed it and wanted to go back. I was not a Canadian or a quebecoise; I did not really fit with any one single of the immigrant groups either. I felt alone.
I found myself seeking out Russia in objects in order to comfort myself.
Funny thing is one of the things that remind me of “home” is canned cat food. Why? It smells exactly like the canned meat we used to eat when I was young. I keep wondering if it tastes the same as well… I havent tried yet (mainly because I’m scared of my roomates catching me eating cat food).
One of the things that I did attempt doing though to re-experience homeland, is riding trains (that’s how we mainly traveled then). The first, and last time I did that, I went on a six-ish hour ride from Canada to the states. Lucky me, I got stuck sitting next to a man with HORRIBLE body odor while there w
ere no other seats available on the train due to it being full.
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6 Comments to “The Nomadic Diaries: Canned Food and Trains”
July 9th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
“I found myself seeking out Russia in objects in order to comfort myself.
Funny thing is one of the things that remind me of “home” is canned cat food. Why? It smells exactly like the canned meat we used to eat when I was young.”
Ooh I used to have similar experiences… for me, pictures of the beach, palm trees, and exotic flowers reminds me of my childhood.
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July 9th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
haha yeah similar plants tend to remind about a previously lived in environment…
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July 10th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Every time I smell car exhaust, it reminds me of Jakarta. I don’t seek it out, but y’know.
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July 10th, 2008 at 4:56 am
For me it’s traffic jams, loud noises like those at the market place, and the shape of the traffic lights. Cuz sometime’s they’re round and sometimes they’re square.
I’m being nitpicky, lol.
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July 10th, 2008 at 7:08 am
For me, it’s the smell of burning sugar, thunderstorms,old bristish comedies, and old bollywood songs.
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July 10th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
What reminds me of LA is roasted pumpkin seeds, halloween lantern.
What reminds me of Mauritius is: coconuts, palm trees, black sand, and wood smoke.
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