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Why I Have An Accent

Hola! Finding this forum was like stumbling onto a doorstep in the middle of a blizzard and being let into a warm home, with a fire blazing, and then being offered hot cocoa in a huge mug! Sniiffff. Can you tell I’m touched, relieved, and over all excited about joining?

I’ve been “out” as a TCKid since my university days, when I joined an International Club and found myself, as well as some life-long friends. Prior to this, my four siblings and I referred to ourselves as “Dip Brats”, and as far as we knew, were the only members of this rather strange, sometimes lonely, and very exclusive group. It was better than the other term I would use, laughingly, to describe myself (“mongrel”). We comforted ourselves as well as we could. We shuttled as children of a diplomat from the Philippines, to the US (10 years), Australia (1-4 years, depending on which sibling you speak to!); back to the Philippines; then back to the US…and from there, we scattered all over the globe.

So don’t be surprised if my whole clan signs up, as I’ve excitedly sent them the link. Buy one, take all five.

Home for now is Singapore, where my husband and I have spawned two CCKids of our own. My teenagers have never lived in the US, but speak with flawless Midwestern US accents (my legacy lol); and know just a few phrases of their native Tagalog. They are culture chameleons, who can’t wait to enter university abroad when they graduate from their international high school. That pretty much cements their destiny as Global Nomads, and so I feel I’ve come full-circle.

Who am I? I am Filipino by birth, Chicago Catholic schoolgirl by upbringing. I texted my Irish friends “Erin Go Bragh” this weekend, because I’ve known this phrase since I was seven, and commemorate all American holidays.

I am thoroughly Western in outlook in an Asian environment. And even in a multi-racial, multi-cultural country like Singapore, I am still stumped when asked “Where are you from? I was four when I first stepped onto an airplane, and today find it impossible to sit still for more than a month. I travel compulsively, and speak in the only accent that I feel is universal: my writing, and my photographs.

I’m so glad I’ve found this place.

Popularity: 5% [?]

  • André
    Well, welcome to the TCKid site Cami! You're probably the first Filipino Diplomat Brat that I've met here...well, at least I thought I was the only one so far =)
    My dad is also in the Philippine foreign service, and he posted in India, Germany and Japan. I lived in India, Germany and France. I'm currently back in the Philippines, trying to finish my bachelor's degree (a few more units to go!!!!!)

    Diplomat brat was what I called myself, so I guess yours is the shorter version. See how we all think alike? Hahahaha.

    Anyway, welcome! =)
  • Haha, Singapore. XD Technically that place will always be my rival country, but since it's so similar to Malaysia, I could never dislike it!
    Interesting term, asian with 'ang moh' accent. Uncle Dan: bananas are people who are 'yellow' on the outside, but like me, don't speak a word of mando/canto/hokkien etc.
    I'd like to know what word we could use to coin the phrase 'asian with an ang moh accent' though.
  • cadpig
    Wow, awesome! I've recently become a Singaporean TCK as well. Hehe, quite hard to tell who's the tourist and the TCK here but I'm quite sure mostly everyone at SAS (love going to school there now x3)is a TCK.
  • LOL i believe I am one of the five siblings in the "buy one take all five" invitation above.

    I finally found you on here, cami, you silly girl. When are you coming over for the holidays, your nephews want to see you and we have lots of food to cook and merry-making to do! Kisses to Singapore, my home away from home (and a ready closet to invade).
  • alainedances
    I'm teaching dance this summer. Sure, lets meet up for kopi..hehehe.
  • cami
    hey alainedances! what will you be teaching this summer? would love to meet up for a coffee if you're up for it!
  • alainedances
    Welcome Cami! I grew up in Singapore and went to SAS. I'll be teaching at SAS this summer for a couple of weeks.
  • Uncle Dan
    Haha, I prefer this description! Americans like the term "Banana", essentially meaning "yellow on the outside and white on the inside"... But while we're not really Asian, we're not exactly "white" either...
  • cami
    Trudy! You're like me! Asian with an ang moh accent! ;-)
  • cami
    That's true, the kids at my daughters' school are all TCKs, and many of the parents ATCKs. It's a good community, kind of like a home away from home, in a way. Although there are a number for whom Singapore is their first posting. I always tell them, Singapore really isn't Asia - it's more Asia 101, a soft landing if you've never been in this part of the world. It's easy to integrate, and it's relatively normal to be nomadic. We all know that's not the case with most other places :-)
  • trudy
    hey cami!
    i used to live in Singapore for a number of years! and i might be back this summer =) i miss the food there soooo much!
    i went to local schools there as well international schools.
    i dont know if you get this a lot. but i am asian(chinese) and i speak with what singaporeans call an 'ang mo'[to roughly translate, it refers to a white person] accent. so people often give me weird looks...>.<
    and yes i know loads of TCKs in singapore. most of my friends were TCKs actually....lol
  • Baboucarr
    wow! you are indeed quite the traveller! when you going to London? i plan on going there this summer if im lucky! i am have had many a opportunities to see Morocco but never went through with it!

    Yea i know of the "embassy kids" phrase and the mix between the two "embassy brat" which my uncle you to call us!

    Yea i hear S'pore got a good number of international schools so there'll a high number of tcksand possibly including the teachers.
  • Uncle Dan
    Hmm. I think they're mostly, you know, still in school. There probably is a large expatriate community, but considering the huge tourist economy in Singapore, it's probably hard to tell them apart. So the most visible TCKs are probably the foreigners in school uniforms who wander the malls after class.
  • cami
    I still feel different - I thought I'd outgrow it but since learning about TCKs I've just decided to embrace it. Feels great :-)

    My sister coined the word "dip brat" after meeting a bunch of kids who called themselves "army brats". Now that I think of it, we would casually refer to ourselves and the small group of like-minded offspring we would hang with as "the Embassy kids" *shrug* It was never a very big group, maybe a dozen at most at a time, so maybe that's why it didn't stick?
  • cami
    Hey Baboucarr! I thought "Dip Brat" was something we made up, but I actually saw the phrase somewhere else recently!

    I have a really bad case of wanderlust. Aside from the places I've lived in for more than a year, I have taken trips to London, Beijing (loved it!), Bangkok, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia; and various places all over the US of A. This year I get to visit London again (yay!) and I absolutely must see Morocco, Nepal, and Italy. (Whew!)

    And again, where oh where are all these Singapore TCKs everyone keeps talking about? ;-)
  • cami
    "Adult"? Lol...I'm still in denial about that sometimes ;-)
  • cami
    Hey Esteban! I hear the beaches in Mexico are absolutely sublime *sigh*

    Singapore is indeed squeaky clean, everything works, and yes, you can chew gum but you're not allowed to sell it. The Philippines is the ultimate party place - great beaches, great food, smiling people...after all the neatness and order in Singapore I like to fly to Manila for a dose of chaos once in a while!

    I speak Tagalog (I think fluently although purists tell me I still have the wrong accent lol) and English. I understand the Bicol dialect; Spanish if you speak reaaalllllyyyy sloooowllllyyyy; and am working on my French!

    I hope you come out to Asia sometime...what's the longest trip you've ever taken? We are quite a long ways from you...
  • warona
    hello cami, welcome. i loved the first paragraph of your intro!

    we should make a list of what we called ourselves before we heard of the tck phenomenon. i mean, most of us pegged that we were in some way "different", i know i did.

    the name i used was...oh, let me make a post.
  • Baboucarr
    Hey Cami! an experienced "Dip Brat"( which is a new one to me!) Welcome to Tckid! I know your going to enjoy it! Some nice countries you've been to, and we seem to have a grwoing number of S'pore tcks!
    So apart from those countries been to any others? or want to go to any others ( i know the itchy feet calls and when it calls once in a while!)

    Still sit back and enjoy the site! see you in the chatroom! and if you run out on hot cocoa! we're here!
  • cami
    Oh yes please let's meet up! I love showing people around, and giving them what I call my exclusive "Food Tour" :-p
  • esteban
    Hi. I have always wanted to go to the Philippines and Singapore! I have heard that Singapore is really clean and that gum chewing is illegal. (Is this true?)

    I live in Mexico. We are (ahem!*) not exactly well known for our (ahem!) cleanliness...so I admire that about Singapore.

    What languages do you speak, cami?
  • Cynthia
    Welcome Cami :D Love your intro :D

    I have an attachment to Southeast Asia since I lived there for about 13 years of my life :D

    I am actually planning a trip to S'pore some time in the summer but not sure when yet (still waiting for my friend to respond LOL). If I do maybe we can meet up :)
  • Uncle Dan
    Hi Cami!

    Welcome to TCKid! How long have you lived in Singapore? I used to live in Indonesia, and we went to Singapore at least once a year to renew our residence permits. :)

    And I'm hoping to get a job there within this or next year.

    I'm currently in the last few weeks of my bachelor's degree in Switzerland, haha. :)
  • Kristina J. Adams
    Hi Cami!

    I went to high school in Wheaton, IL...I tell everyone else Chicago, cuz they really don't the surrounding suburbs. My parents grew up in Maywood and Hillside. What section did you spend your ten years in?

    Currently I live near South Bend, IN with my hubby and 2 kids.

    Great to have you...welcome!
  • Brice
    Hola Cami and welcome to TCKID! :D

    Ahh there are a LOT of TCKs in Singapore, actually my friend is going there for the summer. I hope you meet up!

    Here's your hot cocoa. Welcome home. :)

    <img src="http://www.tweetsweet.com/blogimages/hot_cocoa.jpg"></img>
  • Ayako
    Welcome Cami :)
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