Gotta Disguise...

My student Ice showed me this sketch she made today in class. It must have been inspired from our little conversation about my dual-nationality last week. I think it's comical and pretty smart too. Ice is a very curious student, as is apparent from the bottom portion of the comic of her and her dad.  She's always asking questions about different things. That's a great quality for a student to have, asking questions. And she's learning multiple languages to satisfy her curiosity.

On a further note about my own perceptions as a dual-national, I have never hid the fact of either nationality from any of my students. And I am usually upfront about it with new students. One thing that fueled my being upfront about it were a few travellers who told me they don't tell people their actual nationality out of a fear of social persecution. I understand their thinking but I don't agree with their method. I don't have any room in my life for people who come full of misguided thoughts in the form of prejudices. And so, if someone doesn't like it based on their misinformed opinion, then that's their end of the deal. I'm in full acceptance of who I am.

A couchsurfer I met in Bangkok had asked me whether I feel more Canadian or more Turkish. I gave him the first thought that popped up and that is that I feel 100% Canadian and 100% Turkish. These are different aspects of my being that do not take away from one another, but can co-exist. It's also about contrast and relativity. My Canadian friends would see more of the Turkish side in me because it stands out to them. And my Turkish friends would see my Canadian aspects as ones that stand out the most. These are just national aspects of who we are. It doesn't represent the full picture. 

The full picture comes closer into view when we accept that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Our relationships with others have played quite a big role in our journeys as well, our unique personal legends. Being a big brother, a teacher, and a dance activist are a few other examples of who I am. These aspects have also shaped my being, in most cases more so than the national aspects.