Exposure to different cultures has definitely changed my views on acceptance, tolerance, diplomacy and perseverance.

Before moving abroad, I had few opportunities to immerse myself in different cultures, other than during vacations overseas. When I moved to Aberdeen, Scotland, I was in awe of Scottish nature, history, cuisine and local people’s pride in their heritage. As a Lithuanian student in Scotland, eager to establish a social circle in my new home, I found myself volunteering for a not-for-profit hospitality exchange organization. I organized several events where other volunteers like myself could share a piece of their culture, whether in the form of food, music, dance, or ideas. During one of these events, I met my Turkish husband who was living in Norway at that time. These exchanges encouraged and motivated me to create free online content where I taught the Lithuanian language and shared the culture.

A year after I had met my husband, I moved to Norway to find out that he was soon leaving for a 6-month assignment in Aberdeen. During our long-distance relationship, I was able to settle in, learn the Norwegian language and find a job.  Norway is known to be one of the best countries for work and life balance. Outside of work, I continued preparing Lithuanian content and enjoyed the social life and travels. I got to see the beautiful landscape of the Norwegian fjords, mesmerizing northern lights and charming small-town communities.  Ut på tur, aldri sur! (On a hike – never gripe).  Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær (There is no bad weather, only bad clothes). These were the expressions I kept hearing, and over time I learned to appreciate them and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle.

After experiencing the Nordic climate, we did not think twice about the opportunity to move to Brunei. Although camp life was not very different from what we were used to, it took considerable effort to adapt to local cultural and communication norms outside the camp.  Even though I was already familiar with the local religion as my in-laws were Muslims, it was the first time in my life I lived in a predominantly Muslim country. In Brunei, I became aware of how expats contributed much to the community and how important volunteering was; not only to help the community we lived in, but also for personal development. I had a chance to help with the local club’s IT needs and to give Pilates classes to the expat community. In addition to all these experiences, we also welcomed our daughter Nida to the family.

My husband’s next assignment in Iraq on a rotation basis gave us an opportunity to live in Istanbul, Turkey, where his extended family lived. We had a chance to travel around Turkey and other Mediterranean countries, and I had a chance to practice my Turkish. While in Istanbul I gave birth to our son Aras and continued my journey towards becoming a certified Pilates instructor. It was also important for me to teach our kids my own mother tongue as they were naturally exposed to the Turkish language. With fellow Lithuanians in Istanbul, we started the first not-for-profit Lithuanian language school called “Gilė”. We kept the Lithuanian community active by organizing events and activities for families. It was very fulfilling to see our kids understanding and responding in two different languages.

Australia was already on our travel bucket list when my husband learned that his next assignment would be in Perth. Relocating during the holiday season allowed the kids to be occupied with a variety of activities around the city and shake off any homesickness. It is amazing how fast the kids picked up English and now speak all three languages: Lithuanian, Turkish and English. Through Shell’s Partner Development Program I was able to complete my comprehensive Pilates certification and start working as a Pilates instructor. Giving back to the community is still a big part of my daily life as I volunteer in the first not-for-profit Perth Lithuanian School “Baltu Salele” as a teacher and an executive board member. Although due to Covid-19, we’ve not had a chance to visit our family back in Europe yet, we used the vacation time to explore Western Australia.

Despite the fact that moving countries every few years can be challenging, these experiences have changed my attitude to the environment that I live in. I feel that I have become more tolerant, understanding, inclusive and caring over the years. Encountering diverse groups of people and situations has led to self-reflection and personal growth. The diverse groups of people I met and learnt from and the different situations I have dealt with have provided me with the tools for self-reflection and personal growth.

Kristina Tamosauskaite is a Lithuanian expat who has lived in five countries so far. She currently lives in Perth with her husband and two kids where she is also a Pilates instructor and a volunteer at a local Lithuanian language school.

 

Dear Albania,

I have been wanting to write you for quite some time now. It will be my first letter from our new house in the suburbs of the capital, Tirana. Our compound being built on a hill – we have a beautiful view over the city. Less beautiful is, however, on many days, a brown/grey strip of air above the city. It has been puzzling me because Tirana is not Beijing, where millions of cars and factories shoot their exhaust fumes into the air. Today the penny suddenly dropped:  This greyish color must be the dust from the many building and construction activities!

It has been over six months that I, along with my husband and daughter, arrived on your grounds from the Netherlands. ‘Let’s celebrate this moment with a day out tomorrow’, my 17-year-old suggested, while we were meeting with our new Albanian friends. They laughed. ‘The whole of Albania will celebrate it with you, as tomorrow is Summer Day!’, they said. What a treat, that in this country, summer starts on the 15 of March!

The predominantly Muslim town of Elbasan was the place to go, our friends said, and they were right. When we arrived there in the early morning, festive flower decorations on the castle walls were greeting us. Little market stalls were selling olive oil, homemade honey, balloons, and red and white bracelets. The sun was shining, people looked happy, and small children were beautifully dressed. It was fun to think that this was all done specially for us. We strolled map-less through the narrow streets, passing the King’s mosque and the Maria Church on our way. No big signs or arrows to indicate that we were about to see these splendours of times long passed. They just appeared as if it was completely normal to be standing there in the middle of modern living quarters.

Dear Albania, I see that you have a great urge to catch up with countries that did not go through 45 years of communism.  But please let this not make you feel insecure about yourself. You have no idea how special you are! Remnants and reminders of Illyrian, Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Communist times are scattered all over this country, like different threads on a loom. The stories about these times are interesting, fascinating and a lesson in many ways!

I see construction sites everywhere I go. I have never seen so many cement lorries in my life. Although I understand this urge to create, I am concerned that by striving to catch up, you destroy historic places and buildings that are very special and unique. Please know that for foreigners your country is an open-air history museum where so many interesting threads come together. And for yourself, it is all these historic remnants that explain your national identity. Once you destroy the physical elements of your past, it can never be brought back. Also, you as a country may lose part of your identity and uniqueness by replacing too much of its old with new. From roman mosaics to communist bunkers, please be proud of your national heritage and preserve it well.

Janneke Frens-Geurts is a psychologist and an expat in Albania. Since September 2020, she has been living with her husband and one of their daughters in Tirana.

 

 

As younger generations are driven to surmount society’s toughest challenges, charity projects continue to be critical. As the daughter of an expat, I have had the opportunity to live in three different countries and, accordingly, I have experienced three different realities and witnessed many more. These experiences have opened my eyes to the truths beyond my immediate social circle in Brazil. I recognize that the world can be unjust and sometimes wrongful.

In my fantasy fable, birthrights would never become privileges to a select handful. Unfortunately, Brazil, my home for the past four years, like many other countries, is marked by socio-economic disparities. Its society is influenced by forces of inequality which have inevitably deprived children of a worthy education and the freedom to express themselves. It was on these grounds that I founded the charity project ‘Pintando o 7.’

‘Pintando o 7’ is a startup that hosts a series of weekly workshops offering arts as a means of self-initiative to underprivileged children. Housed in the organization Fundação Américo de Viveiros (FAV), art is taught as a means of expression to children aged 9 to 10 from Morro do Turano (one of Rio de Janeiro’s many favelas).

During the 90-minute workshops, my partner (Ana Rosa Klabin) and I work on reviving the children’s drive and ingenuity through education. Since the arrival of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Brazil at the beginning of March 2020, public schools have not reopened, nor do they have a reliable forecast for when they will. For many of these children, FAV is their only source of education.

We also seek to restore the children’s appreciation for their home, Rio de Janeiro – the internationally dubbed Cidade Maravilhosa (‘Marvelous City’). Some of our projects stem from Rio de Janeiro’s landscape and the artwork that burnt down in 2018 from the city’s Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (The National Museum of Rio de Janeiro). Despite its problems, there is no doubt that Brazil carries much promise and flair.

At its launch, our energy was collectively focused on three goals: getting the word out, receiving donations, and acquiring contacts and resources. One of our first steps – and perhaps unsurprisingly as we are Gen Z teenagers – was to create an Instagram account, where we kept our followers in touch with our goals and progress. Soon after, we set up an online GoFundMe page where we successfully garnered $4,000 Reais (US$800) as well as a fundraiser for new or used art supplies. Most of our donations (including over $3,000 Reais, or US$600 after our expenses) are gifted to FAV to help with their educational support lessons.

On March 3^rd, 2021, we had our first workshop. Now, five workshops later, the children are flourishing in and out of the arts. They are reliably present and remarkably engaged in lessons. Due to the pandemic’s shifting schedule and sudden shootings in Morro do Turano, we sometimes have had to cancel lessons. But other than this, as one of the founders of FAV put it: “On the days this project hosts its workshops, the children don’t miss out!”

The children are also able to quickly learn about the world around them. Each of our projects are based on different countries and cultures, and the children are clearly fascinated by life outside Brazil. They have started to express themselves in their work – whether by using their imagination to create fictional characters or by making slight changes to their paintings of pictures.

There is a Brazilian proverb that translates to: “Water dropping day by day wears the hardest rock away.” Change takes time. In two years, I will likely leave Brazil to study abroad. Whatever the case, I am determined not to see this spark of light dim away. Soon we will onboard younger peers to carry on the project for local Brazilian children.

With luck, we will find those determined individuals who will run the marathon with us. It is like my teacher once said: “Coming together is a beginning. Staying together is progress. Working together is success.”

 

Luana Bogaert is a Belgian-Brazilian national who lives in the ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ – Rio de Janeiro. She is now in her Junior year of high school and looks forward to possibly studying political sciences abroad. Outside school, Luana enjoys surfing and playing soccer. Amidst the pandemic she began a charity project, ‘Pintando o 7’, to help less fortunate children restore their self-initiative.