What's in a Title?

I should probably explain the thinking behind the title of this blog. Why is it called "The Foreign Foreign Correspondent"?

At the moment, only about half the title rings true. The "Foreign Correspondent" bit is relatively simple reminder of where I want to be and what I am aiming for, namely some sort of life abroad after I finish my final year studying German and Russian at university.

The first "Foreign" is harder to explain. For the sake of attaching a label to myself, I call myself a British Asian. In terms of citizenship I am British. In terms of outward looks I am Indian. In terms of cultural values I am both British and Indian and if you add to that my degree subjects, a little German and Russian too.

In this day and age when we have so many politically correct words to try and describe nationality, I still find the vocab confining and lacking. Dual heritage, bicultural, multilingual, exotic, ethnic, second generation, descendant of an immigrant to name a few. After a while they begin to sound like harmful food additives responsible for toddlers' tantrums. I believe that, like languages, cultures can be learnt, absorbed and adapted by an individual for the purpose of the individual's own identity. It continues to surprise me that learning the culture is considered the by-product of learning a language. Not hugely important, but something that can be picked up along the way along with a few red faces when it all goes horribly wrong.

I love the way that learning about other cultures opens the mind. I love celebrating the similarities as well as the differences of the four cultures that I am lucky enough to partake in. I am comfortable enough with my own identity to have explained it many times to bemused people used to only having one culture and who sometimes believe that all foreigners will eventually go back to their own countries. I got talking to a German (in German) at a party last night. It was quite typical of the other identity/nationality conversations I have had.

"So are you Indian?"

"I'm a British national"

"Oh, so were you born in India?"

"No, I was born here. My parents moved over here with their parents when they were children."

"Oh, so are you Indian or English"

"Both"

"Ok. So will you go back to India one day"

"Don't really know. What I'd really like to do is go and live in Germany. That would be fun."

At this point the poor German is very confused and leaves saying something about finding his friend. He is confused because I look Indian, but speak English without an accent. I am fully integrated in English society rather than living in an "ethnic" part of town but yet want to run off and live in Germany.

Well I won't stand a chance of running off to Germany if I don't get my work finished and pass my degree. I supposed I had better get back to it otherwise I will have to delete the "Foreign Correspondent" part of the title.