“For three years I called New Delhi home. In a city that is a living breathing reflection of India’s cultural heart, I guess as an expat I stood out. Though we foreigners may wear the clothes, soak up the festivities and get our feet dusty wearing sandals all year round, unless you’re one of those fortunate souls who can thoroughly imbibe the deep-seated culture, you’re still somewhat of a surface dweller. We enjoy all the wonderful offerings that India has to give, but still replying under our laughter “thora–thora” (“little by little”) when someone asks if we can speak Hindi. The truth is that not only do foreigners mostly never grasp the language, it’s thora–thora to most things about the Indian culture that many will never truly understand.”

Thank you to http://www.writing.ie for sharing this personal tale Far East Wanderings about cultural exchange and the wandering expat in all of us.