The Life of an Expatriate

Living abroad is a funny thing. Most things they tell you are true: you'll be homesick, you'll learn about a new culture, and depending on where you go, you might even learn a new language. The excitement about those things fades. After awhile, you know that it would be nice to go "home," but home is actually abroad. And you get used to just doing everything differently. And you get used to talking differently (perhaps in that foreign language). 

So when you run across a meet-up for English-speaking expatriates, it's a good thing to go. I've met a ton of people through such a group. Last night, about twelve us of had dinner. Twelve of us from all over. The only rule: English, only. 

I've been going to meet-ups like this for a couple of years now. It's funny -- even though I've never been to Australia, Ireland, some of the US, when you meet a fellow English speaker, it's like you've just met your neighbour from back home, or your best childhood friend. I don't mind living in Germany; I like it, even. But that feeling you get when you meet someone, and you don't have to speak slowly or in another language for them to understand you? It's golden.

So you can imagine my surprise when some new people show up, and we go through the typical "Who are you/Where are you from?" stuff; someone says "Canada." I admit it. I perked up. I've met more Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, and Americans than anything else. I DON'T meet Canadians here. It's like they don't exist. And if they do, they're from Toronto. So, they might as well be Americans, anyway.

Back to the story. "You're from Canada, eh? Where about?" I ask. "Edmonton." was my reply. You've got to be freaking kidding me! Even around the same area as me. I'm telling you, I was beyond excited. 

You probably think this isn't a big deal. Sure, you're from around the same place, but you're still strangers, and you were never neighbours. Ha! That's what you think! When you live abroad and (therefore) a Kiwi is like your next door neighbour, someone not only from the same country, but city is, well.... We might as well have been brother and sister who shared a bathroom growing up. Or something. Even if there was a good probability we could run into each other in a bar in Edmonton, with it being no big deal, it's exciting when you're in another country. It's hard to explain if you haven't lived it.

Anyhoo, we all got to talking about idioms and phrases particular to each English-speaking region. I offered that when a Brit had first told me he was feeling knackered, I had absolutely no idea what was happening. The word even comes up with little red squiggles under it to tell me it is spelled wrong! Then the Aussies got to talking about the phrase "being pissed," as in being drunk. This isn't new to me. I've used it on more than one occasion. Some Americans, however, were confused. They thought it meant to be angry. 

Now, the question is -- where did I pick up the phrase from? I'll admit that Canada and the US are quite different culturally (whether you believe it or not; I'm married to an American. I know.) But I'm pretty sure that we wouldn't have just understood the phrase "getting pissed" without some sort of Brit/Aussie/Kiwi intervention. So where did I get it from? Maybe when I lived in Calgary from a friend that had lived in both Britain and Australia before? Someone else with British roots? Or did I pick it up in the last few years since I've already been here? When meeting someone from Michigan was just as good as meeting someone from Toronto?

I'm confused, because I can't trace things like that. And the longer I live abroad -- which is forever -- the more confusing things will probably be. But in a way, I like it. It makes me feel cosmopolitan and worldly. Or something.