As the Merriam-Webster Dictionary sees it, a Foreigner is
1. A person belonging to or owing allegiance to a foreign country
2. One not native to a place or community; stranger
Both the definition and the synonyms (stranger, nonnative, outsider) sound cold and distant. The first definition calls to mind the image of an expatriate who has renounced his homeland, betraying the society that raised him. The second definition implies isolation. "Don't talk to strangers", mothers often tell children. Why? Because strangers are Unknowns who are not to be trusted. Though these cold definitions are hardly surprising given that being a Foreigner ultimately means having a certain distance, the overall negative connotation of the definitions taints the word, making it unappealing and, for some people, untouchable.
However, anyone can be "The Foreigner". As I see it, the definition does not have to be limited to the confines of geographic or even literal interpretation and can extend to specific situations, a state of mind, or even a feeling. Moreover, I hope that the word Foreigner can call to mind more positive connotations. The excitement of new people and places, the constant adventure in even the most mundane of activities, and the unprecedented chance for discovery should coat the word Foreigner with a positive glow, and the latent potential of being the Foreigner should charge the word with energy. To me, this is a coveted word and a coveted state of being.
It is this word--and all of its definitions and connotations, both positive and negative--that I seek to explore in this blog. As I travel and live around different areas of the world, my feelings change at every turn, and with that, so does my own interpretive definition of the word Foreigner.
1. A person belonging to or owing allegiance to a foreign country
2. One not native to a place or community; stranger
Both the definition and the synonyms (stranger, nonnative, outsider) sound cold and distant. The first definition calls to mind the image of an expatriate who has renounced his homeland, betraying the society that raised him. The second definition implies isolation. "Don't talk to strangers", mothers often tell children. Why? Because strangers are Unknowns who are not to be trusted. Though these cold definitions are hardly surprising given that being a Foreigner ultimately means having a certain distance, the overall negative connotation of the definitions taints the word, making it unappealing and, for some people, untouchable.
However, anyone can be "The Foreigner". As I see it, the definition does not have to be limited to the confines of geographic or even literal interpretation and can extend to specific situations, a state of mind, or even a feeling. Moreover, I hope that the word Foreigner can call to mind more positive connotations. The excitement of new people and places, the constant adventure in even the most mundane of activities, and the unprecedented chance for discovery should coat the word Foreigner with a positive glow, and the latent potential of being the Foreigner should charge the word with energy. To me, this is a coveted word and a coveted state of being.
It is this word--and all of its definitions and connotations, both positive and negative--that I seek to explore in this blog. As I travel and live around different areas of the world, my feelings change at every turn, and with that, so does my own interpretive definition of the word Foreigner.