At least once in your lifetime, your destiny takes you somewhere you haven't even imagined. The same was the case with me. It all seems like a rollercoaster ride to me as one day, an 11-year-old Lahori kid is catching street cricket balls, and the next day he ends up catching a 7-hour long flight to East Asia. The transition from being a national to a foreigner was not a cup of cake. But, I believe, what happens to you, happens for a certain purpose. So, today, I'd tell you how it's like living as a foreigner in contrast to a national citizen.
-Pros of living as a foreigner
1-Gaining Exposure:
As Bill Gates says, " Exposure from a young age to the realities of the world is a super-big thing". You only face the realities, when you are out of your comfort zone, and to me, there is none more than the foreigners, who are out of their comfort zone. Back in Pakistan, we have all extended family system, which supports one another in hardships. But, being away from your people, you ALONE have to tackle everything which comes down to your pathway, and this prepares you to face almost every bigger challenge in your life, ALONE. The more outside you are of your comfort zone, the greater chances you have to face difficult and thus, the more opportunities you have to become a stronger version of yourself.
~Doing a science experiment with my friends at School
2-Making Friends:
When you meet people of diversified ethnic backgrounds, you get to know about each other's culture in a better way. It helps to break certain "stereotypes", which you've had regarding each other's nations. Furthermore, you explore their cultural delicacies through your friends. Once my Arab friend invited me over to Ramadhan diner and I got to experience "Mansaf, Baklawa, Madison". When the EID came, I invited those Arab and other friends over to my place and let try "Biryani", and we fell in love with each other's hospitality.
~During Maths assignment at school with friends in Malaysia
3-Learning about expenditures:
When you move to a different country, it might be more expensive or if you are lucky enough, it would be less expensive than your indigenous country. It's complicated when you are a foreigner in an expensive country (To Spend). However, this is something really important that teaches you about "Finance". You get to learn like, how much you should spend on groceries, foods, leisure activities, etc. Since Malaysia is almost 3 times more expensive than Pakistan, it helped me learn about " moderation" and hence, I was able to differentiate what I needed VS what I wanted.
~McDonald's nearby my place, Sri Serdang
-Cons of living as a foreigner
1-Racism
To be honest, both good and bad people are found everywhere. This Earth, not Paradise, and no place or human is perfect here, wherever you go. So, you may come across some people, who don't show respect towards your ethnicity, but it just exposes their mentality. "It is not our differences that divide us. We cannot recognize, accept and celebrate those differences" ~Audre Lord
~Walking down the lane around Universiti Putra Malaysia
2-Loneliness
Sometimes, you do miss your family as you are away from home. You are not a robot, you are a human. Sometimes, all you need is just a sweet hug from those who are away from you. Well, in this case, none can help you.
~At Putrajaya Lake, Masjid Putra
Note : These Pros and Cons are based on my personal opinions, you may agree or disagree.
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