I've got two hours before we meet and I would be content spending it here with my trusty cup of chai. Sure it would be nice if someone would join me and chai, but for now I enjoy the solitude. Cup number two arrives. The services is great, the music pleasing, and for the moment I'm the only foreign looking person in the joint.
There is something I really enjoy about being a foreigner. Even more so when it is starkly noticeable. Sure it was nice to blend into the crowd in Europe, only to be outed by my accent. But here and in Korea, I don't have to do anything to tip people off. My large build and whiteness broadcast it. I still enjoy it though when Korean children walk up behind me to compare how tall they are to me, or when they get that shocked look on their face when they first see me. I love that kids in India and Philippines have called me "Big Show."
Oh sure it would be nice to fit in, to speak the language, to buy the clothes off the rack, to fit into the shoes, but that just won't happen soon.
Perhaps I love this feeling because it reminds me that this place is not my home. The countries I'm in are not home, and never will be. And it is a good reminder that until I end up on heaven's shores, I'll never be home. I'm just an alien and stranger in this land. My nomadic life, my vagabond attitude puts me in good company of Biblical characters who also longed for a home. I just wish I longed even more for that heavenly home...
Songs to go with this post: Rich Mullins - What Susan Said,
Johnny Cash - I Am a Pilgrim
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