50 Countries

Something wonderful happened last week.

A large group of children and parents gathered for a bite to eat. Well, it was a little more than just food it was something much larger and interesting. It is what we call International Day and it is always a spectacular display. Over 50 nationalities side-by-side sharing cultures and traditions the expat way.

Everyone was laughing, eating and exploring. Learning something new and enjoying their time with friends while showcasing their home country’s spirit and pride. We have a lot to be thankful for and we are not afraid to show it. We are the leaders in globalization, patriotism and the United Nations — and we know it.

There was no bickering over space allotment, religion or authority. Nobody was conspiring to over-throw another’s table, to steal their food, enslave their people, or convert them to another faith.

I drank Arab coffee, Canadian soda, ate a Danish pie, and danced to an Indian folk dance — nobody called me a traitor or a spy — nobody wanted to throw a shoe or spit in my eye.

If you would like to see how peaceful the world could be, please visit us and we will show you how it is done. How we live side-by-side without racism, violence and fear. No media to distort us for a ratings gain. We live in this nation by choice and with appreciation — a multi-cultural and ethnically harmonious existence by definition.

Over 50 different nationalities were represented at International Day and nobody tried to pick my pocket or tried to sell me junk bonds. I wasn’t asked to send money to a secret account in Africa. I didn’t risk a kidnapping or catch the avian flu from “some strange guy from Peru.”

I didn’t eat some sketchy meat that many fear might be on the streets. I tried the succotash, the goulash, the stew and a bunch of British biscuits too. I wasn’t afraid I would catch malaria, ebola or hoof-mouth disease because it’s really just a big whoopty-do blown out of portion to scare people away.

I am sorry that you have been misinformed. That your news hasn’t always provided the most accurate assessment and has shown you a world of resistance and warfare — but honestly, I am not joking you, that kind of stuff is not going on here.

I am not sure what I am supposed to be afraid of because I visited over 50 countries in one day and nobody tried to shoo me away. Nobody said I wasn’t wanted there or that I was too white, too Christian, too Liberal, or too foreign to be their friend. They invited me in and gave me some food and some information on their homeland too.

Nobody questioned my patriotism, made inappropriate insinuations or judged my intentions. They welcomed me into their country and I was happy to oblige. I ate things I would never see on the grocer shelf. I met people I would never meet if I had never left the comfort of my hometown street.

I wish everyone could be an expat for a least a year or two. We have a better understanding of our global existence and how we all fit into the mix. We understand cultures, traditions, history and the different ethnicities that surround us. We are raising our children to be the image we want the world to be. I wish that you could have been here too because we have so many things we want you to see.

There’s no hatred, no violence, and no protesting on the street except one tiny little girl who needed a nap.

I wish you could visit 50 countries in one day too and maybe then you would see the world as we do.

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