After a lifetime of travelling, I am starting to notice that every place is more or less the same. Each place, albeit with a different culture and different lifestyles, has its positives and its negatives. Some wonderful things and some horrible things. In this way, all places begin to blend together and the aspects that distinguish one place from another begin to fade away into one huge mural using similar colours in different ways.
The restrictive nature of Spanish and Turkish culture begins to merge into one bad experience and bring to mind the xenophobia of small town America. How ironic that the entire world is so critical of America when most every nation boasts qualities that are so similar to what they hate about the U.S. of A.
Growing up a Third Culture Kid, I was spoiled by international schools where my mixed American and Sri Lankan background was met with an equally interesting description of travel or mestizaje that led my new friend to the spot where we bonded over our globally nomadic lives. It wasn’t until I moved to America that people stopped knowing where Sri Lanka was, and I began having to explain myself to people who had no clue. And these were educated people! Fast forward a few years and while living in Geneva I stopped having to explain myself in great detail, Geneva, Switzerland is a haven for Third Culture Kids and families. But then in Spain began once again the dreaded question ‘Where are you from?’ and the quizzical faces upon hearing Sri Lanka. Even after the Tsunami that struck south and Southeast Asia, the Spanish still didn’t know where Sri Lanka was. Living in Turkey and no one there knew where Sri Lanka was either. This is culture shock. This is the hated American mentality, reviled for its ignorance and close mindedness. But here it is in Europe! Although whether Turkey is really a part of Europe is certainly a contested one.
I did indeed find it fantastically interesting how similar life in Istanbul was to life in Seville or Granada, Spain. Clearly, Moorish culture has left its mark on many places and it makes me wonder why Spain is considered part of Europe itself. I suppose, like Turkey, when talking about modern Spain one means the north and the southern and less civilised parts of the country are relegated to some other discussion that has nothing to do with Spain’s modernity. Turkey is seen as being European because for some reason, Istanbul is seen as a cosmopolitan and progressive city. But no one considers the rest of the country, and I think if the entire countries of both Spain and Turkey were considered in their totality, they would be quite far from this idea of being European.
I mean, what does European mean anyway?
Possibly related posts:
