Eating With Expats

My life as of late has begun to revolve around a few common themes: food and expatriatism. The two are more easily intertwined than it might initially seem. My explorations of culinary Dublin always occur in the company of two other expats. I have recently set up a weekly lunch or dinner date with my American and Australian friends, and we are determined to try a new type of cuisine every week.

This week we chose sushi. Mimi and Janice were quite experienced with it, while I am a complete neophyte philistine. But my induction was rapid and thorough, facilitated by the conveyor belt pumping the raw fish creations out of the kitchen and past our booth. We had 55 minutes to eat as much sushi as we possibly could. Mimi and Janice took up positions nearest the belt, and I entrusted them with my gastronomic well-being. I told them to pass me any dish they pleased, and I would try it.

While this left ample opportunity for palate abuse, they were gentle with my underdeveloped taste buds. I tried quite a variety of dishes and liked the majority of them. The tuna sashimi was a particularly pleasant surprise, being that it was simply a slab of raw fish. The three of us savaged the conveyor belt, leaving towering piles of empty plates scattered across the table. I think the dishes I didn't find so appealing were those that I ate later in the venture. I was so disgustingly full that no form of food was appetising. I quit a bit before Janice and Mimi, groaning meekly every so often.

I think my discomfort was a payback for the previous week, when we'd gone for Korean food. Janice and Mimi were the disgustingly stuffed and groaning duo on that occasion, while I escaped with a mere sufficient fullness. I did quite enjoy the cuisine then as well, but perhaps the missing element of a set time limit made the difference.

While our conversations during these meals centre on what's going into our mouths, we usually move on for coffee and bit of conversation afterwards. It's there that the expat element emerges.

Until this point in my journey, I didn't realise what a distinguishing characteristic being an expatriate could be. In London I always felt like a pseudo Brit, with few people remarking on the fact that I am American. This is most likely because London is a highly multicultural city. Hardly anyone seemed to give a second thought to interacting with someone from abroad.

Dublin, however, has only recently begun to attract foreigners. Conversations with people I've just met or don't know well tend to revolve around how I ended up in Ireland, what I'm doing here and how long I'm staying. While this topic did come up at some point when I spoke with people in London, it usually cropped up later in the conversation and didn't assume a primary role. I have the impression that I'm still a bit of an abnormality to the people here, which can sometimes make me feel like an outsider even though they're friendly about it.

I seek refuge in the dinners with my expat friends. Crossing and living in a different culture is a fairly unique situation, one that breeds seemingly endless conversational topics when we get together. There are small, very subtle cultural norms that are imperceptible to the people who have grown up with them, but can prove to be quite obvious to outsiders who are trying to fit in.
These differences can sometimes act as boundaries that are daunting and impenetrable, but they can also prove to be amusing or pleasant when compared with your native culture. This is one of the reasons that I genuinely love being an expat. As I've expressed in my previous posts, it can be maddening, frustrating and isolating. But at the same time it's fascinating to uncover the little nuances of a culture, adapt to them and perhaps even start appropriating them for yourself.

In facing the discord between cultures, it helps to have other outsiders with whom you can compare notes. You bring up the confusing and frustrating bits and realise you're not the only one finding them difficult. Or you point out the endearing aspects and come to appreciate them more. In general, I think expat discussions help you adjust, overcome and find a place in a different culture. This, for me, has been quite a fulfilling experience. And I've also enjoyed just being full.