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Torn Between Two Worlds
A Retrospective Look at Cultural Differences and Their Impact on One’s Personal Development
Being from one culture but growing up in another that is the complete opposite of your initial culture is a very jarring experience, to say the least. And this experience is something that children who migrate to a different country will always have to navigate through, more often than not, by themselves.
This happened to me too, which is why I am writing this blog expressing my thoughts and feelings on this subject with a reflective tone. I was raised in Nepal during my early years and moved to the UK when I was ten years old as my father was a soldier in the British Gurkhas. By ten years of age, you have a basic moral compass and a sense of familiarity with the culture you grew up in. What is normal, what is not, what is acceptable, what is not, friendship dynamics, a very basic sense of belonging within the society you find yourself in, how you should treat and interact with your elders and so on. In my opinion, this is the age when a child is beginning to grasp his or her own cultural identity and a sense of belonging.