My Little Hybrid Family
Our background
Here’s the background of my little hybrid family.
Me
I am American and from the rural state of Mississippi. I say y’all often, pronounce ten and tin the same and throw out idioms that no one here has ever heard before.
Hubs
He is Filipino-Canadian and can speak a number of languages. He enjoys both adobo and poutine equally. He has a YouTube channel and is an amazing artist.
Kid
She’s a hybrid. She’s a Girl from Everywhere. If you ask where she’s from, she can’t exactly tell you. She looks like her dad and acts like me.
Us
We are not only a mixed-race family, but we also live in Thailand, where Hubs and I met and where our daughter was born. We thrive in an amalgamation of cultures, foods, language, and behaviors. We celebrate some holidays from all the countries we’re involved with, and we forget about others accidentally. We live peacefully together in our little corner of the world. Yet, we do have some issues.
First, I am judged by the way I eat chicken wings. I just can’t get all the meat off. It’s impossible. Apparently not, according to Hubs. Don’t get me started on picking out undesirable food from a dish.
Second, it’s hard to see our families back home. If we are on a 4-week holiday, it’s possible. Anything less than that, it’s not. To visit Canada and Mississippi is not only expensive, but it is also time-consuming. Now on different school schedules, going to both places is just not feasible.
Third, being ethnically Southeast Asian, Hubs is often mistaken for Thai, and people converse with him freely. While we should speak more Thai, we can give you many reasons (read: excuses) as to why we don’t. It’s an uncomfortable feeling.
We have found many advantages to living abroad, with travel topping that list. We can go to many countries within a two-hour plane ride. We can go to another country just to enjoy their delicious cuisine. Kid can learn about other cultures through experience. We meet people from all over the world in our workplaces and through friends. We make a comfortable amount of money with a low cost of living.
Overall, our little hybrid family works, and we are happy.
