Life as an expatriate is interesting and confusing, frustrating and exhilarating. the differences between US and UK cultures are very subtle, and oftentimes it takes years of friendship or knowing someone to realise how differently you think! Sometimes I find myself thinking... "Isn't California supposed to be nice this time of year...?"
I don't see many African Americans on a daily basis (Or monthly. Or yearly.) But no matter how culturally isolated I might THINK I am, I often invoke the memory of of other African Americans who came to Europe before me, like Jimi Hendrix, Eartha Kitt, James Baldwin, Josephine Baker and Nina Simone. It takes a lot to decide, I'm going to go for exactly what I want and see what happens. At times, it almost feels like going against fate.
In a way, I find it very positive to meet new people from all over who have only seen African Americans on TV and in films. They always tell me "You're so different to how I imagined you would be!" Of course, Americans say that to me too, so...
[Anyway, today's post's title of course comes from what Romeo says in Romeo and Juliet when he hears the news of Juliet's (faked) death. One of my favourite films is Baz Luhrman's 1996 version, starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. Seeing this film when I was a kid completely changed my perspective, I was obsessed with it. Aaaaaaaaaand who can forget the scene when they first see each other through the aquarium?????? And the SONG, "Kissing You"?!
Me and my sister and our friends sang this song around the piano like so many alley cats howling at the moon (HAHAHA), imagining it was us falling in love for the first time. Enjoy. xoxo]
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