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Famous Movers and Shakers
By Kate Goggin
Are you newly arrived in a different country? Feeling a little displaced maybe? Don't worry, we have all been there, and you might be surprised to learn that some rather famous people have struggled to adjust to new cultures, too.
Can you imagine Maya Angelou as an expat? Or how about Vincent Van Gogh? We all have to cope every day with the mobile global lifestyle, but for some reason it's hard to imagine such famous folks wrestling with culture shock, limited job opportunities, and loneliness. I guess some expat issues are simply universal.
American author Maya Angelou is best known for her poetry, but she has also produced a successful series of autobiographical books. I am reading one now called Heart of a Woman. It drips with experience and emotion as she follows her husband, a UN employee, to an assignment in Cairo, Egypt. Here is a little extract about their initial shock upon arrival:
"They helped us into a ramshackle Mercedes Benz as if they were placing royalty in a state carriage. My son and I rose to the occasion. Neither of us said a word when, on the outskirts of Cairo, the driver neatly swerved to avoid hitting a camel, although I did push my elbow into Guy's side as we passed the beautiful white villas of Heliopolis. The shiny European cars, large horned cows, careening taxis and the throngs of pedestrians, goats, mules, camels, the occasional limousine and the incredible scatter of children made the streets a visual and a tonal symphony of chaos.
When we entered the center of Cairo, the avenues burst wide open with such a force of color, people, action and smells I was stripped of cool composure.
I touched the man in the front passenger seat and shouted at him, 'What's going on? Is today a holiday?'
He looked out the open windows, and turned back to me shaking his head.
'The crowd? You mean the crowd?'
I nodded.
'No.' He smiled. 'This is just everyday Cairo.'"
Angelou gave up promising work in New York and tried to adjust to her new role as a dependent spouse. You may laugh or cry at this familiar exchange as she discusses work options with a journalist friend:
"'You want a job? Nice women don't work in Cairo. I thought you knew that. Why don't you join one of the women's organizations? Or set up a club among the wives of diplomats? You could write some articles for black American newspapers. Nothing to do?' He laughed, "Girl, I thought you were serious.'"
The painter Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland but moved many times during his career. He lived in London, Paris, Belgium, Arles, Saint-Remy and Auvers-Sur-Oise. You might say he often relocated for the sake of his work. In these excerpts from The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, Vincent advises his brother Theo about the challenges of being a newcomer and the rootless emotions of expats.
January 1873
Dear Theo,
I was glad you answered me so soon and that you like Brussels and have
found a nice boarding-house. Don't lose heart if it is very difficult
at times, everything will come out all right and nobody can in the beginning
do as he wishes...
Your loving brother,
Vincent
March 1888
Dear Theo,
...All those things - family, native land - are perhaps more attractive
in the imaginations of such people as us, who pretty well do without native
land or family either, than they are in reality. I always felt I am a
traveler, going somewhere and to some destination...
With a handshake,
Yours,
Vincent
For all of you newcomers, don't despair. Everyone, famous or not, feels the same way after arrival. Know that you are not alone and that expatriate life holds many adventures for you.
Now let's give Madonna a call and see if she has mastered the intricacies of British English.
© 2003, Kate Goggin
Kate Goggin is a Foreign Service spouse (FAS) and freelance writer. Currently living in Northern Virginia, she is available for short and long term writing assignments. Visit her website at http://www.kategoggin.com.