“Heidi Sand-Hart’s “Home Keeps Moving” authenticates the TCK experience. Her personal stories demonstrate the tangible reality of the TCK theories we have been reading and hearing about for years.” – Tina L Quick, author of The Global Nomad's Guide to University Transition

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Thai Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Something to keep you warm in the winter...
Thai-spiced Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ingredients

700g of pumpkin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic
1 red chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon lemongrass, chopped
1 400g can coconut milk
4 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
500ml chicken or veg stock (optional) or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190’C and place the oven racks in the middle.
Carefully cut the pumpkin into halves (or quarters). Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and place in the oven. Roast for about an hour or until the squash is tender throughout.
In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter over low heat. Cook shallots, chillies, lemongrass and garlic until soft.
Add the coconut milk and curry paste and bring to a simmer, adding scooped pumpkin. Add 500ml stock/water and simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth. Serve with fresh coriander.
Serves four.

Thursday 18 November 2010

Denizen interview

I did this (1,556 word) interview for Denizen online Third Culture Kid magazine and was disappointed to see that it wasn't used for their "review". So here it is in its entirety:

- What was the process of getting inspired to write the book? In the book, you mention encouragement from others to share your TCK experience.

I first started processing my TCK experience shortly after leaving home. I had moved to L.A to join a missions organization (YWAM) and realised how different I was from my fellow students and gravitated towards the older students and fellow MKs. Over the three years I lived In North America (USA/Canada), I guess my differences were highlighted to me and particularly the wealth of knowledge and experience I had gained through my well-travelled upbringing. I got my hands on “Third Culture Kids – The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds” (Pollock/Van Reken) when I was 21 and it really hit home to me in a lot of ways and I particularly related to the personal anecdotes laced throughout the book…but they weren’t long enough for my liking! I searched for more personal literature out there for TCKs and realised there wasn’t much at all. That is when the idea was birthed within me to write my own book. The task was far too overwhelming for me at the time – the more I looked within myself, the more isolated I felt from my fellow peers. So, I put the book on the back burner (already having the book title but lacking a little in direction and structure) and continued on with my vagabond life. As I grew older and experienced more of the world, I realised just how unqiue my own upbringing was and how I struggle to settle down, find my “home”…how I’m “ruined for the ordinary” …and the desire returned to share that with others.

- Bring us through the journey of writing it - when and how did you draft it, approach publishers and the like? Were you always writing it, through journals as you grew up, or did you sit down one day and embark upon it in one push?

My husband Paul (a non-TCK from New Zealand who understands me better than most!) and I returned to the UK in 2008, after living in Thailand for 6 months. I struggled to find my feet or a job and felt strongly that I wanted to finish this book that has been hanging over me for so long. I had all of my original work (from 2001) and started editing, expanding and added a lot of new stuff. Some of my original perspectives were quite “young” and a little “preachy” so I evolved them to fit with how I have changed in the past 9 years. The structure fell into place quite naturally. I didn’t have the luxury of having old diaries (journals) on hand since they are all in storage with my parents in Finland so I had to rely on memory. I was close to completion after 4-5 months and started contacted publishers in the spring of 2010. I received a few rejections but got linked in with the perfect publisher, McDougal, who even let me keep my British grammar!

- I was intrigued by certain decisions in your story - e.g. your decision to go into home schooling at 16, and your parents' decision to put Samuel into government care. Was there a reason why you didn't elaborate on these topics more thoroughly in the book? There was an explanation of events, but I would have loved further introspection, just to know what was going through your head in more detail, at the time.

It’s a curious thing, writing a book, because you never know where or when inspiration will hit and which parts of the book you want to elaborate on and which you prefer to keep to yourself. I didn’t make a conscious decision to not divulge on my feelings at that time but I suppose on the second count, Samuel (my mentally handicapped older brother) went into government when I was 5 years old and I couldn’t tell you what my feelings were at the time. Initially he came home on the weekends and that seemed like a normal solution to me as a child because I didn’t know life any other way. My parents were exhausted raising three children as well as doing full-time missions work and for them to maintain their energy and sanity, it was a necessary decision. Particularly because they knew Samuel could not adapt to life in India (he needs his routine) and that was our next stop. I didn’t want to invent things that weren’t there and for those fragmented moments of my childhood where my memory failed to conjure up emotions (of which there are many), I felt it best to stay factual. So no, it wasn’t intentional…it just happened that way.

- Your parents paid for you and your brother to go to counselling in Switzerland for a week, upon your discovery of being a TCK - and you mention the sessions weren't as helpful as meeting another TCK there. Why was this - what was particularly unhelpful about the sessions, and how do you think this can be improved for others in a similar position?

Like I say in the book, I found it extremely helpful to talk things out – free license to talk openly about my childhood without being paranoid that it would tarnish my parents reputations. However, the counsellors that my brother and I had didn’t have any experience of working with TCKs and it felt like we were on the receiving end of their “pet answers” because they didn’t know what to do. For example, my brother was sharing his difficulty in figuring out what to do with his life - his desire to explore the earth and live in different countries – and the counsellor told him to “get a job and settle down”! They didn’t really have the understanding or resources to tackle our chaotic upbringings since we didn’t fit in the usual boxes. I think there are far more “member care” and TCK places out there these days who are equipped to help and counsel TCKs so look out for those!

- What was the biggest challenge in writing this book?

It was really difficult to decide which stories to include and to make sure it came across well to the reader. I didn’t want to cause offense with my book (to non-TCKs) but I also wanted to speak freely and hope I have found that balance. It was also very difficult to know that I will be judged by Home Keeps Moving…that in being open and vulnerable at times, I have put myself out there and people may have critical or negative opinions of it. So far, the feedback has been extremely positive.

- You mention that "In a society consumed with education and diplomas, I do feel inferior at times, even though I believe the best form of education is gained through experience. But I still fear that my educational “mess up”will come back to haunt me one day." Where does this inferiority come from - can you elaborate on this, for other TCKs who might also not have chosen a university education?

It comes from most Western Societies I have lived in. People are judged by what they do. The only question that is as hard for me to answer as “Where are you from?” is “What do you do?”! It’s the way success is predominantly measured in the West – with diplomas, PHDs and salaries. I myself have noticed people treating me very different after the release of Home Keeps Moving. Just because I have a book out, now all of a sudden people are interested in talking to me – the very same people that a year ago turned their noses up me because I was simply a “voluntary worker”. There isn’t much room for those seeking an alternative life-style.

- How did you source the contributions in your book (e.g. from Debbie Ross)? Are they friends of yours, or did you find them through the Internet, etc?

The contributions are mostly from my friends – some of whom I’ve never actually met (Lorena Smith)! I got to know Debbie Ross through my husband - whilst living in New Zealand for 5 months. I did try to get some non-MK perspectives but none of the diplomat, business or military kids I asked came back to me with anything. Hopefully one day - in a revised edition - I will include a greater varierty of TCK contributions!

- If there's one thing TCKs can take away from your book, what would you like it to be?

That I hope we all celebrate our colourful and unique upbringings and don’t run from them. Yes, we have faced difficulties that many 60 year olds haven’t yet faced but we have the potential turn those difficulties into strengths. Don’t hide your TCKness:
Don't hide your light under a bushel…

-Is there anything that you might have left out from your book, that you would've liked to add?

I’m hoping to expand certain parts and include more stories if I ever get the chance to do a revised edition – I’ve already added more background to “The Early Years” on my blog: http://homekeepsmoving.blogspot.com/ For now, I’m happy with how it turned out.

Christmas discount

Get a 10% discount on PayPal orders of 'Home Keeps Moving' for the rest of November...order now - homekeepsmoving@gmail.com!!!

Wednesday 17 November 2010

'Parenting While Abroad' interview

Interview: TCK Author Heidi Sand-Hart

Posted by admin on 11/16/10 Taken from: While Abroad

Heidi Sand-Hart was a missionary kid who spent the majority of her childhood moving from one exotic location to another. Like all TCKs she struggled to find a sense of belonging and a place to call home. The most tangible results of her struggles is the book Home Keeps Moving, which serves as an homage to the global nomadic lifestyle and all the good and bad that goes with it. It is an honest, moving book that encourages all TCKs to do the hard work necessary to find their sense of belonging in the world.

Heidi was interviewed by Susan Adkins, a freelance writer for Parenting While Abroad.

You write very honestly about your experiences as a TCK. What made you decide that this was a book you had to write?

Basically it came about as a result of my search for more personal literature on the topic of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and the discovery that there were hardly any books out there. I started processing my own TCK journey more than 10 years ago and begun writing Home Keeps Moving then. The task was too overwhelming at the time but as I’ve gotten older, I have realised how exciting, colourful and unique my own childhood was and the desire to share that with others has progressively grown.

What is the main message that you hope readers get from your book?

It is my hope that people with traditional upbringings will understand TCKs a little better and that I play a little part in giving validation to my fellow TCKs (in many ways, a forgotten tribe). I hope TCKs will realise that it’s okay to have an unusual upbringing and not know where we come from or belong! There are many positives to be gained from a cross-cultural upbringing but I‘ve had to convince people of that fact over the years (and still do). Many people expect TCKs to have roots planted the same way as them (in one house, city or country) and view our restlessness as a sign of weakness. I disagree completely. The same logic applied would be to tell someone who has lived in one place their whole life to “move to the opposite side of the planet and relocate every year or two forever”…I can’t see too many reacting positively to that suggestion so why should it work the other way around?

How has your family reacted to this book?

Very positively – my family is incredibly proud of my achievement and my parents are currently distributing Home Keeps Moving in Finland for me. They encouraged me while I was writing it and have been fantastically supportive. My brother Ben provided me with a brilliant contribution for the book and is a very proud older brother.

How has faith played a role in your work and in your writing?

A lot of thought went into how my opinions would come across to the reader and I suppose that was predominantly because I didn’t want to offend people. I made a great effort to take ownership for my views and tried to convey them clearly. My faith helped drive me on in difficult times and gave me the self-belief I needed.

If you could recommend one thing adults can do to ease a child’s transition during a move abroad, what would it be?

Include them in the decision-making process…let them know that their feelings are important and allow them to speak freely. Encourage them to talk openly and focus on the many positives of living abroad whether they be beach holidays, eating out more or camel rides in the desert.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

I learnt how hard it is to write a book!! That finishing your manuscript is just the beginning – the process is long, difficult and requires a lot of mental energy and patience.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

I touched on it earlier…trying to weed out the potential of people misunderstanding me. Being ultra careful to clearly communicate my point and hopefully not offend people in the process! I didn’t want to come across as “preachy” but simply share how life has been from my perspective. It is a very hard balance to obtain. It was also difficult being open and vulnerable, knowing that I was granting the world access to my soul. I worried about how it would be received and still cringe every now and then but I think if you’re going to write your story, it has to come from your heart.

Your husband grew up in a New Zealand suburb. How have his experiences and childhood memories changed your perspective of your own life as a TCK?

It hasn’t changed my perspectives of my own TCK upbringing as much as acutely highlight the differences. It’s nice to see the security and enjoyment that my husband gets from having a very stable upbringing – his mum still lives in the same house – and he is constantly in touch with his childhood friends. I suppose some TCKs could be saddened by the losses or feel jealous by such stability but Paul & I have shared many conversations about the differences and what that means for us as a couple. I am just as secure in my “uprooted” upbringing as he is in his traditional one...

Continue reading: here

Tuesday 16 November 2010

'Parenting While Abroad' book review

Book Review: Home Keeps Moving

"The author’s life as a child of missionary parents may seem like the fulfillment of a traveler’s dream. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that although Heidi Sand-Hart found her frequent overseas moves to be enriching and sometimes exhilarating, she was also left with a pervasive sense of loneliness and a confused cultural identity.

Home Keeps Moving is an exploration of Heidi’s past. It evaluates the effects that her nomadic upbringing has had on her adult life. Her reflections range from a light-hearted checklist on how to tell if one is a third culture kid (a good indicator is having a passport but not a driver’s license) to a heartbreaking recollection of a thoughtless individual on another continent throwing away her birth certificate, teddy bear and baby clothes.

The author seems to come to a certain peace with her history by the end of the book. She and her husband continue her parents’ work of helping the world’s less fortunate, a lifestyle that involves frequent relocations..."

Read full review here.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Enter Singapore Book Review

Book Review by Jennifer Reischel, taken from: Enter Singapore

Home Keeps Moving
By Heidi Sand-Hart
McDougal Publishing 2010

"You own two or more passports. You boarded airplanes before you could walk. And you feel strange surrounded solely by ethnic majorities. If any of these statements ring a bell, you may well be a part of the third culture kids (TCK) phenomenon. Home keeps moving is the penned memoir of a childhood spanning continents, languages, school systems and multi-cultural friendships.

Heidi Sand-Hart’s journey is a touchingly personal account, and yet she stands as a universal voice for all of us who as youngsters knew more about training maids in the Far East than the latest MTV video clips. Combining diary format style writing with chapter headings on specific issues connected to the TCK syndrome generally works well, and is useful when wishing to refer back to certain observations at a later point in time..."

Continue reading: Enter Singapore