Guest:
Julia
Topics:
third culture kids, expat life, international schools, culture shock, identity
Countries Discussed
third culture kids, expat life, international schools, culture shock, identity
Season:
1
Episode:
010
Full Transcript
Greg: This episode of the International Teacher Podcast, Matt and I have the opportunity to talk with Julia, who I first met in Cairo back—well—a hundred years ago. She was a first grader, and her parents were teachers like me and like Matt back in 2004–2005 in Cairo, Egypt. Enjoy the podcast.
Greg: Welcome to the International Teacher Podcast with your host, Greg the single guy and Matt the family guy. We’re recording episodes from around the globe to tell you about the best-kept secret in education. That’s right—it’s teaching overseas. We’re glad to have you.
Matt: Okay, ladies and gentlemen—teachers, international teachers, people who live internationally, friends of people who are looking to live internationally, and people who are just bored and need a podcast—listen to this. This is the International Teacher Podcast. I am Matt, the family guy, and with me is Greg, the single guy.
Greg: Good to see you back, Matt.
Matt: Thanks, Greg. It’s great to see you back here as well. Greg, I can’t believe how quickly you got our last interview with Scott and Tara up and online. It was a record—like three hours, maybe.
Greg: Absolutely. It was a long one, but it worked out okay. I hope the audio is a little bit better this time.
Matt: Yeah, well—the joys of not having children. Being able to sit up and do that.
Greg: Yeah, I don’t have to worry about anybody else’s schedule, so I can stay up all night and just do some podcasting.
Greg: This is our guest Julia, Matt. Can I introduce her?
Matt: Please.
Greg: When I taught in 2004–2005, I taught with Susan and Grant Walker. I have to put in a good plug for your parents, Julia—but welcome to our show.
You are a third culture kid, and that’s our topic today.
Julia: Thank you so much for having me. I’m super excited to be on the podcast.
Matt: You just put “the” in front of podcast—we must be legit.
Julia is coming to us from Nova Scotia in Canada—not British Columbia—Nova Scotia.
Greg: Nova Scotia—do you know what that means in Spanish?
Matt: What, man? I don’t know.
Greg: It’s not Spanish. Matt’s making it up.
Matt: Greg, I don’t want to talk.
Greg: All right. Julia, welcome. Matt was talking about a TCK—can you explain what that is?
Julia: Yeah, for sure. A third culture kid is someone who grows up outside their parents’ culture, often in multiple countries, and creates a blend of identities from those experiences.
Matt: Have you ever had a moment where someone looked at you like, “What are you doing?”
Julia: Definitely. Growing up in Singapore, we call people “auntie” and “uncle” as a sign of respect. I’ve said that in Canada to strangers and gotten very confused looks.
Matt: That’s great.
Matt: Did you go to college in Canada?
Julia: Yes, all four years. I graduated from Singapore American School before that.
Matt: Big school.
Greg: Very large international school.
Matt: What was the transition like to Canada?
Julia: I wanted to explore my passport country, so I chose Nova Scotia—even though my family is from the west. I wanted independence.
I packed my bags and went, and I don’t regret it.
Matt: Did you go back to Canada much growing up?
Julia: Every one or two years. It gave us roots, but it was intermittent.
Matt: Did your parents do anything to help you feel Canadian?
Julia: Visiting family, going to the same places, camping—those helped.
Matt: Any culture shock moments?
Julia: Snow.
I asked people about “snow bulldozers.” They corrected me—snowplows.
Greg: What cleans the ice at hockey games?
Julia: Zamboni.
Matt: Like Elf—Buddy learning everything for the first time.
Greg: Julia, do you have any police stories?
Julia: Yes. In Shanghai, we were stopped on a bus. Passports checked, photos taken—and then we were let go.
Greg: That’s it?
Julia: That was it.
Greg: Somewhere your photo is on a wall.
Julia: Probably.
Greg: How has growing up overseas shaped you?
Julia: It’s made me empathetic. You’re exposed to so many perspectives from a young age.
Greg: Anything that stuck with you?
Julia: Travel—and seeing environmental issues—pushed me toward environmental science.
Greg: That’s exactly what international education should do.
Greg: Let’s talk about travel and poverty for a second.
In places like Cambodia and Venezuela, you see extreme poverty—people making less than a dollar a day. It changes how you think about the world.
You realize quickly you can’t solve everything. Even giving money can be complicated. Sometimes food is better, because it helps immediately.
Julia: Yeah, I saw that on school trips too—like in Laos. You want to help, but the problems are complex.
Greg: Exactly. Complex is the word.
Greg: What countries have you lived in?
Julia: Canada, Egypt, Saudi Arabia briefly, and then Singapore.
Greg: Favorite place you visited?
Julia: Bhutan. Beautiful, preserved, sustainable tourism, incredible landscapes.
Matt: Ever feel disconnected in your passport country?
Julia: Definitely. People don’t always understand your experiences. It can feel isolating.
Matt: What does home mean?
Julia: It’s plural. Multiple places—and people.
Matt: If you went back to Singapore?
Julia: Eat everything. That’s home.
Matt: What recreates that in Canada?
Julia: Cooking, sharing culture, celebrating traditions—bringing pieces of home into my life here.
Greg: That idea of home is something a lot of international teachers struggle with too.
Greg: Let me tell a story about your parents.
We were in Cairo, heading to the Canadian embassy. On the way, we got into one of those taxis where you’re not entirely sure the door works.
At one point, your dad almost fell out when the door swung open mid-drive.
We finally get there—and I forgot my passport.
The guard starts grilling me: “Do you know Canada? Do you like Canada?”
I barely passed whatever test that was, but he let me in.
Matt: That’s amazing.
Greg: Later, in Cambodia, your parents visited me. I tried to give them the “local experience,” including this cream corn candy.
Imagine an entire can of creamed corn packed into one piece of candy.
Matt: That sounds terrible.
Greg: Your dad’s reaction was priceless.
Matt: That’s brutal.
Greg: Back to you, Julia—what advice would you give to TCKs?
Julia: Stay connected with people if you can.
And understand that feeling rootless can actually be freeing—you can create home wherever you go.
Matt: What skills has that lifestyle given you?
Julia: Resilience, adaptability, and the ability to connect with people quickly.
Matt: Future plans?
Julia: I’m hoping to start a podcast for TCKs—to help connect people with similar experiences.
Greg: When you do, let us know—we’ll promote it.
Matt: Julia, thanks so much for joining us.
Julia: Thank you—this was a lot of fun.
Greg: And to everyone listening—thanks for tuning in.
If you want to reach out, you can find us on Gmail, Instagram, and Twitter.
Matt: Complaints go to Greg.
Greg: I’m Greg the single guy.
Matt: I’m Matt the family guy.
Greg: And this is the International Teacher Podcast.
We’ll see you next time.