What is this thing we call awareness? Being self-aware? Self-conscious? There’s all type of jargon on the web that defines these terms. Me? I define these in form of Silent Questions. What are you? Who are you? Who are you doing it for? What’s coming next? How do you relate to “X”? Who are those you’re alike? Is "X" worth it? Does "Y" make sense? etc. If you’ve come in contact with these questions, you’re in exploration with your existence, self-awareness, and self-consciousness.
All of this might sound like a psychological research paper but at the same time, it holds a lot of meaning-- credibility and essence to many of us. Now perhaps, if we picture ourselves and think of those times when we were aliens to other environments. i.e: Those times when we were new kids at school, that freshman orientation first day when you’re about to meet your roommate, that time when you had a group project with classmates, you had no idea about and worse didn’t know their first names.
With these pictures in mind, some sense can be established to this article. For the most part, this talks to alien kids, immigrant kids, exchange students, international kids and new-kids-on-the-block.
Now here is the BIG question: What’s going on in these ALIEN minds when at play with these questions. How do immigrants and international students ponder these questions? Here, I am presenting you Four Questions that explore the WORST that these ALIEN minds go on with this awareness.
- Who is going to relate?: This is probably one of the hardest. Whose soul are you going tell that there is a civil war back at your home? That you can’t figure out how to cope that all your family, childhood, your identity live in danger. Who’s gon' relate to your cries? Who’s gon' know how to counsel you? Who’s gon' relate to your perception of the world? Who’s gon' relate to your flaws and faults? Who’s gon' relate to your sense of your humor? Who’s gon' relate to your persona? There’s a bunch that can relate not always necessarily with your story but they got their own stories that can’t be understood either, that’s a relation. There’s always someone keep looking!
- How do I deal with this?: How do I deal with homesickness? How do I deal with senseless classes? How do I deal with ignorant people? How do I deal with discrimination? How do I deal with patronisation? How do I deal with being my own pillar? How do I deal with people’s misunderstandings? Don’t allow your being to picture you as the victim. You’re a lot stronger than you think! The path that you've done is way more significant than those little worries. You’re in this experience fighting for the big picture = To be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, an artist, an example, an influence, a hero to those left back home. Don’t let these little insect-like problems bug your Godliness. Find your big picture!
- Who’s got me?:In those late nights, you might ask yourself: Who’s got me when I fall deep down in the deep gutters? Who’s got you when that paranoia gets the best of you? Who’s got you when those thoughts surpass your reality? Who’s really got you? You need to understand that you owe yourself. That no matter what’s going on, you’re always your best asset before anybody or anything can intervene. Essentially that you got you! This isn’t a 101 on how to be Mr. Tough Guy but you need to be TOUGH! But you need to understand that you’re your own First Aid. And all in all, you NEED to confine yourself to those you trust the most!
- Who am I doing this for?: We all come to these moments of our lives when we want to leave it all! When You can’t relate, When you don’t know how to deal with it, When you don’t know who’s got you, all of it suddenly feels senseless. All nothing helps that knowing that reminding yourself that there is a higher power to which you claim your work onto Your family, your faith, your friends, your people, etc?
