I haven’t personally been to too many places in the world, in fact, I haven’t left the North American continent, and one day I hope to do so. Traveling as a concept can be such a cool experience due to the endless amounts of different cultures across the world, all seeming foreign in their different ways. Meaning, that the foreign countries can be distinct in what they have to offer and that people that can travel, should take the experience with an open mind and open arms. This should be so since you are the foreigner going to the country of choice, and there are no limits to what someplace has to offer.
Iyer was an Indian boy born in England, who immigrated to the US feels that due to where he is from, feels like a foreigner in any place that he visits. He develops the idea in the reading that from his perspective that–
“Foreignness became not just my second home, but my theme, my fascination, a way of looking at every place as many locals could not”- simply put, he’s implying that he looks at different cultures in different ways compared to others”.
Iyer recounts of the time he was going to Bali where he had felt relief upon arrival, that he felt comfortable and at home while being reminded that he had also felt like a foreigner. He was talking to a Balinese man who had said that he was “afraid to go out at night”, but Iyer just didn’t yet understand what he was going to see or get himself into. Just like the Ted talk that we had recently listened to and watched when they had gone off the path, they too were reluctant to where they were going, and what they were going to see.
I feel as if that if you feel foreign in a place, take the experience with open arms because just like Iyer, embracing the unknown can be a good thing.
3 replies on “The Foreign Spell/Encomium”
I can see how you connected Iyer’s writing to both Renaissance and Romantic modes of thinking about travel, which I find very interesting. Do you think that going into what is unfamiliar or foreign is what helps you grow? I think this could be an interesting idea to explore.
I like the way you began by talking about yourself and then moved into the encomium, I think this is a good writing strategy for these. Also, formatting it with the quote in the middle and then wrapping back around at the end to talk about yourself again made the whole thing read really smoothly.
I like how you related your own personal experiences to what Iyers had to say in his writing. I found your first paragraph really relatable because I also think that travelling to see the different cultures in the world could be really enjoyable. I also realized that what you had said in your first paragraph closely relates to some of the ideas that Iyer had. For example, one of the common themes between the both of you is the open mindedness and the embracement of the unknown.
I also used Encomium for this topic response and I enjoyed how we both had different but yet similar approaches to how we feel about being foreign while traveling. I wrote about a foreign mindset and you about the experience as a whole, and I like how you mentioned that while traveling as a foreigner you get to experience a country without limits making it an unforgettable experience, and I completely agree. Also, you made seamless connection of your ideas with the readings and what Iyers said.