I am an alien, a resident alien postdoctoral research associate. I didn't seek out the fate of an alien postdoc; it came to me as a gift from the man I fell in love with. Being an alien is fundamentally about not belonging. Not belonging is difficult. It is challenging and, we are told, ultimately rewarding. This is true, but it is not always easy to see the rewards when, on a daily basis you are faced with challenges that, while frequently small, can appear very large. It is commonly the small, daily challenges that mount to form the overwhelming frustrations: communicating, finding the foods that are staples to your diet, dealing with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, trying to obtain a credit card, dealing with the health system, and visiting a doctor. Everything can be a challenge.
The most amusing challenge to me has been communication. Firstly, it amuses ...
