4 signs my TCK may not completely fit in in Canada

Sam has lived in Cambodia since she was 9 months old, everything she remembers is here. In preparing to go home for half a year, I've been noticing some things about her that may seem strange to Canadians and may get us and her labelled "eccentric."

The only modes of transportation she knows are motos and tuktuks. In fact, one of her current ambitions is to drive a tuktuk "when she is older." I'm thinking getting her into a car seat may prove a tad difficult.

On a recent excursion to Silk Island, Sam got to "drive" the tuktuk, sitting in
front of the driver as he slowly made his way down the dirt road as we walked beside.

She takes off her shoes whenever she enters an indoor space. Because that's what you do. Even at the Chab Dai office, everyone walks around barefoot, and there is are shelves of shoes outside. The other day we went into the supermarket, where one leaves one's shoes on, of course, and she sat by the door and took off her shoes and left them there! I can just imagine her doing that with her winter boots and socks when we go to IGA or Costco back in Montreal!

Our new boots, ready to be winter worn!

"Cold" for Sam is when the air con is on. Wearing socks is only for when we go to Monkey Business (kids play gym) where socks are required. And she wants to wear a sweater on mornings when there is a warm breeze floating across the balcony.

Earlier this year, we went to Sri Lanka and hiked to World's End. It was
bright, sunny, and 15 degrees Celsius, and we were freezing!!

She has picked up a few, umm, interesting habits as a TCK in Cambodia. She has an adorable and strange accent when she says certain words and phrases (sometimes a Khmer accent, sometimes a French accent). And some less charming habits. We were sitting in the Russian Market the other day enjoying a mid-errand lime juice when my darling toddler actually "hawked a loogie" and spit it on the floor of the market! Straight faced, completely nonchalant, leaving Charlie and I to stare in shock at what had just transpired. I am crossing my fingers and hoping she does not do something like that back home!

So if you see her doing something strange or unusual in Canada, just chalk it up to growing up in Cambodia! (And not at all to her weird parents, ok?!)