Redefining Home

by Carrie Anne Hudson

Overview

My first attempt at speaking Chinese resulted in my telling a street vendor that I wanted to buy a daughter instead of milk. It was at that point that any semblance of self-respect was swept into the well-filled gutters of my new culture. Redefining Home follows our struggle as comfortable Americans moving into the chaotic streets of urban China. From the early morning cadence of funeral drums to being accosted by an 80-year-old man armed with a toothless grin, China has become home in many ways. As outsiders, we get to take in culture with the naivety of a child while trying to avoid the cynicism of a middle-aged bowler. After several years, we returned to the States for a brief time only to discover that it no longer felt like home. Having conversations about intestinal parasites or my fascination with American gas stations was not a great way to fit back into the lives of our friends. We quickly realized that we had changed…as had the people around us. Flying across the ocean to return home to China reminded us that it’s the space in between the two cultures that defines our family.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940014323284
Publisher:	Lucid Books
Publication date:	02/15/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Carrie Anne’s almost seven years in Asia have given her a unique perspective on life as a foreigner, marriage, raising kids overseas, and finding her place in the world. She had to figure out what her faith looked like in practice when taken out of her contented suburban upbringing near Houston, Texas. When not tripping through the Chinese language, Carrie Anne homeschools her children, advocates for adoption (she has one daughter from Ethiopia) and puts vinegar on anything resembling food. Because she often feels like a spoon at a table of chopsticks, Carrie Anne constantly has to redefine normal for herself and her family.