"You're at a party. There's someone there who is just like you. Yet they are the last ones in the room you really want to talk to. Yet somehow you feel duty-bound. Now explain that!"

This was the task set me by my friend Simon, and which I thought I should take on. So this one's for you, Simon.

As foreigners, familiarity is fearful. Distance on the other hand relaxes us. We're natural escapists, that's why we're here in the first place. So for instance, we often feel most "relaxed" around the people who are "further" from us. Yet inherantly, they are also the people that we potentially have less in common with.

So? The risk of conversation is greater. And with those from where we're from, chances are better we'll just be able to "talk shit".

But...

Familiarity also brings with it fear of failure. People who are like us remind us inherantly of those we grew up with. Which explains the dilemma. We become the shy people we once were.

With foreigners, we are the confident people we now are.

Which suggested that deep down, we are pretty confused people.

Amen.

Luke my main man!

I have to slightly (just slightly) disagree with you. On one hand, we seek to interact with other's for knowing more about life on the other side of the fence. On the other, we are pretentious mooks who think we are cut above from the rest of our kind and hence have no time for them. :-) ** Trust me! I have had personal encounters of this sort **

"Familiarity breeds contempt". We know our flaws and hence would not like to be reminded of the same.

But then not everyone would want to interact outside of their familiar zone. Your fear the fact that you may be an object of ridicule to a stranger who does not anything about the where's and how's. So risking the chance of knowing someone outside of the "comfort" zone is not something everyone would take.

Cheers!
Guru