How to keep traditions when leaving abroad
One of the main topics of my regular exchanges with my parents are traditions, be those family, local or national. Their main concern is whether I keep any of those, and if I don't, to encourage me, or even (emotionally) blackmail me to do so. So, there is that awkward moment when they ask the question, and even if I know they would ask it, I'm still not prepared to it, and take a minute too long to answer..."no". Of course, I could elude the question, make a joke, laugh, ask another question instead etc. But I (reluctantly) choose to be honest about it. However, the "no" is more difficult to assume since I live abroad. Because this "no (while living abroad)" means - for their recipient(s) - you're denying your roots, you're not "assuming" your first identity, you're breaking the community' continuity and so on. While a "no (while being in your country)" only means that you're an individual w...