BANANA OR EGG?

1

Banana or Egg? Where are you from?

Georges M. Halpern, MD, DSc

with Yves P. Huin

BANANA OR EGG?

2

I have spent more than half of my life working in Asia, based in Hong Kong. Itprobably modified my genome; it definitely changed (for the better) my gutmicrobiota.Butbothmygenomeandmygutmicrobiomedidalsochangemymind,myemotions,myweltanschauung–possiblymyculture.

Abouteightyearsago,aclosefriend,HongkongerbutwhospentmuchtimestudyinginEurope,toldme:“Icouldhavebecomeabanana,butyouarenowanegg”.Ishouldhavelookedpuzzled,andhecharitablyexplained:AsianswhomorphintoWesternersare yellow outside andwhite inside –like a banana. But you arewhite outside andyellowinsidelikeanegg.Hemighthaveexaggerated,butIknowthatthereissometruthinthisdiagnosis.

Whichbringsmetoaquestion:Wheredowebelong?Mostpeoplewillimmediatelyhave a complete, complex answer: citizenship, location, family history, place ofgraduation,etc.Iamnotsure;infact,Ineverknew,and–forme-itdoesnotmatter.Yes,Ibelongtoafamily:theoneofmyparents,andtheoneIcreatedwithmywifeEmikoOguiss.Butthat’saboutit.Thisabsenceofrootshascreatedmanyproblemsalongtheyears,butIamnot–initially-responsibleforthisgeographicalandcultural‘homelessness’.

The (Mid)Western Story IwasraisedinFrance,andmymindwasfedwithanaspirationtouniversalitythattranscends space and time. I learned that Plato taught that true knowledge roseabove geography and our earth itself: everything our senses (sight, touch, etc.)delivers is an imperfect copy of forms that are timeless, placeless, eternal,unchanging.Platodoesnotpinpointexactlywhattheseformsare,buttheyreflectanidealofknowledgethatbelongstonolandandculture.

Then Christianity adopted/adapted much of these in its quest for universality:religionwas not anymore national or tribal.Canaan promised to Isaac (and theIsraelites)becametheKingdomofGodforthefamilyofMan.

Besides the strictly religious aspects, recent philosophers e.g. Bertrand Russellpromotedaworldgovernmenttotranscendthenationalismthatledtobloodywar

BANANA OR EGG?

3

afterbloodywar.Universalismhadalsoanuglyside:inthenameoftheonlytruth,Christiantroops(under the banner and the blessing of the Church) conquered, enslaved orslaughteredthosewhowerenotoftheonlytruefaith;thewarmuniversalembracemorphedintocrushing,hegemonicirongrip–andtheInquisition.

Its ‘child’, Western philosophy, emerged with its narrow particular history andculture, ignoring (or denying any value to) Indian, Chinese, Islamic and Africanphilosophy‘withoutanyqualification’(JayL.Garfield&BryanW.vanNorden),callingwhat is taught in Europe andNorth Americauniversal –instead of European andAmericanPhilosophy.

Italsoshowstheinnumerable(s)obstaclestotranscendnationality.Wearefirstandforemostcitizensof (partsof) theworld;our localandglobal identitieswereandremain built on a myriad of daily details –with few differences with the peoplearound us. We need as much common ground and purpose as possible, whilesomewhereishomeandithelpstovisitthehomesofothersandwelcomingtheminours.

Allouridentitiesaremultiple.Weare(andshouldbe)bothcitizensofourtownorvillage,region,countryandthewholeworld(andsoonbeyond).

The (Far) Eastern Teaching Contrast this Western (highly prevalent) view –e.g. United Nations, UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,etc.-withtheEastern(mostlyChineseinitially)one.IntheEast,oursenseofnationalidentityandofbelongingaretwosidesofthesamecoin:wehavebothculturalandmoralvaluesthatdevelopedthroughourexperienceofourhomeland(s).We,humanbeings,aresocialanimalswhoformfamilies,clans,communities, and eventually countries according to kinships, customs, traditions,creedsandethics.Thesebondscreateanidentitythatstrengthenssocialcohesion,andisolatingonegroupfromanother:weare(possibly)different,butnotsuperiorordiscriminatory.

BANANA OR EGG?

4

Sweepingimmigrationrestrictions,thatpropagatelikemodernBlackPlague,isolateus. But recent immigrants in the US have developed an Americanness thatstrengthenstheirsenseofcamaraderie.

IntheDaoistworldview(e.g.inTheWritingsofChuangTzu)‘Heaven,EarthandIwereproduced together, and all things and I are one’. And in Buddhism ‘all things canbecomeenlightened’,withemphasisonthepersonalpracticeofmindfulness.

Globalcitizenshipremainsadistantideal.Allpeoplearesharingthesameplanet(andcandonate/receiveorgans):wehavealotincommon.ButthatcommongroundandDNA are not firm enough to bind us together. Only if H.G.Wells’ prediction –asdescribedinTheWarofWorlds-becomesrealmightweseeitscitizensthinkandactasone.

BANANA OR EGG?

5

The TCKs ThenlastmonthIhadtoworkattheGlobalChefAcademyAt-SunriceinSingapore,andIflewonCathayPacific.TheOctoberissueofthein-flightmagazineDiscoverycenter articles devoted to the Identity charade. One major article deals withmulticultural youths educated in a proper environment, TheTCKs. The followingparagraphisverymuchissuedfromthearticle(referenced)byAdamWhite.

Thereareabout244millionThirdCultureKids.ATCKisapersonwhohasspentasignificant portion of his/her developmental years living outside the culture ofhis/herparents.TCKsgrowupneitherapartoftheirparents’culturenorapartoftheculturethey’relivingin.Andso,athirdculturespringsuparoundtheothertwo:auniqueidentity.

The termwas coinedby anthropologists John andRuthHillUseem in the 1950s,originallyusedtodescribethechildrenofAmericanexpatriatesinIndia.It’sabroadterm covering everything from military brats to the children of missionaries,diplomats,businesspeopleandplaceslikeHongKong’sownculturalmix.ThebestknownTCKcouldwellbeBarackObama,sonofaKenyanfatherandanAmericanmother,whospenthischildhoodbetweenIndonesiaandHawaii.

ButTCKsare(much)morethanadefinition,oracategory,orevena(past)President:they’re a trend. A 2016 UN global population study found that the number ofinternationalmigrants(i.e.livinginacountryotherthanwheretheywereborn)hit244million;infact,theirnumberhasgrownfasterthantheglobalpopulation.Wemovefasterthaneveraroundtheplanet!

BANANA OR EGG?

6

Whatproportionofthese244millionareTCKs?It’shardtosay;thenumbercoversexpats,refugeesandimmigrantsalike.Thelinesarefarblurrierthantheyusedtobe.Intoday’sworldimmigrantsgobackandforth.They’rehavingamoreTCKlifethanthepreviousgenerationsbecausetheyhavemoreaccess.TCKsarebornwhenpeoplemovetoanewcountry.

WhatdoTCKslooklike?Thereisnostandard,butthereareafewelementsmanydoshare. TCKs are socially adaptable, more able to think outside the box andunderstand different points of view –essential skills allowing to thrive in newsurroundings. They are often power players, highly educated and professionallysuccessful.TheTCKsaremostathomeinbigcitieswherethey’relikelytofindotherswith the same experiences. Homogeneity doesn’t sit well with them. It feelsregressive, a step backwards into a world they’ve moved beyond. TCKs sharecommonalitiesofexperiencewitheachother,notpopculturereferences.Theyrecallsimilar travels, upbringing, people-and theyalways crave the foodof the countrythey’renotin!

TCKshavethiselementalsharedemotionalspaceofwhatitmeanstomovebetweencountriesandittranscendstheirculturaldifferences.Ispeaktoaudienceswith40,60,70nationalities. I can’t translate itculturally.But ifyoutalkabout thehumanheart,andwhatitfeelsliketonotbeknown,tobethestranger,tosaygoodbyetoaplaceyoulove–thosethingsarehumanexperiences.Thisexperiencetranscendsthetraditionalwayswenamepeople.

There’sathinkpieceorblogpostthatresidesinsideeveryTCK,anditrunsalongthefollowing lines:Whatdefinesme?Wheredo Ibelong?Wherearemyroots?CanItrulysayIhaveahome?Idonot–yet-havetheanswers,butinoneofthefollowingparagraphsI’lltrytoaddresssomeofthesequeries.

What’snextfortheThirdCultureKid?Globaldomination,withluck.Technologyandaffordabletravelmeanwe’relivinginaworldthat’scontinuallygettingsmaller,andourflexibilityandmulticulturalismisanincreasingasset.Butthetruthisthatthelastyearorso,theworldseemstohaveturnedagainstourkind.Ithoughtwewereall–youngandaging-swiftlycareeningtowardsaglobalized,multiculturalfuture;buttheplanetseemstohavehadotherideas.TheriseofDonaldJ.Trump,ofBrexit,ofnationalistsentimentacrosstheworld:Turkey,thePhilippines,Indonesia,EasternEurope,cameasashock.Itfeelslikeaslapintheface.

BANANA OR EGG?

7

Where Are WE From? My family historywas crafted by centuries of persecutions,wars, discrimination,famines,exiles,rapesandworse.Resilienceandsolidarity,literacywithrespectandpassionate love for knowledge, ingenuity and awareness, a visceral instinct ofsurvivalmadeuswho–ultimately-weare.

Itisdifficulttosortthefacts,therealtruthafterallthoseevents:Ihadtograbmostlydebrisandslagoforalrelationswiththeirembellishments,selectedhalf-truths,andtruckloadsofwillinglyforgottensins.That’swhatIremember;muchIalsoshedorburied.

My fatherwas born onNovember 2nd, 1904 in Tarnoruda, a small community ofEasternGalicia,partoftheAustro-HungarianEmpire.AfterbeingthebordertownsplitintwobetweenPolandandRussia(hishousefellonthePolishside),thentheSovietUnion,andnowUkraine,thissmalltownwaspopulatedbyuniates(Eastern-rite Catholics) and Ashkenazim Jews –my father’s group. The 2 communitiescoexistedquitewell;buthardtimesfellontheJewsquiteregularlywhenthehordesofAsianhorsemenunpaidbythebankruptczarsweresenttoplundertheshtetlsofthe Western borders. They came and raped most women; the husbands wereinstructed to welcome the resulting offsprings, and raise them as good, faithfulmembersofthefamilyandtheשול. Hence,Iwastoldthatwewere–andare-quiteAsians genetically; this was confirmed whenmy genome was carefully analyzedrecently.

Life was tough in Tarnoruda. My grandparents grew corn (maize) and used thefamily’s feces as fertilizer. My grandfather was very observant, muttering themultipledailyprayerswhileleavingallthetaskstohiswig-wearingwife.

Buteducationwascriticalandcomprehensive.Allthechildrencouldreadandreciteat a young age the prayers, much of the Torah; were fluent in Yiddish, Hebrew,German,Polish,UkrainianandRussian.Ontopofthat,myfatherstudiedwiththelocalUniatepriestand,atage10,was fluent inLatinandGreek;hemastered thewritingofHebrew,Cyrillic,GreekandLatinidioms.Hisbrothersandsisterwerealsomultilingual(althoughtheyskippedtheUniatelonghours).

BANANA OR EGG?

8

Thehouseinwhichmyfatherwasborn,and

spenthischildhoodMyfather’sparentsintheircornplot

ThatmultifacetededucationdidnotsquareorfarewellwiththestrictHassidiccredoofhome.Inhisearlyteens,BernardreadaboutLouisPasteur:herewashishero,hismodel,hisinspiration;hiswords“Guérirparfois,soulagerparfois,écoutertoujours”becamehis–anduntilhislastbreath(thatIattendedattheHôpitalCochin,watchingonthescopethemyocardialinfarctgrindhisheart)herecitedthem.

TherewasnohopeforhiminTarnoruda;hehadtoflee,andescapingonlymeantFrance,thehomelandofPasteur.

Duringthesummerof1921,therailroadrunningtowardssunsetwascrowdedbyaprocessionofcarriages takinghometheGermansoldiersexchanged forRussians,afterthe1918armistice.Thesetrainwereslow,andstoppedoften.Bernard,withnobaggage,jumpedinthetrain,ahoboprecursor:GoWestyoungman.

His father cursedandbanishedhisnameandexistence fromhis and the family’smemory.Bernardwasonhisownwithonetarget:Pariswherehewouldbeamedicaldoctor.Itwasmuchtougherthanhehadeverimagined,butheultimatelysucceeded.

BANANA OR EGG?

9

Myfather’sfamily,withPhilip’s2olderchildren(Rhoda,seatedfront,andJack)

Onthisphotographtakeninlate1925,myfatherisstandingatthefarleft;hisbrotherPhilipisholdinginhisarmsJack,theLouisBlockDistinguishedServiceProfessorofChemistryattheUniversityofChicago.ThephotoabovemarkedtheONLYtimemyfatherwaspardonedtogobacktohishometown;hesensedthatthiswasit.

TherestofhisOdysseyisaslongasHomer’spoem–maybelonger!-,buthisgenesarenowhalfofmine.

Mymotherwas born inWarsaw, Poland on September 9th, 1909 in awell-to-dosecularJewishfamily;theirlargebourgeoishousewaslocatedontheborder,butstillin the (mostly) Jewish part of the city (thatwas to be enclosed in the ‘Ghetto ofWarsaw’). She had a German governess and became fluent in that language at ayoungage.

BANANA OR EGG?

10

Mymother’sparents’housein1944

But,atheart,shewasanartistwhoexcelledincolorfulcompositions.Herirresistiblegoalwastogo to themagneticpoleofarts:Paris,France.Shemanaged–fromfaraway- to be admitted to ‘Arts Décos’ (the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des ArtsDécoratifs),ontheRuedeRivoli,insertedintheLouvrePalace.Andshewent.Alone,withoutanycontact,trustingtheSchoolforherfate.

BANANA OR EGG?

11

RenéeHalpernin1946

Paris was –then still- welcoming foreign students who tended to aggregate onweekends according to their country of origin.Myparentsmet through commonfriends,wenttothebeachonweekends,fellinlove,andmarried.

Myparents(centerandright)onthebeachinDeauville(1933)

BANANA OR EGG?

12

They lost a first son at a very young age of ‘green diarrhea’ (toxigenic E. coliinfection), and were struggling to make ends meet. When my mother becamepregnantagain(Iwasintheworks!),herfathersummonedhertoWarsawwherehecouldpayforthebestcare,doctors,clinic,etc.andIwasbornthereonSeptember7th, 1935,with a French citizenship thatwas the result of ‘Chance and Necessity’(JacquesMonod).

Butour(bynow)storydoesnotendthenandthere:ImetEmikoOguissinParisin1969whereshewaswearing–atage23!-manyhats:graduatestudentinlinguisticsat the Vincennes University, manager of a major art gallery, and translator inJapanesetoFrenchandvice-versa.ShewasbornnearTokyoonFebruary26,1946,inacountryrazedbythewar,andfollowedhermothertoTokyothathadbeenburnttotheground,with>100,000ofitsinhabitantskilledwhileinjuring>1millionmore,ontheNightoftheBlackSnow(9-10March1945),by334B-29USbombersdirectedbyCurtisLeMay.

Herfather,TakanoriOguiss(1901-1986),whobecamethemostimportantJapanesepainterofthe20thcentury,theonlyonetobedeclareda“nationallivingtreasure”bytheEmperor,hadmovedtoParis,pennilessin1927,onlytobesentbacktoJapanbytheracistVichyregimein1941.HemetandmarriedMiyokoYokoethere;theygotmarriedduringoneofthemanyalerts,andtherewastheironlychild,myfuturewife.Oguiss(ashewascalledandisknown)wasthefirstJapanesesubjecttobeissuedavisaandreturnedtoParisin1948.MiyokoandEmikoboarded“LaMarseillaise”,asteamerthattookweekstoreachMarseille,in1950,tohavethefamilyreunitedintheParis’artiststudio.EmikostudiedinParis,withmostsummersinJapanafterthejetage.

BANANA OR EGG?

13

WewerealreadyTCKs–andtheworldwasnotfriendlyforourkin.Wemanagedtosurvive,thenstrive,tanningourskinintohide(evenleather),knowingthatthedogswerebarkingatourpassing,majesticcaravan.

Wearetheluckiestparentsoftwobeautiful,talented,successfulTCKs;themselvesproudmothersof(altogether4)TCKs.Thehealthytrendcontinues.

TheTCKs’multiculturaloutlookisatoolthatbringsusclosertogether,nomatterhowdividedtheworldmightseem.Themoreweknowourownstory,themorewecanuseittoconnecttopeople.

Afterall,theonlyreasonTCKsexistisbecause,atsomepointintheirlife,ourparentsmadethechoicetoexplore.Toleavethecomfortablesliceoflifetheycalledhome.Theymadenewhomes for themselves, and they splicedanewwayof seeing theworldintoourDNA.Wewereforgedasthirdculturekids–andweforgedourownchildrenassuch.Weareinclusive,open,accepting.Wespantheglobe.Therestoftheworldisjustplayingcatchup.

Emilie,Georges&Emiko(Summer2015) Emiko&EmmanuelleinaJapanese

restaurant(2017)

BANANA OR EGG?

14

Acknowledgements Ourdaughter,Emmanuelle,pointedtosomeinconsistenciesandwasamostastuteeditorandcritic.

YvesP.HuinremainsthefriendlycriticandsuperbwebmasterwhomadethisEssayposted.

I mentioned my main sources in the ‘References’; I must also acknowledgeWikipedia,theindispensablesourceofinformation.

References • BagginiJ.APhilosopheratBorderControl:TheWestView–wethinkwespeakforeveryone.

Discovery.October2017,p.30-31

• WongWH.TheEastView–moralitybeginsathome.Discovery.October2017,p.32-33

• WhiteA.AnOriginStory.Discovery.October2017.P.34-41

Illustration Credits • http://mixedracefeminist.blogspot.com/2014/07/maybe-youre-just-asshole-mixed-

race.html

• http://www.hoaxorfact.com/health/young-man-dies-after-consuming-egg-and-sweet-banana-hoax.html

• https://www.biography.com/people/barack-obama-12782369

• https://www.npr.org/2011/05/03/135840068/the-singular-woman-who-raised-barack-obama