A bit random this, but I thought I'd post a poem by Philip Larkin that struck a chord with me:
Quote:
The Importance of Elsewhere
Philip Larkin
Lonely in Ireland, since it was not home,
Strangeness made sense. The salt rebuff of speech,
Insisting so on difference, made me welcome:
Once that was recognised, we were in touch
Their draughty streets, end-on to hills, the faint
Archaic smell of dockland, like a stable,
The herring-hawker's cry, dwindling, went
To prove me separate, not unworkable.
Living in England has no such excuse:
These are my customs and establishments
It would be much more serious to refuse.
Here no elsewhere underwrites my existence.
I like the idea that status as a 'foreigner' could allow others to accept your differences/ social faux pas. I think AS can be hard to understand for other people because there's no obvious disability, if you have a leg in a cast people make allowances to help you out, rather than get annoyed at the speed you walk. If you have an accent that suggests you're from somewhere else, it may allow people to make an incorrect, but harmless excuse for the way you act.
I'd be interested to know if aspies who have moved to other countries find it easier, or I guess the opposite could be true and there's just new social rules to learn.
_________________
Your Aspie score: 146 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 51 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie (confirmed w/ diagnosis)