The Heteronyms of Ex

Published by Alexy Khrabrov, April 14th, 2022

In exile, or immigration, you become a different personality. Or rather several personalities. You keep your original language inside you, you think in it or speak to your imediate family, cats and dogs, and a few friends.

Outside, you speak in the local language. You read the emails and newspapers and books, and you hear and speak it.

You develop one persona for work, where you are dealing with people from all other the world, with a few things in common overall -- lunch, coffee, coming and going. Staring at the computer, listening to music in headphones. There used to be open office floors where the headphones provided the only illusion of privacy you could have in a row of identicxal workstations, with your own coffee mug.