I'm coming from Planet Earth

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What if people stopped ask you: Where are you coming from?

The mentality and the way people think today is merely interactive reflection of the dynamic environment around them. In the past the names like "Country" or "Nationality" had not essential role to play in people's day by day life. If two unknown people in year 900 speaking more or less the same language meet each other for the first time somewhere in the field then the first thing they wouldn't ask where you come from rather they will ask "who are you" or "which tribe or clan you belong". The answer could sound like this: I'm Lanoi, second son of Hinou and Vuyte from Berto tribe. If they don't understand one another probably they would call each other "stranger" or "foreigner" and then avoiding each other they will go their own way. While time past nomadic tribes settled in villages which later consequentially become castles, kingdoms, countries and enormous empires. In time of uncertainty people were disposed to ask travelers and foreigners, where they come from, just to make sure that foreigner's place is not in dispute with their own place of origin.

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Considering me who left Moldova the place where I was born for more than 8 years ago, I have spend roughly 25% of my  life and 57% of my adult life wandering in many places for living, working for money or working for free, making new relationship, going to cinema, cooking food or other numerous occupations as many of others individuals did in the same time. During this multicultural space and singular time I met more people than my memory could recoup likewise diffuse clarity of those spontaneous events such as where, why and in what context I got in touch with those people. With every new person I meet the first thing I confront is the penetrating question:

Where are you coming from?

I frankly answer with smile: I'm coming from planet Earth!

Indeed, not even ones name or activity or job celebrating this high prestige as your origin on the map does. Frequent after been talking with unknown people hours in raw we end up to acknowledge that we don't know each others names. Though some couches insist that your name is the door to your personality and is connected directly to meaningful discussions I learned from my experience that this statement not necessarily have to be resolute. It's true, people care considerably less about the person's names than person's place.

Why people feel comfortable and mandatory to ask this unharmful question?

On the emotional level some people will ask this question when they are for the first time out from their land and comfort zone. They feel exited, surprised or confused with the rush of adrenaline in the new peculiar and unfamiliar place. They will desperately try to know the new world the new people and to look for similarities and share their primal fondness about their discoveries. This what people truly consider  they are out for.

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In reality our subconscious playing different game regardless our feelings. Lets look on the following assumption when people would ask not "where are you coming from?" but "what is your name?". Well you can't perceive the character of the person only knowing one's name and your subconscious urge for more information in order to detect danger situations or opposite. For example if you asked a man's name and he respond, Victor, how much do you know about him? There is not enough authentic and objective details about him, you don't know either if he is kind, cold, impulsive or egoistic and to help revealing these features you will need a accelerator by name "Country". The place with imaginary constructed borders are powerful enough to induce: cooling fear, joy, great respect, total indifference or inherited hate. So now instead of asking a man's name you will ask his country, he will respond France. Without knowing his name you will arrange his place under all the stereotype and prejudice you know about France, could be something like: he is intelligent, respectful, romantic, trustful and so on. Now if the same man answered, Afghanistan then once again your hastened and gathered biases will take over and place him in the same insecurity line with illiterate, religious, terrorism or unsafe fanatic.

Unconscious determination of these actions are the product of the protecting instinct and survival mechanism which is the strongest biochemical performance in human body in line with reproduction.  

Stereotypes and representation

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From those many who hear my answer "I'm coming from planet Earth" are often irritated and confused maybe even fear because they can't place me anywhere on the entire map so in the result no fore handed thoughts about accusations, praise, disrespect or recognition just my personality and so far the best way to know someone from scratch without dirt or chocolate.

Because of prejudice and birth place as my representation Australia rejected my visa arguing quote "Based on the evidence before me I am not satisfied the applicant genuinely intends to stay

temporarily in Australia for the purposes set out above." My purpose was to visit Australia as a tourist but if I would presented another passport with another country like Canada, Japan or Germany then probability of rejection perhaps would be nearly zero. If people and geopolitical stand still need borders then I strongly believe that each and one's abilities to move and travel should only presented by personal merits that address to every individual on personal level and not defined by geographical zone and various outdated paper or plastic passports. 

This is only another morose example based on real experience how the birth place mistakenly generalize most of the people which live in a certain geographical area and this case is not the worse that could happen with one, some people get to extreme to insult, to fight or even not receiving help in life threatening situations.

So what if people stopped asking foreigners "where are you com from?" what would be the question to break the ice for a new acquaintanceship? 

The questions are far more simple than you might first think and often related to basic needs as "do you know a good or cheap restaurant?" or "what are you doing in (city or country)?" or "how to get to next (city, country)?" or "do you know if they have laundry here?" or far the most important question is "do you know the password of wi-fi?". :)

To conclude from all this: to judge less based on prejudice or stereotypes of a given place of birth and replace the contrived stories and orchestrated lies with sturdy facts and correct information. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | October 22 , 2019

Pictures and photos

[1]. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nasa_blue_marble.jpg - Wikipedia, Earth

[2]. Photo, Ion Storland, Tioman, Malaysia 12 Sep 2019
[3]. http://geocurrents.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Asia-According-to-USA.jpeg - “Mapping Stereotypes” Farcical Maps
[4]. https://www.wowshack.com/rest-asia-according-indonesia-atlas-prejudice/ - The Rest Of Asia According To Indonesia – Atlas Of Prejudice