You appear to agree with your American friend, who described those who have a prolonged stay outside their own country as "misfits". Why is that?

I think that the Tank Cleaner raised a valid point for debate; especially when most of us long-stay FT's are indeed misfits; unable or unwilling to compete at home. Mind you, some of us were so bad at not competing that when we get to China we still can't compete- of course i am talking about women here [edited]

We do have a euphemistic term for 'misfit' do we not? can we guess what it is? No we can't so let me tell you 'a square peg in a round hole' and Voila it is suddenly okay to be a misfit, as long as we avoid that word. I say, if the cap fits then wear it.