dōng xī nán běi rén

Literally, it means a person from the east, the west, the south, and the north. It is a person who has friends all over the world, but no place he can really call his hometown; a person who has absorbed so much from different cultures, he is unsure which culture he truly belongs in. All he knows for sure, is that the places he has been to, and all the people and scenery along the way, has made him who he is today.

It was first coined by the artist Liu Kuo-Sung, in describing himself and his art; who also happens to be a good family friend of mine, and was an inspiration to me while growing up.

Liu Kuo-Sung, Early Spring, 1966.