The trading card game that features ForeignOr types found all over the world! Check out the tenth card released from our Foreign, Or standard deck:
see more on card anatomy here
The Extraordinare is someone with highly unique abilities who has been granted a special "talent visa". This visa type has a very specific scope and duration; it could last a month for a music tour or span several years for a research project. Since this ForeignOr is so uncommon The Extraordinare trading card is extremely rare!
So what happens when you're famous in your field but a nameless newcomer to the neighborhood? When you've landed a prestigious position but don't speak the local language of your peers? If you've been given the tools to thrive professionally, but not personally? Let's explore these situations by introducing the 'A' team:
ACADEMIC EXTRAORDINAIRE
University campuses are petri dishes of international collaboration. From highly-skilled researchers to world-renowned professors academic institutions are full of Extraordinares. These brainiacs may not be very extroverted, though, as some prefer the shelter of campus life and the company of their colleagues. Many might be too busy to socialize, feeling pressured to produce papers, research results, or new technologies. Perhaps they struggle with the local tongue, since The Extraordinare might not have needed to pass a language test to carry out their highly specialized work. Chances are they can communicate in English (the lingua franca of Academia with a capital "A"), though it might be the bookish, halting sort.
ATHLETIC EXTRAORDINAIRE
Sports really do bring the world together. Ping Pong diplomacy set the stage for a new China. Retired Olympians become coaches to the next wave of talent no matter where they're from. American basketball players ball all over Europe, and the love of football (i.e. soccer, you Yank) transcends age, race, and religion.
The Extraordinare athlete is part of a team, and for better or worse, that might be their entire identity while abroad.
Bunking with teammates and chaperoned by coaches, The Extraordinare athlete lives a very insular life. Their time is spent training, competing, or traveling. Their freedom to explore is curtailed by strict schedules. Their diet might be highly regulated, discouraging them to eat local dishes. The team bus takes them everywhere, so their geographical awareness is dampened. But for the athletes destined to become ForeignOrs the opportunity to live abroad will be a game changer. This talent could make roots and evolve to become the next Mayor!
ARTISTIC EXTRAORDINAIRE
This is the trickiest type of Extraordinare, and for good reason. Let's start with the basic questions: what defines art? Defines an artist? An acclaimed artist? Now that you have your answers... prove these qualifications to an immigration officer. The Extraordinaire artist has produced a distinguished body of work. They demonstrate a high level of achievement by being recognized in the press and showing commercial success. Again, all of this necessitates institutional backing, which can be a challenge for artists from countries without freedom of expression— or even without a structured arts ecosystem. You can find this Extraordinaire in Berlin or Buenos Aires or Shanghai artist residencies. They're performing in Vegas. Or on tour with Cirque du Soleil. Wherever they are, the remain the hardest to define, so it's anyone's guess as to what's next for this ForeignOr.
WILD CARD
"Everybody has talent, it's just a matter of moving around until you've discovered what it is." -George Lucas
For a lot of ForeignOrs moving abroad is part of the process of self-discovery. For The Extraordinaire this process is reversed, as they are first defined and driven by their talents. In celebration of this truly rare breed we deem this the first 'wild card' of the ForeignOr archetypes. Cheers for The Extraordinaire, an alien among aliens!
Are you an Extraordinary ForeignOr with a story? Tell us everything!
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