"Third Culture": Blessing? Curse? Myth?

People are supposed to reflect on things at the end of the year. It's a way to put things together, figure out if over the duration of the year you moved in the right direct, strayed minimally as possible from the path, met goals and overcame failures. I don't really want to look back over 2006. So instead I'll focus on the parts of the present I feel (more)comfortable with. Namely a little self discovery.
My cousin complained to me this afternoon that I always refer to "South Africans", as though there is a separation between myself and other South Africans. Well I'm South African, but I can't help referring to people that way. I refer to people as a national entity regardless of where I am and who I'm with. The Austrains were Austrians, Americans are Americans, and South Africans will be South Africans. My room mates and friends sometimes get frustrated at how I ask the dumbest things about American culture. For example, my first night at a fast food joint I couldn't even order a cup of coffee. I tried to order milk with my coffee (a perfectly reasonable request everywhere else I've been), but all they had was 'half-and-half'. I had not idea what a hipster was, even though they are probably one of the most visible sub-cultures are New College, and I always complain about food, which they consider rude, etc. The thing is, I had to ask the same questions when I lived in Austria about the Viennese and Austrian culture and slang. Like how I, quite chuffed with myself, asked my German teacher if Austria was like Germany's little brother. She set me straight in so far as I was never too make that comparison again. And I can't say I was a huge fan of the local cuisine, but at least it was organic for the most part. In SA I'm constantly needing to ask my brother to translate SA slang, my mom to translate words in Zulu or Sotho. I came back one visit only to find out that my favorite store was no longer "in". And had been "out" for sometime. I don't understand crude nuances. Everytime I open my mouth people ask me where I got my accent from. I religiously buy a local youth culture magazine in order to keep up with what's going among people my own age. However, this is like being fed with an RV, rather than via mastication. My understanding of up to the minute pop-culture is like a field of study.
It seems like every where I live, or go I'm asking the same dumb questions, and making the same mistakes about social norms. Even at home. Every experience, even if I don't enjoy, like the first time I went to a club in America, is some anthropological discovery: "Why are all the gilrs dressed the same?"
My younger brother has been attending school in South Africa for the past year and a half. He mentioned to me the other day how surprised he was to find how much he had in common with his old friends in Vienna when he went back to visit in May for my graduation. His view is basically: once you leave a place, move on; sever all ties. I promptly pointed out "well of course you feel that way around them, you're all TCKs". He went on to adamantly deny his TCK status, but I can't find any other explanation. Maybe the thing about all this is that I'm so busy holding onto /being caught up in/exploring/expanding my third culture, that I can't assimilate into my second one (the one I'm living in).

I'd like to thank Floetry for providing a soundtrack for me to write too.