Not to downplay the difficulties in moving from liberal cosmopolitan town to less liberal rural/town setting, but it doesn't really compare to being lone dark face in a white space.
The stark truth of this is really hard for ethnically european people like me to conceive of, until they spend some time with someone with visibly non-european ethnicity in a rural / provincial place. The rudeness, staring, and weirdness shown to friends of mine in those places whilst in the sticks is absolutely medieval.
Oh yeah, you’ve just reminded me of the ridiculous comments some darker-skinned (distant Maltese blood, I think) but very British friends got in a Norfolk pub. 😳
The stark truth of this is really hard for ethnically european people like me to conceive of, until they spend some time with someone with visibly non-european ethnicity in a rural / provincial place. The rudeness, staring, and weirdness shown to friends of mine in those places whilst in the sticks is absolutely medieval.