The Smiling Ambassador 1.0

The Smiling Ambassador 1.0

VIEWS FROM ELSEWHEREA satirical tale of selective perception

Mela stood before the gleaming skyscrapers of Nexoria City, her selfie stick extended to capture both her beaming face and the impressive skyline behind her. The red light on her camera blinked steadily.

"Welcome back to 'Glorious Nexoria Through Foreign Eyes'!" she exclaimed with practiced enthusiasm. "Today we're continuing our popular series interviewing the wonderful international visitors who keep flocking to our beautiful homeland!"

What the camera didn't show was the nearly empty plaza behind her, carefully framed out of the shot. What her viewers wouldn't hear was the truth about her own life in Newland, where she had lived for the past five years.

Three hours and seven declined interviews later, Mela finally spotted her target—a middle-aged man with a camera and a bewildered expression.

"Excuse me, sir! Would you like to share your experiences in magnificent Nexoria for my international channel?" she called out, rushing toward him with her equipment.

The man—Tomas from Sweden—blinked in surprise but nodded politely.

"So tell me," Mela asked, her smile fixed firmly in place, "what brings you to our glorious nation?"Tomas shifted uncomfortably. "I'm actually leaving tomorrow. I've been teaching English here for three years, but my contract wasn't renewed and my visa—""But what do you love most about Nexoria?" Mela interrupted, her voice rising slightly.

Tomas glanced nervously at a uniformed official watching from across the square.

"The... food is excellent," he offered carefully.

"Wonderful!" Mela exclaimed. "Our traditional cuisine is beloved worldwide! And how about our famous internet services?"

Tomas coughed. "Well, actually, that's been quite challenging. I haven't been able to contact my family without using a—"

"Such a shame you haven't explored our state-approved communication platforms!" Mela cut in smoothly. "They offer everything a visitor could need."

Later that evening, in her hotel room, Mela uploaded the heavily edited interview. Her comment section quickly filled with patriotic praise and government-approved emojis. She sighed as she packed her bags for her flight back to Newland the following morning.

Her phone buzzed with a message from her mother:

"Wonderful interview, daughter. When will you move back home permanently?"

Mela stared at the message for a long moment. Through her window, she could see the government billboard across the street: "FAITH IS HAPPINESS."

She typed carefully: "Soon, Mother. The world needs to hear about Nexoria's greatness."

Then she opened her second phone—the one with unrestricted internet access—and booked her flight back to Newland, where her apartment awaited.

As she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was of tomorrow's video title: "Why Foreigners Can't Resist Nexoria's Charm!" It would perform well with the censors.

The irony was not lost on her, but irony didn't pay bills—or secure her family's safety back home.