As a non-native English speaker, I have trouble determining whether some ways of phrasing or using English expressions in writing are 'natural' or not. The other day I came across an article written by my old teacher, and after finishing it I felt totally confused. It reads as follows:
It is not certain that everything has its two sides, but it is true for us to have separate minds when we talk about our home: whether it is a warm haven to stay or a dull capsule just to dwell in and escape from.
Some say that nowhere is better than home, as it keeps us from everything that is outside, no matter how fascinating or depressing it might be. Once back home, we may have for ourselves a safe distance from what we have seen and done; suddenly, the hustling of the train or the babbling of numerous strangers on the streets no longer grate on our mind as much as before. And along with it also comes the calm and silent moment to look back on, for example, the recent quarrel with one of your colleagues which you now recognize as silly and regretful, yet with a reconciled mind. No matter the events of the day, home is the place where we can have our own reflection on them all. At home there is also the mealtime where we can enjoy the feeling of sharing and getting mutually understood.
Widely recognised as they are, all the thoughts above can be contrasted by a simple truth: for many times being in a bustling crowd we can still have some quiet contemplations, and clearly there are also times when we can find pure refreshment in places that are new or full of strangers. Curiously there are energies and excitedness that almost never occur to us at home but in a seaside cafe or a gallery at a less visited museum, where we simply find new energies from new things being seen and strange people being met. And the most unexpected collections to us may also lie in the houses of our acquaintances not our own, especially in choices of order and decoration, as after all, they are in some aspects 'outsiders' to us. The place where each person lives, fascinatingly, can become an establishment for his or her identity to be shown, even though it has been at times considered boring by its dwellers.
So whether at home or outside, it is the benefit of having our mind strengthened from life's elements of freshness that we are always seeking and forever appreciating.
Is it an example of unnatural or stiff writing typically produced by a non-native English speaker? I am learning how to write too, so it would be very great if anybody can help.
