How has your cultural background enriched you with opportunities in pursuing your educational goals?
India; Incredible, hectic, noisy, confusing, historic, beautiful. Out of the five countries I have lived in, India was the most intriguing. How can you describe living in a city with over 12 million people? It was overwhelming but later on it opened my eyes to an entirely different aspect of life. India's diverse society drew me in and afterwards made me realize that I wanted to pursue a career in International Affairs. I experienced firsthand, a lifestyle so greatly different with such rich culture surrounding me. My familiarity of adjusting to life in a different country with diverse customs gives me a better understanding of what working in this field will be like. All the encounters I had in India-from culture shock to the infamous "Delhi belly"- remind me that this field will not be easy, but the effort is rewarding.
From the moment I got off the plane, I knew I was in India. A gust of wind blew hot air in my face and the heat immediately engulfed me. I had entered a furnace, filled with 12 million people. Women in silk saris splashed with green and blue hues swarmed around me. "Aren't they dying under all that layer of clothing?" I wondered. I was not used to India at first. Personal space did not exist in this world and I had to endure plenty of traffic jams under the sweltering sun; I can still feel the sweat bursting out of my pores and trailing its way down my forehead. Cows were the kings of the road; their immense bodies shifted through the polluted streets. The language, the food, and the crowds were very overwhelming to take in all at once.
I started adapting to Indian customs more smoothly later on. Indian food, with its heavy scents of mixed spices became a favorite cuisine of mine and the Delhi head nod, along with some Hindi phrases, found its way into my communication. I attended an Indian wedding and watched as an old woman with orange stained fingers carefully drew intricate swirls of detailed flowers with henna onto the bride's hands. I watched Bollywood movies in Hindi with my friends, and even starred in a Bollywood-style school play. My memorable friends helped me understand and appreciate their culture. Without them, I would have been lost and so alone in one of the world's most populated cities. It is amazing how deeply that place impacted me; it temporarily became my home when I never thought it could. I am so fortunate for living in a country that so many people dreamed of visiting.
Years later, I found a passion from the bustling, crowded streets of New Delhi. I was given the opportunity to adjust to an unfamiliar environment and experience living abroad as an International student. After moving back to America I could speak about diverse cultures from personal experience, which is why I participated in the Model United Nations all four years of high school. Debating issues such as poverty-I saw the faces of poverty outside my school gates in New Delhi- hit home, and the memories of India came flooding back. I want to be involved in International Affairs because of what I encountered in India. I learned to understand another country's culture and customs in two years, and how to communicate with different people; assets that are very important for the International Affairs field.
India; Incredible, hectic, noisy, confusing, historic, beautiful. Out of the five countries I have lived in, India was the most intriguing. How can you describe living in a city with over 12 million people? It was overwhelming but later on it opened my eyes to an entirely different aspect of life. India's diverse society drew me in and afterwards made me realize that I wanted to pursue a career in International Affairs. I experienced firsthand, a lifestyle so greatly different with such rich culture surrounding me. My familiarity of adjusting to life in a different country with diverse customs gives me a better understanding of what working in this field will be like. All the encounters I had in India-from culture shock to the infamous "Delhi belly"- remind me that this field will not be easy, but the effort is rewarding.
From the moment I got off the plane, I knew I was in India. A gust of wind blew hot air in my face and the heat immediately engulfed me. I had entered a furnace, filled with 12 million people. Women in silk saris splashed with green and blue hues swarmed around me. "Aren't they dying under all that layer of clothing?" I wondered. I was not used to India at first. Personal space did not exist in this world and I had to endure plenty of traffic jams under the sweltering sun; I can still feel the sweat bursting out of my pores and trailing its way down my forehead. Cows were the kings of the road; their immense bodies shifted through the polluted streets. The language, the food, and the crowds were very overwhelming to take in all at once.
I started adapting to Indian customs more smoothly later on. Indian food, with its heavy scents of mixed spices became a favorite cuisine of mine and the Delhi head nod, along with some Hindi phrases, found its way into my communication. I attended an Indian wedding and watched as an old woman with orange stained fingers carefully drew intricate swirls of detailed flowers with henna onto the bride's hands. I watched Bollywood movies in Hindi with my friends, and even starred in a Bollywood-style school play. My memorable friends helped me understand and appreciate their culture. Without them, I would have been lost and so alone in one of the world's most populated cities. It is amazing how deeply that place impacted me; it temporarily became my home when I never thought it could. I am so fortunate for living in a country that so many people dreamed of visiting.
Years later, I found a passion from the bustling, crowded streets of New Delhi. I was given the opportunity to adjust to an unfamiliar environment and experience living abroad as an International student. After moving back to America I could speak about diverse cultures from personal experience, which is why I participated in the Model United Nations all four years of high school. Debating issues such as poverty-I saw the faces of poverty outside my school gates in New Delhi- hit home, and the memories of India came flooding back. I want to be involved in International Affairs because of what I encountered in India. I learned to understand another country's culture and customs in two years, and how to communicate with different people; assets that are very important for the International Affairs field.
