We are all friends waiting to be. It’s uncanny how many things you might have in common with someone from the opposite side of the globe. I grew up in Mumbai, India where I lived most of my life, until I traveled to UTA to get my bachelor’s degree.Texas has been more than welcoming and hospitable to me and I have learned to embrace the variety in the cultural life here. In fact, the more I learn about some different culture the more I get allured by cultural differences.
You integrate different cultures in your lifestyle.
Over the last two years that I have lived in Texas, I have lived closely with friends from so many different cultures that I have truly become global (or maybe baffling mixture of all). And, so is anyone who has felt the touch of a different culture and embraced it. Everything from the music I listen to the clothes I wear is a blend of tastes I have acquired from the diverse variety of friends I have. In a globalized society that America is, each person I come in contact with has a unique cultural heritage embodying a blend of different cultural influences. Being able to interact and connect with people from all over the world is truly a blessing.
You never get bored eating the same food and celebrating the same festivals.
There is nothing that defines a culture better than its food and festivals. It is incredibly fun to experience the diverse cultures through its food and festivities. Although Indian foods (like Butter Chicken) and festivals (like Holi) hold a precious place in my heart, I equally relish a well cooked steak, pancake or a taco. I am writing while enjoying a taco and feeling grateful for such a vast variety of cuisine to choose from every time I'm hungry.
You realize much more about the world.
On rare occasions, I end up engaging in deep philosophical conversations with my friends as I seek to know the values that drive them. I've realized from these conversations that the values we hold dear are not universal values. However, often times, they are culture specific. For instance, people in United States have internalized the value of individualism and independent living in contrast to the value of collectivism (like placing one’s family ahead of the individual) as internalized by people belonging to Asian cultures. I try to take the best of different values I notice in my friends in order to lead balanced and good life.
You realize the good in the world.
I am rather materialistic when it comes to the values I fancy and it pleasantly surprises me each time I meet a person with a strikingly different attitude. A good example would be my friend from Turkey, who aspires to visit the tribes of Africa and live among the unprivileged to help them feel the joy of a civilized lifestyle. Another such example would be my brother from my fraternity who plans to be an entrepreneur after graduation, to be able to work for himself, not with the intention of making big money but to be able to give back to the society he grew up in. Why? Because he believes in the value of service and giving without expecting.
You get a fresh new perspective.
Every person has his own individual perspective towards life. The variance is even more contrasting if the person belongs from a different country. What significance does it have to you? Well, friends with different perspectives help you to see things from a broader outlook and challenge your existing viewpoint. Leonardo Da Vinci looked at everything – flowers, faces, his paintings – from at least three different perspectives so that he could free himself from the preconceptions and prejudices and see things more clearly.
In the time to come, you may be studying, working, living or traveling in a foreign country with a foreign culture but rest assured you can expect to experience a new and exotic paradigm of friendship that you will definitely cherish!
