Afraid to Arrive - Disinclined to Depart
Kritika, a SUSI student from Nepal, writes about what her Seattle experiences so far:
This summer, students from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are in Seattle for a new program coordinated by FIUTS, the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders in Journalism and New Media (SUSI). Each student will be writing a blog post about the experience. Here's a post by Kritika Lamsal from Nepal about her experience so far:
It was not ‘love at first sight’! Me and America; we did not gel up well.
Let me start with the dogs. I am not kidding when I say that I am petrified of dogs. Don’t hate me for saying this but I can’t function with them around. And here, almost everyone has one. Then, the Coke here is different, a lot sweeter than in Nepal. Turns out, it is sweetened with corn syrup. Also, the dusk falls at 9 p.m. The sky starts turning dark way before that back home. Gulping down your dinner so early, with daylight outside was another challenge. That brings me to the thing that gave me a hard time: the food. The proportion of food in one meal can make me last all day. And the sweetness in it almost reminds me of desserts. The other thing that I wasn’t familiar with is the right hand side driving. I got muddled up for days. But now, things are different. All the pieces are falling in place.
Big city; new people. Truthfully, I was scared. But, after a brief interaction with my new SUSI mates, our cool ambassadors and the FIUTS staffs, I was relieved. I felt at ease, not trapped. The amiability of the people and the places has changed me.
Despite my failed attempts to master the skill of punctuality, I try my best to get to the class on time to reduce the risk of missing anything interesting. The lecturers are top-notch in the fields they specialize on and hearing them makes me realize that there is so much more to learn. Only midway through the program, I have built an understanding on ethical dilemmas surrounding journalism, changing media landscapes, technological use and even the history of journalism. And still, there is more to go. This, this learning, is something that will stick with me all my life. From my first class itself, I was impressed. Everything was organized, every event planned with precision. It is weird, but true when I say that I love studying here. Classes are interesting and filled with activities I have grown fond of. Do you know that Sarah, from Seattle Globalist, uses cat pictures in every slide of her power-point lecture to stop students from diverting their attention? And to my surprise, it actually works. (Adding this tactic to my to-do-list!)
Coolest days are the days we explore the city outside of the halls of the University. Making sure that we don’t overstress ourselves, our routine also encompasses loads of fun activities and community services.
One of such days was 4th of July, which happens to be the day when America tasted independence. Maybe, this was one of the reasons the day remains close to me. I realized on that day, everything can’t be perfect, even for the most successful of nations. The food delivery system is only able to provide less than 1% of organic food to the public due to which, the elderly and adolescents, especially poor ones, are prone to various deficiencies. Marra Farms is a volunteer run initiative, which grows organic vegetables and produce that caters for more than 5 food banks, touching lives of thousands of poor families. It was almost uplifting, to know that we were contributing to provide healthy food to the people who need it most. Also, rummaging through soil with your bare hands brings you closer to the rawness of nature. It did that to me. That followed by the fireworks later that day. Nothing can top that! Personally, it was undoubtedly the best event in SUSI, so far.
Everything has a first time. It amazes me that many of my ‘first time’ experiences happened right here, in the States. On our climb to Mt Rainer, I touched snow for the first time. In Puget Sound, with the wind in my hair, I enjoyed my first cruise. I had ice cream from a food truck for the very first time. (The snow cups were terrible, though.) Breaking through my reluctance, I tried turkey and beef for the first time, right here. I experienced the vibe of a regular meeting of a national daily newspaper, for the first time. Few days back, I saw the most astounding scene; fireworks covering the sky, for the first time. All these experiences took place right here, so these will return with me when I go back.
Almost comical, it is. A country which I once thought to be hard to reside in has become so dear now. All because of SUSI and the people involved to make it happen. Now, I can easily have the food, am used to the bright evenings and less frightened of dogs.
Back then, I was afraid to stay here, now I am afraid to leave.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, promote a better understanding of the people, institutions, and culture of the United States among foreign students, teachers, and scholars. Study of the U.S. Institutes are short-term academic programs for groups of undergraduate leaders, educators, and scholars from around the world.
The program in Seattle is coordinated by the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS), a local non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Washington that promotes international friendship and cross-cultural understanding in the region. The Seattle Globalist, a daily publication covering the connections between Seattle and the rest of the globe, is collaborating with FIUTS to deliver courses on topics in journalism and new media.