Intercultural Experience Essay Examples

Culture is commonly defined as a composite, complex whole and this is signified in terms of art, belief, custom, knowledge, laws, morals, and any other capacities and ways which men acquire as members of society. I have been immersed into the American culture by way of travelling into Alabama as a foreign student. While this may sound strange, I chose the U.S. because it is a melting pot of various cultures. I know that other than exhibiting its own ways, it is also very much open to the other nations’ ways of lives.
In terms of value, I believe there is not much difference between the Arabs and the Americans. We both value hard work and education. I like the way they respect my interest in studying in their country and making it big in the future. I guess this is also the way my classmates from Dubai perceive it. While they were sad that I would not be with them in college, they seem to admire my boldness into stepping into another foreign and diverse culture such as the American culture.
The sights of Alabama did not impress me so much since Dubai is also a very modern city. The way people go to clubs and restaurants and joints is not new to me. Somehow, I envy the way they flock into their many parks and museums and other landmarks. I myself did not appreciate many historic monuments way back in my own country. This is not to say that I do not value my history and my people’s monuments the same way Americans do. It is just that in this side of the earth, it seems that buildings and monuments always speak of their own heritage.
Their cultural heritage is very prominent and I envy the way how other cultures and peoples appreciate their own traditions. For instance, everyone loves Mardi Gras and they all know how it is celebrated. Yet, on our end, not many people would understand how we fought our freedom and how we still cherish it until today. Even when Mardi Gras is not distinctly American, their people have the talent of imbibing other people’s culture sas their own identity and traditions. I never would have imagine a Mardi Gras parade in Dubai, no matter how advance our city is. Here, the smell, touch and feel of the foreign celebratin is authentic.
Of course, the Americans love sports. I somehow could not relate during my initial stay how all my other classmates would know each NBA player and tennis players in the world. The World Cup, Super Bowl, etc. are all alien to me. I do not abhor nor love Miami Heat nor idolize a certain Lebron James. Yet, they are fantasized here by most young people.
In relation to sports, people in Alabama love to don sports wear. I am neutral about my fellow classmates wearing Nike Tempos and extra-large T-shirt uniforms, yet I feel awkward to wear them. I feel mostly comfortable in my polo shirts and jeans or slacks. I also wear shorts less frequently or only if I need to. I go for comfort and I am not so comfortable with the common get ups but I do not mind at all. I understand very well that they are used to how they dress and I have no problem with that. I have seen them on television even when I was still young. It is just that my fashion sense is geared more on the formal wears. I also like normal, classic outfits and classic looks. Generally, people do not really mind what you wear. Most of them wear their daily sportswear and they dress alike. However, I also notice that they go for brands. They pair their shirts with expensive name-brand tennis shoes, Michael Kors watches and David Yurman jewelry, matched to their creaseless hair ties. I would not want to beat myself up to afford these things and be “seen” inside campus. I prefer to be more formal in going to school. It grounds me as to how I should behave, especially that my norms are not the usual norms in the campus.
I like being in school because there is a certain kind of freedom in the campus. I feel unbounded by a lot of things. My classmates are very nice and they are cooperative. I do not feel threatened or prejudiced.
Alabama’s love of other cultures is also shown by the way they eat pizza and dimsum. Since they do not eat rice for a meal, they eat large pizzas. I have a share of pizzas as my room mate is a fan. I like it now. However, I cannot seem to like the dimsum. I want noodles but not the Canton way of noodles. Little by little, however, I am starting to have a taste for all these fast foods since I need to eat fast and with no hassle since I now shuffle between my classes and my part time work.
These people surely love to eat. They eat a lot and they eat in bunches. I cannot remember the time that I was offered just a single piece of meal. Each time I go out, there are several varieties and packages of food and this is simply delighful. Yet, I conceive that they certainly do not fast. They do not offer such sacrifice to cleanse their systems. Everything is taken in and no one feels guilty. Sometimes, I feel so guilty when I eat a lot of sweets in one day. This includes blueberry cheesecake, ice cream cake (which delights me) and all sorts of different cupcakes. Their ice creams are also very delicious. The tastes seem sweeter as compared to what we have in Dubai (or perhaps I just did not have the luxury then of trying out these luxurious food items). There are also a lot of alcohol drinks in town. In Dubai, this is sacriligeous. Hence, sometimes I go astray and forget that not all that is offered here is permissible for me and my religion. I have to remind myself all over again that I have to exercise prudence. I have to remain true to my beliefs and while I do not hold any grudges to their practices, I must not conform to their practices as well.
While I thought that we are the most industrious people on earth, I did not realize how driven the people in Alabama are. They shift from one chore to another, getting paid mostly by earnest sum of money. While I was still a young student, I did not remember being exposed to or encouraged or coerced to live through my own means. Yet, I realize that people here think of their own livelihood even when they are just fifteen. They do a lot of errands and easy jobs to earn their own money. I somehow like this attitude because they are very independent minded. They do not ask their parents for everything they need. Hence, I also try it out for myself and I now appreciate the feeling of being able to afford some of my needs through my own hard work aside from my studies.
I understand that art is also a by product of a region’s culture but the art scene is Alabama is very diverse. I am more inclined to think that they are influenced heavily by the Europeans as we are highly influenced by Asian arts and Islamic sensibilities. We are a very loyal set of people because we patronize our own culture and arts as way of tradition. Yet, the people in Alabama look outward and they infuse themselves with always something new. Public art is very evident but in my home country, art is somehow confined to buildings and museums. In this side of the earth, art is everywhere. I would even consider the braid of my Black classmate as art since it is very intricate. I also like to think hip hop is cool and artsy.
In terms of artistry and intricacies, our city is also massive. I could boast of our Shaykh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in UAE. It is also one of the biggest mosques in the whole world. Every night, the mosque is shining like the bright moon (which I could not appreciate in Alabama). Maybe it is because there are so many bright lights and buildings in the city. Our structures are more heavily influenced by the Indian and the South Asian continent. Hence, this beautiful mosque reflects Mughal and Indo-Islamic architecture and shows the historic Arab-Islamic architecture.
Loud music is everywhere but there are special cafes where I enjoy jazz bands and really lovely music. It is known that Alabama is highly influenced by jazz music but I am not very particular about it. I appreciate the melody and the beat but what I really like most is when these sounds accompany my solo dinners at most times. I am also not a fan of large bands but I guess as I always bump into bands in the plazas, these sounds are acceptable to my genre now. Unwittingly, I surmise that I do not miss a certain Islamic song or sound. This may be because the Dubai City has been loaded by foreign music even when I was just young. As a cosmopolitan city, it has been hospitable to different types of music. I myself am immersed with varied sounds and I appreciate all sorts of world music.
In the end, I have to remind myself that culture is something relative. I often remind myself that while I am in a different country, with a different value system and beliefs, it does not mean that either mine or theirs is wrong or sinful. While they may seems familiar or strange, depending on each particular situation (such as shopping, praying, eating, etc.), I have to advise myself that cultural respect is important. It is a common courtesy to acknowledge how other people do their own things and how I should do my own. I also try my best to respect and appreciate what they have in Alabama so as when they come to Dubai, they will extend the same respect and hospitality they extend to me at present.