"How will they be? What will be thier expectations from me? Will they accept me the way I want them to? How will they be different form my natural family?" Hundreds of questions were running into my mind like a storm of confusion when I landed in Detroit Airport from Chicago airport. It was a 45 minute flight from Chicago and I was with two other exchange students. One from Pakistan and one from Mali. The plane was very teeny tiny. This was funny, because it was the smallest plane I've seen but it was cute. My cane of pepsi was shaking into my hands while I was thinking that finally I've reached to my destination. My exchange year begins NOW!____________
As I was going to get my lugage, I saw my host mom hoding a sign board which had my name on it. I went to her with a bit nervousness and excitement thinking how will she welocme me? should I hug her? or she'll find it bad? I had NO IDEA.. But thank god, she was good at it. She hugged me and welcomed with a warm smile on her face. My host Dad was waiting in the car outside the aiport. I was waiting for my suitcase to come and it didn't! We went to the authority and they assured us that it will come later ad they will call us. I was a little worried but I beleived in American Airlines so waited patiently.
When I was in the car, they told me that they are going to take me to Ann Arbor, a big town near my teeny-tiny town called Dexter. We went there at a restraunt to meet my host brother who is 26 years old ad his girlfriend. My host sister who is 21 years old was out of town. I was excited to meet my brother. The meeting with mom and dad was great (atleast, that's my view. Hope they also think like that), now let's see how it goes with my brother and his girlfriend.After a drive of 1 hour we reached Ann Arbor, which is famous becuse of the University of Michigan. It is a beautiful city. The food was delicious. During eating we kepton talking and they were glad to see that I wasn't hesitating. I am a "Chatter box". I can never live without talking, they found it fascinating and it worked out well.
When we reached the house there was a little pomeranian dog of my sister whose name is cookie. I was really scared of dogs, especially when they are jumping and barking. He was doing it. I got too scared and started screaming. That was funny for my family but it made me nervous. The house was beautiful and big. This was a kind of house I always wanted to live in. So I was happy to be there. My mom gave me a little tour of the house and told me the things I needed to know. I got my luggage and started settling up into my room. It was nice and peaceful. i like my room. I asked my mom the questions we were told to ask in our orientations, which we had before coming to the U.S. It was good to feel that "the family meeting" part went good. I was satisfied to see that these people were not rude or strict. :)
All the house rules were explained to me and I felt okay with all of them. It always depends on your host family that what type of rules they have. You have to follow them since you are living in their house. Being an exchange student, you are supposed to be flexible in every condition. This is the time you have to prove how strong you are! My family is not so strict, but I expected them to be very strict and I was thinking to be obidient about the rules.
Neat nicy.. I went to bed at night. I surely missed my natural family but started praying and them I felt good. The first days will be tough, but after you get used to your new life. :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sacred storytelling
On Sunday November 11, 2011. we went for An enrichment activity in Ypsilanti, Michigan with AFS exchange students. This storytelling was about stereotypes of people about different religions, for example, as you hear the word "MUSLIM" a word pops up in your mind saying, "TERRORIST", for "Hindus" you just think of "Tribal people, worshiping cows and dancing along fire-- in short, crazy".
Well, I am a Hindu myself and I do not agree with these thoughts at all. We are not like this. But the other people will never understand that even if I shout at the top of my voice. People from other religions make fun of you and bully you and the worst part is that, you can't do anything about that. These feelings are much more painful than they seem.
I am a Hindu but I am from a Muslim country Pakistan. Despite the old conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, we are honored and respected in Pakistan. We are given every right we want to have. We worship, celebrate and do whatever we want and the government provides us security. There are always some people who will be narrow-minded and extremists. Though I haven't met any such adult yet in my country but when I was in my middle school, I was bullied by my Muslim classmates for being a Hindu, I cried, complaint and suffered a lot during that time. It was horrible. I tried my best to convince my classmates but since they were just middle school kids, they were literally, morally, mentally IMMATURE. But when I was in my high school, there was nothing like that. I was the only Hindu in my whole class of 60 people. My class mares were all Muslims but they were very nice. They respected my religion and wanted to know about it. They not only invited me to their religious events but also came to my religious festivals and loved it. I was glad to have such friends who were mature, respectful, tolerant and polite.I wonder what is the difference between my middle-school class mates and high school friends and the only thing I could think of was Education. High school friends were educated and the middle school mates were not so educated and immature.It actually begins in homes. These things are taught by their parents to them. Since they just follow what their parents say, if they are taught by educated parents they act sophisticated. If the'r parents are narrow-minded, the children also start thinking stupidly. Sad but true!
Talking about the stereotypes that I had for Americans were that, "They just lock us up thinking that we are TERRORISTS, without even any evidence they will imprison you, even if you are innocent. They are cruel and heartless people . See what they did to Iraq and etc.etc." This was no more into my mind when I arrived here and safely spent 4 months here. It was not like the way we hear about it. I was glad to find out that my stereotypes were actually all fake.
When I attended the Sacred storytelling conference, I saw that they were talking about the stereotypes about different religions and saying that these are all fake and meaningless. They talked about the ways to make the relationships better between different religions and respecting differences, valuing diversity and tolerance. It was so surprising to see that all those people who organized that event and participated in it were all Americans. This made the thing obvious to me that American do respect diversity and they are themselves working to make it better. They are teaching other Americans to be nice and wise. They are telling others to spread peace. It makes me believe that Every American is not a racist and extremist. There are some intelligent people, who care and think and want to make world a better place! This is what you learn during your exchange year,you experience diversity. You learn about the culture of the country and about the people you are living with and most important, you learn that all your stereotypes were nothing but fake!
--" I never realized that Americans ever think that they should over come their stereotypes and respect diversity and tolerance. Its great to be here. Great job", said by me (Sonam Chawla from Pakistan).
--"I learnt that we should respect each other. We should never bully anyone from any different religion and live with peace!", says Ayub Khan from India.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCeH-svm4Nc&feature=youtu.be
Well, I am a Hindu myself and I do not agree with these thoughts at all. We are not like this. But the other people will never understand that even if I shout at the top of my voice. People from other religions make fun of you and bully you and the worst part is that, you can't do anything about that. These feelings are much more painful than they seem.
I am a Hindu but I am from a Muslim country Pakistan. Despite the old conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, we are honored and respected in Pakistan. We are given every right we want to have. We worship, celebrate and do whatever we want and the government provides us security. There are always some people who will be narrow-minded and extremists. Though I haven't met any such adult yet in my country but when I was in my middle school, I was bullied by my Muslim classmates for being a Hindu, I cried, complaint and suffered a lot during that time. It was horrible. I tried my best to convince my classmates but since they were just middle school kids, they were literally, morally, mentally IMMATURE. But when I was in my high school, there was nothing like that. I was the only Hindu in my whole class of 60 people. My class mares were all Muslims but they were very nice. They respected my religion and wanted to know about it. They not only invited me to their religious events but also came to my religious festivals and loved it. I was glad to have such friends who were mature, respectful, tolerant and polite.I wonder what is the difference between my middle-school class mates and high school friends and the only thing I could think of was Education. High school friends were educated and the middle school mates were not so educated and immature.It actually begins in homes. These things are taught by their parents to them. Since they just follow what their parents say, if they are taught by educated parents they act sophisticated. If the'r parents are narrow-minded, the children also start thinking stupidly. Sad but true!
Talking about the stereotypes that I had for Americans were that, "They just lock us up thinking that we are TERRORISTS, without even any evidence they will imprison you, even if you are innocent. They are cruel and heartless people . See what they did to Iraq and etc.etc." This was no more into my mind when I arrived here and safely spent 4 months here. It was not like the way we hear about it. I was glad to find out that my stereotypes were actually all fake.
When I attended the Sacred storytelling conference, I saw that they were talking about the stereotypes about different religions and saying that these are all fake and meaningless. They talked about the ways to make the relationships better between different religions and respecting differences, valuing diversity and tolerance. It was so surprising to see that all those people who organized that event and participated in it were all Americans. This made the thing obvious to me that American do respect diversity and they are themselves working to make it better. They are teaching other Americans to be nice and wise. They are telling others to spread peace. It makes me believe that Every American is not a racist and extremist. There are some intelligent people, who care and think and want to make world a better place! This is what you learn during your exchange year,you experience diversity. You learn about the culture of the country and about the people you are living with and most important, you learn that all your stereotypes were nothing but fake!
--" I never realized that Americans ever think that they should over come their stereotypes and respect diversity and tolerance. Its great to be here. Great job", said by me (Sonam Chawla from Pakistan).
--"I learnt that we should respect each other. We should never bully anyone from any different religion and live with peace!", says Ayub Khan from India.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCeH-svm4Nc&feature=youtu.be
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Lonliness
The sound of the horrible thoughts which my mind was shouting on me, squished me into a small little coward ball. Folding my both hands around my knees ad hiding my face inside it. I felt my body shivering. My heart was hammering so loud that it was trying to force itself out of my chest and get apart form my body. I felt the sweating drops falling form my forehead to my hands even if it was snowing outside in Michigan. My hair were all tangled into each other and I didn't care about anything---what difference does it make if I look presentable or not, I just wished to get free from the pathetic thoughts I was getting. Too afraid to even look up and come out of my room, I was burying myself into a corner of my small room. Looked like all the water in my body had decided to come out through my eyes tonight. It was just uncontrollable, as more as I was trying to get through it, the more it was getting over me!
Realizing that it had been a while since I was in my panic attacks, I searched for my cell phone in the cold, dark, messy room of mine. It was on my bed. I flipped it open and looked for the time. It was 2 in the morning, but it didn't surprise me at all. I was expecting it to be more later than that. Realizing that it and thinking that I have to go to school tomorrow, I decided to try to sleep. Neglecting the circumstances of the torn feeling that I was going through. The struggle of my own mind with myself convincing me that it was my fault and I should wear the spectacles of their eyes to see through their vision, I felt helpless.
Probably, a sleep was a better idea than to cry and keep on mourning about my pathetic life. I tried to get up and reach for my bed which was full of my clothes scattered all over it. I didn't care about the tidiness or any organization. Just ignored and went to sleep, praying to the God and waiting the new sun will bring new hopes with it and I will be able to survive from this LONLINESS!
Realizing that it had been a while since I was in my panic attacks, I searched for my cell phone in the cold, dark, messy room of mine. It was on my bed. I flipped it open and looked for the time. It was 2 in the morning, but it didn't surprise me at all. I was expecting it to be more later than that. Realizing that it and thinking that I have to go to school tomorrow, I decided to try to sleep. Neglecting the circumstances of the torn feeling that I was going through. The struggle of my own mind with myself convincing me that it was my fault and I should wear the spectacles of their eyes to see through their vision, I felt helpless.Probably, a sleep was a better idea than to cry and keep on mourning about my pathetic life. I tried to get up and reach for my bed which was full of my clothes scattered all over it. I didn't care about the tidiness or any organization. Just ignored and went to sleep, praying to the God and waiting the new sun will bring new hopes with it and I will be able to survive from this LONLINESS!
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