December 8, 2011
As I try to remember the first days after my arrival at Hamilton, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a few months when it feels much longer. Time passes by so quickly in college, and I find it very surprising that my first semester at Hamilton is coming to an end. Looking back, this semester will always be very special to me because this marks the start of a new beginning for me. Many things have changed after my arrival here. I now live in a different country and a different culture. And this life comes with interesting opportunities as well as some difficult adjustments.
Traveling halfway across the world to study was not an easy decision to make. But coming to America was always an exciting prospect. After I graduated from high school, I had plenty of choices. But I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life. So I decided to wait. I took a gap year and worked different jobs and travelled to many places. As a person who is interested in a variety of subjects, I wished to continue exploring my interests as I planned to go to college. Nepali universities don’t have liberal arts programs. So when I learned about liberal arts schools in the U.S., I knew I should come here. As I researched liberal arts colleges in the U.S., Hamilton was an easy pick.
Before I came here, people would tell me about the culture shock that I would encounter. I was very sure a good dosage of Hollywood had me prepared. Instead, I found that a direct experience of the culture included some surprises. Participating in Outreach Adventure (OA) was a very good experience in this regard. It presented me with insights into the culture and people I was going to meet. My OA group was really awesome. The week-long adventure that we had in Utica was a great start to my life in the U.S. However, instead of the culture, climate was the actual issue I was concerned about. Now that it is starting to get very cold, I doubt my preparedness for the winter. But a little cold does not really hurt if you get to play with the snow!
“Ujjwal” is a common name in Nepal, but it seems very exotic here. Like many of my international friends, I have to explain the pronunciation of my name time and again. Most people pronounced my name in all sorts of different ways at first. I am actually very amused by how they say it. In fact, one of my friends thought the ‘j’ is silent in my name, so when he said it, it sounded more like ‘U-Haul,’ the rental company! This was enough for my other friends to make fun of my name.In reality, although my name is spelled with a j, it is pronounced more like ‘u-z-z-w-a-l.’
The other side to my American experience concerns food. American food is very different from Nepali food. In Nepal, our meals usually include rice and cooked vegetables, mostly with lots of spices. We only eat white rice that is usually soft when cooked. But I have found that the rice is cooked in a different way here. The vegetables are half-cooked or eaten raw, which might be healthier, but not as appealing to me. Since they are less spicy, I usually end up adding more salt and pepper on them. Adding cheese on everything is another thing I noticed about American cuisine. I like cheese, but too much cheese is overwhelming. Being a Hindu, my religion forbids me to eat beef, because cows are sacred to Hindus. So I am always careful to ask if any food in the dining hall has beef in it. I also do not understand why people drink a lot of iced drinks here. The sodas, and even the water, in the dining hall are always freezing cold. I find it difficult to drink these drinks, so I usually add some hot water to make them drinkable.
Apart from adjusting to the food and culture, life in Hamilton has been really great so far. Taking courses on varied subjects at the same time is really amazing. I am taking English, Chinese and computer science this semester, which I don’t think would have been possible at a university back home. I love these classes, and I plan to explore more subjects next semester. I am very excited about my upcoming international relations class and my sculpture class. I like that the school is very small and a sense of community exists among all the students and faculty. Although I am so far away from home, I do not really miss home because I have found a new home right here at Hamilton.
From Where I Sit is a column dedicated to the international voices of Hamilton’s campus. If you are an international student and are interested in contributing a column, contact Barbara Britt-Hysell (bbritthy@hamilton.edu).