Cultural Exchange
St.Paul, MN, U.S.A., 2021-2022
Greenheart Exchange was my placement organization. I had a fantastic local coordinator named Mary who gathered together exchange students from 28 various countries for our monthly events. It was incredible getting to know folks from a variety of backgrounds. Many of our students came from Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. So, I made a lot of new friends. All of the exchange students were kind, open, and friendly. We were never bored when we were together. I'm still in contact with everyone, particularly the girls from Ukraine, Latvia, Turkey, Palestine, and Germany. I miss them all tremendously and hope to see them again one day!
In addition to learning about diverse cultures, we all shared ours with Americans and with one another. In November 2021, we celebrated an International Education Week during which we gave presentations about our countries! I created a lengthy video presentation about Uzbekistan and presented it in 20 of my school's classrooms. I brought Uzbek flags and our traditional "qurut" snacks for everyone to taste. Everyone enjoyed my presentation, however not everybody enjoyed the snack (it's extremely salty!). We took photos together, and people questioned me about my country and culture. They were so inspired by our rich history that many of them swore to visit Uzbekistan someday!
(And here is a photo of me with my cheerleading team after my presentation.)
(And here is a photo of me with my cheerleading team after my presentation.)
Another goal of our exchange year was to learn about American culture. As a result, my host family and friends did their best to introduce me to all they do, especially their holidays! That year, I became a true Minnesotan, shoveling snow, drinking root beer, eating wild rice, going to the MOA (Mall of America) every weekend, and saying "you betcha" and "uff-da"! But I also had the chance to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with my host family. I went trick-or-treating with Imge, my best friend from Turkey. It was, in my opinion, the most enjoyable part of celebrating American holidays!
