Parties, dessert and Gossip Girl
By: Munaza Shums
Issue date: 9/12/08 Section: Diversions
Quite a few students from Australia, Bulgaria, China, Holland, India, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago,and other countries have decided to make Furman their home. These students have come from diverse backgrounds to a country that is culturally and socially different from their own. How do they manage? What are the adjustments that they make? These are questions that come to most of our minds when thinking about international students
The one thing that Tabitha Mendez, a freshman from Trinidad and Tobago, finds curious is that Furman's dining hall serves dessert at every meal.
"For us dessert is like a treat on Sundays or birthdays or special occasions," said Mendez.
The friendly nature of the average Furman student was noted by some exchange students. Jildou Bakker, an exchange student from The Netherlands feels that the people here are very polite,
"Almost too polite," as she puts it.
Kaoru Ando, an exchange student from Japan agrees,
"People here are really friendly, in Japan you never talk to a student you don't know. But here everyone is nice to you even if you don't know them" said Kaoru.
That is one reason, according to these students, that they did not undergo a severe culture shock.
"People try to include me, and they want to know about me and my background. They find it fascinating that I come from an island!" said Tabitha Mendez.
Exchange students have also noted the difference in speech patterns between typical Americans and themselves.
"I used to watch Gossip Girl at home, and when I came here I realized that American girls actually talk like that! I did not think that they would talk that way in real life!" said Anne Marie, an exchange student from the Netherlands. Hong Liu, a freshman from China feels the same way, "People are really loud here compared to China. Their voice fluctuations are fascinating!"
The number of parties that occur on campus were yet another cultural difference. "And so many of them," said Hong Liu. "We never ever had parties in our college in Japan, and even if there is some occasion, we drink tea or something," said Kaoru.
The one thing that Tabitha Mendez, a freshman from Trinidad and Tobago, finds curious is that Furman's dining hall serves dessert at every meal.
"For us dessert is like a treat on Sundays or birthdays or special occasions," said Mendez.
The friendly nature of the average Furman student was noted by some exchange students. Jildou Bakker, an exchange student from The Netherlands feels that the people here are very polite,
"Almost too polite," as she puts it.
Kaoru Ando, an exchange student from Japan agrees,
"People here are really friendly, in Japan you never talk to a student you don't know. But here everyone is nice to you even if you don't know them" said Kaoru.
That is one reason, according to these students, that they did not undergo a severe culture shock.
"People try to include me, and they want to know about me and my background. They find it fascinating that I come from an island!" said Tabitha Mendez.
Exchange students have also noted the difference in speech patterns between typical Americans and themselves.
"I used to watch Gossip Girl at home, and when I came here I realized that American girls actually talk like that! I did not think that they would talk that way in real life!" said Anne Marie, an exchange student from the Netherlands. Hong Liu, a freshman from China feels the same way, "People are really loud here compared to China. Their voice fluctuations are fascinating!"
The number of parties that occur on campus were yet another cultural difference. "And so many of them," said Hong Liu. "We never ever had parties in our college in Japan, and even if there is some occasion, we drink tea or something," said Kaoru.