My first week in the United States was a cultural shock. Everything felt new to me, including the style of conversation, the community I lived in, the type of food people consumed, dress sense and even the orientation of the bathrooms.
Every time I talked with a new person, I felt it difficult to decipher what they said. It was also difficult for me to convince them what I meant. Once I had a hard time convincing a gentleman at Walmart that I was looking for “quarter” and not “water.” I ended up taking a pronunciation class with the English department.
I was raised in a traditional Hindu family, and there was always a religious and cultural purpose associated with what I did as a person. In our community back in Nepal, among the religious people, all the successes and failures in life are attributed to one’s fate.
Such attribution comes from the trust in God as the creator, moderator and performer, and human beings serving as a medium to perform drama on God’s will. People around the world follow different religions, but the similar belief and opinion about life appear in different forms and shapes everywhere.
I believe, the primary difference of culture, faith and religion is depicted best in the food habits of people. There is a certain restriction on the type of food people consume based on religion and faith. In our community back home, people consume mutton and chicken as the non-vegetarian foods. Pork and buff are also common among other communities, but, consumption of beef is taken as a legal offense. Unlike Nepal, beef consumption is common in the Middle East and in the West where most of the people follow religions other than Hinduism.
Food is just an example. When people move from one part of the world to another, they come across the different social ecosystem and should adapt themselves to newer definitions of freedom, proper attire and etiquette. For instance, going to the bars or getting drunk is not acceptable in the community I grew up, but it is common here in the United States after a certain age.
Unlike the West, we have a conservative opinion towards sex in the East, and sex before marriage is considered a big taboo. Arranged marriages are common in which families of the girl and boy decide whether the two should get married. Same-sex marriage is also considered a moral and legal taboo.
To me, culture is a matter of habit. When a certain practice becomes prominent within a community for a long time, it becomes established as the norm. The attire, food consumption and even myths and beliefs are based on that culture. The culture becomes so deep-rooted in people’s consciousness that most of the people are resistive to changes. It is always convenient for them to follow what they have been following throughout their life.
However, with travel being an inevitable thing for modern people, one is always exposed to different cultures. In such a scenario, one should be respectful and adaptive to the culture other people follow. The world is always a better place to live in when we have reverential spaces for people of all cultures, languages, communities and sexual orientations.
It may be difficult for anyone to adapt to a new culture, but as time passes, everything starts to look familiar. The person becomes somewhat native to the new culture, but deep inside, they are always the same person they used to be in their homeland. If one spends their childhood and youth in one country, then throughout their life, they carry their habits and culture wherever they go.
That may be one of the reasons why even after about two years in the United States, I can’t have a sound sleep until I have lentils, curry and rice—the good old bhaat set—as my dinner. That may be one of the reasons why I get excited whenever I find a Nepali restaurant in any city I visit.
