Can a twenty-four year old young man from India survive the culture shock after a move to North Carolina? I was born in the eastern part of India which has a different culture compared to America. When I arrived at North Carolina, it was not easy for me to adapt to American culture. I had difficulty communicating and learning about the American culture. However, I noticed that in North Carolina there are some Indian people, food, and festivals. If I compare Indian culture with American culture, there are many differences between the two cultures such as language, food, and activities.
Language is a big difference between both cultures. However, there are some similarities between American and Indian languages. Most Americans speak English and Indians speak Hindi, but both countries have English as its official language. In India, professional or official people communicate in English and greet each other with “Hello, how are you?” in English instead of Hindi. In America, most people communicate with English, although some government offices or public places provide workers who are bilingual with Spanish and English.
I started learning English as a third language when I was in high school, but the accent was different than most American accents. The American accent was completely new for me because it was the first time I heard it. Even though I was familiar with the English language, it was difficult to recognize American English. In India, after my classes, I communicated with my peers and teachers in my native language (Odia). Pronunciation in Hindi English sounded different than American English. For example, yellow sounds like “ello,” hurt sound like “heart,” and yelling sounds like “elling,” In the United States I always speak with my friends and professors in English and it helps me to improve my English language dialect.
The second cultural difference between both countries is food. India is very famous for their traditional foods. Specifically, the eastern part of India has lots of delicious dishes. When I was a child, my favorite dish was Kheer which is made from milk, rice and sugar. Sometimes l liked to put in cashews and raisins because it tasted more delicious. Some dishes are little spicy because Indian people use different kinds of masalas spices (turmeric, coriander powder, ginger and dry chills) in their curries. Rice and dal is a common dish for all Indian people.
In the United States people to eat both fast food home cooked food. Pizza and burgers are common and there are popular fast food restaurants all over the United States. Compared to Indian food, American food has more variety like Mexican, Italian and Mediterranean. Indian does not have fast food restaurant. Instead, in India, there are street food carts. Street food carts are very popular because it is affordable and the smell attracts many customers. The vendors call out to the customers to get their attention to buy their food.
Indian people do eat too much rice and dal compared to Americans. So it took a little time for me to adapt to the food differences. Americans eat more meat (chicken, beef, fish, turkey, lamb) compared to Indians. Indian dishes have more vegetables and rice than most American food. I believe that both counties have some similarities. American people and Indian people like to eat fruits and vegetables. I noticed that most of the time, American people eat food with a spoon and fork, but most of the time Indian people eat their food with their hands. I used to eat with my hands so it took some time to change my habits. In the United States, the food culture was new to me and completely different than in India. Still I am enjoying and trying to taste new foods with my friends.
Both countries participate in different activities. In India, most of the people like sports. Cricket and field hockey are the most popular sports in India. Cricket is played with two groups of people and each group have twelve members. In a cricket match, the goal is to score more runs than the opponent. It has some similarities with baseball. I enjoy watching cricket, but I notice most of the American people are not interested in a cricket match. Sometimes I like to join with my Indian community groups to play cricket them. American people also like sports. American football is one of the most popular games in the United States. Last January, I watched the NFL Super bowl with my friends. I enjoyed it but it was the first time to watch a football game. Compared to Indian sports, it was a very different and unique game.
Another cultural activities in the United States going to parks and playgrounds compared to India. In India specially in eastern part of the India, parks and playgrounds are different. In eastern part of India, most of the playgrounds are designed for playing cricket. Sometimes children build a temporary cricket filed in the rice field. When I was a teenager I spent time in rice field with my group of friends playing cricket.
In the United States, playgrounds are mostly used for families and children. American families go to parks and playgrounds to play with their children, eat in the park or play games like soccer. In India, most of times children play cricket and walking with their friends in the parks and playgrounds. The similarities both country’s parks and playgrounds build for children. The biggest difference between the two countries is that in America there are many types of parks including dog and sports park.
A third type of cultural activities American and Indian people enjoy are movies. American people like watching more movies compared to Indian, and like to watch movies in a theater or at home. Compared to America, Indian people like to go to a theater because most of the people do not have options to watch movies at home. American people like to watch science fiction and children’s movies. Compared to America most Indian people like to watch family movies and dramas. I noticed that American movie tickets are more expensive than tickets in India. For example, in America a movie ticket cost about ten dollars, but in Indian a movie ticket cost five to six dollars.
In conclusion, when I moved to North Carolina and it was a great experience for me: seeing new places, meeting and talking to new people, trying different foods, and experiencing new cultures. I have learned that there are many similarities and differences between the two countries. The biggest difference between the two countries is the language. The biggest similarities between India and America are the food. I believe that learning about the language is enjoyable and important for me to be successful. I have learned a lot about myself and the American culture and I look forward to learning more.