Expectations

Eric Rolex Joseph 19 September 2010

Cross Cultural Class

Living in America is the dream of every Haitian student. When I was in Haiti, before coming here in the US, I thought that this place was a paradise. I usually saw the US in movie like a place where everything is beautiful, the landscape; people, houses and almost every thing are cleaned. I did not expect that the country is so big. When I first arrived in US, my conception about everything has changed.

The culture that I used to think about in my dream was not the same when I arrived in The US. All I see is a county with a culture completely different. It’s a kind of mystery, a kindness mix with some unbelievable accent. The way that people in US treat others is very polite; I think that the first thing I understand in Mississippi is the help that people around here offer to strangers and to each other. The every day life is an expression of love and respect to others. A place where smiling to each other is the rule. You can enjoy it in every face that you encounter in the street or around the campus. I don’t know if it’s the same thing everywhere in the countrybut I really appreciate this way of life, this hospitality spirit. Human relations are very important in the building of personality and it’s widespread here.

The second thing that very impressed me is the way that American works. It’s very important to see how they work very hard and they are also self-confidant. They believe in work to succeed and they are doing their best in order to make a difference.

The landscape is a perfect example of the importance that The American people attach to the nature. From Memphis to Oxford, green plants and herbs mark the road. On campus the design of buildings expresses wealth and power. Every building is a brick-made. The red color of buildings mixes with the green side of plants and herbs give us a peaceful environment. I was very surprised by the design. I did not expect it like it is. I expected something more urban.

Living in America is not as easy as Haitian people believe it. You can have a lot of difficulties because of the distance among the Haitian culture and the American culture. The every day life is a struggle. I try to avoid doing things that can hurt people here in

America; I do my best to live like American people do. It’s hard to have an accurate behavior, when you don’t really know the norms and some values of people with who you are interacting. Life is the perfect school and living abroad is one of the perfect classes.