by the overhead projector. In Indian schools, we didn’t use the technology we had.
We had to take notes as the teacher spoke.
Since it was my first day, I was confused which hallway to use, but I managed to get
to my classes without asking anyone. I was very confused about when I would have
lunch. It was noon. I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. I went
through the regular process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. She said,
“It’s still fourth period.”
“But the bell just rang,” I said.
Changing from a gentle tone to a harsher one, she said, “That is the lunch bell.” I
apologized. Without another word I headed for the cafeteria. I felt lucky because we
didn’t have this in India. Every confusion seemed like an obstacle I had to get through
to reach my goal. At the end of the day, I was on my way to the bus which we didn’t
have in India either. I spotted my bus and sat down inside happily. I was thinking,
Today wasn’t so bad.
As time passed that year, I developed some friendships and started to love my school.
I found out that U.S. citizens have many opportunities but not everyone is using them.
Some people take them for granted, not realizing that other countries are struggling.
The teachers had a fun way of making hard things so easy that a three-year-old could
do them. The teachers in my home country had a more strict way of saying things. We
also had much longer school days in India – 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. – while in America
school was 7:30 to 2:30. The main difference I found in America is the amount I
learned each day. In the U.S. schools I learned a lot less material. So, I had more prior
knowledge than most of the kids in my class, which gave me an advantage. Because
of these educational opportunities I feel I am the luckiest person in the whole world.
Living Between Two Cultures