Cultural exchange
happens everyday. Lupe's corner is devoted to the cultural
experience of a native Mexican.
What
would life be without a challenge? One of my most important
decisions was to move to the United States. It has been
difficult at times but overall a very extremely rewarding
experience. I still remember when I arrived to Phoenix with
the idea of completing a Bachelors Degree in Finance. Looking
back in retrospect, I realize I was very naïve. I was
younger and I thought everything was a “piece of cake."
I never imagined learning English was going to be so much
work and more importantly, I never even considered the difference
in the cultural aspects.
English was a challenge
from the beginning since all I knew how to say was “how
are you”. During my first year in college, I took
some intensive English classes before taking any other class.
As I began to understand English, I became more frustrated.
First, I understood what people were saying but I did not
know how to answer. Second, sometimes I thought I understood
the message but later found out I had not. Third, I always
questioned the fact that there were so many grammatical
rules but surprisingly enough there were hundreds of exceptions
to those rules. However, I was committed to learning English
so I immersed myself in the experience. Later, I noticed
I was forgetting how to speak Spanish. My family and friends
in Mexico used to love making fun of my Spanish while Americans
still had no clue that I was actually trying to speak their
language. As I became more fluent, I continued to make mistakes
mainly with the pronunciation because, again, there are
so many ways to pronounce words with the same spelling.
I still remember the many embarrassing moments I went through
due to mispronunciations. My favorite experience was at
a business reunion when I was trying to tell my boss and
colleagues that I was having problems “breeding”
instead of “breathing”. Needless to say, most
people at the reunion thought that I was extremely open
about my personal problems.
My problems with the language
became more complex as I experienced the cultural aspects.
English is a business language and as such it is easy to
get to the point. Spanish on the other hand tends to be
redundant. Trying to translate Spanish into English can
be a disaster, especially when you are still learning English
a second language. Often, I found myself saying the same
thing over and over without really conveying the message.
Quite frankly some people thought I was trying to make up
a story and they looked at me with hesitation. While I was
trying to get used to the differences in the languages,
I was also trying to overcome the solitude. In Mexico, I
often visited my friends and neighbors and every time they
had something to eat for me. I used to talk for hours because
we always had something to say and our relationships were
extremely important. Life sure was very laid back, back
home. Another cultural aspect, I used to miss is the kiss
on the cheek or the big hug when greeting someone. It is
funny to think about it but personal interactions are very
important for some cultures because it creates a feeling
of belonging.
All in all, my experiences
were great! English and the cultural aspects were challenging
but I learned to go with the flow while enjoying the many
benefits of living in another country. Even though it was
frustrating and embarrassing to make mistakes, I learn to
accept them to become fluent in English. I can’t remember
when but one day I stopped judging the way I spoke English
and I focused more on understanding my mistakes. As I became
more fluent, a new world was open to me. I finally was able
to understand the cultural aspects of the American society.
