A Foreigner in New Orleans

Student: Fabio Vinicius Dumaszak

Prof: Hannah Griggs

Reading and Writing

jan/31/2014

A Foreigner in New Orleans

Living as a foreigner in a different country has been a great experience for me. I did not think that it could be so different. At first it was hard and I felt a little afraid because of the language. It was difficult even to take a cab from the airport to the university. Everything you are doing or wherever you are going you have to remember that you do not belong here and it makes things difficult. In other hand, New Orleans is a touristic city so you can find people from many other countries, and I think that makes it easier to socialize and not feel like such a stranger.

When I arrived the first things I noticed were the weather (it was really hot in New Orleans that day) and architecture. Everything was new to me. I was delighted looking at new landscapes. Roads are larger with labyrinths of overpasses and houses are so beautiful.  It is even difficult to control myself because I wanted to do everything at one time, there were so many things to do and new places to explore.

One of the greatest changes that any foreigner feels when moving to a new place is gastronomy. American food is really  different. People like to eat hamburgers, french fries and fried chicken, and any kind of sandwich so much. The main carbohydrates come from potatoes instead rice like in Brazil. Brazilians eat rice and beans everyday. I liked American food, but Americans diet do not seems so healthy. It is difficult to find something fresh or not packaged. Almost everything comes in a can, and they drink soda every day. Maybe this is why there are so many people overweight here.

When Brazilians come to US they enjoy the opportunity to buy a lot of stuff which is more expensive in Brazil. It is like a paradise to someones who likes to shop. Clothes and electronic things like cell phones, computers, cameras, tablets, and so many other items. It is a great opportunity to fill our closets and get some devices that some people in Brazil always dreamed to have.  

Culture always has great changes when you move between countries as I came to United States, but New Orleans is a particular place in this wide country. New Orleans history with its French roots made it an uncommon city. When talking with any American who is not from New Orleans the first thing they talk about here is music, parties, and seafood. This city is known for these features and I admit the nightlife here is very cool and quite different for me, especially Bourbon Street. There are many bars and nightclubs to have fun. This place is most frequented by tourists and older people but I still like it there.

Talking about people, socializing with Americans is difficult. Language was the first bump in my path. At the beginning  I spoke almost no English. Even now that I have gotten better and I can have some conversation, it is hard because the New Orleans accent is too difficult to understand. During my winter break when I went to California I understood why people complain about the southern accent. The difference is huge. People were very polite and receptive in this university when we came, but it is difficult to make friends. We are accustomed to Brazil, one of the countries with the most friendly people. But now it is going better than when we came, our language has improved and we know more about culture, the people and the city.

Another great difference I noticed about people and culture at United States is the racial segregation. It also happens in Brazil, but the difference is extremely great. Some people do not interact with people because of color and it is sad. I noticed that in New Orleans people are segregated with separated neighborhoods, parties and social events are separated, and even in universities people are separated from each other by their color. It was a great disappointment to me when I realized this kind of social behavior, I got to see every kind of people mixed in the same places and interacting with everybody.

Other matter to talk about being a foreigner in the United States is security. Many places I visited were good experiences in regards to safety, of course you always have to be careful, but I think it is worse in Brazil. Unfortunately, New Orleans is one of the most dangerous cities in US as news and statistics on the internet says. Even on campus we had bad experiences, there are lots of drugs and girls can’t walk alone at night even to go to the library.

Almost six months have passed since I arrived and I do not feel so foreign anymore. Wherever I go I will always find good and bad characteristics. I always try to enjoy what this place have to offer and it has been a great experience for me. I have grown since I came here and I will take those good things I have learned with me my entire life. I have stopped feeling foreign and I am starting to feel divided between missing home and wanting to stay.