On the 19th of July, 2014, Sonia traveled to a new place. Finally, after 36 hours of traveling, she was only a few feet away from her new home. Here, she is illustrating her experience of the first trip to America. Her first destination outside her Country was Los Angeles. She is a non-immigrant, and currently residing in San Fransisco. As the new year approached, she shared her first memory, which is cute. She believes these are precious memories.
As she says, “Los Angeles memories are similar to first loves when you remember it as something you’ll never forget. So coming to America the first time and seeing so many cultures with new eyes has been a wonderful experience. When you go to a new place, you bring your old memories with you.
At that point, you are in the beginning phases of adjusting to the new culture, and it will happen to all non- immigrants at some point. Our memory is packed with our culture, not the new one, so only then do we see things in a comparative light.”
It was terrific for Sonia to see Los Angeles at midnight from the flight! Even though she has seen night numerous times before, that night was awe-inspiring to her, and it seemed as though stars were dancing on the ground. In addition, it was enchanting to see the yellow and red signal lights engulfing the city. Sonia connects this feeling with unique logic and says, “This city was exactly what I was picturing in the movies, and it looked like a dream city from above. The beauty of it overpowered my senses. I THINK AMERICAN FILM DIRECTORS DESERVE CREDIT when I look back at this scene. Several American films depict their cities well and inspire lust for beautiful landscapes. Not only American filmmakers, Bollywood filmmakers have also used the beauty of American land to describe the lives of NRIs in Hindi films. It’s perfect if you are semi-urban like me, and it becomes even more special when combined with a comprehensive view.”
Taking a glance at the memory window, she says- “I landed at the airport in Burbank. Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, and located 12 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. So, When first time you leave your Country and step foot in another country is a totally new experience. It was happening to me. So many doubts, memories of my homeland was swirling in my mind. But amid processing thoughts, I grabbed my luggage & came out from the airport. That time, my eyes was thirsty to catch every first look. I looked at every corner and tried to smell the cultural-flavor of the city. Although it wasn’t as noticeable, but I noticed that many people were meeting their families after a long time.The question I often get asked is “how do you know that people are meeting their families? More than that, I know because I felt how pure pearls were dripping from their eyes without pressure and getting absorbed by their garments. That time, I could perceive how individuals’ appearances were shining in the wake of embracing one another, how they were giving an intense and warm embrace! It happens more often than not when we meet our family or friends and family later an extensive stretch. And still, at the end of the day, it’s a charming encounter so that the human could see love for family, companions, or people. I think having energetic visuals raises feelings of affection and connection. This scene is gainful when you’re a long way from home and new to another culture.
So, that night, I chewed this fantastic familiar experience like a lifelong medicine. The act of seeing these kinds of visuals renewed my emotions. And seeing the family’s love convinced me, I wouldn’t have much trouble getting used to here.
After that, I came out of my thinking mind and just started looking around. It was the time to ensure security in nightlife. I noticed that without any fear, it was fantastic midnight. My ears didn’t hear any wolf sounds, raising suspicion among human society at night. People seemed fearless. People were moving smoothly towards their destinations. But I realized that the night was not busy in general, what I saw in the movies. Here, I’m addressing “wolves-free sounds” because, in the real world, there would be many streets suffering from darkness, hooliganism, and feeling insecure. But, instead, Burbank’s streets were quite & safe.” In 2014, I lived near the Downtown of Burbank, walked alone at midnight so many times, and was never found unsafe in the night. Police security was tight there. I believe that security is the main thing for any place, making that more adorable. No one wants to live in danger. I have seen how Burbank police ran their car all times on the streets. I wish the same activity for all countries in the manner of people’s protections.
I like to glue some beautiful words on the Extended Stay of America hotel. It was my first hotel in the USA, where I entered at night. I spent my 15 days there, and it was precious for me. I enjoyed myself a lot in the hotel room with trying new vegetables & cooking in Indian style in the room-attached kitchen. It was an excellent facility for me. But many times, my cooker and strong spices made fume & fought with a Smoke detecter. It was set up on the kitchen rooftop. The loud alarm scared me every day, and I used to ring it too.
Every morning, I go down to the hotel lounge to get my Coffee & especially muffins. It became my favorite activity. At the same time, I also noticed some American food brands. I wished to try every food item at that time, but non-vegetarian items kept me away. So, for the first time, I started reading the integrants of every food item. It was not that I did not eat non-vegetarian food, but I was conscious about other animals’ products.
Here is my first experience in the morning breakfast in new place. Every morning, I go down to the hotel lounge to get my Coffee & especially muffins. After 1st day, it became my favorite activity. At the same time, I also noticed some American food brands. I wished to try every food item at that time, but non-vegetarian items kept me away. So, for the first time, I started reading the integrants of every food item. It was not that I did not eat non-vegetarian food, but I was conscious about other animals’ products. I was wonder about to see food-culture. I saw that how baked item was favorite for most of the people. After some day, I also started liking coffee and muffins.
Like India, California is also a state decorated with cultural diversity. We can meet people all around the world. Every day when I met people in the neighborhood or in the market, I encountered many types of English. However, there was a significant difference between Indian English and the English of other cultures. For me, It was also challenging to understand the American tone properly. But I would love to say that, in my journey, I found most of the people who greeted me with their cheerful smiles and helped me understand the language by facial expressions. This is a professional way of Americans that needs to be learned in terms of language challenges.
Although in our India also people are ready to help all times. This is a professional way of Americans that needs to be learned in terms of language challenges. Therefore, from my experiences with California, it also seems to be my second home after India. Additionally , Blue sky, Sunshine, balmy winds, dynamic streets, green valleys, multiculturalism, and business and technical activities give California a unique appearance. Anyone can fall in love with it.
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