Reflaction paper of conversation partener - Assignment Example

Reflection paper I am a Saudi Arabian who is pursuing higher studies in United s. I have become friends with other who come from different places. I have developed really good relations with two students: Yohana Romero from El Salvador; and Rachel Mack from Erie, PA, United States. Both are quite different from each other. They are my conversation partners. I was prepared for some changes but the huge differences in socio-cultural values were very unsettling in the beginning. My conversation partners helped me to adjust within the new environment.

Language has never been a barrier in our interaction. Rachel and Yohana are extroverts. Discussing each other’s culture and religious activities have enhanced cultural understanding and strengthened personal bond. Rachel is a Christian with a loving family. She loves to celebrate all festivals with great enthusiasm. Thanksgiving is falling this week and she is very excited as she will be meeting all her relatives and friends, especially her brother whom she misses a lot. She has told me that she loves the festive season as we get to meet lots of people and have good food and partying.

She is looking forward to enjoy eating turkey, which is main dish during Thanksgiving. Rachel and I have talked about social and political issues also. She has talked about having a boyfriend at the age of 14! I was shocked because in my culture, girls are not allowed to have relationships outside the marriage but they can get married after they reach 17 years of age. She is now 21 years and plans to have career before getting married. We also agreed that war is bad and that America should not send its troop to other countries to fight.

It is still recovering from the recessive economy and it should use the finances to improve its economy. Moreover, teenagers are enrolled in army and sent overseas to fight other countries dirty war. This is wrong because when they ultimately come back, they often come back as damaged person. My conversations with Yohana were different in the sense that though she is American now, her parents had originally come from Salvador where civil war had forced them to flee and come to Indiana. They presently have a farm in Amish where they are raising their children.

She is Spanish and enjoys going to her farm in Amish where typical Spanish cuisines are her favorite. She loves her custom and has also adapted American traditions and lifestyle. Yohana is Seventh Day Adventist which is a religion in between of the Jewishism and Christianity. She does not eat pork or shrimps as they are deemed uncleansed animals in her religion. We are also not allowed to have pork for the same and it has brought me closer to her. Yohana does not have boyfriends and believes that one should have serious relationships only which end in marriage.

She wants to focus on her studies and career before having serious relationship. Reflecting on my conversations with my partners has helped me to have greater understanding of cross-cultural values. It has also provided me with worldviews of different cultures and to adjust and make new friends. (words: 529)