New Delhi

As seniors in 12^th grade, most students worldwide begin to hear college rumors racing and bouncing off the walls of their high school halls. The one I’ve been specifically targeted with is it will be difficult to develop a good social life since I am commuting to and from Drexel University. Most incoming freshmen, staying in a dorm, have the advantage of meeting people and forming close friendships. It is almost as if they are forced to associate with the people on their designated floors if they plan to create and maintain a welcoming environment.

At the end of class on Wednesday, I felt discouraged. Classes flew by quickly; no one seemed to try to get know each other. It was just one lecture after the other, which ended with students running to their next classes. Before I exited the lecture hall, a girl with a foreign accent asked me where Curtis Hall is located. Fortunately, I was also going to the same building. We soon located the building and began to exchange our thoughts about our first week at Drexel. Within the next few minutes, we had discovered not only were we both majoring in biomedical engineering, but that we also shared the same daily schedule.

Because she had recently arrived from India, I was able share my insight about the American lifestyle, which she was discovering more and more with each passing day. It is true; I have lived in America my entire life, but my family is reverently Lebanese. One could almost say that a part of my neighborhood alone was very simple to a close nit Lebanese village. My father and his 3 brothers all bought houses on the same street. Their houses were always packed with their brother’s children. The Indian girl was strongly able to relate to the crowded household and the strong family orientation.

In order to provide me with an experience of her culture, the Indian girl requested that we would go to have lunch at an Indian restaurant. The restaurant was convenient since it was located on Drexel’s campus, only about 10 blocks away from Curtis hall. We decided to take the underground subway, to reach our destination in time before classes resumed. As we reached the front of New Delhi Restaurant, I opened the door and was invigorated by the aura of spices. The low beat of drums and lightly strung guitars filled the room to provide a relaxing ambiance. We scooted over to the buffet and I was advised by my new friend on what was in her choice, the most delectable Indian dishes. We ate most of the food with our hands, dishing the sauces with pita-like bread called Naan. Over lunch, my friend described the dresses called sarees that were displayed in the paintings that were hung on the walls of the restaurant. She explained how the sarees were draped around the body in a particular way depending on social status and location.

On my drive home, I reflected upon my day and was excited for the next day. In one day, I not only made a new friend but also traveled to India though the meal and the complimentary stories told by my friend.