Cultural Differences

A few summers ago I visited Ottawa, Canada. Being a New Yorker, the concept of slowing down is a tough one. Every time I stop to slow down in this city, I feel the city rushing by me. However, the 2 weeks I spent in Ottawa I never once felt that kind of urgency. Maybe it was because I was on vacation and didn't have any deadlines to meet or hours to fulfill. However I think it had more to do with the culture around me changing. No longer was everyone in a rush to beat someone to the closest cab or try to fight their way onto the crowded train. There was a sense of tranquility in air. Everyone knew where they were going but they were in no hurry to get there. One of the things I've always heard about Canada was how nice the people usually are, and I found this to be true. I think the slower paced lifestyle there certainly allows more time out of ones day to be nice. A little time manages to go a long way. My cousins have adjusted to the slower paced lifestyle of Ottawa. They too used to be one of those people that always seemed in a hurry. I guess being New Yorker, I sometimes take slowing down for granted.

As a Bengali American there are other cultural differences. I grew up in Brooklyn, so my values and cultural up-bringing have been very 'New York'. However one thing I've noticed about many people that have come here from Bangladesh is that they eat with their hands (the right one always). I grew up eating with utensils so it is different when I went to Bangladesh and saw many of the people eating with their hands there. It's pretty fascinating how the tiniest differences can vary so greatly across the globe.

First Post

My name is Abid Anwar. I'm a junior at Baruch College, and majoring in International Marketing. I'm doubling minoring and psychology and film. Film is one of my passions in terms of art and I have a pretty extensive knowledge of older and foreign films. I'm also a senator in USG(the Baruch student government), so my schedule throughout the week is pretty busy. I'm always a big sports fan, and fan of the Giants, Mets, and Knicks. Two of those those teams suck currently, so it's been a rough ride. I used to play the saxophone but since coming to college I haven't really had much time to ,but it's one of those hobbies I plan on taking up again.