Newcastle 365: Week 13

I once saw a short film about the creation of an experimental dairy-based treat at BYU Creamery. It was formed when food science students decided to take two unrelated food concepts and see what would happen when you put them together.

Their creation? Carbonated yogurt.

It was a little wacky and weird, but it was unique and interesting. It was fun. It was something you didn’t expect, and even if it didn’t take off and become a cupboard staple in every home in America, it made for an interesting story and learning experience.

Experiencing other cultures is like that for me. One of the things I have really enjoyed about my time here in Newcastle is the opportunity it has given me to share experiences with people from different cultures. There are a bevy of international students at the university, and the city has truly embraced their various tastes and traditions. Within the Organic Farming program alone, there are students from China, Indonesia, Trinidad, Oman, Taiwan, England, Canada, and the US. When I had a classes with other students in the School of Agriculture, I made friends from Mozambique, Malaysia, Kenya, Germany, and Italy. My flatmates come from Brunei, Singapore, Turkey, and Thailand. I have a neighbor from Ghana, a church friend from Brazil, a professor from Portugal.

On a daily basis, I hear more foreign accents than I do British accents.

All of this exposure to other cultures has opened my eyes. It has made me more fond of and grateful for certain things in my own culture, and helped me fall in love with so many things from other cultures. But the thing I love most is that despite all of our differences of religion, food, art, history, politics, philosophies, etc., when we share experiences like this, we form beautiful connections. Sometimes they’re unexpected and unusual, sometimes they’re wacky and weird, but they’re always, always interesting and enlightening.

And I love it.

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Jess Friedman
Jess is a Canadian-American who’s always ready for the next adventure. She loves all things living, always has a million creative projects in progress, and polishes her nerd badge daily. She is passionate about helping families make and preserve treasured memories that strengthen bonds across generations. You can read more posts by Jess here.

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