Stereotypes

It’s been a while since I posted here. I’ve been traveling around meeting new people and learning the culture and traditions here. I’m glad that I get to try or see something new when I’m here. 

I went to pick apples 

   My glasses turned dark but it was cold

It snowed here last week and it’s the first time experiencing it. I expected everyone else who isn’t new to snow to be less excited about it but I was wrong. It seems like they celebrated it with much hype by building snowmans and making snowballs.  I didn’t get the chance to do any of those yet. I’m pretty sure it will snow again soon. 

I’m sure you’re wondering why the title of this post has nothing to do with what I just typed. I promise I will start talking about it soon. Before that let me share some pictures of the snow. 

   
I will take better pictures next time when the snow starts falling again. Back to my story.

I still can remember the comments and “advice” I received from my friends and family before I depart for my journey as an exchange student in the US. Most of it were stereotypes about America and American people such as “party” “racism” “unsafe” and some other terms which I would not mention. I believe that no country or race or religion should be viewed in a single perspective. I don’t blame them for having such thoughts. The media is to be blamed for showing a certain side of a culture or country which is only true to a certain extent. I  remember feeling afraid to tell people certain details about me as I fear that they might judge me. I was wrong, they were more interested to know about my culture back home and it felt good to share and the feedback I received were mostly priceless.

If I have to describe the people I met here using one word, it would be “hospitable.” I visited a few American families at their homes and I had a pleasant experience. Since its the fall season, pumpkins and apples were everywhere and one of the families made pies which were really delicious. 

  Pumpkin and apple pies waiting for me 
They also made some homemade iced tea. 

If you can look closely at the picture below, there’s a basket of apples just beside the jug of iced tea. I told them that apple tea was one of the common drinks in Singapore and I casually told them to make a homemade brew of apple tea. They loved the idea and were very excited to try it next time. 

 Had a good time exchange stories with them

I have so much to learn from these people. They are really welcoming and they really enjoy serving others. 

I believe we should only judge a person based on character. A good person can be found in any country, race and religion. I’ve personally met so many people from all the 3 categories. Don’t let the bad apples define a group of people. 
To end my post, whatever I mention in his post is my experience and you do not have to believe what you see, it’s just me sharing my experiences. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!