An Exchange of Cultures

Imagine this: you are going to a new place, away from your family and the life you have always known, living with strangers, going to a new school, seeing a new city and a new way of life. For some, this might be a scary experience. For others, it might be an exciting adventure with many possibilities. For my friend Abrar Abbas, it was something she was experiencing right now.

Abrar is a foreign exchange student from Bahrain. Even though she left her old school as a 9th grader, she was able to skip a grade and is now a junior at Williamsville North High School. Unfortunately, she will only spend 10 months in Buffalo before returning home. Abrar, however, has been making the most of these 10 months in Buffalo. She has visited the Corning Museum of Glass, the Eternal Flame, Argon Falls, and many other Buffalonian attractions. “I’ve been to so many places!” exclaimed Abrar. “I’ve probably seen more of Buffalo in two months than some natives have their whole life!” Even though Buffalo natives often complain about the cold, Abrar surprisingly loves it, saying that it’s a refreshing change from the hot, dry, and humid conditions back home. 

In interviewing Abrar, I was able to get a good sense of how she feels in this new environment. Rather than feeling like a “fish out of water”, she feels more welcome and comfortable here than she sometimes would in Bahrain. “At first I was a little nervous about how I was going to adjust here, but everyone’s so nice here! I’ve made a lot of friends and I love this school so much!” Her teachers are also incredibly supportive, answering all her questions and clarifying things she’s confused about. Abrar used to go to an international school, so she was able to assimilate to our culture very quickly. She’s even active on social media, making quite a few Tik Tok videos and even showed them to us in an AP Psychology lesson. She did, however, pick up on some newer American cultural trends by watching her peers. “I learned how to use “fire” and “slay” in normal conversation,” says Abrar jokingly. “Now I use them all the time!”

As part of her foreign exchange program, Abrar currently lives with a host family. Initially, she was a little scared to live with strangers but according to her, “they soon became my second family.” She has also learned a lot about adjusting to American culture from them. “My host parents are so nice and welcoming! And my host brother teaches me a lot about school and how things work here.” 

From interviewing Abrar, she gave me a different perspective I hadn’t thought of before: the amount of creativity and expression we have, even in our smaller North community. Back in Bahrain, Abrar had little freedom to dress like she wanted and say what she wanted. Here in America, she was surprised at how unique people are. “People are wearing pajamas to school! They never would have done that back home,” exclaimed Abrar. The cultural difference she focuses on the most is the ability for people to express themselves, without as much judgment. Abrar admires the way that people are supportive of each other and are just free to be themselves. 

Abrar is experiencing North’s culture from a fresh perspective. We should be proud of the support we are giving our foreign exchange students, so much so, they feel like they have a second home here. It isn’t always easy for new students to assimilate to a new school, especially students from a different country. Abrar considers herself luckier than most, having been exposed to some American cultural practices prior to coming here. Many of her friends who are also foreign exchange students, did not have that same experience. “I have a friend from Germany who also goes here. She struggled a bit more than me in fitting in and keeping up with the culture. But because of the students, teachers and staff’s kindness and support, she feels like part of the family now.” Our school community has the opportunity to be exposed to so many unique cultures. It is so refreshing to see that we are making the most of that opportunity and learning from each other and helping each other. 

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Abrar is a foreign exchange student from Bahrain who has found the transition to a new environment exciting and refreshing.