Muslim students at Rutgers University in New Jersey (Photo: AP)

When I started the process of applying to undergraduate schools in the United States, I never thought about whether America would be a welcoming place for a young Muslim student. I read articles that talked about the diverse America, the melting pot America, and the land of dreams America.

I had conversations with friends who were already studying at American institutions; they reassured me that there was nothing for me to worry about.

When I received my acceptance letter from the College of St. Scholastica, a Catholic school in a very small town in northern Minnesota, I did not even look up how many Muslims go to the school.

But maybe I should have looked for these answers. Muslims have a lot of differences from Christians. Like Jews, Muslims are not supposed to eat pork, and we can only eat Halal meat. Halal meat is meat slaughtered or prepared in the manner specified by Islamic law. Muslims do not drink alcohol at all. We also pray five times a day between sunrise and late evening, and must be cleaned and showered before each prayer.

If you are studying in the States right now, look around and see if your campus is warm and welcoming to Muslim students. Is there an Islamic center or a mosque? How about even just a small prayer room? Does your cafeteria know that Muslims do not eat pork? How many special dishes for Muslims do they make for every meal? Let me help you by mentioning some food that contains pork: pepperoni pizza, sausage, hot dogs, ham.
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In the few days before 2012 ends and 2013 begins, we’ll be looking back at some of our top posts from the past year, starting with number five and counting down to number one. If you missed these articles the first time around, now’s your time to see why we’ve found these particular pieces so compelling.

#4
Why do International Students Crave Food From Home?
Contributions from Mohammed al-Suraih, Sebastian Sanchez, Javaria Khan

A common complaint among international students is how much they miss their native cuisine, so it’s no surprise that one of our most popular posts of 2012 was one examining just what it is about food that makes it so important to international students.

We learned that food interacts with your brain in some unique ways. Not only do you start forming your food preferences before you’re even born, so that by the time you study abroad some of your tastes for native food are pretty deeply engrained, but food is also deeply tied to memory, so nostalgia and food cravings become intertwined.

Read it: “3 Things You Don’t Know About Food and Why International Students Crave Cuisine From Home“

But one of the most interesting things we learned about food is that what you eat is part of who you are; food and identity are linked together.

In fact, one reason why international students miss native food so much is because they’re also missing the stable sense of identity they had back home.  Studying abroad redefines your sense of who you are, what you want, and what you believe, and it can be a difficult process.

We saw just how difficult in Senzeni’s examination of how her self image changed during a year in the States, one of our most moving posts of 2012. ”The certainty I once had about what I wanted to see and achieve is gone, the answers replaced by more and more questions about myself and my path,” she wrote.

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Last week, Russian students Anna and Dmitry sat down for a fascinating conversation on what they’ve found most unusual about education in the U.S. One thing they both noted is how common it is for students to bring food and drinks to class, which would never happen in Russia. Dmitry remarked, “I was surprised when I realized people here can’t go anywhere without carrying a bottle of water with them.”

Well, our intrepid commenters jumped in to offer explanations for the bottled water phenomenon.

Commenter Paul pointed out that bottled water hasn’t always been so common:

I grew up in the middle of the last century in L.A. [Los Angeles]. I remember being surprised that immigrants from Mexico and Latin America carried bottled water, even as they sold oranges on the street corner. I remember a ridiculous feeling like: WTF, our tap water is not good enough for them? Back then only the pretentious and celebrities conspicuously consumed bottled water.

Megan added:

[Carrying bottled water] wasn’t common when I was in college, but it’s normal now. The culture has shifted — wish I knew why!

“Thumper” suggested one explanation for the growth in popularity of bottled water:

The populace carries water everywhere because of the effectiveness of media advertising. When bottled water first appeared, I found it incredible that people would buy what they can get free out of a faucet. Now people pay more for water than for gasoline without a complaint.

While B. Fulton offered this explanation:

Carrying water everywhere is the next, lowest calorie, step in a long progression for people who carried soda cans everywhere. First, they carried full test soda; then, when they noticed that they had started to look like blimps, they carried artificially sweetened soda. Sipping filtered water all day long is probably much better than chugging can after can of sugar water which is a carbonated aqueous solution of industrial dyes, flavors, and sweeteners.

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A year ago during Thanksgiving week, I was browsing the internet and randomly came across a recipe for the holiday’s most famous dish: roasted turkey. I went through the ingredients and the instructions, and after a few minutes of deliberation in my adventurous mind I decided to attempt cooking this legendary meal.

I have always loved cooking, and I never understand when people say they can’t cook. I mean, we can all read instructions and follow them, right? As long as I have a recipe, nothing can stop me. So I had no worries about attempting my first Thanksgiving turkey. Normally I try to have everything prepared and thought out ahead of time, but I wanted to cook my turkey as fresh as possible, so I decided to buy it on the very day of Thanksgiving. But little did I know…

On the fateful day of Thursday, November 24th, 2011 I slept in excessively late, enjoying my holiday break, and around 6pm my brother and I took off – driving – for “HEB,” a popular grocery store in Texas. We turned into the empty parking lot of the supermarket and made our way to the entrance, only to find that the store had closed at 3pm because of the holiday. I was not expecting this at all, but I was not giving up.

We drove to “La Michoacana,” a Mexican meat market we frequently visit. It was open, but when we got inside, the butcher informed us that he had no more turkeys left. Yikes!

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Before I left for the U.S., I attended all the orientations about what life would be like there.  I heard tons of useful advice about how to prepare, what to pack, and what to expect.   And like most people, I scoffed at some of that advice.  But boy I wish I hadn’t!

Settling into Indiana was not as easy as I thought it would be, and I quickly began to regret not listening to the suggestions of what to bring with me from home.  Here are the top 3 things I really wish I had brought, and the advice you shouldn’t ignore when it’s time for your orientation.

1. Toiletries

Not packing toiletries such as lotion and soap from home was the first thing I greatly regretted. I am ashamed to say that when the helpful ladies at the EducationUSA orientation gave us this advice, I laughed at it. “I am going to America, where everyone has great skin and looks (and probably smells) good, and everything costs US$1,” I thought. “I will buy it there.”

Unfortunately, when I arrived in Indiana it turned out the supermarket is very far from where I live and only accessible by bus.

When I finally figured out the bus route and managed to get there, I was bombarded by more choices in face wash, lotions, cleansers, and all manner of soaps than I had ever seen in my life!

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November 16, 2011. Mohammed has been studying in Minnesota for just about 3 months. “Oh man I miss my mom’s delicious white spicy rice,” he laments. “Oh my god I miss my favorite Iraqi dish, Biryani.”

Sebastian has been in the U.S. for well over a year when he realizes, “I still can’t stand a day without craving the most simple things I used to have back home: meals as simple as plain white rice with potatoes and chicken.”

There are plenty of things you know to worry about when coming to study in the U.S. “How can I relate to people from all over the world?” fretted Tom. “Would I cope with speaking in English all of the time?” thought Simba. “Would I ever find anyone like [my uncle] in America?” Senzeni asked herself, in tears at the airport in Zimbabwe.

But “one thing I never thought about [before leaving home] was food,” said Mohammed; “how badly I would miss my mother’s dishes, and how food would be a huge part of my culture shock.”

Javaria even traveled all the way from Massachusetts to New York just to find a taste of the desi food she missed from South Asia.

But why does food all of a sudden become so important when you’re abroad? Why do so many international students cite food as the thing they miss most, even more than they mention their own families?

It turns out food has a more powerful role in our lives and our minds than you might imagine.  Here are three things you might not know about why you miss food from home while studying abroad:

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The sharp scent of red spices and curry powder. Heat emanating from the fresh pieces of naan bread. The sound of silverware clattering against each other. And the sight of native, desi food. I suddenly felt that a piece of me that had been empty for months was alive again.

I was in New York, where I had traveled for fall break in search of a taste of home.  I wanted to see all the famous sights of New York City of course, but I was most excited to visit the neighborhood of Jackson Heights. I had been told it was the hub for South Asian food and attire; a treat for all natives who want to seek home away from home.

South Asia is known for its spicy, fiery food and wide variety of dishes. From the day we are born, we adore food. Memories, events and photo albums are incomplete without remembering the food and if anyone ever says they don’t like food – well, they are pariahs from that day on (trust me, I have tried it).

Thus, when I came to America, it was hard for me to adjust to the bland, mild taste of pastas, pizzas and sandwiches. Every now and then, my taste buds started demanding a respite from the constant taste of cheese, tuna, lettuce and carrots, craving the more spicy chicken, beef, curry and green chilies. But until now, I had been unable to fulfill their wishes.

Gyro stand we found in Times Square

Other South Asian students who live in mainstream places like D.C., Chicago or California might think I’m crazy for going all the way to New York just for a taste of spicy curry, but that’s because they probably have places like that near where they live.  George Mason University in Virginia has traditional desi food available in the cafeteria every single day.  Even New Yorkers don’t have to travel to Jackson Heights for food – the streets in Times Square are lined with carts selling chicken gyro (a Greek dish popular among South Asians because of its spices).

However, Mount Holyoke College is in tiny, remote South Hadley, Massachusetts.  There it is impossible to satisfy such food cravings.

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File this under things you never thought to worry about. The Oklahoma Daily reports that five months into the school year, international students have adjusted to just about everything about American life – except the meal times.

“They eat anything at anytime,” Amélie Plot said.

The French law student said she’s not used to eating early, even with her family.

“In France, when I eat with my family, it’s never before 8 or 8:30,” Plot said. “Here, with my host family, we ate Christmas dinner at 5:30.”

Could you get used to a 5:30 dinner?

While spending my winter break with my family in Bolivia, I received a message from a school friend in Kansas asking me, “When are you home?” It was a simple question, but it caught me off guard. She just wanted to know when I was planning on getting back to Kansas, but I was struck by how she was calling Kansas “home.” That was mind-blowing for me.

Is this home now?

I had never stopped to think about it before but, having adapted very well to my new environment, collecting more and more personal possessions there with time and having spent 11 out of 12 months there last year, it would be foolish not to consider it something of a home.

But does it replace the place that saw my birth and first steps (more like my first twenty years)? I wasn’t comfortable even thinking about that!
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Brunch at an American dining hall (Creative Commons photo by Flickr user superfem)

A few weeks before I was set to leave home and start over in Minnesota, I remember I was very depressed about leaving my family and friends. One thing I never thought about was food; how badly I would miss my mother’s dishes, and how food would be a huge part of my culture shock.

Many of you might be wondering why I would be talking about food, and asking if I have forgotten all about McDonald’s, Burger King, and Pizza Hut. Well my dear friends, they might taste good at some point but let me ask you a very critical question: would they still taste as good if you kept eating them every single day for four years? Take a moment and try to answer it.

I don’t know about your culture, but let me tell you something about my Arabic-Islamic-Middle Eastern culture. We do love our food very much.  We do lots of home-cooked dishes: the basmati white & brown rice, spicy chicken breasts that are served in different styles, Dolma, Biryani and of course the delicious meat of lambs. We also don’t go out to eat as much as people in this country do. I remember my mother would be annoyed if we asked my father to take us out.

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“To butt or not to butt enhance, is the question,” screamed the headline on Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper.

I gasped, and then slapped my forehead. Really, Herald?  Are you kidding me?

The article turned out to be about the allure and dangers of pills like Apetito tablets, appetite stimulants that claim to enhance the hips and butt, and cause general weight gain.  In Zimbabwe, as in many parts of Africa, a woman with a heavy behind, large rounded hips and a well-defined bust is the epitome of true beauty.

Reading about Apetito brought back memories of loved ones who, with my best interests at heart, urged me to take the tablets so that I would not look like a “typical emaciated African kid” when I got to America.

Weight gain, you see, is considered a good thing. It is a symbol of prosperity and a sign that in the prevalent harsh HIV climate, one has managed to not only be of good health, but even to gain weight. It is a sign that, in these days of food shortages, one has managed to sustain oneself so well that it shows through your general appearance. In men, weight is a sign of affluence, especially if one has a potbelly. My friend Bothwell often refers to the belly as a “success curve” – the steeper the gradient, the higher the level of affluence.

Creative Commons photo by Flickr user wokka

With all this in mind, you can imagine my shock when I came to the U.S. and found out that not only do people not make an effort to gain weight, they actually sweat and starve to stave off weight gain. Acai Berry weight loss tablets and not Apetito, are what women go for here.

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When you see your old friends who came to the U.S. earlier than you, one big change you can spot immediately will be a change in their body. My college friend who went to the U.S. two years before me was totally changed into another person the next time I saw her – she had gained so much weight in her time there. Luckily, she was way too skinny before, and now she looks perfect, but not everyone has such a happy result.

My roommate used to weigh 100 lbs back in China; now she is almost 120 lbs, and complaining to me all day.

I had been always around 98 lbs when in China, but my weight went up to 110 lbs last year, which totally freaked me out. Thank goodness I figured out some quick and easy ways to save my body, and I’ve gone back to the “under 100 lbs group” – I will share how I did it later in this post.

It’s a common problem. Answers.com has a heated discussion on the topic of “Why do immigrants to the US gain weight?”  The Daily Mail, a British paper, reported that America is the “worst holiday spot for the waistline, with travellers gaining an average of 8lb in two weeks.”

Am I scaring you yet?

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Introducing myself always felt awkward at first

“Namaste! I am Abhushan and I am from Nepal.”

“Really? Have you ever climbed Mt. Everest?” “Do you live in the mountains?” “Do you pet Yetis back in Nepal?”

“Yes, I am from Nepal.” “No I haven’t climbed Mt. Everest because it is at a whopping altitude of 8850 meters.” “I live in a big sprawling city with a population of almost 1 million people.” “I definitely do not have a pet Yeti. I have a little yipper named “Sheru” who likes to stun and catch birds.”

A year back, these were typical questions that people in the U.S. would fire back at me when I introduced myself and my country to them. Whether it was a normal conversation or an email, such questions almost became inevitable. It was annoying at first, seeing people who have no idea about my country and my culture talk to me so stereotypically. Sometimes, out of rage, I wondered how these people who have no idea about geography are ruling the world right now!

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I was told an anecdote about Cornell when I first came here. People say there are four seasons in Ithaca: Orientation week, pre-winter, winter, and post-winter. By now I think I understand what they mean. Ithaca is gorgeous, and Cornell is definitely the most beautiful school that I have ever seen. The days before school started were relaxed and fun, filled with furniture shopping, campus walking, pictures taking and of course, food tasting.

For that week of orientation we enjoyed a beautiful Ithaca summer.

Then school started. And no matter how you wish you could just enjoy the weather and have fun, times flies. And I can’t believe right now 1/3 of the semester has already passed.

For most Chinese students who take undergraduate study in China, graduate study in America will be a challenge. You can no longer be fine skipping classes, partying or dating and cramming the night before finals. And college life here in the U.S. is not about Justin Bieber and ice cream as you might think.

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