“Do you have anything interesting to share about your background?”
“I really do love learning different languages, because I feel that it gives me a gateway to understand different mentalities, perspectives, kind of have an insight into different worlds. You get to connect with people that you wouldn’t necessarily get to connect with if you didn’t speak the language. I went to study in Spain for a year, because I wanted to live in the country. I wanted to live in the environment where they would speak the language. Someone had recommended Granada, Spain because there are a lot of students that come from all over Europe. It’s a really neat place to meet people who are learning Spanish, but their reference language isn’t always English. It was really neat to go to get-togethers and parties with people who are from different places, because it was almost a communication struggle at times, but we would laugh and stumble through it. You would learn a lot about yourself. Just being there, I was learning., I was walking through past historic monuments and making grammar mistakes, just talking with my friends, and having people correct me in real time. I became really fluent. It was question of survival too, to learn Spanish. You know you have to go to the grocery store or wherever it was and be able to communicate with people whom maybe that was their only language.“
“Do you have any interesting Hobbies or something you like to do in your free time?”
“I like to journal. I like to write down my thoughts and feelings especially at the end of the day. I have gotten into this thing where I’m writing down what I’m grateful for because I think that is very important. Often times we get caught up with all of our challenges and struggles and we forget what we’re grateful for. So that is kind of a reminder for me at the end of the day. I just like to journal in general about anything. I like to write poems. I’ve always been kind of private and shy about my poems. I have shared a few but who knows, maybe one day, I’ll publish a poetry book. Apart from that other hobbies, I like to dance. I enjoy dancing in my living room with my dog. He just kind of chases after me and thinks it’s funny. I love hiking. Spending time with my family. Other things I like to do is reading. I enjoy watching movies — documentaries and movies, all kinds. Traveling! I love traveling, so I always, if I were to give any student advice, I don’t know if you are going there or anything, I recommend to find the time and if you can save up, I would recommend traveling and living somewhere else, whether that is in another state or in another country, just to get an experience of living outside your bubble because it really opens up your mind to different way of thinking, a different way of living.”
Interviewer: Maansi Maskai
