When I got to Wellesley (i.e. when I moved out of my hometown bubble and into a new one), I quickly learned that what makes a place special is its people and the traditions they carry within. Growing up in a predominantly Mexican-American community, I had never been exposed to the wonders of Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) and jalebi (basically, the most amazing version of fried dough humankind has ever come up with), or Parrandas (a Puerto Rican Christmastime tradition where groups walk around in their neighborhood expressing merriment by singing and playing various instruments).
Throwback to Diwali! Btw…DIWALI IS NEAR. November 3rd, 2013!!!
In fact, if I could show you my calendar, you’d find that my Wellesley experience is not so much defined by the classes I take nor the organizations I participate in, but rather the events and celebrations hosted by cultural organizations that I choose to attend.
On any given weekend I could be out dancing Salsa with MIT’s Salsa club, or staying in and cuddling with my friends, eating cannolis (a Boston favorite), and watching a movie with the Italian Society during the Italian Film festival. I could stuff myself silly with bratwurst and sauerkraut for Oktoberfest with German Club while learning about Germany’s military history (Otto von Bismarck still astounds me), or I could cry into a puddle of soy sauce after the Chinese Students’ Association’s culture show because their gyoza (pot stickers) are so good (gyoza is one of my favorite foods, okay?), but also because the Wushu team (Wushu is a derivative of Chinese martial arts) just defied gravity with the most casual looks on their faces (I can assure you it is not casual..at all).
Cannoli love. <3
I still like sausages…and Otto von Bismark.
Anyways, I hope I haven’t made you hungry.
But if I have, I should also quickly plug that the food here is really good (really!) and that even if you get tired of it and miss the kind of meals you had back home, there’s always an opportunity to try something new to alleviate your culinary homesickness.
Your first Wellesley sibling,
Estefania