Even though I was born at the village of Nigeria, I did not know much about the city. For the fact that my family all lived in the city. I grew up with my grandmother at the village, but now my coming to America has taught me many things that I did not know about life in the city. The new society that I have found myself now has opened my eyes, it made me to be wise and bold. Before I feel inferior, even to associate myself with other people that grew up in the city. It has been a difficult thing to me, but now I am becoming comfortable with city life.
Learning about and eating the American food is now reminding me of those days that I was in my country Nigeria. Now I’m having new experience here in America. When ever I’m hungry, I go to the fast food to get myself something so easy to eat all the same there is difference between the fast food and the food I eat back home. Even to cook the way I use cook at home is even difficult for me. When I try to cook my native food that I use to eat at home, I can not find all the ingredients for me to cook. And it always reminds of home. I began to think of the foods I miss, I will try to re-adjust myself at that moment that I’m no more at home.
The first time I went to a party with my friends here in America, it was like new world to me. At the party people where dancing the American style of dance, at that moment I began to visualize the kind of dance I used to dance at the village then called the abigolo dance. We use to tie rapper when we are dancing these kind of dance, and we move around the for these dance, we don’t have any base for it. So people will be giving us money while we dance at the end of the dance we share our money.Then I had that taught in me and say oh, this is not Nigeria, is America I laugh to myself. Immediately I started imitating people the way they dance the American style then from there, I began to pick up by dancing the American style. Some time I call and ask them if there is party going on for the day.
In fact I miss my family and friends so much, that I can not even use the boat nor a car to reach them because of the distance. And that showed me that life in America now is different from the previous life I was living in Nigeria I can not even reach to my family, I only reach them through the phone and is not even enough for me and them, but what can I do. All the staying together eating and charting together is now a thing of the past. Sometimes when I call home, my little sister will be asking me when will I come back home. That will make me feel deeper in sorrow. But now I’ve come to realize that my coming to America is a big advantage and opportunity to learn and know things happening in the world. It was like before I was in darkness, but now I can see that civilization is a good thing in life. In other words, adjusting to a new culture is like a replacement of old culture in my life. If I consist with both culture and I could get into both even though it will take time. The tip to learning and practical is the ultimate thing. And the way we do before we can not do no more. Lost in translation to me is not understood my very self, my culture and my vicinity, in another hands, all is lost.