2008 Woodie Awards
Appreciate other culture's quirks when abroad
Sara Castellanos
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Editorials
Studying abroad is not only about learning a new culture, but also about getting to accept its quirks. Accepting these unique differences is an invaluable lesson and one that will broaden your perspective on the world. It is important to acknowledge your appreciation for these dissimilarities while abroad, but it is even more important to be able to remember them when you return.
A sudden wave of nostalgia swept over me two weeks ago as I drove to DIA to board a United Airlines flight to Boston. It was the first time I had been on a plane since I had returned from the all day flight from Europe. I had a sudden flashback of traveling from Rome to London on Ryan Air, thinking it was odd that there were no assigned seats on the airplane, and convulsing when the plane made several attempts to land until everyone went green with nausea on the pilot's fifth (and thankfully successful) attempt.
Although there was no business-class or first-class seating, there was still a "priority ticket" that someone could purchase for an extra fee that would allow you to get in line first. I use the term "first" loosely here. Theoretically, if the priority passengers waiting in line were going to immediately board the plane, they would have had the privilege of choosing where they wanted to sit, and snagging those few exit-aisle seats with the precious extra inches of leg room. However, the "priority" passengers were waiting for the line to board a bus that would drive a mere 30 feet to the plane. The unfortunate priority passengers who were unseasoned in the science of boarding the airplane would follow their natural instincts and get the first seat available on the bus. As the other passengers began to hustle and cram their way onto the bus, they filled what was left of the breathable air with the smell of sweat and musk. The poor priority passengers who were stuck sitting in their seats were inevitably the last ones to leave the bus, and therefore often times had the mishap of being stuck with the unlucky middle seats.
A sudden wave of nostalgia swept over me two weeks ago as I drove to DIA to board a United Airlines flight to Boston. It was the first time I had been on a plane since I had returned from the all day flight from Europe. I had a sudden flashback of traveling from Rome to London on Ryan Air, thinking it was odd that there were no assigned seats on the airplane, and convulsing when the plane made several attempts to land until everyone went green with nausea on the pilot's fifth (and thankfully successful) attempt.
Although there was no business-class or first-class seating, there was still a "priority ticket" that someone could purchase for an extra fee that would allow you to get in line first. I use the term "first" loosely here. Theoretically, if the priority passengers waiting in line were going to immediately board the plane, they would have had the privilege of choosing where they wanted to sit, and snagging those few exit-aisle seats with the precious extra inches of leg room. However, the "priority" passengers were waiting for the line to board a bus that would drive a mere 30 feet to the plane. The unfortunate priority passengers who were unseasoned in the science of boarding the airplane would follow their natural instincts and get the first seat available on the bus. As the other passengers began to hustle and cram their way onto the bus, they filled what was left of the breathable air with the smell of sweat and musk. The poor priority passengers who were stuck sitting in their seats were inevitably the last ones to leave the bus, and therefore often times had the mishap of being stuck with the unlucky middle seats.
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