USU students experience 12 countries while living in San Juan Hall

By Jerome Le Carrou

April 21, 2005 | San Juan hall's residents have the opportunity to embrace a variety of cultures while living with students from all over the world. The "Global Village" is located in the student living center, close to the Lundstrom center.

Residents held their last banquet Monday, April 18. Andy Howell, the resident assistant, put on a slide show to sum up the year in pictures and music.

The banquet was the last chance the students, who have been living in the hall for a semester to a year, to share a meal with all the residents before leaving.

"Living in Global Village is one of the best experiences anyone could ever have. It's not everyday that you get to talk with people from 12 different countries," Howell said. "This is the first experience where I really felt like a minority but I liked it because of the different things I learned."

Abinash Bhattachan, a peer mentor from Nepal said, "We acknowledged each other's presence. We transformed ourselves as a formidable unit and we were a family." He said he doesn't want to return as a peer mentor next year. "I do not think I am strong enough to say an additional good-bye to the next family I am going to have."

Paty Bassan from Brazil said, "It's good to have people from all over the world but at the same time it's bad because I don't know if I am going to see them again."

Residents who live in San Juan are those who accept and understand that everyone has different cultural habits, like Bhattachan.

"I had a blast this year I learned to accept every culture and embraced everyone," he said.

Telephone calls come in night and day because of the different time zones. Some residents learned that sometimes international students' friends or families could only be reached when everyone is sleeping in San Juan.

Sports was also a common passion among the international students, especially soccer. Students watch it or play it outside the building. Sometimes around noon, European's soccer games or national teams were broadcasted on TV, which gives international students a chance to follow games like they usually do at home.

San Juan is also a place for students to share their creative work. Last Sunday, three residents from England put on an art exhibition.

Food is important part of the life in the building. Dinner parties were opportunities for students to meet. An aroma of tasty Asian food can be smelled throughout the floors after walking inside the building at dinner time.

Meal times are completely different from one culture to another. In San Juan, you will easily see American grabbing a hot dog from the fridge at any time of the day, while a student from England will start cooking at 6 p.m. Students from Spain will more likely start cooking at 11 p.m. whereas Asian students will eat around 5 p.m.

San Juan is also a place for other international students to come hanging out. Luca Pignatti, a student from Italy said he doesn't like living in Mountain View Tower on campus, and prefers hanging out in San Juan.

"I am often here, best people in Logan," said Pignatti.

Juan Jose Araujo a student from Spain said he wished he could have known more people from Asia, "Europeans are the one who really meet together, sometimes it's too much Europe on one side and Asia on the other," he said.

Living in San Juan means having the opportunity to share occasions unique to various cultures, like Easter. Araujo said he received by mail "Jamon serrano" [smoked ham] from where he lives in the Basque Country. Another student from France received "Foie Gras" (pate) by mail.

Many different foods, were being cooked that evening. A student from Italy cooked a "filet mignons" with the help of vinegar from Italy and brought some real Parmesan cheese.

This could sound like a cliche but it was really an experience as everyone tried to cook something from their own country, Araujo said.

If you add the "marmite"[vegetable to spread] from England and the Asian dishes, it was the perfect symbol of a "global" meal in San Juan, he said.

Claire a student from England said, "It's cool , you get educated, and experience different food."

Sachiko Takahira, a student from Japan said she learned a lot while living in San Juan, "I can eat food from all over the world. We are like family, people are so nice, I have very good friends here. I am not the only girl from Japan so I can talk about my country when I miss it. I can get advice from everyone when I don't feel good."

Kerry from England said."It's nice to meet different people, after that you can visit them all around the world and stay for free."

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