Debut in Chicago- Soukeyna Niang

 Soukeyna Niang

ESL 100

In class Essay

September 30, 2024

Debut in Chicago

            Adaptation is needed when moving far away from one’s home country to another. This situation can be very challenging for a lot of people due to a new culture and behaviors. It is very difficult to fit in an unknown country at the beginning, but being curious helps a lot. My debut in Chicago helped me understand that good food does not only exist in Senegal like I used to believe, and being bilingual can be very impressive.  I also would like to introduce my family to some of the food that I know how to make now just so they have the same experience as me. Since I have been to the United States, I had to give up a lot of things in order to fit in American culture, especially my favorite cuisine and the language. 

           Chicago has a wide range of cuisines which have inspired me to try new dishes, tastes, and food. I have been out of my home country, Senegal for three years now, but fitting in this country was not easy at first. I am not a difficult person when it comes to food even though I did not have an appetite the first week I got to Chicago. It was mainly because I was used to my Senegalese food, such as the national dish called Thiebou Dieune. It is a dish made with rice, fish and vegetables. Fortunately, I am a curious person, and I started to go to different restaurants including Mexican, Chinese, Moroccan and some buffets. Since then, I am comfortable with any kind of food because I am a food lover, and it is a good experience to taste food from different cultures, other than the ones I used to have back home. The first time that I tried tacos, I went to the store the next day to buy everything I needed and make them at home for lunch because it was so good. I have also attended some food festivals on the North side. However, I only cook Senegalese food now when I really miss it because it is hard to find the same ingredients in Chicago.

            Despite that I am very comfortable with the food in the city, I am still adapting and trying to figure out the language. When I was in Senegal, I never thought about speaking other languages besides my native language Wolof and the official one which is French. To be honest, I used to have English classes, but I did not take them seriously because I was just learning the basics, until I knew that I was coming to the United States. I remember when I got to the airport the first time, I did not know any word that was coming out of the agent’s mouth. It was also a big problem when I had to call Apple by myself to set up my account. I was not used to the American accent and the representative was talking too fast for me. I had the same experience at the DMV as well. I had to ask the guy who was working there to speak slowly so I could understand. It is much better now because I have learned a lot and can have a solid conversation with native speaker without any stutter or hesitation. I sometimes lose some words, which is understandable because English is not my first language, but it does not stop me from saying what I want to say. I even started losing my French because I do not have anybody to talk to. I always use some English words when I speak French with my parents because now it is a habit for me.

            Overall, even though leaving a country for another can be very difficult, I think it is a good experience in life because of trying new food, meeting new people and learning about other cultures. Eating food and learning a language from outside one’s country makes a person fly to that unknown country without really being there. It helps people open their minds and be more aware about what happens in the world. Adapting is the best solution when moving abroad. It can be the debut of everything.