Know before you hate!

After flying for a distressing number of hours from the other end of the world, I got off the small ExpressJet aircraft tired yet excited. It was late Sunday afternoon which meant little time to relax and a long week ahead at the host institution, the University of Arkansas. Luckily it was the beginning of the fall semester and so it was not a study week but a week dedicated for the international students orientation.

The orientation session was the official start of my short journey at the UofA. It was a blessing in disguise as I got to meet so many new people from all over the globe and made few friends right away on the very first day. There were people from places I never knew existed on this planet. The diversity of this world was unfolding in front of me every second and I was overwhelmed by the experience. I felt like a Pakistani carrot in the big American salad bowl, mixing with Russian iceberg lettuce and Chinese cucumber.

Since I grew up in one culture for my entire life, it was an interesting experience for me to connect to people with different backgrounds. There was always something new for me to learn from them. With so many student associations on campus and activities organized by them, I got to know about various people, places and societies every now and then.

Ironically, differences among people and their cultures have been a matter of conflict throughout history. It happens due to our inability or our unwillingness to know different people. Our arrogance stops us from learning about other nations. Our ignorance makes us judgmental. Charles Lamb, famous English writer, said “I can't hate a man whom I know,” and it is true. I, as a Pakistani, had opinions about so many people, people I have not met personally. But privileged enough to be a foreign student at the UofA, I have had plenty of opportunities to meet people from other places and that’s where I learnt how right this 19^th century writer was. It is hard for me to stick to my previous (not-so-good) opinions now once I have met them.

Just as a piece of advice: know before you hate!