Never in my life would I have thought that I’d be living in the same house a group of people from 4 different countries, yet, here I am. My living situation in Letterkenny is pretty great. It’s a 6-bed room house that’s a 5-minute walk from the school. It is also equipped with our own washing machine as well as a ridiculous view in the back- yard. The level of diversity is just a cherry on top.
My house mates Lauren and Manon are from France and they have been living with us all year. In the first semester, we also lived with a guy from Belgium named Hendrix. In the second semester, he was replaced with Alba who is from Madrid Spain. I also live with three other American scholars Tweedy, Dee, and Cullen. Tweedy is from the DMV, Dee is from Albany and Cullen is from Connecticut. Our customs, language and lingo are all very different but after being exposed to so many nationalities, I feel like I’m more “cultured” then I was when I first arrived.
When most people walk into their home, they are met with something like “hey how was your day?. Instead, when I walk through the door it’s “bonjour! Ca va?”. To which I reply jumbled version of something like, “Vais bien merci”. Alba, Manon, and Lauren, all agreed that they would help me learn their language if I helped them with their English, so it’s been a work in progress. All of them are much better at English then I am at their respective languages by a long- shot. The only thing that Manon and Lauren struggle slightly with is pronunciation but nothing major. They say my name like “Spensah” which I get a kick out of it just like they get a kick out of my failed attempts to put together a sentence in French or roll my “R”’s.
There are some cultural differences that were evident right away. For example, the French girls find my appetite to be astounding. Every time I bring my plate to the dining table and they see the portion size, they always laugh to each other in their native language. It’s pretty obvious that they are talking trash in French, and they do the same whenever I leave anything at all in the living room. Apparently, the French like things to be tidy and organized and that is not exactly my strong suit. Both Lauren and Manon have chucked a variety of items into my room with an attitude, but besides that we get along perfectly.
On the other hand, living with an international group of people has allowed me to delve into French and Spanish cuisine …which has been sensational. Alba always makes proper fajitas which never disappoints. Manon and Lauren will regularly chef up lasagna, and crepes which has been delightful. They always make plenty extra because they I know I will attack whatever food they make. The main thing that I’ve put them on to is American pancakes and seasoned baked potatoes. I also noticed that they have adopted hot sauce which they used to tease me for using too much of.
While there may be some misunderstandings here and there, living in such a diverse household has been very interesting as well as eye-opening. Hendrix and I got along great despite the fact that according to him, I was the first African-American person he’s ever met. We bonded by laughing at the girls when they overreacted to the “mess” that I left in the kitchen that day. He also was a tech savvy person and since my Master’s involves computers, he was able to help me understand the terms and computer programs which was super clutch. Some of the most interesting conversations I had with Hendrix involved what life in Belgium was like, as well as his thoughts on America in general. He would ask about certain stereotypes and I would confirm or deny them for him. He didn’t teach me his language or cook me food, but he helped me gain some perspective and it was a pleasure having him as a house mate.
With so many different personalities and nationalities in one house, you might think that living in Shalom House would be like a reality TV show, but it’s gone smoothly, and I’ve learned a ton along the way. I knew that I would be exposed to Irish culture, but I never thought I’d be under the same roof with three other different cultures as well. It’s been a blast and I hope my housemates have enjoyed the experience just as much as I have.
