Kiran Hiremath (Applied Analysis and Mathematical Physics) returned to his hometown of Solapur in southern India just a few weeks ago. In 2003, while attending a conference in Italy, he called home and was greeted by his mother expectant voice, `We've been waiting for your call.' She reminded him that it was Diwali, one of the most important Indian festivals. Astonished that he could forget such an event, he vowed to celebrate the next Diwali at home with his family.
After an absence of more than two years, Hiremath found significant changes in his family's composition: new in-laws and two baby nephews. He noted social changes, like the preponderance of mobile phones. `Everyone had one,' he complained. `And, they used them with terrible manners.' He also noticed the traffic becoming increasingly heavy, explaining, `Some of the Indian population is becoming rich, so they are buying their own vehicles. The roads cannot accommodate these new cars. It is chaotic. Drivers do not always follow rules of the road - they find their own rules.'
Hiremath does admit, however, that he has acclimated readily to the modest, organized Dutch lifestyle, which may account for some of his culture shock. For example, he has grown used to the Dutch climate. When it was 22 degrees outside and Hiremath opened the window for some fresh air, his parents implored him to close it because they were freezing.
Hiremath says that the nicest part of his homecoming was that `people still know me.' Indeed, in going home, one seeks the reassurance of familiarity. When this eludes returning expatriates, they often forget that the changes may lie in themselves rather than in their hometown.
When Sri Nurdiati (Statistics and Probability) went home to her native Indonesia for the first time, she kept complaining, `Why don't you people stand in lines? Why is it so crowded?' Finally, a friend asked her, `Why do you complain so much?' She realized that it was she who had changed, not her hometown of Bogor. She soberly remarked, `You become a little bit of a stranger.'
The sensations of seeking out new experiences and then returning to what one knows can be enlightening in many ways. This autumn Katharine Owens (CSTM) returned to the United States for first time after a year at the UT. For Owens this particular trip was overshadowed by an event that made its presence felt everywhere: the presidential election. Americans spoke of little else. It was also remarkable to be in a car culture again. `I drove 17 hours to a friend's wedding after flying 3000 miles.' She adds,' It's a shame that you have to drive everywhere, but it was beautiful to see the huge landscapes on the Blue Ridge Parkway.'
Having lived three years in the Netherlands, Romanian student Georgiana Stoian (Solid State Physics) has established a pattern for visits home to Ramnicu Valcea. She returns every Christmas to see her family and friends. `You realize how important these people are,' says Stoian. `Your friends and family are able to see the differences in you when you return.' Stoian feels that her time abroad has opened her up to new experiences and that becomes more noticeable at home. For example, living abroad has made her more prone to disregard cultural stereotypes. Reconnecting with her family and culture highlights these differences, but reminds her of her roots as well. `Deep inside you remain the same,' she says.
Emad Imreizeeq
Hometown: Jerusalem, Palestine
Area of study: Systems, Signals and Control
Plans for the holidays: `I plan to spend time at home with my wife and two-year old son.'
Sing-Kong Cheung
Hometown: Enschede, The Netherlands
Area of study: Stochastic Operations Research
Plans for the holidays: `Work, go out with friends. I'll spend New Year's Eve with my family, eating a traditional Chinese meal.'
Mike Bochev
Hometown: Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Area of study: Applied Mathematics
Plans for the holidays: `I will go home to visit my family in Russia. On New Year's Eve, we toast the new year at midnight with champagne. We watch TV and call our friends. Then, especially if it is snowing, we go outside and join the masses of people congregating there. We celebrate Christmas on January 7. For this holiday, we have a special Russian Santa Claus called Grandfather Frost. He has a very long beard - sometimes to his shoes! And, he is accompanied by a Snow Maid. He brings a sack of presents for good children.'
Pablo Tassi
Hometown: Santa Fe, Argentina
Area of study: Numerical Analysis and Computational Mechanics
Plans for the holidays: `I leave for Argentina December 16. It is my first trip home since I began studying at the UT. Christmas in my town is very hot, usually 35-40 degrees! My family has an intimate celebration with chicken, pork or fish - anything but steak, which we eat most other days. On New Year's Eve, I'll go out to wild parties with my friends and drink a lot.'
Xiaomin Pang
Hometown: Shanghei, China
Area of study: Financial Engineering
Plans for the holidays: `I'm going home to close an important business deal. I'll also visit my friends and relatives.'
Sri Nurdiati
Hometown: Bogor, Indonesia
Area of study: Statistics and Probability
Plans for the holidays: `When my friens go away for the winter holiday, I have to prepare for my thesis defense on January 21. There are so many small details that give me great stress.'
Yvonne Lootsma
Hometown: Hengelo, The Netherlands
Area of study: formerly of Applied Mathematics, now working at Logica CMG
Plans for the holidays: `I'm having a baby! My due date is December 25.'
Nadine Haas
Hometown: Hildesheim, Germany.
Area of study: BBT/CSTM
Plans for the holidays: `A visit with family in Hildesheim for Christmas and then to my adopted home of Berlin for New Year's with friends.'
Judith van Veenendaal
Hometown and Country: Enschede, the Netherlands.
Area of study: Health Sciences
Plans for the holidays: `Helping my sister with new house, spending time with my family, boyfriend and his family. Setting off fireworks on the streets for New Year's Eve.'
Michael Udonsek
Hometown and Country: Abak, Nigeria.
Area of study: BBT/CSTM
Plans for the holidays: `Going south to warmer climes: visiting Rome, Italy to see friends I met there on an earlier visit.'
Mike Maier and Kristin Zimmerman
Emad Imreizeeq
Sing-Kong Cheung
Mike Bochev
Pablo Tassi
Xiaomin Pang
Sri Nurdiati
Yvonne Lootsma
Nadine Haas
Judith van Veenendaal
Michael Udonsek
