Kenneth Sunday
Living and studying away from home does come with a lot of mixed feelings, uncertainties and of course a series of daily cultural shocks. The first thing that hit me when I arrived in Glasgow from Nigeria was the wind and I must say, it hit me both physically and emotionally. Physically, it was quite chilly, I only get to experience that kind of chill back home when I put my face inside a refrigerator. But emotionally it brushed me with the cold reality of being about 4000 miles away from everything and everyone I grew up with and all that I called home. So, that was me, standing against the wind, not sure whether I was ready to accept everything that I was about to experience but I can say that the next step I took did not surprise me. I pushed against the wind. It did not surprise me because as a Nigerian, back home we are faced with challenges everyday that test our resilience and wits. The society around us constantly yearns for change and a certain excellence that we believe we can deliver if we have just the right knowledge and skill.
Back home, I did different things, on some days I was an assistant at the radiology department of the general hospital in my state and on other days I was a freelance marketer and blog writer for a number of media houses. The best thing about living and working in Nigeria is the economic potential and opportunity for business venture that you get from almost any craft. My hometown particularly, Abia state located in the South-Eastern region, is an economic hub of the nation and is home to the largest international market in Africa, Ariaria International Market. The market is the manufacturing centre for some of the best leather and textile products exported from Nigeria. It is hard to not be involved in some sort of business back home. Most weekends, I would go to the local markets to purchase some textile products and transport them to the big cities in the South-West like Lagos where fashion designers buy and use them to make beautiful native attires. There is so much to do in Nigeria, stepping out on a typical day throws you into so many different possibilities and unexpected experiences. Because of this, every new day gives us renewed hope and energy to keep going.
Now in Glasgow, my experience as an international student is captured in that phrase, ‘pushing against the wind’. In studying here, I have seen myself embrace uncertainties and beat against odds that would ordinarily seem daunting to me. What has been most significant to me is how much I have been able to build myself up towards being a valuable asset and contributing to societal growth and I think that is the true essence of my journey here. I can say this because by living here, I have observed the goals behind numerous scientific and economic projects and have also seen the commitment towards continuous improvement in society and environment. It is impressive to me. Glasgow has made me more determined, resilient and to a larger extent more collaborative.
The people here are amazing and I must appreciate them for that, they make living away from home much easier than it seemed and are the loveliest people to work with. One thing that studying here has taught me is to appreciate change and harness it for good. I have been here for six months now and in this time, I have been able to reconcile myself with the many things this change offered me. One is the number of amazing connections and relationships I have built in this short time., I never saw myself being able to make as many Chinese friends as I have now, as well as the Brazilian and Mexican friends I have. They seemed so far away, on the other side of the world. I now also find myself constantly partaking in the age long food wars between Africans and Caribbeans, I will leave you to guess who always wins. So many beautiful moments with awesome people, all of us away from home and Glasgow made it all happen. In all of this, I do miss home and I am also grateful that Glasgow has helped me grow. I love this city and I am really happy to be part of the people that make Glasgow!