Sometimes people try new things in their lives but they not always end up liking the experience in the beginning. As seen in Connelly’s Touch the Dragon and Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, Connelly in Thailand and Gilbert in India, both experience different cultures in their lives. Even though both of them experience two different cultures, they struggle similarly as travelers in another nation. Connelly and Gilbert hate the culture of the places they are living in. As time passes, they learn its importance and end up liking their respective cultures.
Connelly hates Thailand. She hates its people, food, traditions, festivals, culture, and houses. She immigrated to Thailand from Canada to complete grade twelve and to live and experience a different culture. She struggles to orient herself in a new place and culture that makes her rethink the decision she made to move to Thailand, leaving her comfortable life in Canada: “I …show more content…
After spending some time at the Ashram, Gilbert finally understands the true divine meaning of the Gurugita. Chanting the Gurugita made her sweaty and burning with discomfort. She used perspiration as an excuse to convince herself to skip the chants. When she finally has a legitimate reason to skip, she ended up jumping out the second-floor window to get to attend the Gurugita: “My first thought, was: If there were ever a good excuse not to go to the Gurugita, this would be it. My second thought, though? Well, it wasn’t even a thought. It was an action. I jumped out of the window” (Gilbert 168). At the beginning of the retreats, she felt like the chanting took forever. When at last she recognizes the importance of the Gurugita, she feels like only a few minutes have passed throughout the whole prayer, which actually takes an hour and a half: “But before I could wipe the tears away the Gurugita was over. The hour and a half were finished. It felt like ten minutes had passed” (Gilbert
Connelly hates Thailand. She hates its people, food, traditions, festivals, culture, and houses. She immigrated to Thailand from Canada to complete grade twelve and to live and experience a different culture. She struggles to orient herself in a new place and culture that makes her rethink the decision she made to move to Thailand, leaving her comfortable life in Canada: “I …show more content…
After spending some time at the Ashram, Gilbert finally understands the true divine meaning of the Gurugita. Chanting the Gurugita made her sweaty and burning with discomfort. She used perspiration as an excuse to convince herself to skip the chants. When she finally has a legitimate reason to skip, she ended up jumping out the second-floor window to get to attend the Gurugita: “My first thought, was: If there were ever a good excuse not to go to the Gurugita, this would be it. My second thought, though? Well, it wasn’t even a thought. It was an action. I jumped out of the window” (Gilbert 168). At the beginning of the retreats, she felt like the chanting took forever. When at last she recognizes the importance of the Gurugita, she feels like only a few minutes have passed throughout the whole prayer, which actually takes an hour and a half: “But before I could wipe the tears away the Gurugita was over. The hour and a half were finished. It felt like ten minutes had passed” (Gilbert