Personal Essay: my life in a nutshell My life has been full of moving, meeting new people, learning new languages and cultures. Being born in Pretoria, South Africa, then moving to Belgium at the age of 5; and moving to America a little over 2 years ago, has shaped me into the person I am today. All the different people and cultures I have come to know and understand has given me a rich perspective on life. I am the eldest of 3, with a brother (5 years old), and a sister (8 years old). My siblings unlike me were born in Ghent, Belgium; my parents, including me and rest of family, were born in South Africa.
On June 11, 2001, in Unitas Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, I was born. Growing up and now visiting South Africa is an amazing …show more content…
Brokenhearted that we would be leaving close friends and family behind; everyone eventually agreed it was the right decision for my future. Arriving in Belgium at the age of 5; not knowing or understanding the language and culture was a major culture shock. Going into a Flemish-speaking school, not knowing the language or people; was a hard and difficult experience. Learning a new language, especially a hard one like Flemish, has helped me learn how to work hard and not give up. I was in, in school/after school tutoring for 6 years to catch up and understand Flemish. The Belgian school system is a hard and quick paste environment, working hard and for many years; eventually helped me catch up with the rest of my classmates. Outside of the classroom, I was the new weird girl from Africa. Everyone thought I dressed, spoke, and acted weird, plus I was the girl with the parents who couldn’t speak the language. At the age of 6, I was the translator for my parents; to other parents, doctors, teacher, people at the supermarket, etc. Growing up mostly in the European culture, and getting to travel all over Europe; has exposed me to many different cultures and languages. During holidays, or even a long weekend, we would drive to France, Germany, the Netherlands for the day; or even take a road trip to Italy or Spain. Being able to travel, and see Europe has
On June 11, 2001, in Unitas Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, I was born. Growing up and now visiting South Africa is an amazing …show more content…
Brokenhearted that we would be leaving close friends and family behind; everyone eventually agreed it was the right decision for my future. Arriving in Belgium at the age of 5; not knowing or understanding the language and culture was a major culture shock. Going into a Flemish-speaking school, not knowing the language or people; was a hard and difficult experience. Learning a new language, especially a hard one like Flemish, has helped me learn how to work hard and not give up. I was in, in school/after school tutoring for 6 years to catch up and understand Flemish. The Belgian school system is a hard and quick paste environment, working hard and for many years; eventually helped me catch up with the rest of my classmates. Outside of the classroom, I was the new weird girl from Africa. Everyone thought I dressed, spoke, and acted weird, plus I was the girl with the parents who couldn’t speak the language. At the age of 6, I was the translator for my parents; to other parents, doctors, teacher, people at the supermarket, etc. Growing up mostly in the European culture, and getting to travel all over Europe; has exposed me to many different cultures and languages. During holidays, or even a long weekend, we would drive to France, Germany, the Netherlands for the day; or even take a road trip to Italy or Spain. Being able to travel, and see Europe has