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NEWS
| DECEMBER 2, 2005
Over the Seas they Go
Some students will cross oceans
to make it home for the holidays
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| The Shorthorn: Manikandan Sachidanandan |
| Industrial engineering sophomore
Ernesto Hernández, left, and Dhaval Shah, industrial
engineering graduate student, pose Thursday evening.
The international students will travel overseas to visit
their loved ones back home over the holidays. |
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By Elyse
Malanowski
Contributor to The Shorthorn
As students prepare for final exams and winter break, many begin
to think about making the trek home, wherever that may be.
Some students, like industrial graduate student Dhaval Shah, will
cross oceans to see loved ones for the holidays.
He will return to Bombay, India, on Thursday in time for festivals
and feasts.
Shah has not been to India since July, and he said he misses everything.
“I spent more than 20 years there,” he said. “It’s
not so easy here, it’s different.”
In Bombay, the public transportation makes traveling easier, but
in the U.S. it is challenging without a car, he said.
Among many things, Shah said he misses playing cricket and the food.
“We used to play every weekend in our building complex,”
he said.
In India, Diwali, or the Indian New Year, is more emphasized than
Christmas, he said.
“The houses are lit up, and there is a lot of partying,”
he said.
Shah said he will think about the university while away and enjoy
his time with family and friends.
“UTA is a part of your life,” he said. “You can’t
forget it.”
International business senior Lina Arias’ family awaits her
return to Columbia.
She will graduate this month, and said she is excited about her
upcoming trip.
“This will be the last long vacation I will have,” she
said. “I’m going to miss being a student.”
She wanted to attend the university when visiting her older sister
who is also studying here, she said.
Arias said that in the beginning, she missed her family and Columbia’s
“nice” weather, but she has adapted to the changes.
“I was able to enjoy different things while in Columbia,”
she said.
Her family gets together, has dinner and then goes to a party after
midnight, she said.
“No one sleeps, there is loud music and there are hugs everywhere,”
she said.
While closer to the university, but still a plane ride away, Mexico
City native Ernesto Hernández prepares for a family reunion.
The industrial engineering sophomore said he usually buys his plane
ticket, but this year his mom panicked when she didn’t hear
from him and bought it herself.
Hernández leaves two days before Christmas and starts celebrating
Dec. 24 with lots of food and family.
“We gossip, exchange laughs and criticize each other’s
dishes in a positive manner,” he said.
After the family toasts and congratulates each other, they celebrate
in the street with firecrackers until 3 a.m., he said.
Hernández said he misses his culture and friends, but acknowledges
his opportunities at the university.
“I miss my family, but the gained life experiences from this
adventure will provide me with enough tools to succeed,” he
said.
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