<p>I am applying to Macalester, 15 th is last date I have written an essay on :
Describe a situation where you have had to work or closely associate with someone from a culture very different from your own. What challenges did you face and how did you resolve them?
Plz help me in cutting it short</p>
<p>It was the typical Indian summer Harsh & relentless, our summer vacations were about to begin. It was in the last week of school that I got the news that a group of Spanish students was coming to our school as a part of an International student exchange program This was the first ever such program at St Michael's High School so this piece of news caused considerable excitement .</p>
<p>Some of the 12th graders were to team up with the Spanish to educate the underprivileged in the near by slums and to promote better understanding of hygiene & health care. We were divided in teams of two and assigned specific areas. My partner, a list put up on the notice board said was a certain Maria delBosque. Of course I was really eager to see her but Mr. Raj the project coordinator informed me that my curiosity couldn't be quenched for another two days .</p>
<p>Two days later I arrived at school earlier than usual and rushed to the toilet to ensure that my hair wasn't out of face and my attire neat. But to my acute disappointment the Spanish team wasn't introduced in the morning assembly. I was restless and distracted in the class room till the lunch break when Mr. Raj called me to the staff room.</p>
<p>The other members of the team had already assembled there. There Were 22 of us I counted. One by one Mr. Raj started introducing us to our Spanish partners. When my turn came I was introduced to an auburn haired girl dressed in a crisp skirt and a matching shirt. She was tall at least 5'8" and had sharp continental features. Her blue eyes glittered with a child like innocence. She walked up to me held out her delicate hands and said "Me Maria deBosque" in a decidedly Spanish accent. The trouble with which she coaxed these words out of her throat bore potent testimony to her lack of command over the Queen's English language.</p>
<p>I asked her to walk with me in the corridor so that we could get to know each other a little better. And then it happened. She asked me in her broken English if I could talk in Spanish and I after much gesticulation and ceremony finally succeeded in letting her know that the only Spanish that I know was 'Bailamose' by god's grace Michael Santieago(A Spanish) happened to come along and he offered to act as an interpreter .</p>
<p>I asked her with Michael's assistance of course, if she would like to accompany me to the canteen for lunch. She gave her reply in the affirmative. We, the three of us walked into the school canteen. Maria was obviously petrified to see the amount of oil and spice in the food and inquired if she could have smoked salmon. Now it is easier to find a kangaroo in Sahara Desert than smoked salmon in a school canteen. I requested her to at least give the food a try initially she was reluctant but after much cajolery she tried spoonful of rice and curry and found it not totally disagreeable. Of course a bottle of mineral water and a pack of potato chips came in handy on many subsequent occasions.</p>
<p>However the language barrier remained, Michael tried his best to help me in Spanish & Maria in English but our progress was painfully slow and even after a week we could still manage a few broken sentences.</p>
<p>As she was from a rich country she was moved to tears at the plight of slum dweller, she was very affectionate and everyday she brought gifts & chocolates for the poor kids while we taught them. Lingual problem did interfere at times but it was resolved with the help of Michael and some interactive techniques that she used to perfection.</p>
<p>Once I took her to my family she was quite amazed to see that we shared our house with my grand parents & uncle family. She was even more wide eyed when she learnt that joint families were quite normal in India and of course my grandma took strong exception to the short skirt she was wearing and to her kissing me goodbye.
She was fascinated by the Indian dressing sense. Esp. the sari & jewelry that my mother used to wear. My mother gifted her new silk sari which she kept it as her invaluable possession.</p>
<p>Soon three weeks were over, Spanish group was to leave next morning when Maria came and presented me a Omega wrist watch. I gave her a Taj Mahal momento and a picture book on Indian fashion trends. The next morning just before leaving she handed me a goodbye note in English, obviously it was filled with errors but her effort touched my heart. We still remain in touch through E mail.</p>