Blog #8 Second Semester

I have been apart of various different dinners that are different from my own culture. However, the one that sticks out to me the most is eating Lebanese food with my sister's fiancé's family. We have Lebanese dinners very frequently and it is a tradition that we eat Lebanese food at my sister's fiancé's family's house every Christmas Eve. Personally, I believe that I have fit into the culture very well as the food is extremely delicious and as my sister's fiancé's family are easily the nicest people I have met in my life. It is easy to converse and the conversations are not hard to join in on as they surprisingly have numerous similarities to the ones my family have at dinner. I personally feel that I have been assimilated into Lebanese culture after these meals, I only have positive feelings when I eat these meals as the food is amazing and the company and culture is even better. Their family is very kind to include every member of my family in these traditional Lebanese dinners and exhibit much respect. It is extremely interesting to hear of their religious beliefs, customs, practices, while enjoying the delicious cuisine. I am extremely grateful to have been introduced into this new culture and always look forward to a great Lebanese meal.

Blog #7 Second Semester

Before I was first named Chase, there was much conflict deciding what name would perfectly suit me, set me up for success, and identify me perfectly. There were numerous choices that were fitting and nice, but my parents aid Chase had a nice ring to it and had the perfect description as everybody in the house would be chasing me around to come and catch me or get me to do what was needed of me. The story as to why I was named Chase is still pretty relevant today, as I am still chased around the house and nagged to do my homework, chores, etc. Therefore, I personally believe that my name is very fitting and describes me perfectly with a great-sounding name. My name has never held me back in anyway, if anything it has boosted my confidence and made me feel less self-concious. I constantly hear, "Wow, I have never met a Chase!" and/or "Chase is a lovely name, I don't know very many Chases!' This makes me happy with myself and ultimately I have to thank my parents for this name choice. I believe that Gogol finds his name to be such a hindrance because it is so diverse from traditional American culture, which he comes to embrace more than his own culture. He is clearly vexed by traditional Bengali cultures of his own homeland, India and sees that his name is looked at as odd and abnormal. Names are crucial in the social aspect and view in one's life and can have very positive or negative affects longterm. 

Blog #6 Second Semester

My great-grandfather immigrated from Canada to the United States as a French-Canadian around the year of 1920. I never met my great-grandfather and don't necessarily "embrace" being Canadian, however he had a significant impact on my family. My great-grandfather was a magnificent chef and opened his own restaurant in the United States. My grandmother, with whom I spend many summers with, is also a fantastic chef. She constantly cooks for our family and makes me very special recipes that her father taught her based off of French-Canadian Cuisine. Now, a lot of the same recipes that my great-grandfather and my nana prepared are a daily way of life as my mom has learned many of these recipes and cooks amazing food for me on the daily. Although I have never had a deep connection to the French-Canadian culture, I appreciate the time honored traditions that continue in our family on a daily basis. Even though I have never visited Canada or spoken the French language, my great-grandfather and his culture remain deep in our hearts. Tradition and heritage are very important parts of my life as I am fascinated by genealogy of my family and how we came to be as well as numerous cultural traditions and practices that my family honor. My family and I have the same values of culture and tradition. We all believe in honoring our ancestor's roots and traditions because we know how significant these values truly are. It is very important to me to continue our family's heritage so that my kids will one day have the chance to taste the same amazing French Onion soup that I get to eat.