Reflection Cross Cultural Psychology

There are many different cultures in the world and all of them rich with their own language, customs, traditions, and way of life. Throwing myself in an unfamiliar setting with different people allowed me to not only broaden my cross cultural awareness, but also come to a better understanding of where I came from. I took upon the opportunity to learn about a friends’ foreign culture, and from her hospitality, had the chance to break my comfort zone and learn about the diverse lives others lead. My friend comes from the city of Sarajevo, filled with exciting history and the thriving in Bosnian culture. It is located in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, and takes in culture from its neighbors of Croatia and Serbia. My friend kindly invited me to her home where she lives with her mother, father and brother. They told me the story of immigrating to America from their home only a few years back, and of the culture shock they experienced having to learn a new language, new customs, and an overall new way of life.
Basic Bosnian words were taught to me during dinner as we ate one of the most popular and traditional meals called ‘Ćevapi’. It is a national dish in Bosnia consisting of grilled minced meat, and served on a plate with chopped onions and sour cream on a flatbread. I found it interesting to compare something to our American national dish which is cheeseburgers, or hot dogs, and found out that Ćevapis are everywhere in cafes, restaurants, on the street and a regular staple in the home. Dessert was just as fulfilling, eating Baklava and sipping on espresso from tiny cups her mother made. Growing up locally in Bellevue, events that I usually attended were concerts, or dance classes like ballet or hip hop in the usual leggings and leotard. I learned that the activities best known to the Bosnian culture is its regional folk costumes and dances. Youth frequently attend folklore festivals that are commonly spread throughout the year, and I found it