India Stint Makes U.S. Students Fall in Love with Indian Culture


Washington: Highly impressed by the rich diversity of Indian culture, four American high school students say their year-long stay in India has been a life-changing experience which taught them family values and serious work ethics.

One year ago, Ryley Conway, Magie Alexander, Rowan Croswell and Mila Loneman - coming from different parts of the U.S. - had a very little knowledge about India.

In fact all of them, were anxious about their year-long stay in India, which they had earned under Kennedy-Lugar YES (Youth Exchange and Study) Programme. Once back from India, these American students now consider themselves as cultural ambassadors of India in the U.S.

Not only they love wearing "salwar-kurti", they regularly put bindi, have mehandi in both of their hands, and prefer traditional Indian dishes from Chennai - Idli, Dosa, Sambar, Chutney and rasam.

It's their new home they tell their family members and friends back home a year later.

"Before I came to India it was like a foreign land (for me). But when I think of India (now) it is my home. I really don't want to say it is my second home...it is my home only," Mila Loneman told PTI in a joint interview with three other awardees of the Kerry-Lugar YES program.

"It was most amazing and life changing experience of my life," said Ryley Conway. From New York, she stayed in Chennai with a family and studied in a high school. Ryley said her stint in India taught her what family values are.

They say they are highly impressed by the depth and diversity of Indian culture. One needs to stay in India much longer to understand the various aspects of Indian culture, they said.

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Source: PTI