Prompt #6, Cultural Conversations: Describe one of the Cultural Conversations you attended and how it affected your perspective on the other country, your country, the world, communication, or anything else that struck you.

I love attending cultural conversations not only because I love cultures but because I love learning about Mexico since I did not grow up there so I really feel disconnected from Mexican people in a lot of different ways. Not only that is that Mexico is such a large country and there are so many varying cultures and traditions so it is really cool to get to know the fun students at Oaxaca University. I think the thing that really changed my perspective is how influences they are about American culture but yet they have so much pride and conviction with their Mexican traditions and customs. It was a great example to me on how I can do the same thing. Even though I grew up in American culture I can also have this pride in my heritage. I use the example of this woman in cultural conversations telling me she loves watching influences on tiktok talk about plants and "plant tok" but then she went on to talk about the native species of flowers and plants she has in her area and what grows the best. It was cool because we could relate to the tiktok influencers from the United States but also she explained that some of the plants have a meaning and are common in certain setting. And some of them were very nostalgic to her and I feel the same way about plants too! I remember seeing this beautiful flower in a botanical garden in Portugal and then I found it in a nursey and it made me think of the tour I went on Madeira's Botanical Garden. She talked about her grandma would grow marigolds from seeds every year and that she would save the seeds from the dead flowers to use the next year. I just think its cool how you can still be influences by American Social media but still apply it to your surroundinsg and cultures.