Differences between Medellin and New York City

CHRISTIAN MUNOZ MESA

LABWORK
COMPOSITION


Differences between Medellin and New York City


In my native city, Medellin, most at the people are very talkative and sympathetic with people that they don’t know well. In contrast, New Yorkers are more silent and reserved with strangers. I feel a little uncomfortable here because I like to speak with strangers and in this big city it isn’t possible.


There is a situation where this different behavior is very evident. In my city when a person gets in a tax, in general almost immediately he or she begins to talk with the tax driver about topic without importance, but almost always they end up speaking about their personal lives and their problems. Unlike in Colombia, in New York nobody is accustomed to speaking with the tax driver about something, ever fewer about their private life. Generally speaking, North Americans are lonely and indifferent about the acts of others, and Colombians are not.


Compared to North Americans, who think the most important thing for someone is your private life, for people from my country, on many occasions, the opinion of other persons becomes the standard of our behavior. That is the reason why they need to speak with another, sometimes with strangers, about their experiences and difficulties. The people from Colombia tend to dislike loneliness.


When I first came to New York, I was surprised to see that no one spoke with strangers in the trains or they didn’t offer their chair if someone needed it. In New York, I hardly ever see a young person offer her seat to a pregnant woman. Since I came here I have scarcely thought about talking with strange as I usually did in my natal city. It is sad!