I have had contact with different cultures lately and it was a very positive thing. I read a great book by a Nigerian writer, Stay with Me is the name of it. It is set in Nigeria and is about a couple that has been trying to get pregnant for a while, without success. Their marriage is great anyway, but because of pressure from the guy's family, he gets another wife. This is actually common in Nigeria, the man usually has more than one wife. However, that was not their agreement. Yejide from the very beginning of the relationship made it clear that she did not want the relationship to be polygamous. So when she finds out she is totally shaken and feels even more pressured to have a baby. And with that the story develops. And it's very good, especially when you discover the true meaning of the book's title. The coolest thing is to see all the cultural dynamics. How important the issue of the heir is to them, how they deal with it, the relationship that the characters have with religion and with politics, which appears in the background. And it is much easier to get this sense of what such a culture is like and how people see themselves within it, when you see it from the inside, through stories.

This book was really exciting and very meaningful, as was the movie I watched for my English paper presentation. Like stars on earth was one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen, to see the whole story of overcoming the little boy who could not learn how to read and write and was recriminated for it. He was neglected by his parents and school, felt so bad and small for being away from his family (in a boarding school) and not being able to learn that he gave up everything, even what he liked most, which was drawing and painting. Until an art teacher took him in and understood. She discovered that he had dyslexia and taught him, always encouraging him to do what he liked and to be proud of himself.

Besides this beautiful story, I learned a little about India, the place where the movie takes place. There they have a very strong Western influence, mainly from England, because of colonization. So, the English language is present in their day to day life, in fact, it is the second most spoken language in the country. This surprised me a lot, I had no idea. They were also impacted by the capitalist vision, aiming only at money and "success" regardless of everything. Even Ishaan, the little boy, suffered a lot because of this. But, actually, my favorite part was hearing them speaking Hindi, their language. Hearing the songs sung in that language that was so good to hear was the best part. I cried at some of them, I confess lol

So, really getting to know new cultures is one of the best things you have. And while I don't have enough money to travel, art is my best option.