riddle

i am pretty in pink
though i may hurt your ankles
its all worth it when you see my
pretty pink ribbons wrap around your ankles

college essay

Culture Clash

BY: Diana Nikollaj

There are so many things that make me who I am. So, how can I can I pick just one thing? And then I think again, what stands out the most? If there’s one thing that will only keep shaping me it is my heritage because I am the product of a culture clash. The one thing about me that is inherent is the fact that I’ve been raised in an Albanian household amidst an American society. What this means is that I am always balancing myself on a line between traditional morals and a white picket fence lifestyle of americans. Growing up I was not as privileged as other kids my age to do the things that normal kids do. I could not go to birthday parties, sleepovers, school dances, or out in general without my parents’ supervision. This led to a recluse sort of behavior when it came to making friends, and I learned to become selective. Even though it seems like I was a repressed, there was an upside to it that I realized very recently.

Due to the lack of friends, my sister and I have become best friends. In addition to that, being confined at home all the time made us realize how much our parents worked to ensure we had successful futures. I did not understand how important my good relationship with my sister was until I witnessed a brief scenario of what we could have been if we spent our childhood with friends rather than each other.

A couple months ago I was at my friend Katie’s house and she had made some Easy Mac. Coincidently her sister just walked in from a friend’s house and asked if she could have some of the food, to which Katie did not reply for about twenty minutes and then finally refused her request. It was Easy Mac for Pete’s sake! It dawned on me that this situation would never happen in my house because I would never deny my sister something so simple as food, no matter what problems we have with each other.

This leads to the other fundamental difference that I have witnessed—arranged marriage. We have a saying that when a girl marries a man she is marrying not just him, but his whole family. Even today I live in a joint family with uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins. If I went by societal norms, I would date, fall in love, marry, maybe divorce, and finally die alone with my ten cats. However, the idea of arranged marriage, is not to control who to love but to ensure success and create a lasting marriage. While the idea seems archaic in the 21^st century, arranged marriages actually strengthen our family ties and community. Although I have just described who I am, it is the ‘something’ that is most vital about me.

First Blogger

Hi, my name is Diana. I am eighteen years old. This is my first blog ever!!! So, i hope all of you enjoy!