Diversity is an Eye Opening Future
I have always thought that idea of starting a lifestyle blog sounds very exciting and fascinating. I used to write short poems but then, I kind of drifted away from writing. Partly, I associated it with thinking that I am not good enough since in my head English as my second language was like an enemy questioning my abilities to write. Then, I started a new job and I was learning something new so I did not have enough time to write. As I have struggled to express my thoughts, every part of me missed writing but I kept finding excuses that may be I was too busy to write. A very current event in my life made me thinking that may be I should give it a try.
Recently, I visited San Francisco for a short one week trip. Overwhelmed with new emotions, ideas and feelings in San Francisco, I thought it would be a perfect time to start my first blog post. I want to write, share, and describe all about the diversity of the city, it sceneries and the vibrant culture as vital part of the city. And when I talk about diversity, I literally mean uniqueness in everything: from local “Go Green” shops and varieties of cuisines, street graphites and multicultural dialects on streets to downtown skyscrapers and breezy wind from the bay.
Then, the idea to describe diversity as a cup of coffee stroke me while I was sitting at a downtown Starbucks right around the corner of the Moscone Center. This was my first ever visit to San Francisco and I came with my husband who was attending GDC (Game Development Conference). GDC is the biggest game development conference in the world that attracts developers and professionals in the field from all over the world. San Francisco is a center of tech minded communities and no wonder why this city is so beautiful and attractive to me. Every corner of the city inspires for new ideas and diversity plays a huge role in the growth and development of the city. You might wonder why I am bringing an example of a cup of coffee and how it is related to the meaning of diversity at all.
I looked up the definition of diversity on the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The full definition of the diversity: “The condition of having or being composed of different elements”.
So, my straight response would be of course, it is a no brainer especially for people who know me well enough. I love coffee, literally, all types of coffee, and I also like diversity and different cultures accumulated in big cities. A cup of coffee might be as simple as a cup of a plain black coffee without sugar or creamer but the process of crafting a coffee is a complicated one which starts with choosing coffee beans to brewing coffee at right temperatures. I am not a Starbucks barista by any means but if brewing coffee would have been that simple then anyone would have done it. But no, there is a slight difference in a density, color and others aspects of coffee. There are also so many different tastes of coffee nowadays such as caffe latte, caffe mocha, expresso and that is to name few. Each requires certain ingredients and techniques but the foundation of coffee is the same for all kinds-it is made out of coffee beans. But take coffee beans out of the picture and there is no coffee at all. Coffee beans is a foundation but coffee would also lack attractiveness and popularity without various tastes of it. And then, there is a also an iced coffee for summer. You see how all of components are working together to create coffee everyone enjoys on the rainy day or hot summer weekends. I associate diverse and cultural groups to a type of coffee (expresso, latte, mocha, etc.). While coffee beans is a society as a whole, or foundation for a better life. Each culture, or individual is based on its own believes and is complicated because of the history, achievements or any other values certain culture is being referred to. It all comes to the foundation because even with diversity we as human beings is a one society and if someone is slightly different in his or her believes it does not mean we have to judge that person but to appreciate and solute that diversity. The hardest part is probably to embrace it. Take out diversity and we would not have that uniqueness which brings to new scientific, technological, mathematical, or medical discoveries. We as society have to learn how we can link and embrace our diversity and use it to grow together. I get it-it can be challenging to accept someone who might not talk the same way, look the same, may be it is the way someone dresses, or lifestyle, did not go to the same school, was not part of the social club. All those external factors are on the way but if the only goal was to listen and learn then, the whole new world can be discovered behind stereotypical judgements.
While I was in San Francisco I learned ways to appreciate and embrace “diversity” in unusual aspects that I have never thought before. San Francisco brings the best out of everyone. As human beings our identity has been shaped in so many ways and influenced by others and surroundings. But, we are who we choose to be and sometimes, it is hard to realize we have options and opportunities to take course of our lives. It is that first step that we need to make but something is holding us back. San Francisco has showed to me that there is no shame to be who you are and to value your own experiences. As soon as I stepped off the airplane, I already knew that it is going to be an inspiring trip. My main goal was to observe the city, learn, and bring fresh start to my thoughts. I felt that San Francisco instead of rejecting encouraged hearts and minds to a diversity, and its contributions to the society. It is like to find ways to recognize abilities and to seek that purpose.
Our trip started in an Uber car ride from an airport to the Mission district where we were renting a house. Mission district is very popular for its Hispanic heritage and if you are visiting San Francisco, stop by one of Mexican restaurants in Mission District to try fresh fish tacos or burritos. San Francisco has great public transportation with Bart (local subway system), buses, trollers, and boats taking you from a small European style town of Sausalito across the bay back to the Ferry Building. For a faster way to move around the city, Uber is a way to go. Uber is more convenient and cheaper compared to a taxi. Our Uber driver was in his late twenties with Middle Eastern accent. It turned out he had Iranian roots and spoke Persian. By each mean Persian is a very artistic language. I heard him talking on the phone probably either to his mom or sister. He kept apologizing to us for talking in a foreign language and I could easily relate to his feeling. I told him that it was totally fine he talked in Persian as I could enjoy listening to a music like language even though I did not understand a word. I did not want him to feel uncomfortable because he talked in a foreign language. On the opposite, I find it attractive and skillful when someone has a courage to speak few languages fluently.
I want to encourage everyone to be curious to learn about different cultures, and people without judgements based on personal perspectives. Acceptance and being accepted is already hard enough and we make it harder on ourselves when we follow stereotypes and prejudices. It reminds me a conversation I was involved in during one of Christmas parties me and my husband were invited last year. We played a game where questions or topics were randomly allocated in four bins. Everyone had to pull out a piece of paper and express opinion on the topic. I got the question,”Do you think most of people are ethical? Why? Why not?”. It was a tough question and put me into a deep thinking.
I hesitated but my answer was,” Yes, I do think most of people are ethical because it all depends on the approach. It is not easy to build trust and some bad life experiences make it even harder to trust. However, if we keep our hearts open, people will be more willing to be ethical and friendly. May be if our daily goal is to show humanity the world would be a pleasant place to live.”
