peering into a cultural keyhole

I'm taking a Gen Studies class as part of my FIG, and one of the long-term assignments we're doing is the CoRe Project, where we examine a Seattle neighborhood through the lens of a specific population health topic. My group and I chose International District, and we took a day to hop on the light rail and visit.

This is one of the pictures I took of the Asian-inspired architecture throughout the district. I felt there was a unique sentimentality to seeing people gathered under this little Chinese pavilion, safe from the rain and surrounded by a little piece of home in the midst of all the industrial buildings. Our trip to International District really showed me a lot about how culture flourishes and people tend to come together, in spite of being—or maybe because they are—away from their homeland. 

I could tell that I was only seeing a very small part of it from the outside, though. Like trying to see the other side of a door by looking through the keyhole, I know that just a single visit wouldn't even begin to encompass the true breadth of cultural growth. Nevertheless, I think assignments like these hold a much greater value than one might think. After all, college is all about enriching and expanding your worldview. Having the opportunity to go out and experience things for yourself will always be more impactful than any written essay.