Feb
5
Where I Live; Where They Live
February 5, 2024 | | Leave a Comment
I grew up in a town very similar to where I live now. In fact, Pittsford, NY and Carlisle, PA are almost the same place but in different states. Both towns are certified historic towns. Pittsford was settled in 1789 but did not become popular until the Erie Canal was built. This allowed for the semi remote village to become interconnected with other cities and villages and quickly becoming a popular shipping port . Carlisle history, while slightly different, has similar aspects. Carlisle was established in 1751, played a role in the American Revolutionary war, the Whiskey Rebellion .
Carlisle, PA
Pittsford, NY
It is not just the history of the two towns that is similar. But the culture and aesthetic that is similar. Side by side are two photos of each of the towns. just looking at the photos it is hard to tell a difference. However, in person it is not much easier. During the fall of my freshmen year, a friend from home visited and she remarked how strange it was to be in a town that looks like the Village (that’s what we called downtown Pittsford) but not actually there. I think one of the reasons I fell in love with Dickinson was because it reminded me of my hometown. Pittsford is also a college town; Nazareth College is located roughly 1.5 miles down main road. So, it is a little bit farther down the street than Dickinson is, but it is still a college town.
However, compared to Sharjah, Carlisle and Pittsford are tiny specks of towns. Both in history and size. Known history of Sharjah goes back at least 5000. Which is about 4727 years older than Carlisle and 4765 years older than Pittsford. So, while my towns are considered “old” and “historic” for the United States of American when you compare that of the history and age of Sharjah it is little to nothing. Carlisle and Pittsford are both towns but relatively large ones, 22,203 and 30,346 respectively 22,203 and 30,346 respectively . While I knew that there was going to be a large difference in the populations, I was still surprised to see that 1,872,199 people live in Sharjah live in Sharjah . It would take around 84 Carlisles to make up the population of Sharjah.
At Dickinson, in my opinion the majority of students are from the United States of America but there is a relatively large population of international students. As well, almost all of the students here at Dickinson live on campus, either in dorms or apartments owned by the school. (insert a photo of a dorm). From my conversations with the AUS students, I believe that many of the students are originally from UAE and moved with their families to Sharjah or are from other countries and moved to Sharjah. As well, very few of the students live “on campus” or in dorms but live with their families. Possibly having to have around an hour of commuting to class. Which is a very different experience than I have where I live about a minute walk from Denny Hall where our class meets.
Culturally Carlisle and Pittsford are very different from Sharjah. The towns I grew up in are majority white, Christian, and English speaking. It is very common to have a few bars in the towns. In Sharjah, majority of the population is Arab, Muslim, and Arabic is the most popular language, but many people also speak at least a little English. As well, Sharjah is the only city in the Emirates to ban the sale, consumption, and possession of alcohol . Even though there are many differences culturally, when I was talking with the students in AUS, I found that we had more similarities than differences, at least in the brief conversations we had. I found that there was a common shared love of traveling, reading, the shows that people were watching.
