Task 2: What has influenced me?

     What has influenced me? This is a broad question, and one which is difficult to narrow down as the responses can be endless, but as an attempt I can narrow down this topic in five different areas: food, fashion, architecture, leisure activities, and entertainment.

     Food is an essential part of every person’s life, yes, an obvious statement, but the way an individual fulfills this necessity varies drastically between different cultures and ethnicities. Think about all the different kinds of flavours, vegetables, meats, and fruits there are in the world; some which we have never heard of and others which consist in our daily diet simply because that is what we were exposed to; that is what we are influenced by. Being born and raised in Canada, my food preferences highly match that of the society I have grown up in, and that society is very diverse. I love the flavours of Italian while I can still bare the heat of Mexican, and enjoy the simplicity of basic meals which are “western” in the eyes of the rest of the world. The diversity of my society has diversified my palette, and interestingly enough made much more of an impact on my preferences than my own culture. I am Indian, by ethnicity that is, but Indian food has never been my fancy; maybe because I have eaten it so often. Still, although it may not have influenced my preference it has certainly influenced my normality toward this culture. I have learned to accept certain foods, spices, and meats that someone from a different background may find a little odd as even today I can develop such reactions from time to time.

     Fashion, just like food, varies drastically amongst people; even people from the same culture or society. Today, it has very much become a form of self-expression as no doubt it is one of the first impressions we can leave on people without us saying a single word. That is not to say that we judge those people based on that first impression, but that whether we like it or not, our clothes say something about us. For me, one of the greatest factors that have influenced my sense of fashion is my religion. I practice the faith of Islam, and so I identify myself as a Muslim every single day; not only through this statement, but through my attire. I wear a scarf on my head every day, and the rest of my clothing has been inspired by the growing trend of modest fashion. That is not say that my clothing entirely differs from the society and generation that I continue to grow in; it is still a largely contributing factor. I love the styles that continue to make its way into today’s popular fashion from the hipster, to boyfriend, and contemporary. I love it all and it influences me all so I have learned to incorporate it into my wardrobe in a way that suites me. I love the look of ripped jeans, so no problem; I can simply patch them from the back without losing the style. I really love a tank top? That’s not an issue; I can wear an open plaid shirt, a cardigan, anything I wish really over it. I have found a middle ground between my religious culture and societal culture that works perfectly for me. It a perfect mix between modest fashion and western fashion that I love, and use to express myself every time I leave my home.

     Architecture often refers to things on a larger scale; the types of houses we live in, the buildings, places of worship etc., but what I would like to include in architecture is also the décor styles we like to incorporate in our spaces. For the most part, the type of architecture that influences my life today has grown to attain its own style which I can only say is western suburban architecture. The houses are close together, and so is the layout of everything else. I am used to the sight of neighbours as I leave my home, sharing space, and the convenience of grabbing milk from a store within five minutes of a walk. These are the ways the layout of my city and community has influenced my lifestyle. Architecture and style constantly keep changing in a culture so that what may seem modern today will be old-fashion twenty years into the future. In this way, the styles today have influenced my preference as I like rustic with a mix of contemporary and maybe a touch of vintage. I like these styles because those are what are popular and common in today’s culture; this is often true with many other aspects of culture as well.

     Leisure activities can include many things, but more simply it is what we like to do in our “free” time. It involves both hobbies and even maybe the way we choose to socialize outside of compulsory environments like school and work. When it comes to hobbies, I don’t believe any certain culture had a significant influence on me as one of my absolute favourite hobbies is art which is a tradition found in nearly every culture in one way or another. Still, one thing that did probably influence me is my preference. I enjoy viewing and creating traditional forms of art similar to those of the twentieth century, but even so I have developed my own style which is possibly a mix of both traditional and modern art. In terms of socialization, I think the way I choose to socialize outside mandatory situations is a bit different from others in my generation and culture. I rather spend my time with a group of close friends than attend large events or parties, and I am also selective of the environments I spend my time in.

(my own painting)

     Every culture has their entertainment whether it is movies, TV shows, or music, but each one with its own specific styles. My entertainment choices have definitely been influenced by cultures other than my own. Oddly enough, rather than English TV shows or songs, I prefer Urdu ones which mostly originate from Pakistan; a culture different from the ones I am familiar with. It has influenced my life in a significant way as it has changed my preferences and outlook in many situations. It has made me understand a completely different way of life I would have normally never known. More than watching or listening to anything I would actually much rather read a book. I love historical period novels set in the 20^th century which are usually based in England; once again a culture and time very different from what I live in today. Still, I have grown to have a love for that time period and culture simply by the influence of the books I have read.