By Elsie Gin

As a foreign exchange student from Nigeria, I came to Maine in August 2019 and believe me, everything has been so different ever since I came down the steps of the plane from the food down to the weather. It's not bad, nor is it better -- it’s just awesomely different.

One common question I’ve been asked is where is Nigeria. Let's start there. Nigeria is a country located in West Africa bordering Chad and Cameroon in the east, Niger in the north, and the Republic of Benin in the west. It is divided into 36 states and has a capital called Abuja.

Most people are surprised that I’m bilingual. I speak English, which is Nigeria's official language and Hausa, which is one of the 500 languages spoken in Nigeria. The three major ones are Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, which almost 300 local dialects and ethnic groups are derived.

One-third of the languages in the world come from Nigeria and evidence of some of the oldest human remains are from Nigeria.

One of the funniest moments for me since coming here was seeing the look on a friend's face when I told her there were no McDonalds in Nigeria. The look on her face was priceless.

Nigerians are big fans of spicy, hot food like jollof rice, swallow (a wheat flour and hot water mix) with a variety of soups and bean cakes. American food, particularly the Maine food I’ve tasted, is sweet and tastes good in a very different way.

Owing to how totally different the food in America is from Nigeria, having an American McDonalds cafe wouldn’t sell well.

Did you know that watermelon is the most widely eaten fruit in Nigeria? Or that in the northern part of Nigeria, a heavenly combination of dates and coconuts is eaten as a treat and tastes scrumptious.

The best experience for me so far was the fall. I've never experienced seeing a large amount of trees turn yellow, orange, and red. During every car ride, my face would always turned toward the window looking at all the beautiful trees with different colors.Nigeria's dry climate,especially in the northern part where I’m from, the leaves only change slightly dark green to a dull green. .

This winter will be my first and I’m especially excited to see snow for the first time. My host family is making sure I experience a lot of firsts, like boat rides, apple pies, chicken pot-pies, clams, and kayaking.

The students and staff at Cony have also made sure I haven’t missed out on new experiences, like the first time I have to open a locker.

There I was,standing in front of it for the first time and not being able to open it. I was running out of time as the next class was almost starting. I didn't know how to put in my locker combination.

What happened next was the definition of a knight in shining armor. Students were rushing down the hall to class as Istopped one of the janitors and asked for help. I was surprised, he was willing and eager to help me out. He showed me how to put the combination in and I was able to fetch my books. He said that he was glad he put a smile on my face. He told me to reciprocate it to someone else that might need my help.

I’ve tried to pay it forward by holding the door for others since.

A girl told me that she use to envision of Africa was all like the Lion King setting seeing me come from there show that it’s not exactly like that. I laughed so hard.

I’ve made new friends, attended my first football game, bonfire and homecoming dance. Cony has given me a platform to share my culture and also learn in an American school as an exchange student. I absolutely admire the school spirit that Cony High School has groomed into its students and I’m looking forward to making more memories here!