Glacier National Park, located in Montana, U.S, encompasses over 1,000,000 acres and nurtures more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. Beside its vast pristine ecosystem, the park also serves as a platform for people from different culture backgrounds to meet and interact every summer. Thanks to Work and Travel Program, I was one of the lucky one who enjoyed the park’s outstanding natural and cultural beauty.
Upon arrival, the Manager of Human Resource Department has welcomed me with a brief yet exciting introduction of the park. God knows that I was paying my very maximum attention trying to catch his American English accent which sounds nasal, with lot of ‘r’s and, like a song to me. Soon after that, I found that the manager’s English is actually relatively easier to catch because he was so kind and considerate to speak slower with clearer pronunciation for the Asian students to understand him better.
Throughout that summer, I was amazed and overwhelmed by a vast variety of accents in America spoken by people from New York (Brooklyn), Boston, North/ South Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas and so on. Oh, not mentioning there is numerous slang which I thought I could never understand! At first, I was reluctant to initiate a conversation, worrying that it might be lost in puzzled American faces. However, my timidity was swept away by my American friends and colleagues who break the intercultural barrier with their patience and tolerance. Because of that, I had very memorable and enjoyable working experience in Montana.
For me, the beauty of Glacier National park not only fosters the relationship between nature and human being, but also among the people with diverse cultural background.
