As an international student from Nigeria arriving in the United States for the first time, I experienced several culture shocks and surprises, most of which were fascinating. I was first greeted with the chilly winter air outside Logan International Airport, Boston, MA, when I arrived in December 2021. I walked majestically outside the airport donned in my winter jacket and hand gloves, ready to welcome myself to America, but the freezing air whizzed past me and screamed rudely, “Get back inside!!!” It took me several months to realize that winter, like a proverbial monarch, demands reverence from its subjects in its presence- all heads bowed, and all hands tucked in or else… I particularly enjoyed the snowfall and the way it forcefully painted everything in white. After seeing the cartoon movie, Frozen, some years before my arrival, I thought building a snowman would be so magical, but after my first trial and the cold shock to my palms, I have decided to leave that as an item on my wish list.
I had many observations as I settled into my new environment, and some of these formed the bulk of my discussions with family and friends back home, and one of the common items in our conversation was the difference in the taste and thickness of the milk commonly found in grocery stores here compared to the one we have in Nigeria. I grew up consuming the very creamy and “sweet” milk normally sold in our grocery shops (both in liquid and powder form), so it was a little disappointing when I tasted the first gallon of milk I bought here. The consistency was lighter, and the taste was not as sweet, hence, I told everyone who cared to listen that “The milk here is different, it is not sweet.” However, after interacting with colleagues and professors about it, I have come to learn that in Nigeria, we consume more evaporated full cream milk (with 60% of the water removed, and a standardized milk fat content of 7.5% min) and whole milk powder (milk fat content of 26% min). Although skim milk (milk fat content of 1.5% min) is readily available on the shelves, the choice is dependent on consumers’ preferences. In the US, skim milk is standardized at 0-0.5% milk fat, and whole milk is 3.25% milk fat (3.5% in California). The foregoing information makes it likely that you might experience a milk shock when you visit another country different from the United States, and I promise you will get used to it like I am already doing (smiles).
My journey to the United States was preceded by my journey into agriculture which started as a childhood adventure. As a teenager, I would plant leftover raw yams, cowpea, groundnut, and pineapple crowns on the empty space beside our house and watch them grow. My joy was always boundless when it was time for harvest, and I can still remember the heroic feeling I usually had whenever my harvested yams were cooked for our home consumption. A few years down the line, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, after which I completed my master's degree in Animal Production and Management. My previous research was on using in-vitro (laboratory) simulations to determine the nutritive value and enteric methane mitigation potentials of terrestrial weeds and vegetable wastes as suitable feed supplement for ruminant animals. My research goal is to explore dietary strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminant animals and improve their productivity, and I am glad to be doing this with live animals in my current project. After graduate school, I intend to pursue my dream of becoming a lecturer cum researcher in animal science, while also fulfilling my non-academic goal of becoming a board member of a charity or non-profit organization that caters for children.
— Gift Omoruyi