When you step foot on Choate campus you become a member of the Choate community—a Choatie—but each and every one of us carries a little bit of our hometown within us. Each town is different, and holds memories that will follow us no matter where we are. Here are some student’s perspectives on their own cities and towns away from Wallingford, CT.
Name: Bryce Wachtell ’17
Hometown: Boise, Idaho
City or town: It is the biggest city in Idaho, but has maintained a quaint small town feeling to it. It’s small, so you know a lot of people, but big enough to have some great places to go out.
Favorite food: Well, as most Americans know, we grow a lot of potatoes, and subsequently eat a lot of potatoes, in many different forms. Something everyone should know about is the potato ice cream. It’s ice cream shaped like a potato, covered in cocoa powder and a bunch of toppings. Sounds disgusting, looks amazing, tastes delicious.
Best hangout spots: Oh, definitely BoDo (Boise Downtown). There are a bunch of shops, a movie theatre, and a lot of interesting restaurants; it’s where everyone drives and bikes to when they want to hang out.
Social Norms: People in Idaho are much more relaxed when it comes to clothes. People wear jeans and sweatshirts to work, unlike the people who live on the East Coast. Also, people are way more likely to say hi to strangers than they are here. People are much more outdoorsy in my town than here as well.
What you miss: I miss biking everywhere. Boise is called the city of trees and there are tons of pathways and trails to bike on. Especially in the spring and fall, when the trees are changing, the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I love Boise, and coming from there to a place like Choate has really given me a new perspective on where I live. I don’t like either place better; they are both my homes.
Name: Joey Hong ’19
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Best activities: There are big shopping streets and a lot of good food in Seoul.
Sightseeing: There are many traditional Korean palaces to visit, and Namsan, a huge tower.
Climate: The temperatures are warmer and more humid than Connecticut in the summer, but it also gets very cold in the winter.
School: My school had a much smaller campus than the Choate campus, and was K-12 instead of beginning in ninth grade. There was also not as much variety and electives available in the course selection as there are here.
What you miss: The food there was better, because it’s a lot less fattening. I miss foods like rice and kimchi.
Name: Nadia Hayatu-Deen ’17
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
City or town: Lagos is a city, but it’s very different than the cities here. Every piece of property is gated: every house, every bank, everything. I think it’s just for security reasons, but the gates don’t block the loud and chaotic atmosphere of the city.
Favorite food: One of my favorites from back home is Shawarma. It’s is insanely good and is made with several different meats. It is a Lebanese meal.
Best hangout spots: My friends and I almost always just hang out at each other’s houses or the Lagoon, one of the best restaurants I know. Also, if you’re looking for a good way to pass time, go to a wedding. They are always amazing. It is the only time you can stay out until 4 a.m. without your parents’ permission.
Social norms: Although people in the city dress a little less conservatively than other places, there is a lot of traditional dress. The older women wear head ties, and every woman wears one to special events. There are also some Western styles in the city. The people in Lagos are not necessarily overly friendly to outsiders, but once you have become friends with one of the locals, they tend to be very loyal.
What you miss: My family, of course, and definitely the food. Western food can be flavorless compared to the food in Nigeria. In Nigeria, we use lots of spices when we cook. Choate’s food could definitely use some more spices.
Name: Nell Shaper ’17
Hometown: Houston, TX
City or town: Houston is very different from northern cities. Besides downtown, there are mostly just private neighborhoods. Everyone has a lawn and some of them are the size of a huge field!
Best hangout spots: Almost everyone our age hangs out at strip centers scattered about the city. In Houston, you have to drive everywhere, so unless you have your license, it can be very annoying to get around.
Favorite food: The best food around is Tex-Mex (Texan-Mexican cuisine)! If you think Chipotle is good, then you haven’t had Tex-Mex yet. People like it so much better down there that when a Chipotle opened near by, it went out of business.
Social norms: For one thing, people don’t say hi or smile at everyone they pass. Also, people are much more conservative in Texas than at Choate; not in a worse way, but just different.
What you miss: Definitely the air conditioning. Even though it is much hotter there, every building is well air conditioned. I also miss the late summers there because there are always amazing thunder storms. I don’t miss too much else because Choate is starting to feel more like home than Houston.
Name: Elaine Shen ’18
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Climate: Shanghai is much hotter than Connecticut in the summer, and warm in the winter. However, there are still four distinct seasons.
Best activities: The food is great there. I like to go out to eat with my friends, and there are a lot of shopping malls.
School: My school was much smaller than Choate. We had the same 50 classmates all year, and just one teacher. School was also longer: it ended at 4:00 in the afternoon, and there was not as much homework.
Food: Portions are much smaller than the ones in America!
