From a country far, far away, a man came to the IUP campus, having no idea what to expect.
Surinder Tara, a 20 year old IUP student, finishes his first semester at IUP in a few weeks, the spring semester of 2008. It will also be his first college semester on American soil.
“So far, so good,” Tara said, laughing.
Tara, from the country of Malaysia, grew up in a town called Kota Bharu, located within the state of Kelantan. He is a friendly and approachable man. Living in the dorms at IUP, Surinder said he has enjoyed his first semester here.
“One of the main reasons I came to IUP,” Tara said, “was because the University provided me with the VISA forms to stay here in America. I applied late. My college in Malaysia is also linked to IUP.”
Surinder is in a family of four, with a mother, a father and a sister. His sister’s name is Roveena, his father’s name is Tara Delip, and his mother’s name is Parvin Chan.
“In Malaysia,” Tara explained, “the father’s first name is used as the child’s last name.”
This is why Tara’s last name is Tara and not Delip.
Tara spent three years of his life in London, England. He knows five languages, including English, Malay, Thai and Chinese. Tara also speaks Kelantanese, the language which is spoken in his home state of Kelantan, located within Malaysia.
According to Tara, the adjustments, coming from Malaysia to America went well.
“In Malaysia,” Tara said, “they do not take tips at restaurants. They give you your money back. I learned to gives tips in America at Eat’n Park.”
Another big difference between America and Malaysia is the drinking age.
“In Malaysia,” Tara said, “14 or 15 year olds can buy beer. The legal drinking age is 18 though.”
There are even McDonald’s restaurants in Malaysia. Tara said that they serve fries or rice as sides there. When Tara came to America, he said that he found, besides eating rice once or twice a day in Malaysia, some differences in the food choices in America.
Tara enjoys listening to emo and punk rock, such as the bands Green Day, Good Charlotte and Angels & Airways. While Surinder explained he did not play soccer back home in Malaysia, he did like the sport, as well as American football.
Tara is majoring in geology, a subject he said that he really enjoys. For the summer of 2008, Tara is going back home to Malaysia, where he will turn 21 in July look forward to spending time with his girlfriend, Jiang. They have been dating for roughly six months.
Although Tara is leaving over the summer, he plans to come back to IUP for the fall semester planning to dual major, adding physics to his curriculum. Tara described physics, saying it was a “love – hate relationship.”
It is an honor to have Tara as a fellow student at IUP.
Surinder Tara, a 20 year old IUP student, finishes his first semester at IUP in a few weeks, the spring semester of 2008. It will also be his first college semester on American soil.
“So far, so good,” Tara said, laughing.
Tara, from the country of Malaysia, grew up in a town called Kota Bharu, located within the state of Kelantan. He is a friendly and approachable man. Living in the dorms at IUP, Surinder said he has enjoyed his first semester here.
“One of the main reasons I came to IUP,” Tara said, “was because the University provided me with the VISA forms to stay here in America. I applied late. My college in Malaysia is also linked to IUP.”
Surinder is in a family of four, with a mother, a father and a sister. His sister’s name is Roveena, his father’s name is Tara Delip, and his mother’s name is Parvin Chan.
“In Malaysia,” Tara explained, “the father’s first name is used as the child’s last name.”
This is why Tara’s last name is Tara and not Delip.
Tara spent three years of his life in London, England. He knows five languages, including English, Malay, Thai and Chinese. Tara also speaks Kelantanese, the language which is spoken in his home state of Kelantan, located within Malaysia.According to Tara, the adjustments, coming from Malaysia to America went well.
“In Malaysia,” Tara said, “they do not take tips at restaurants. They give you your money back. I learned to gives tips in America at Eat’n Park.”
Another big difference between America and Malaysia is the drinking age.
“In Malaysia,” Tara said, “14 or 15 year olds can buy beer. The legal drinking age is 18 though.”
There are even McDonald’s restaurants in Malaysia. Tara said that they serve fries or rice as sides there. When Tara came to America, he said that he found, besides eating rice once or twice a day in Malaysia, some differences in the food choices in America.
Tara enjoys listening to emo and punk rock, such as the bands Green Day, Good Charlotte and Angels & Airways. While Surinder explained he did not play soccer back home in Malaysia, he did like the sport, as well as American football.
Tara is majoring in geology, a subject he said that he really enjoys. For the summer of 2008, Tara is going back home to Malaysia, where he will turn 21 in July look forward to spending time with his girlfriend, Jiang. They have been dating for roughly six months.
Although Tara is leaving over the summer, he plans to come back to IUP for the fall semester planning to dual major, adding physics to his curriculum. Tara described physics, saying it was a “love – hate relationship.”
It is an honor to have Tara as a fellow student at IUP.
“I will return,” Tara said, smiling.
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