- By Aniket Singh (Apple Inc, IIT Madras, Author of “Intern Abroad This Summer”)
Some cities are a true microcosm of the world we live in – home to not just one, but many different communities, languages and cultures. Hence, if you are looking for an experience that goes beyond just an internship, and is someone who loves to explore different cultures, here are five cities that you must visit. As a bonus, all these cities speak English, so you won’t feel lost while you are there:
Toronto: Home to more than 200 different nationalities and over 140 different languages, the Canadian city has consistently been rated among the most multi-cultural ones in the world. In fact, around half of Toronto’s population has been born outside the country. This, in turn, has spurred a multi-ethnic food culture and a number of colourful little neighborhoods, such as Chinatown, Little India, Little Italy and Greektown.
Singapore: With four official languages – English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil – Singapore is a haven for people looking for multi-cultural experiences. In fact, forty percent of the population of the tiny city-state are foreigners. Singaporeans celebrate Diwali with as much fervor as they would the Chinese New Year, and it’s a treat to visit Little India, which gets transformed by all the lights, flowers and colours.
Amsterdam: The capital and largest city of Netherlands, is also known for its huge population of immigrants and asylum seekers. The city is lively, friendly and has people from over 170 different cultural backgrounds living together. Amsterdam takes its multi-ethnicity seriously and even hosts festivals such as the DRONGO Language Festival, to celebrate its vibrant linguistic background and the ‘180 Amsterdammers’ in a bid to map the 180 different nationalities that make up the city. The city is so welcoming of its foreign visitors, that it even offers new residents free lessons in Dutch.
London: Britain’s capital city and financial hub London may speak English as its official language, but go deeper into the city’s alleys, and you are bound to hear numerous languages being spoken. In fact, according to a Daily Express Investigation based on data from the Department for Education, more than 300 languages are spoken by pupils in British schools, and London, with almost one-third of its population foreign – born, is a mini-world of its own. The city hosts a number of interesting cultural festivals such as the Notting Hill Carnival, celebrating the Caribbean culture, which is also the largest street festival in Europe.
New York: They say that if you stand at the Times Square long enough, you will meet people from all nationalities. Regardless of whether that is actually true, the fact remains that New York city is a real melting pot of cultures. The city has been known to spur many cultural and social movements, and is home to a large number of African-American, Jewish, Asian and Italian American communities. Walk through any of the five boroughs that make up the City, and you will come across many distinct communities, including those of Indians, Italians, the Irish, Chinese, Koreans, Latin Americans and Caribbeans.
About the author:
Aniket Singh works for Apple Inc. in California, United States. He is also the author of “Intern Abroad This Summer”.
Aniket holds a BTech degree in Electrical Engineering from the IIT, Madras, Chennai, and a Master’s degree in Wireless Systems from Politecnico Di Torino in Torino, Italy. He has interned at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and Ecole Polytechnic Federale de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland during this studies.
Visit him at www.aniketsingh.com
Check out his book at www.internabroadthissummer.com
