Having an intrusive personality, speaking with Gabby Melghem was a chance to appease my curious mind. Being an Asian American, much of the world is unexplored other than the stories told by my grandparents, aunts, and mother about their lives in China. Therefore, hearing accounts of other cultures and lifestyles was fascinating to me.

Having the chance to speak with Gabby who is born and raised in Honduras was a drastic contrast from my lifestyle. She was born in a rural town in Marcala, Honduras, an area full of coffee fields. Her life spent in Marcala consist of visiting her grandparents who lived near the river, El Chiflador and being on coffee fields.

At the age of eight, she came to America with her sister for a better life and education. She has then been living in Long Island where she is surrounded by beaches and lakes as well as apple and pumpkin fields, and vineyards. Therefore, much of her time is spent enjoying the outdoors and fresh air.

Because Gabby had to move to a forgien country at an age where she is still young but old enough to know a major change in her life is about to happen, I questioned whether she was scared or if it shaped her into an introvert or extrovert. She replied that she wasn’t scared because she was with her sister and trusted the decision that was made for her. She can be an introvert or extrovert depending on the situation. When she attends a Latino party, she would be more serene and watch people on the dance floor. However, when she is at an American party, she would be the one on the dance floor. When asked why her personality differs from attending a Latino or America party, she replies, “Because Americans don’t know how to dance”. She feels that Latinos know how to dance while Americans don’t which determines her confidence level. 

Coming from Honduras, speaking fluent Spanish was a given. Moving to America meant that she needed to learn English. When asked if it was a difficult experience learning a new language, she replied, “Oh no, it was easy to learn. I absorbed it like a sponge because I was still young when I had to learn English”. Gabby is able to converse with her family as well as her friends easily in both languages. At home, she usually speaks a mix of Spanish and Enlgish to her family, but mostly Spanish. With her friends, she would often speak English unless they know Spanish.

When asked what kind of food she likes, her eyes light up. She absolutely loves eating and is always open to try new exotic food. Gabby’s favorite cruise would have to be Mexican. Although Gabby is from Honduras and is very proud of her Latino culture, she has more interest in Mexican culture. Her stable food would have to be tacos and loves lime on everything. Her top artist would be Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera. Her favorite musician would be Chavela Vargas from Costa Rica who also relates more to Meixcan culture.

Concluding my conversation with Gabby, I wonder whether she likes living in Honduras or America. Taking a second to think about my question, she replied “America”. Eager to know more as to why, she continued, “ Well, the education here is a lot better as well as the opportunities. I feel much safer here because Honduras has a lot of gangs and everything is corrupt over there”. When asked if she miss Honduras, she replied “Of course, I grew up there. The food there is more authentic and most of my family is still there”.