If you are in USA , what do you typically do on a Weekend Night ? Think for a second…Most of you would say, “ I will watch Movies with friends, I will make Chicken Biryani and eat with friends, We have a get together with friends and we will all booze and party, etc” . This is exactly what I used to do for a long time….… Few of you may have answered, “ I will go out to pubs to socialize or for few drinks with Friends or may be dancing with friends or acquaintances…”. If you have answered the second answer i.e. going out to have couple of drinks and socialize and may be meet new people or go for dancing, you do not need to read the rest of the article. This is for the people who answered the first set of answers…
Why should you NOT stay at Home and booze on a Weekend night ?
Some of you may argue, it is good to stay at home and have fun and some may say it is cheaper. Some may say it is good to be with your friends…Here is my perspective though : USA is a land of opportunities, everyone of you have read this and heard about this, but if you sit at home and be with your friends doing same old things, you learn nothing. It is very important to go out to pubs or bars and socialize with people. It is a required social skill to be able to talk to someone new and have a conversation. If you do not meet new people and have random conversations with them, you never learn the art of talking to people and socializing . It might seem weird to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone, but it is very important for your social skills. I am NOT advising you to bars and get drunk and get wasted. I am saying, it is good to just go out and have a friendly conversation with others. Some of my friends do NOT drink, you can just have Coke or Diet coke too and have a conversation, you do not need to drink alcohol.
Another good way to build social skills is to join local networking and social organizations that promote networking or fun events. Just dinner with random people or going to a game or bowling anything….It can be hard if you do not have CAR, but if there is a will there is a way…network with someone who can give you a ride… If you are a girl, I know it can be very hard and sometimes not safe, but if you can find another friend that you can trust, you options are endless… You may also read this : Ways to build social Skills in US : Salsa Dancing…What difference does it make ?
Overall, I think going out and socializing with random people improves your communication skills and build network. You do NOT need to drink alcohol, you can just go out and socialize…Do NOT sit at home by yourself with your same roommates or friends and watch Movie or booze…get out and have some fun and enjoy ! Personally, I have really learnt a lot and my communication skills have got better. I learnt a lot about others cultures, I have made some real good friends too…get out there and have some fun, if you have not !
Image Credits : http://www.flickr.com/photos/dustinq/4358693144/
Haha . I don’t understand why people who move to states start advocating folks back here on “How to Live”. There is lot to learn here in Delhi as well and if you stayed at home on weekends while you were here , then Sir, you were just a loser. Glad to know you are better now. You may like India when you come back here and understand why its more vibrant. I agree with what you said , but associating it with moving out to the states is not correct. It has got nothing to do with being in USA or India or Latvia for that matter.
I guess this is not necessarily something you have to do every weekend night. I agree with you that it is socializing is more important in the US than in India. But not like what you project here. Also, it should be understood that US is a land of diverse cultures. So you can hold your culture and beliefs and be respected here.
Anyway, you are doing a great job with your website. I just wanted to make a small point here. 😀
I agree with you, you do not have to do it every weekend night. In fact, I did not mean to project it that way…Yes, I agree that you should hold your culture and identity . Alternatively, you can always meetup with new friends by going to a music concert, movie, etc…Just try to meet new people and socialize thats the point !