Shubham Anand: On Life in the States

[Will3 415]

We recently caught up with the India native San Diego Marlins star Shubham Anand to ask him about how he is settling in to him new home, what he is doing in his free time, and what he finds strange about life in the States. 

 

Being a foreign athlete far from home can be hard on a young man. Indeed, some athletes have left their teams because they were homesick. With that being said, how are you adjusting to living in America?

 

Very well actually. I learned English at a young enough age that I understand the language quite well. My teammates are very supportive and great friends. If I need something from my culture, I go to Little India. They have the food, clothing, and activities of home here in San Diego. I have even taken some of my teammates there as a part of cultural exchange days. That is the GM's idea of pairing up teammates and sending them out into the city to learn about each other's cultures and to bond with each. There are quite enjoyable and an eye opening experience.

 

Another thing that helps with homesickness is being busy. I hear you are are a very busy fish. What are some of the things you have been up to while a part of the San Diego Marlins family? 

 

I have indeed been busy. Apart from practice and bonding, my charity work with the Mission Valley Bluegill is important because it is apart of my anti-racism campaign. Hatred and ignorance are sadly still too common in this country. If I can help teach the game I love while breaking stereotypes and have a positive impact on the hockey players of tomorrow at the cost of a little bit of my time, I consider that time well spent. The other thing I have been working on is a education. I am working on a Batchelor's degree in Business online. This degree is planned to be a stepping stone to greater things as I have plans for my own company. I have already made initial preparations and very excited to make this dream real. That is all I can say about that for right now. I will reveal everything about this new endeavor closer to the startup day which should be sometime around the next offseason.

 

Alright then, keep your secrets. One more question for you. What has been the biggest surprise about life in America?

 

I was warned that Americans love beef. As a practicing Hindu, I have never eaten cow, nor do I plan to eat any cow meat here in the States. What surprised me was how much of a staple beef is in the American diet. Ground beef joints are seemingly everywhere here. Thankfully, my GM and teammates have been very supportive of my religion convictions. They have always been there with plant based hamburger or a chicken sandwich whenever we are out.

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck out there.

 

No problem. I will see you around then.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Will3