Before Gulalek Charyyeva, an international student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, ever saw a Mardi Gras parade, she saw the aftermath.
During her first weeks in Lafayette, she noticed beads tangled in tree branches and scattered along sidewalks. At first, she was confused. Why would people throw plastic necklaces into trees?
“I had heard about it from peers,” she said. “Everyone kept saying, ‘Mardi Gras is coming,’ but I didn’t really understand what that would look like.”
For many around the world, January simply marks the start of a new year. But in south Louisiana, it signals something else entirely different: carnival season — several weeks filled with king cakes, parades, beads and gatherings with family and friends. For newcomers like Charyyeva, arriving in Louisiana felt more like stepping into a completely different cultural universe than adjusting to a new city.
Even before she learned what Mardi Gras season truly looked like, her first days in Lafayette were filled with memorable firsts: trying a po’boy at Pats Downtown, walking through a festival for the first time, and adjusting to a type of Southern hospitality that was new.
“I kept wondering why everyone was so nice,” she said. “People I didn’t know would smile at me, start conversations, ask where I was from. That was new for me.”
Originally from Turkmenistan, Charyyeva first studied in Turkey, earning a bachelor’s and later a master’s in foreign language education before deciding to continue her studies in the United States.
She came to UL to pursue a master’s degree in English to English to speakers of other language and is now pursuing her PhD in communicative disorders.
“I knew that if I wanted to teach English, I needed to come where English is spoken every day,” she said. “I wanted to experience the language and culture directly.”
Her husband, Johnny Abu Chowdhury, had a slightly different introduction to the South, though he made sure to note that nothing had prepared him for life in Louisiana. Originally from Bangladesh, Chowdhury previously lived in Florida while studying computer science before transferring to UL.
Though he had seen videos of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana still surprised him.
“I thought I had an idea of what to expect,” Chowdhury said. “But Louisiana has its own culture. It’s not like anywhere else in the U.S.”
Though their journeys to Acadiana differed, both would agree they found something special in Lafayette.
“I think Lafayette is like a comfortable chair with strong legs,” Chowdhury said. “Food is one leg, music is another, people are another, and celebrations bring it all together. You sit in it, and you just feel at home.”
Falling in love with Acadiana food — carefully
Food quickly became one of the most meaningful parts of their adjustment.
For Chowdhury, Louisiana cuisine felt familiar because most dishes are seasoned with bold spices. Growing up in Bangladesh, he was used to herb- and spice-seasoned dishes and didn’t hesitate to dive into Cajun and Creole flavors.
Soon after arriving in Lafayette, he was invited by a roommate to attend a crawfish boil. He said the invitation surprised him because it came from someone he barely knew. But it introduced him to a kind of hospitality he hadn’t experienced before. When Chowdhury arrived, he was fascinated not only by the giant boiling pots, which he joked were big enough to feed a wedding back home, but by the ritual of friends gathering around tables, newspapers spread out and everyone talking at once.
“It’s not just eating,” he said. “It’s an event. You sit there for hours, peeling crawfish, talking, laughing. That’s what makes it special.”
For Charyyeva, the adjustment was more gradual.
She approached Louisiana food cautiously, because she was raised on a cuisine that uses less spice. Seasonings like cayenne and Tony Chachere’s were intimidating.
Her first local meal was a shrimp po’boy at Pats Downtown, one of her earliest introductions to Louisiana seafood. Her first crawfish came during Lagniappe Week at UL. Later, she tried alligator at Bon Temps Grill, encouraged by Chowdhury. Each new dish helped broaden her palate a little at a time.
“I had to adjust,” she said. “I was open to trying things but nervous. When I first cooked shrimp I didn’t know you were supposed to peel it first,” she said.
But the overall favorite they both agree on is dessert. King cake specifically.
Chowdhury especially grew to love the tradition of king cake parties, where the person who finds the small plastic baby inside the cake is expected to host the next gathering. What started as a bakery novelty turned into a series of rotating celebrations among friends.
Finding familiarity in a new place
The couple’s connection to Louisiana is tied not only to the traditions they discovered but also to how they found each other.
Despite coming from different parts of the world, both say they found echoes of home in South Louisiana. For Charyyeva, it’s the way people preserve and celebrate their heritage through food, music, language and festivals.
“In my culture, we also try to keep traditions alive,” she said. “I see that here with Cajun and Creole culture. People are proud of where they come from.”
For Chowdhury, it’s the sense of comfort.
“I’ve traveled to many states,” he said, “but I keep coming back here. There’s something about the warmth of the people and the culture. Once you give it time, it becomes home.”
That feeling became even clearer during their first Mardi Gras parade together in Lafayette, known as the Krewe of Rio. It was a sensory overload, Charyyeva said.
“At first I was just shocked,” she said. “Why are they throwing things at us? But then you start catching beads, and you’re in a group of friends, and the energy just pulls you in. I went home with a whole bag of beads like it was treasure.”
Chowdhury remembers the build-up just as vividly.
“You feel it before you see it,” he said. “There’s something in the air. The music, the people gathering, the police bikes at the front of the parade and then suddenly this massive float is coming toward you. It’s like a moving building.”
Now, Mardi Gras is the season they look forward to most. Chowdhury hopes to introduce Charyyev to traditional Cajun Mardi Gras celebrations next, another layer of Louisiana culture they are excited to experience together.