Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
I always had mixed feelings about the Los Angeles Times. It's a prestigious newspapers but their reporting on the Middle East and Africa should be tremendously improved. I understand that it's terribly expensive to send reporters there but it will make their articles more real,credible and truthful if their reporters travelled to the countries they are reporting about.
When we talked to Tereisa Watanabe, a Japanese-American journalist from the LA times, I was convinced that my idea is right. Watanabe is the head of the Japan Bureau of the LA times however, she also writes about the Middle East. We talked to her about the Middle East for a while and after we told her to come visit us. She said she is scared. The fact that she writes about the Middle East but is not aware of how things are in one of the major Middle Eastern countries is very interesting. This does not only apply to the Middle East. Later on, I will discover it applies to Sudan and Africa too.
We visited the LA times headquarters in LA. It was huge, well equipped and modern. What I really liked about the offices there is every office is as personalized as you can get. People spend alot of times at work. Their office becomes part of their life and because it is part of their life, it should reflect their personality, tell people about their life. I like it when people put pictures and things that represent them in their office. Our tour guide was an Asian-American too. It's interesting because 30 years ago, this wasn't possible. Females and minorities joined the LA team in the 1970's and 1980's. I was interested in finding out about LA times reportes in Africa and the Middle East. To my surprise, LA Times only had three reported for Africa and two for the Middle East. They didn't have any reporter in the Sudan, a country often in the news. they shouldn't necessarily have a full-time reporter there but when they want to report something there, they should send somebody to see things with their own eyes and get the true story. This is often not the case. I've read some articles published by the LA Times with false claims about the Sudan. I wasn't convinced enough by his claim that Darfur is too dangerous to report. In 2006 alone, over 40 journalists died in Iraq. During a number of years, many journalists died in Palestine. Not a single journalist died in Darfur.
When we talked to Tereisa Watanabe, a Japanese-American journalist from the LA times, I was convinced that my idea is right. Watanabe is the head of the Japan Bureau of the LA times however, she also writes about the Middle East. We talked to her about the Middle East for a while and after we told her to come visit us. She said she is scared. The fact that she writes about the Middle East but is not aware of how things are in one of the major Middle Eastern countries is very interesting. This does not only apply to the Middle East. Later on, I will discover it applies to Sudan and Africa too.
We visited the LA times headquarters in LA. It was huge, well equipped and modern. What I really liked about the offices there is every office is as personalized as you can get. People spend alot of times at work. Their office becomes part of their life and because it is part of their life, it should reflect their personality, tell people about their life. I like it when people put pictures and things that represent them in their office. Our tour guide was an Asian-American too. It's interesting because 30 years ago, this wasn't possible. Females and minorities joined the LA team in the 1970's and 1980's. I was interested in finding out about LA times reportes in Africa and the Middle East. To my surprise, LA Times only had three reported for Africa and two for the Middle East. They didn't have any reporter in the Sudan, a country often in the news. they shouldn't necessarily have a full-time reporter there but when they want to report something there, they should send somebody to see things with their own eyes and get the true story. This is often not the case. I've read some articles published by the LA Times with false claims about the Sudan. I wasn't convinced enough by his claim that Darfur is too dangerous to report. In 2006 alone, over 40 journalists died in Iraq. During a number of years, many journalists died in Palestine. Not a single journalist died in Darfur.
My encounter with Central Perk
We went to Stanley Sheinbaum's house for lunch. Sheinbaum is the most accompolished man I've ever seen. He convinced Yasser Arafat in 1988 to recognize Israel as a country, he brought Human Rights Watch to the west coast, he is the published of New Perspectives Quarterly. He is the kind of man who did so much for others in his life.
His wife is called Betty Warner. Her father was one of the founders of the warner brothers studios. Betty and Stanley seemed like the perfect couple. They are both accomplished in their own way. Betty is a painter. What makes her paintings more appealing to me is the simple fact that most of them are of people. Individuals in their daily life, talking,walking,having coffee. They are real, they are easy to understand and they represent things you do daily in a beautiful way. During our conversation with Betty Warner, I expected her to ask me an interesting question about Africa since she found out earlier that I have an interest in African affairs. Instead, she expressed afro-pesimism by saying does anything god every comes out of there. I'm not in denial about my continent's problem but I'm just hopeful. Our problems are not impossible to solve but they are difficult. I'm aware of the enormity of the situation but at the same time, if we all sat down with our hands in our pocket and started complaining about the corrupt governments,disease and illiteracy,conflicts and poverty, things are never going to change. China faced many problems 30 years ago but they worked hard to change things.They implemented a successful economic reform program and started benefiting from the greatest natural resource ever, humanbeings. If we showed afro-pesimism then Africa will remain the poorest continent on earth. If others show pesimisn, it affects me because there are afro-pesmists than optimists.
The warner brothers studios are not owned by the warner family anymore however, Betty Warner was able to get us on a VIP tour. I saw things I never dreamed of seeing. The cafe where many episodes of Friends were filmed, the streets where they walked, the park where they sat. I saw the hospital where Chicago Hope was filmed. It was amazing to be there and to see the places where my favorite actors and actresses spend many hours for many years.
After eating lunch with such important figures and visiting Warner Brothers. I felt grateful for being on this trip because I'm doing things I will never be able to do with parents.
His wife is called Betty Warner. Her father was one of the founders of the warner brothers studios. Betty and Stanley seemed like the perfect couple. They are both accomplished in their own way. Betty is a painter. What makes her paintings more appealing to me is the simple fact that most of them are of people. Individuals in their daily life, talking,walking,having coffee. They are real, they are easy to understand and they represent things you do daily in a beautiful way. During our conversation with Betty Warner, I expected her to ask me an interesting question about Africa since she found out earlier that I have an interest in African affairs. Instead, she expressed afro-pesimism by saying does anything god every comes out of there. I'm not in denial about my continent's problem but I'm just hopeful. Our problems are not impossible to solve but they are difficult. I'm aware of the enormity of the situation but at the same time, if we all sat down with our hands in our pocket and started complaining about the corrupt governments,disease and illiteracy,conflicts and poverty, things are never going to change. China faced many problems 30 years ago but they worked hard to change things.They implemented a successful economic reform program and started benefiting from the greatest natural resource ever, humanbeings. If we showed afro-pesimism then Africa will remain the poorest continent on earth. If others show pesimisn, it affects me because there are afro-pesmists than optimists.
The warner brothers studios are not owned by the warner family anymore however, Betty Warner was able to get us on a VIP tour. I saw things I never dreamed of seeing. The cafe where many episodes of Friends were filmed, the streets where they walked, the park where they sat. I saw the hospital where Chicago Hope was filmed. It was amazing to be there and to see the places where my favorite actors and actresses spend many hours for many years.
After eating lunch with such important figures and visiting Warner Brothers. I felt grateful for being on this trip because I'm doing things I will never be able to do with parents.
Carpinteria will be missed
We are back to Carpinteria. We are back to the Beach House where we spent lovely times and shared nice memories. We spent a whole week in Carpinteria before, I got so used to the beach house, to the beach and to Virginia and Joan. It's ok to leave a place but when you are sure you won't be back in such a long time, it's sadening. I had to go back to the places I won't see in a long time. We went to The Coffee Bean where I had coffee a few times during our stay there, to Giordana, the pizza place we visited before and the street where we spent our Saturday Night Out.
At the Coffee Bean, we all asked about the Save Darfur cd. Apparently, they ran out of it. I was sad and happy to hear that. I was sad because I wanted a copy of the CD and I was happy because people were buying it. At the Pizza place, we interacted with the Mexican employees. This marked one of the last interactions with latino's this trip for all of us.
We sat on the main street in Carpinteria. The streets were quiet and clean. I started taking random pictures and filming movie clips of a place I'm going to miss. Memories don't fade away but pictures last forever.
At the Coffee Bean, we all asked about the Save Darfur cd. Apparently, they ran out of it. I was sad and happy to hear that. I was sad because I wanted a copy of the CD and I was happy because people were buying it. At the Pizza place, we interacted with the Mexican employees. This marked one of the last interactions with latino's this trip for all of us.
We sat on the main street in Carpinteria. The streets were quiet and clean. I started taking random pictures and filming movie clips of a place I'm going to miss. Memories don't fade away but pictures last forever.
Making a home away from home
When I went to the gas station to get water in the morning, I had a feeling that the employee there was not exactly American. He might have been a holder of the American passport but he wasn’t necessarily born or raised here. Going back to talk to him later that day proved me right.
The serious-looking employee is called Ibrahim Bakana and he was a native of Liberia. Bakana
was the research assistant of an American professor from the university of Santa Barbara in the 1980’s and his pay wasn’t in cash. Apparently, she promised to pay him back by helping him
get a scholarship to an American university. Liberia fought a brutal civil war on and off for many years and as the war seemed endless, Bakana moved to the United States four years ago and applied for political asylum. As a “dedicated” Muslim, Bakana complained that the US has many temptations. According to him, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is a big challenge not only because of abstaining from food and drinks but also because of the way women dress here. I found this very interesting because I believe that you shouldn’t give up your religious and moral beliefs to fit in a society but at the same time, if you choose to stay here you should compromise. If living in a different environment is such a nuisance, going home will be a better option. In Bakana’s case, it is not a great option but later on, I was convinced it was an option for his employer. I didn’t mind Bakana stating his opinion about how things work in the United States because it is his right to speak his mind but my biggest worry is Bakana becoming one of them extremists we see on TV. I saw a program a couple of weeks ago about a Jamaican/British Muslim who wants to impose shariah law on England. I like having freedom of choice especially when it comes to religion but I would never consider imposing my opinion on others because simply, it is my own personal opinion!
Bakana didn’t hesitate in showing his feelings when he said he misses home. I related to him when he said that. It was interesting to see a person who lives in a first world country, who has a proper job and who I suppose has some luxuries millions of people don’t have especially in our part of the world. I consider myself privileged. In fact I lived a life many people I know could never dream off. Bakana and I are both from war-torn countries. We were forced out of our war-ravaged countries to other countries. In my case, not necessarily developed countries but countries at peace. I always wanted to ask other immigrants who fled their countries because of war and instability one question, would you have considered leaving your country if it was at peace?
Personally, I think that living in your country is amazing but self-preservation is even more important.
The serious-looking employee is called Ibrahim Bakana and he was a native of Liberia. Bakana
was the research assistant of an American professor from the university of Santa Barbara in the 1980’s and his pay wasn’t in cash. Apparently, she promised to pay him back by helping him
get a scholarship to an American university. Liberia fought a brutal civil war on and off for many years and as the war seemed endless, Bakana moved to the United States four years ago and applied for political asylum. As a “dedicated” Muslim, Bakana complained that the US has many temptations. According to him, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is a big challenge not only because of abstaining from food and drinks but also because of the way women dress here. I found this very interesting because I believe that you shouldn’t give up your religious and moral beliefs to fit in a society but at the same time, if you choose to stay here you should compromise. If living in a different environment is such a nuisance, going home will be a better option. In Bakana’s case, it is not a great option but later on, I was convinced it was an option for his employer. I didn’t mind Bakana stating his opinion about how things work in the United States because it is his right to speak his mind but my biggest worry is Bakana becoming one of them extremists we see on TV. I saw a program a couple of weeks ago about a Jamaican/British Muslim who wants to impose shariah law on England. I like having freedom of choice especially when it comes to religion but I would never consider imposing my opinion on others because simply, it is my own personal opinion!
Bakana didn’t hesitate in showing his feelings when he said he misses home. I related to him when he said that. It was interesting to see a person who lives in a first world country, who has a proper job and who I suppose has some luxuries millions of people don’t have especially in our part of the world. I consider myself privileged. In fact I lived a life many people I know could never dream off. Bakana and I are both from war-torn countries. We were forced out of our war-ravaged countries to other countries. In my case, not necessarily developed countries but countries at peace. I always wanted to ask other immigrants who fled their countries because of war and instability one question, would you have considered leaving your country if it was at peace?
Personally, I think that living in your country is amazing but self-preservation is even more important.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
My very own American Dream
Everytime I used to think of America. Four things will come to mind. Madonna. New York. Fast-Food. San Francisco. I considered San Francisco an icon of America. It represented so much to me. Multi-culturalism, the golden gate bridge, art and culture, roller-coaster like streets and fashionable stores. We arrived in San Francisco at 3:30 pm. After the first five minutes, I couldn't resist not thinking about living here.
We are staying at the Chateau Tivoli, a lovely Victorian bed and breakfast inn built in the 1890’s. I felt comfortable and at home at the Chateau Tivoli. Although it was a long trip and I was tired, I didn’t want to stay home. I wanted to explore the city I always dreamed of seeing. We phoned a taxi and went to one of San Francisco’s malls. During the 15 minutes taxi-ride, I was mesmerized by the cleanliness and organization of the streets of San Francisco. The city looked old but new at the same time. I saw many lovely Victorian houses , different ethnicies, art galleries and international restaurants. Things were just like I expected them to be. The mall was a good introduction to the city’s classy and unique fashion styles. There was a good representative sample of the different styles of the city . From pink hair and black clothes to long shirts and tights. From prada bags and Armani shirts to baggy jeans and extra long t-shirts. All these styles were evident at Stoneage Mall.
I sat in the food court eating and observing the different people. In san Francisco, it’s hard to miss the Asian community. They are in malls, streets, shops or even restaurants. The Asian population in San Francisco is large and prosperous. The food court consisted of 8 restaurants; four of them specialized in Asian food. The visitors were overwhelmingly Asian. Asians seemed more at home than Latino's. It could be because they are doing better in America than Latino's or because most of the Illegal immigrants are from South America so people don't look at the Asians as illegal immigrants. The Asians I heard in the mall spoke English and Chinese or Japanese. They seemed integrated yet attached to their culture and traditions. they seemed part of the American society yet part of their own society. They made me think of the true definition of integration. Did the Asians have to detach themselves from their culture and fully adopt the American way to be American? They didn't. I believe that they compromised. They took the best of the two worlds to create an integrated community that contributes so much to
San Francisco and America.
We are staying at the Chateau Tivoli, a lovely Victorian bed and breakfast inn built in the 1890’s. I felt comfortable and at home at the Chateau Tivoli. Although it was a long trip and I was tired, I didn’t want to stay home. I wanted to explore the city I always dreamed of seeing. We phoned a taxi and went to one of San Francisco’s malls. During the 15 minutes taxi-ride, I was mesmerized by the cleanliness and organization of the streets of San Francisco. The city looked old but new at the same time. I saw many lovely Victorian houses , different ethnicies, art galleries and international restaurants. Things were just like I expected them to be. The mall was a good introduction to the city’s classy and unique fashion styles. There was a good representative sample of the different styles of the city . From pink hair and black clothes to long shirts and tights. From prada bags and Armani shirts to baggy jeans and extra long t-shirts. All these styles were evident at Stoneage Mall.
I sat in the food court eating and observing the different people. In san Francisco, it’s hard to miss the Asian community. They are in malls, streets, shops or even restaurants. The Asian population in San Francisco is large and prosperous. The food court consisted of 8 restaurants; four of them specialized in Asian food. The visitors were overwhelmingly Asian. Asians seemed more at home than Latino's. It could be because they are doing better in America than Latino's or because most of the Illegal immigrants are from South America so people don't look at the Asians as illegal immigrants. The Asians I heard in the mall spoke English and Chinese or Japanese. They seemed integrated yet attached to their culture and traditions. they seemed part of the American society yet part of their own society. They made me think of the true definition of integration. Did the Asians have to detach themselves from their culture and fully adopt the American way to be American? They didn't. I believe that they compromised. They took the best of the two worlds to create an integrated community that contributes so much to
San Francisco and America.
Los Olivos
A not very quiet town with expensive shops, diverse art gallery, wineries and very European-style buildings. Los Olivos is a bit lively and is home to a more chic type of people. Next to the shop selling expensive European antiques, you can notice a few social interactions. It seems that the people living there lived there for a while or at least knew most people in the small town of Los Olivos.
Afternoon at UCSB
Today our day was a mix of Latino, Arab and African. I had the chance to visit Casa De La Raza or House of the people, a community center established to help the Latino and other immigrant communities, meet an Arab-American lecturer and talk-show host and attend the production of a live show discussing the news of Third World countries.
Casa De La Raza was built n the 60’s during the civil rights movements. The center is located in a Latino neighborhood and it combines all forms of art such as theatre and music. It also provides the Latino community and other non-Latino with legal, housing, employment and medical services. Not to mention the after school programs, cultural programs and dance competitions. Casa De La Raza was similar to the refugee centers in Cairo however; they were more funded, bigger in size and offered more facilities. The classes in the refugee centers in Egypt are usually overcrowded, not very clean and they don’t have many school tools. The classes here are big and because of the small number of students, there is better interaction with the teachers. After a tour around the center, I met Marisela Marquez, a Mexican-American professor at UCSB and one of the directors of Casa De La Raza. Marquez is a second-generation immigrant who worked hard to get to where she is now and is working hard to help other Latino immigrants through her work with Casa De La Raza and the center for Chicano studies. The conversation with Marquez made me reconsider the exact definition I had for “immigrant”. Most of the Mexican immigrants in America are here for economic reasons. In other words, they were forced to leave their country to search for better living conditions. They are simply forced immigrants. You don’t have to leave a war zone to be “forced” out of your country. You can be forced out by poverty, famine or even drought. Their reasons might be different from the refugees in Cairo but they are both forced. It's interesting how a group of people living in different continents might have similar experiences.
I also found the diverse programs offered for immigrants here interesting. For example, the ART Reach program where they educate high school students about their culture through art. I thought it was a great idea to educate the youth through creative means. It made me think about the children born to refugee parents in Cairo who know nothing about their country. They are so close to it yet they are so distanced. Some of them have parents who lived through the war there, were hurt or had a family member killed. They don’t have good memories of it so talking about it to their chidren is out of the question. one can't help but think about the positive impacts this program will have on young refugee here.
My day kept getting more interesting. I had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth Robinson, a third generation Arab-American of Lebanese descent who is the director of the KCSB radio station at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the presenter and producer of Third World News Review. Robinson was an intellectual feminist and anti-racism activist. She is a proud Arab who is as American as you can get. She is very outspoken especially about the hate acts and xenophobia towards Muslims and Arabs in America. Robinson made me feel very comfortable talking to her and she related to some of the issues I had to say such as discrimination.I told her about my experience as an African in the Middle East and she shared her experience as an Arab in America. I asked about the political involvement of UCSB students and the strong activist groups here. She told me that there are a few politically involved students but I just had to see for myself. Walking around UCSB, one couldn’t help but notice the posters and the graffiti that screams “Stop the war in Iraq” , “anti-war”, “hunger strike for the Lebanon war”. Students cared about other people who are a day plane journey away. Iraq and Lebanon are not the only countries on the minds of the students there; the “Save Darfur” t-shirts can be seen too. When I saw a girl wearing the green Save Darfur t-shirt, it just reassured me that the American civil society cares about what’s happening in the world.
Robinson told us a bit about her public access tv talk show but hopefully, we were able to be there, watch her present and watch the directors and others do their job. The content of the show was interesting for me. It was about Nigeria, a country I was reading a book about, racism in France and anti-Muslims attacks in Britain. Every topic meant something to me and I was glad that they were informing the American public about topics that should be significant to everyone.
Casa De La Raza was built n the 60’s during the civil rights movements. The center is located in a Latino neighborhood and it combines all forms of art such as theatre and music. It also provides the Latino community and other non-Latino with legal, housing, employment and medical services. Not to mention the after school programs, cultural programs and dance competitions. Casa De La Raza was similar to the refugee centers in Cairo however; they were more funded, bigger in size and offered more facilities. The classes in the refugee centers in Egypt are usually overcrowded, not very clean and they don’t have many school tools. The classes here are big and because of the small number of students, there is better interaction with the teachers. After a tour around the center, I met Marisela Marquez, a Mexican-American professor at UCSB and one of the directors of Casa De La Raza. Marquez is a second-generation immigrant who worked hard to get to where she is now and is working hard to help other Latino immigrants through her work with Casa De La Raza and the center for Chicano studies. The conversation with Marquez made me reconsider the exact definition I had for “immigrant”. Most of the Mexican immigrants in America are here for economic reasons. In other words, they were forced to leave their country to search for better living conditions. They are simply forced immigrants. You don’t have to leave a war zone to be “forced” out of your country. You can be forced out by poverty, famine or even drought. Their reasons might be different from the refugees in Cairo but they are both forced. It's interesting how a group of people living in different continents might have similar experiences.
I also found the diverse programs offered for immigrants here interesting. For example, the ART Reach program where they educate high school students about their culture through art. I thought it was a great idea to educate the youth through creative means. It made me think about the children born to refugee parents in Cairo who know nothing about their country. They are so close to it yet they are so distanced. Some of them have parents who lived through the war there, were hurt or had a family member killed. They don’t have good memories of it so talking about it to their chidren is out of the question. one can't help but think about the positive impacts this program will have on young refugee here.
My day kept getting more interesting. I had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth Robinson, a third generation Arab-American of Lebanese descent who is the director of the KCSB radio station at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the presenter and producer of Third World News Review. Robinson was an intellectual feminist and anti-racism activist. She is a proud Arab who is as American as you can get. She is very outspoken especially about the hate acts and xenophobia towards Muslims and Arabs in America. Robinson made me feel very comfortable talking to her and she related to some of the issues I had to say such as discrimination.I told her about my experience as an African in the Middle East and she shared her experience as an Arab in America. I asked about the political involvement of UCSB students and the strong activist groups here. She told me that there are a few politically involved students but I just had to see for myself. Walking around UCSB, one couldn’t help but notice the posters and the graffiti that screams “Stop the war in Iraq” , “anti-war”, “hunger strike for the Lebanon war”. Students cared about other people who are a day plane journey away. Iraq and Lebanon are not the only countries on the minds of the students there; the “Save Darfur” t-shirts can be seen too. When I saw a girl wearing the green Save Darfur t-shirt, it just reassured me that the American civil society cares about what’s happening in the world.
Robinson told us a bit about her public access tv talk show but hopefully, we were able to be there, watch her present and watch the directors and others do their job. The content of the show was interesting for me. It was about Nigeria, a country I was reading a book about, racism in France and anti-Muslims attacks in Britain. Every topic meant something to me and I was glad that they were informing the American public about topics that should be significant to everyone.
Monday, July 30, 2007
The Campfire songs we never learned
The first thing that come to my mind when we entered Oakhurst, is do people actually live here? The idea of people living here seemed like a vague idea for some reason. It was just too far and isolated for me to imagine it as an actual town. America is huge. It is home to many cities and towns. Different states have different populations and California is the most populous state. At least 40 million live in California. Oakhurst was a small town and the possibility of an Arab living in such a small town was very slim. Let’s not forget that nothing is impossible. George, a middle-aged Lebanese man owns Katie’s Kitchen, a restaurant he bought from a retired woman. He first moved to America in 1981 and is as American as everybody else. The fact that he loved America , the life style in America and the American people made it easier for him to assimilate into the American society. George felt more American than Lebanese. It might be because he lived in Lebanon during the war and his memories about it are distorted or because America gave him the opportunities and luxiries he didn't have in Lebanon.
George’s opinions are usually blunt and if you didn’t pay close attention to what he said, you might misunderstand it. For example, George voted for President Bush twice. He bluntly said that he loves him and he considers that America did liberate Iraq from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. For some reason, I had a feeling that he didn’t say that because he really believes in it but he just said it because he feels that as an American citizen, he should agree with everything the president does and he should support America no matter what. I talked to a lot of Americans about Bush and many Americans don’t like him and many others don’t support the Iraq war but George is a different case. After all, George is an immigrant and he is one who badly wants to assimilate and become American. He might feel that if he didn’t support America (even if America’s position is wrong), he will not be considered American enough.
In the afternoon, we went to meet Johnny, a fisherman and local locksmith we met the day before. Last night he asked if he could take us on a boat trip and we agreed. We drove to the Pines resort. Most of the houses located there were big, luxurious and classy. Again, I noticed that most of them had the American flag in their front yard. Americans seem to be very proud of their country. I’ve seen more American flags during this trip than Sudanese flag I saw all my life. When I have my own house. I will get two Sudanese flags. One for my front yard and one for my backyard. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be proud of my country and like my flag. The flag is a simple of independence and unity. It shouldn’t be limited to Embassies and ministries. Americans know what I'm talking about,
Our boat trip was rough but I felt totally comfortable. I don’t think it is because I was with a bunch of professional swimmers. I was just more comfortable with water now. I finally felt that I’m getting over my phobia. I didn’t feel scared anymore. For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed a boat ride.
The night was totally American. After eating a very American dinner we got ready to do S’mores. We stood around our little fire and roasted our marshmallows. After that, we put chocolate bars on graham crackers and ofcourse our melted and sometimes burned marshmallow on top. Campfires are always accompanied with songs. Real American campfire songs. Janet and Brooke shared some of their childhood camp songs. I always thought of camping and summer camps as an American thing. It was a special event remembered by every American adult and longed for by every child. I finally experienced it but I just wish I knew some of the songs. The girls made me reconsider this. They started singing British songs and Egyptian songs. Afterwards, it was my turn to sign a Sudanese song. I did. I didn't even know that I know this song by heart. Mabye campfires are Americans but they definitly can be international if you want them to be.
George’s opinions are usually blunt and if you didn’t pay close attention to what he said, you might misunderstand it. For example, George voted for President Bush twice. He bluntly said that he loves him and he considers that America did liberate Iraq from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. For some reason, I had a feeling that he didn’t say that because he really believes in it but he just said it because he feels that as an American citizen, he should agree with everything the president does and he should support America no matter what. I talked to a lot of Americans about Bush and many Americans don’t like him and many others don’t support the Iraq war but George is a different case. After all, George is an immigrant and he is one who badly wants to assimilate and become American. He might feel that if he didn’t support America (even if America’s position is wrong), he will not be considered American enough.
In the afternoon, we went to meet Johnny, a fisherman and local locksmith we met the day before. Last night he asked if he could take us on a boat trip and we agreed. We drove to the Pines resort. Most of the houses located there were big, luxurious and classy. Again, I noticed that most of them had the American flag in their front yard. Americans seem to be very proud of their country. I’ve seen more American flags during this trip than Sudanese flag I saw all my life. When I have my own house. I will get two Sudanese flags. One for my front yard and one for my backyard. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be proud of my country and like my flag. The flag is a simple of independence and unity. It shouldn’t be limited to Embassies and ministries. Americans know what I'm talking about,
Our boat trip was rough but I felt totally comfortable. I don’t think it is because I was with a bunch of professional swimmers. I was just more comfortable with water now. I finally felt that I’m getting over my phobia. I didn’t feel scared anymore. For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed a boat ride.
The night was totally American. After eating a very American dinner we got ready to do S’mores. We stood around our little fire and roasted our marshmallows. After that, we put chocolate bars on graham crackers and ofcourse our melted and sometimes burned marshmallow on top. Campfires are always accompanied with songs. Real American campfire songs. Janet and Brooke shared some of their childhood camp songs. I always thought of camping and summer camps as an American thing. It was a special event remembered by every American adult and longed for by every child. I finally experienced it but I just wish I knew some of the songs. The girls made me reconsider this. They started singing British songs and Egyptian songs. Afterwards, it was my turn to sign a Sudanese song. I did. I didn't even know that I know this song by heart. Mabye campfires are Americans but they definitly can be international if you want them to be.
Santa Ynez
Santa Ynez is a quite and serene but very small version of a western style town. It is a small town in the Santa Ynez valley where the only other things you can see other than the beautiful greenarysare parked cars, almost empty streets and a few shops. There are a bunch of farm houses and ranchs there. additionally, some buildings look very modern but not as modern as Santa Barbara. The only people you see on the streets of Santa Ynez are workers and a couple of others.
Leaving Yosemite and the aftermath
Leaving Yosemite was difficult. Bass lake was beautiful. Relaxing. It insipired me to do a lot of writing.. It represented a lot of things to me. Most importantly, peace of mind and starting to get over my water-phobia. Finally, after a whole week, we were ready to leave. We packed the car with our excess luggage and drove off. The saddest thing for me wasn’t leaving but simply not being able to return to this place for sometime.
We drove away from the Miller’s Landing and away from Yosemite. We drove for hours until we reached our Motel. It is called " The Days Inn motel " a nice motel located near Solvang. Later that afternoon, we left the hotel to go eat Lunch. We ate at Andersen’s, a Danish restaurant. The hotel is full of stores selling Danish souvenirs and goods. It seems that the Danish exported their art,food and other traditional things to neighboring towns.
Mabye some of them went to other towns after they started Solvang. People say that you can buy whatever you want nowadays because of Globalization. I’m saying that if Globalization occurred in the last few decades then what do they call Danish products being available in the United States. When a group of people immigrate to another country they tend to take local things with them. This makes them not forget their roots and more in touch with their heritage. The Danish did that in Solvang. Since many communities did that , immigrants did influence globalization. If the Chinese didn’t immigrate to America, American’s wouldn’t have known fortune cookies and if Americans didn’t work and travel to the Middle East, Nike wasn’t going to be such a popular brand there. When immigrants go somewhere, they leave their imprints there. This is the real Globalization. When you travel somewhere very far and still feel at home.
We drove away from the Miller’s Landing and away from Yosemite. We drove for hours until we reached our Motel. It is called " The Days Inn motel " a nice motel located near Solvang. Later that afternoon, we left the hotel to go eat Lunch. We ate at Andersen’s, a Danish restaurant. The hotel is full of stores selling Danish souvenirs and goods. It seems that the Danish exported their art,food and other traditional things to neighboring towns.
Mabye some of them went to other towns after they started Solvang. People say that you can buy whatever you want nowadays because of Globalization. I’m saying that if Globalization occurred in the last few decades then what do they call Danish products being available in the United States. When a group of people immigrate to another country they tend to take local things with them. This makes them not forget their roots and more in touch with their heritage. The Danish did that in Solvang. Since many communities did that , immigrants did influence globalization. If the Chinese didn’t immigrate to America, American’s wouldn’t have known fortune cookies and if Americans didn’t work and travel to the Middle East, Nike wasn’t going to be such a popular brand there. When immigrants go somewhere, they leave their imprints there. This is the real Globalization. When you travel somewhere very far and still feel at home.
Around San Francisco in 4 hours
I had to be ready in 10 minutes. Whoever said shopping is fun is not lying but it is also exhausting. I wanted to sleep in and write about Fresco in my Blog but I just had to go to the tour. I didn’t feel like I wanted a tour around San Francisco and four hours is too much for an impatient individual like myself. I ended up going on the tour and it was worth every single second and every single dollar. I wholeheartedly believe that the tour is designed to make you want to live in San Francisco. It makes you love the city and makes every other American or global city boring. It’s the city they should show people applying for a green card. It's the city you should visit on your honeymoon. It’s the city you should grow old, have children and spend your summer in. It’s the city you should visit before you die.
Our tour guide was called Sergio, a Brazilian of Italian descent. He was proud of being Brazilian but at the same time, kept some of his Italian heritage and learned his language. He lived here for 10 years and he knew the city like the back of his hand.
The tour covered museums, famous streets, the beautiful painted ladies, Union Square, the Japanese tea garden and many more. Like I expected, Fresco is a very intellectual artistic city. It is home to many diverse museums. The museums represent the different cultures in the city for example: - The Asian Arts museum.
Travelling while ladies is very difficult. Although our car was big, it took us a long time to figure out where to put all our luggage. When we left San Francisco, I realized that I truely left my heart in San Francisco.
Our tour guide was called Sergio, a Brazilian of Italian descent. He was proud of being Brazilian but at the same time, kept some of his Italian heritage and learned his language. He lived here for 10 years and he knew the city like the back of his hand.
The tour covered museums, famous streets, the beautiful painted ladies, Union Square, the Japanese tea garden and many more. Like I expected, Fresco is a very intellectual artistic city. It is home to many diverse museums. The museums represent the different cultures in the city for example: - The Asian Arts museum.
Travelling while ladies is very difficult. Although our car was big, it took us a long time to figure out where to put all our luggage. When we left San Francisco, I realized that I truely left my heart in San Francisco.
Nature's Gift to People
Whoever said God's greatest gift to humans is eyesight is not joking. They should've said why though. After going to the Mariposa Grove today, I knew why. To see nature. To look at Nature, enjoy it and savor the moment. Mariposa is one of the few places that makes you look and feel very small. The enormous size and greatness of the trees makes you insignificant. Like a superstar, it grabs all the attention and everything else vanishes,becomes usual. Being there made me thankful for being able to see. I had eyes to see. To witness the beauty of nature. Looking at it,I thanked god for creating such beautiful places and I thanked God for creating such wonderful people who looked after it, appericiated it and preserved it for others.
We came back to the Miller's Landing and decided to go to Bass Lake for the first time. If you look at Bass lake the first time, the second time or even every time, you will never guess its man-made. It looks like one of nature's many gifts to humans. It's beautiful, its deep and inspiring. I don't exactly swim anywhere but Bass Lake was just too tempting. I decided to join my friends for a swim. The lake is not sandy, its muddy. Just like the Nile. It did remind me of the Nile. The Nile brings back many memories. Good memories and bad memories. Sadly, the bad memories are the first ones you think about. The Nile memories brought back to me by Bass Lake were good memories.
We came back to the Miller's Landing and decided to go to Bass Lake for the first time. If you look at Bass lake the first time, the second time or even every time, you will never guess its man-made. It looks like one of nature's many gifts to humans. It's beautiful, its deep and inspiring. I don't exactly swim anywhere but Bass Lake was just too tempting. I decided to join my friends for a swim. The lake is not sandy, its muddy. Just like the Nile. It did remind me of the Nile. The Nile brings back many memories. Good memories and bad memories. Sadly, the bad memories are the first ones you think about. The Nile memories brought back to me by Bass Lake were good memories.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Berkeley Graduate...Hopefully(13th of July)
My mum always told me she wants me to go to Berkeley for my graduate program. After checking out their Journalism graduate programs online, I considered it. After going to Berkeley, I became very serious about it. I have a variety of interests from reporting, writing, international affairs, African affairs, documentary making, directing etc and their program fitted the description of the graduate program I was looking for. I was thrilled because I was able to find what I was looking for. As we were walking around the Journalism department, I imagined myself there. After reading their inviting brochures and papers, I realized that I will enjoy being here . After going to the International Student Housing, I felt that I will fit in. There are people like me there, international students who traveled a long distance to study at one of America’s most prestigious universities. I envied them for that but I also prayed for myself to be in their shoes someday. If I wanted to join this program, I had to earn it. As I listened to the different languages in the I-House, I took a mental note that I have to work hard to be able to come here. Walking around campus I noticed that many students were wearing their university t-shirts or sweat shirts. I remembered the first time I purchased an AUC t-shirt and I told my friends about it. They laughed and told me not to dare wear it here. They thought it would be a nice sleep-wear. but I rebelled and went back for more t-shirts a week later. I didn’t see how it’s embarrassing to wear the AUC t-shirt. I know it’s not Prada, Gucci or even Ralph Lauren but it doesn’t only represent AUC to me. It represents my gratefulness to my parents because of being able to go to AUC or being able to pursue higher education at all. Something many citizens of the world only dream about.
Later that day, it was time to shop. San Francisco is a shopping paradise. You can find anything you need and don’t need here. You can spend a whole day in Union Square and not get bored. This trip was the first time I travel alone. Although I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to manage a lot of things, my top worry was not being able to manage large amounts of money. I always took my allowance in the beginning of the month but my parents were always there to give me money if I needed it. Sometimes I didn’t but their presence made me feel comfortable spending large amounts on trivial things. On this trip, I learned the value of money. Not only that, I learned that I receive so much money but I always complain about it although, most families live on this amount for a whole month. I learned that I should buy what I need first then think about what I want. After doing this for a while, I discovered that my necessities are few but my wants are countless. After all, I don’t believe that years from now I will remember the shopping I did. I will remember the things I did. I will remember the experiences, the adventures, exploring new places, talking to people, eating unusual things or even walking around new places. Those are the best things in life, the memories that will always be cherished and remembered no matter what.
I’ve heard this phrase a lot “the best things in life are free”. The best things that happened to me in California were free indeed.
Later that day, it was time to shop. San Francisco is a shopping paradise. You can find anything you need and don’t need here. You can spend a whole day in Union Square and not get bored. This trip was the first time I travel alone. Although I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to manage a lot of things, my top worry was not being able to manage large amounts of money. I always took my allowance in the beginning of the month but my parents were always there to give me money if I needed it. Sometimes I didn’t but their presence made me feel comfortable spending large amounts on trivial things. On this trip, I learned the value of money. Not only that, I learned that I receive so much money but I always complain about it although, most families live on this amount for a whole month. I learned that I should buy what I need first then think about what I want. After doing this for a while, I discovered that my necessities are few but my wants are countless. After all, I don’t believe that years from now I will remember the shopping I did. I will remember the things I did. I will remember the experiences, the adventures, exploring new places, talking to people, eating unusual things or even walking around new places. Those are the best things in life, the memories that will always be cherished and remembered no matter what.
I’ve heard this phrase a lot “the best things in life are free”. The best things that happened to me in California were free indeed.
Meeting Johnny
Today was slow and hot unlike the cool weather in San Francisco . Although the mornings are hot here, the evenings are usually cool. The highlight of our day was our almost daily after dinner walk. We wanted to walk to the end of the dock and right before we reached there, we saw a fisherman sitting there looking so focused and serious. He seemed so entertained by what he was doing and I was right. His name is Johnny, an African-American who was born and raised in Los Angeles. About 18 years ago, he moved to Yosemite, started a locksmith business and started practicing his hobby, fishing. Johnny was a bit quite yet friendly and he made us feel comfortable talking to him. He shared things but he didn’t want to go too deep. I wanted to listen to his story. I wanted to know about his life here in Yosemite and before that but he seemed mysterious. The most thing I wanted to hear about is the discrimination he faced in his life. When we told him we met many nice people and some xenophobic people. He comforted us and said he met some mean people too. Apparently, he was called names a lot in his life. I think that Johnny goes by the golden rule of treating people how you would like to be treated. Sometimes when you are mistreated many times, you become bitter and you treat everybody this way because it’s the only way you are used to. Johnny is not like that, he is kind and too clever to do so. He said that when somebody treats him well, he does the same thing but if they frown at him, he will do the same thing too.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Blast From the Past (11th of July)
We left to Big Sur in the afternoon. It was a long drive but the scenery made me stop thinking about time. Big Sur is one of America’s most beautiful places and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life. We were driving in a narrow two-lane road which worried me a bit but thw breath-taking view made my worries melt away. From the little car window I could see the endless sky-blue ocean, the mountains and the sky to my left and the beautiful green landscapes to my right. The view was captivating. It made me forget every other thing that I usually think about. It was a rare moment in my life where my mind was clear. The mind of a child who can only thinks about fun. Nothing was going to ruin this beautiful view.
We arrived at the Deejen’s Big Sur Inn, an old hotel composed of a bunch of old beautiful cabins. As I was trying to absorb the beauty of the place, I realized that the only noise I'm going to hear is the noise of nature.
The cabins were a blast from the past. Everything was authentic from the bathroom to the little guest books. It was nice reading the experiences of guests who visited Deetjen’s in the 1960’s and 1970’s and relating to them. It was nice to know how they felt when they were here. it was interesting to read why they were here. The cabins had a soothing vibe about it. The only nuisance was the possibility of raccoons visiting our cabin. As soon as I stepped inside the cabin and looked around it one more time. I pushed my worries to the back of my mind and decided to enjoy being there. I enjoyed being in a place considered by many couples the perfect honeymoon destination, the once-in-a-lifetime birthday experience and a splendid location to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
We arrived at the Deejen’s Big Sur Inn, an old hotel composed of a bunch of old beautiful cabins. As I was trying to absorb the beauty of the place, I realized that the only noise I'm going to hear is the noise of nature.
The cabins were a blast from the past. Everything was authentic from the bathroom to the little guest books. It was nice reading the experiences of guests who visited Deetjen’s in the 1960’s and 1970’s and relating to them. It was nice to know how they felt when they were here. it was interesting to read why they were here. The cabins had a soothing vibe about it. The only nuisance was the possibility of raccoons visiting our cabin. As soon as I stepped inside the cabin and looked around it one more time. I pushed my worries to the back of my mind and decided to enjoy being there. I enjoyed being in a place considered by many couples the perfect honeymoon destination, the once-in-a-lifetime birthday experience and a splendid location to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
Getting over my water-phobia
When I was 7, I was swimming in a swimming pool. The pool was located in one of Qatar's fancy resorts and we used to go there with friends all the time. Swimming in the deep water was too tempting for me not to do. I started swimming towards the deep water area and next thing you know, I was drowning and people just stood there with their hands in their pockets. In the next few seconds which seemed like hours, I was trying to call for help and finally, my sister rescued me. I was too scared to go back to the pool that day and I didn’t know that I wasn’t going to go back to the pool for over a decade again. Today we rented a barbecue boat in Bass Lake. I kept staring at the beautiful surrounding. I couldn’t stop staring. The water was so nice and I just wanted to jump in there. I had to slap myself back to awareness after this thought because I can’t swim. I can’t remember swimming and I was almost certain I will drop like a stone. Even if I floated, I didn’t want to just float. I wanted to have the full experience of jumping in the water and swimming far away. So far, our big barbecue boat will seem so small. I would turn around and wave at my professors and tell my friends to jump in the water. I couldn’t. I sat there while 3 of my friends swam around the boat. All I can do is put my feet in the water and take pictures of them enjoying their time. After contemplating this thought a few seconds, I finally decided to join my friends. In the beginning I just wanted to be in the water but after that I wanted more. I wanted to be able to swim so I asked Hagar to teach me. Hagar, Dina and Noura soon turned into my swimming tutors. They were keen to teach me how to swim. When they first started to teach me, I was resistant. I wanted to learn but I was too nervous. I had to let go for them to teach me but my nervousness made my muscles tense. They would hold me and tell me to let go. I was told to think about other things. Beautiful resort. The nice cheesecake from cheesecake factory. Simon. Instead, I imagined myself swimming happily in a lake. Swimming to a deserted sandy beach and wishing I had a camera to take pictures of the beautiful scenery. I felt alive. I stayed there for a while. Maybe I still can’t swim properly but atleast I tried. Trying and not giving up will make me get there but not trying will get me nowhere. I will keep trying until I get it right.
Chumash Day (8th of July)
The Chumash or the Islander are a group of people who inhabited Santa Barbara once for many years. Today, there are no pure Chumash left. However, some of them intermarried with Mexicans. Some of them died after being placed in reservations. After the Spanish arrived in their region, they confined them to a strict schedule of working and practicing religion. The new religion they brought in with them of course, Christianity.
The Spanish were settlers but they were also immigrants. They didn’t immigrate because of poverty but they were looking for more land, wealth and power. The Chumash were the original inhabitants of the land because they were there first. Historically, they were immigrants too. According to historical data, they immigrated from Siberia to Alaska to California through the Beningia. It could be argued that the Chumash and the Spanish have no real claim to the land because they are both immigrants but the Chumash lived there for centuries making them more attached to their land. Maybe they don’t have any legal documents to emphasize on that but there is a lot of powerful historical data ensuring this.
Later that day, we satisfied our taste buds with Chinese food. We ate at Panda Express, a chain restaurant specializing in Chinese food. It doesn’t only cater to Chinese immigrants here but it is also popular in other American communities. In the restaurant, only two families were of Chinese descent. The rest were from different ethnicities. Interestingly, the employees there were Hispanic-Americans. I’ve come to the conclusion that they are the main labor force in America when it comes to lower-income jobs. They do what other Americans don’t want to do. Make fries and hamburgers, clean McDonald’s floors and paint houses.
They do the jobs Moroccans do in France, Turks do in Germany and Pakistani’s do in England.
The Spanish were settlers but they were also immigrants. They didn’t immigrate because of poverty but they were looking for more land, wealth and power. The Chumash were the original inhabitants of the land because they were there first. Historically, they were immigrants too. According to historical data, they immigrated from Siberia to Alaska to California through the Beningia. It could be argued that the Chumash and the Spanish have no real claim to the land because they are both immigrants but the Chumash lived there for centuries making them more attached to their land. Maybe they don’t have any legal documents to emphasize on that but there is a lot of powerful historical data ensuring this.
Later that day, we satisfied our taste buds with Chinese food. We ate at Panda Express, a chain restaurant specializing in Chinese food. It doesn’t only cater to Chinese immigrants here but it is also popular in other American communities. In the restaurant, only two families were of Chinese descent. The rest were from different ethnicities. Interestingly, the employees there were Hispanic-Americans. I’ve come to the conclusion that they are the main labor force in America when it comes to lower-income jobs. They do what other Americans don’t want to do. Make fries and hamburgers, clean McDonald’s floors and paint houses.
They do the jobs Moroccans do in France, Turks do in Germany and Pakistani’s do in England.
Saturday Night Out
Today we had a very American breakfast at IHOP (International House of Pancakes). After that, we headed to the library to get some work done and use the internet. The library had about three employees. Two of them were Hispanic and half of the people in the library were Hispanics. During our stay in the library, I heard many people speak Spanish. It was interesting to see that Hispanic parents are keen on making their children join the library’s summer program. I heard a mother speaking to her children in Spanish and when I heard the children speak to the Librarian, they had a perfect American accent. In my mind, I was thinking that she is a recent immigrant but her children were born here. She doesn’t speak much English but she is keen to teach her children English and educate them. She came to America to earn more money and give her children what she never had. It could be better living facilities or more luxuries in life but I’m sure it’s a better education. We had the rest of the day to enjoy California and have a typical young American Saturday night.
I decided to get coffee from a near by Coffee place called Coffee Bean. After ordering, I noticed that they sold the “Save Darfur” CD. I’ve heard that many artists agreed to perform for Darfur and the money generated from the sells will be allocated to the displaced people there. I noticed that most of the organizations working to end the conflict in Darfur are based in America. Not to mention the activists and the rallies done here every while. I was aware of the fact that the American civil society is very active when it comes to spreading awareness about Darfur but I never saw that myself. I really appreciated this however, the feeling of helplessness started taking over me. When I walked out of the café, I sat down with the rest of the girls. A middle-aged man approached us and started talking to us. He said he was originally German but he lived here since he was 11. When I told him where I am from, he gave me a sad face and said the country is going through rough times, what’s happening there is sad. I started thinking about Darfur again. Technology is interesting. 100 years ago, it was hard to find out what’s happening in other parts of the world. But today, communication is advanced. Even if you are in America, you can still know about Darfur, see pictures and videos of the people there and imagine what they are going through. I know about the sufferings in my country. I always think about it. When I’m writing my Blog, I remember the brave female journalist in Darfur who uses a tree instead of a laptop. When I look at the lake, I remember the lake there. Al Gore said it’s drying up because of Global warming. I think about their life without this source of water in the future. Will we have a better government to provide another source of clean water for them or will they suffer again? I think about the people there when I sip coffee and remember the delicious desert made by my smiley Darfurian maid. It’s funny how the things that are so far from you are so close to your heart and mind.
I decided to get coffee from a near by Coffee place called Coffee Bean. After ordering, I noticed that they sold the “Save Darfur” CD. I’ve heard that many artists agreed to perform for Darfur and the money generated from the sells will be allocated to the displaced people there. I noticed that most of the organizations working to end the conflict in Darfur are based in America. Not to mention the activists and the rallies done here every while. I was aware of the fact that the American civil society is very active when it comes to spreading awareness about Darfur but I never saw that myself. I really appreciated this however, the feeling of helplessness started taking over me. When I walked out of the café, I sat down with the rest of the girls. A middle-aged man approached us and started talking to us. He said he was originally German but he lived here since he was 11. When I told him where I am from, he gave me a sad face and said the country is going through rough times, what’s happening there is sad. I started thinking about Darfur again. Technology is interesting. 100 years ago, it was hard to find out what’s happening in other parts of the world. But today, communication is advanced. Even if you are in America, you can still know about Darfur, see pictures and videos of the people there and imagine what they are going through. I know about the sufferings in my country. I always think about it. When I’m writing my Blog, I remember the brave female journalist in Darfur who uses a tree instead of a laptop. When I look at the lake, I remember the lake there. Al Gore said it’s drying up because of Global warming. I think about their life without this source of water in the future. Will we have a better government to provide another source of clean water for them or will they suffer again? I think about the people there when I sip coffee and remember the delicious desert made by my smiley Darfurian maid. It’s funny how the things that are so far from you are so close to your heart and mind.
Not Mexican this time but Moroccan
On Thrusday we went back to the gas station thinking we are going to get a chance to talk to the owner of the gas station and snack shop. After I finished my interview with one of his employees two days earlier. I was informed that that the owner of this place is a Moroccan Muslim. We were right; we did have a chance to talk the owner for quite a long time. Mohammed El Moussaid, a Moroccan immigrant who arrived here 19 years ago as a tourist ended up buying a gas station and marrying an American. In the beginning, Mohammed seemed like a success story. A business owner and happily married with four children but later on, the conversation was thought-provoking.
After moving to America, he went to a university mainly to learn English and of course, get a degree. After that, he climbed the professional ladder and went from working for others to being his own boss. A decade ago, he met a third-generation Lebanese-American who converted to his religion. According to Mohammed, his wife and their children are adapting to the American culture while incorporating the Muslim culture into their daily life. Mohammed troubles literally begun after 9/11.Apparently, He was accused of plotting to kill President Bush and FBI agents searched his house and store and interrogated him many times. This didn’t stop him from being a dedicated Muslim. Mohammed is in contact with Muslim and Arab organizations in California and he supports orphans and charity NGO’s back home.
What really interested me is his negative opinions about America. The most shocking thing he said was “I regret coming here”. This made me think that if he was bullied by the police and FBI agents several times, was discriminated against by people and like he said, lost some of his costumers, it’s interesting that he is still here. Moreover, he said that he is pretty wealthy and he can move to Morocco anytime he wants because he has a business there too. Why is Mohammed and his family still here?
I know that it will be hard for his children and his American wife to adjust to life in Morocco because they were born and brought up here but if their father dislikes living in America so much and feels alienated here, they should consider moving back. Mohammed is another immigrant who followed the American dream of working hard in order to live a good life and make good money. Not to mention the many luxuries and temptations of living in a first world country. Although living in your country is comfortable and nice, if you had the choice of living an easier and more comfortable life, saying no is out of the question. I suppose Mohammed didn't say no.
After moving to America, he went to a university mainly to learn English and of course, get a degree. After that, he climbed the professional ladder and went from working for others to being his own boss. A decade ago, he met a third-generation Lebanese-American who converted to his religion. According to Mohammed, his wife and their children are adapting to the American culture while incorporating the Muslim culture into their daily life. Mohammed troubles literally begun after 9/11.Apparently, He was accused of plotting to kill President Bush and FBI agents searched his house and store and interrogated him many times. This didn’t stop him from being a dedicated Muslim. Mohammed is in contact with Muslim and Arab organizations in California and he supports orphans and charity NGO’s back home.
What really interested me is his negative opinions about America. The most shocking thing he said was “I regret coming here”. This made me think that if he was bullied by the police and FBI agents several times, was discriminated against by people and like he said, lost some of his costumers, it’s interesting that he is still here. Moreover, he said that he is pretty wealthy and he can move to Morocco anytime he wants because he has a business there too. Why is Mohammed and his family still here?
I know that it will be hard for his children and his American wife to adjust to life in Morocco because they were born and brought up here but if their father dislikes living in America so much and feels alienated here, they should consider moving back. Mohammed is another immigrant who followed the American dream of working hard in order to live a good life and make good money. Not to mention the many luxuries and temptations of living in a first world country. Although living in your country is comfortable and nice, if you had the choice of living an easier and more comfortable life, saying no is out of the question. I suppose Mohammed didn't say no.
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