Nour
crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
It
was around 5:00 p.m. when I landed in California. The first thing that came to
my mind were the lyrics from the famous song, “Hotel California”:
Welcome
to the Hotel California
Such
a lovely place…
And
indeed California is such a lovely place!
I traveled
to California to complete a summer marketing internship in a growing medical
tech company in the San Francisco area. The professional experience I gained while
there was amazing, but the cultural experience was the most memorable. I have
been fortunate enough to visit several metropolitan areas in the US such as
Washington, DC, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, and Houston; San Francisco,
however, was the most special. I fell in love with everything there: the
beautiful weather, the kind people, the peaceful ocean, and the diverse
cultural identity. I love California because it has a lot offer. If you love
the sea, the gorgeous ocean is there for you to enjoy; if you are a climber,
Yosemite’s cliffs and domes should be your next challenge; and if you are like
me, a fan of big cities, then San Francisco is your destination!
Nour visits the Sutro
Baths near San Francisco
I
met
wonderful people everywhere I went who were from different backgrounds. Everyone
from my host family members, boss, and coworkers, to the random people I met
along the way, made me feel welcome. Californians also felt incredibly happy
when I told them how much I loved their state and appreciated their
hospitality. Nearly always, peoples’ reactions to my being a Fulbright scholar
from Iraq were variations of, “Wow, that’s awesome! I really want to visit your
country one day!”
Now, my new friends in
California know a little bit more about Iraq. For example, I taught them the
word “yalla!” Yalla means “hurry up” or “let’s go” in the Iraqi Arabic dialect.
They also learned that the equivalent term of “what’s up” is “shako mako.” I
believe that the Californians I met now know enough vocabulary to survive in my
country. J
Just like California, the
US has a lot to offer as well. I find that the US has kind people and diverse
culture, and that it also provides amazing learning experiences to
international students. The famous Arabic traveler and Scholar, Ibn Battuta,
once said: “traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a
storyteller.” So “yalla” my fellow Fulbrighters, let’s try to visit as many
places in the US as we can during our time here. Every city is different and
offers tons to explore!
Nour visits the
Googleplex in Mountain View, California
Nour
is pursuing an MBA and plans to work for an international NGO in the field of
international development.
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