Estrella

--> The power of strong mentorship begins with in childhood. The child’s first mentors will be the child’s parents, and if the parents are not present, the child’s guardian. At this young age, the mentorship relationship is more of an adult pouring into the child, but adults can learn a lot from children as children learn from adults. Mentorship is necessary to society according to the Aristotelian principle that everyone needs a mentor or a friend. If more formal mentorship existed today in American society, I believe that there would be a decrease in crime and teenage pregnancy and higher attrition rates in high school and college graduations. As it stands, the American youth is not competing as highly as it could with other developed countries in terms of education when it comes to secondary education. When it comes to youth and mentorship, it is important to protect the youth from outside forces that can manipulate the youth. Adult-youth relationshi...

“To weave was to write, and to write was to be understood.”  These are the key words from Holly Payne’s novel The Virgin’s Knot , which revolves around one woman’s gift to weave and inspire others; yet, she struggles with this gift, hoping it could eventually lead her away to freedom.  It is my desire that my words inspire others as well as free me through expression; something that The Virgin’s Knot Turkish protagonist, Nurdane, could not do. I recently returned from the Middle East, specifically Amman, Jordan, and part of my heart now lies in its deserts and open, rolling hills.  Jordan was not my first destination for a study abroad experience, but I am so glad that I did travel there despite previous reservations and preferences for other countries.  Because of a university scholarship tied to my study abroad experience, I was designated to blog for my school’s study abroad website, and that is how I found my voice through words. Writing has be...

I am currently in the midst of midterms, and I am thankful that I only have two.   Half of my classes are Arabic, one in the formal Arabic and another in the colloquial Arabic, and the other half are two elective classes: one on Islam and the other that focuses on international relations and diplomacy in the Middle East.   Yet, even as I attempt to study, there are several adjustments that I have to make. First, because I am living with a host family, I must re-learn to study in the midst of small children and others’ living spaces.   I grew up in a large family with three siblings, and I had my own desk in the quiet basement where I could do most of my work.   When it came to college, I found that I best studied in the library, where silence was mandatory, or in my room, which was quiet even if I had roommates.   Now, I am in the midst of a one year-old and a four year old who do not quite understand the necessity of silence and non-int...

Honor: it is what holds together tribes in Jordan as well in other parts of the Middle East.   It is also the reason that some kill for.   According to Jordanian journalist Rana Husseini, honor crimes are reasons for male family members to persecute and kill their female relatives for dishonoring their family.   It is in a woman’s virginity and modesty that the family honor lies.   When that specific honor is violated, then the woman’s family believes that the honor is lost. Honor crimes are not particular to any culture or religion.   There are many cases of honor crimes that happen in Arab and Islamic society, which is largely a tribal society tracing back before the time of Islam.   In Jordan, however, approximately 20 honor killings happen annually.   That’s a small number compared to the hundreds of honor crimes that happen in Yemen or in Turkey.   Many of these crimes are not mentioned to the authorities actually bec...

People in the Middle East are concerned about the future of democracy and the economy in this region.   So are Americans, and Jordanians see this.   A main topic in today's news in Jordan is what is the U.S. going to do about the rising tension between Israel and Iran and the escalating conflict in Syria?   Both issues are actually interlinked. Many Jordanians look on as the U.N. does little to intervene in Syria because of Russia and China’s choice to veto certain provisions and actions.   Yet, every day more and more refugees from Syria pour into northern Jordan, and Jordanians become more concerned as the conflict heats up between Israel and Iran, making threats at each other of bombings. Jordan earned the nickname “a rock in a hard place” because of its politalic stability, even in the midst of the Arab Spring, and its regional location between other politically unstable and threatened places.   At this time Jordanians can only s...

Some say that it's okay to be who you are wherever you are.  You shouldn't have to change your identity for the sake of societal pressures.  This expression is a product of Western culture, but the world is changing, and there more circumstances of "tolerance" in places outside Western culture.  What I would like to discuss in this topic is the acceptance of and non-discrimination against people that identify with the term LGBT or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender in Jordan, particularly Amman.  While some believe that homosexuality does not exist in the Islamic world, it does, and many people are living their lives in an “in-between” life here in Jordan.  They are no instances of "gay bashings" or "violence against gays" because the subject is not talked about in Jordanian society.  Yet, many of those who are gay can continue to live and work without discrimination in Amman as long as they do not openly flaunt or speak on their ...

My CIEE college counterparts consist of students from many U.S. states and a few parts of the world.  Most of us have the same goal of learning Arabic and becoming versed in U.S diplomatic relations with the Middle East.  More than half of the students live in a home-stay residence like mine while the other half live in apartments.  This type of living is like the high school experience where one spends most of his time at school and then returns to his house after school and activities before curfew. Many of my college counterparts in my host country are students ranging from Jordanians to Asians to Europeans and other people from Islamic states.  Although I do not take classes with University of Jordan students, my observations have indicated that they are very academic-focused but also sociable and willing to make new friends. University of Jordan students who are Jordanian seem to be very focused on academics, but their religion and fam...