So after the second year of the Salaam Program running, I have concluded that I may like the old salaam trainees better, but I have learned more from the new ones.
I learned more about my country, about AIESECers and about Americans.
The most interesting thing was the Jewish/Israeli issue that came up, as we had a few trainees that were either Jewish or Israeli.
Since I communicated with State Security about our situation I have realized that our government is not as closed minded as I thought it would be. No extra special procedures have been done for the Israeli and Jewish trainees. It was the same old thing. They were also more flexible with them going to Israel and the Westbank then previous years. One interesting comment I received when we informed them that they will be going to the Westbank, they said " westbank is Israel"
But in a nutshell, things went smoothly. My only problem was that most trainees were not very helpful in the process of communicating their travel schedule - which is a mean for us to guarantee their safety and to keep the officials updated about our activities to maintain their support.(that needed to be done for all trainees regardless of origin, religion or nationality).
The other interesting thing was seeing and hearing how people react to meeting and dealing with Jews or Israel's - it was just like I expected. And it proved that educated people are not necessarily cultured people.
Mixing the word Jewish and Israeli did not only happen with us Egyptians - but it happened when the trainees threw a Jewish dinner serving Jewish food. Sadly I couldn't attend as I was visiting my parents.
I wonder though - is there Muslim food? or Christian food? How come I have never tasted them !!
I have interacted very little with the Americans here, mostly because whenever I visited them I felt welcome by only a couple of individuals. But this little interaction gave me a better insight of what Americans are like.
Last year I thought they were amazing - and I was dying to go visit all of them in the US.
This year gave me a more realistic view.
6 comments:
You see .. you don't have a random Aussie and a random Brit to make all the random American's more fun :) Miss you Luly and can't wait to see you in India.
well, i agree with u luli in everything u said!
last year salamers r different than people in the US, well not all of them but most of them are so different, even now when i'm in contact with them in here they still change and they admit that they were different when they were in egypt!
hmmm...
We americans definitely are an interesting species.
I'm curious to find out what major differences you found between the two years' trainees. Aside from individual personalities, was there some larger behavior differnce between the groups?
You should still come visit though.
luli-
i, as well, wonder what these differences are between the two batches of trainees.
i do not know more than a few of the salaam trainees from this year, and i think only one of them ended up in egypt.
however, i am fairly good friends with most of the crew that was in egypt last summer.
i guess i can't really say which is more of a portrayal of americans. but as for most americans i know, last years group mirror many of them.
either way, you should really come to the US and get a good idea of how real americans are... that's really the only way to know. travel the country, don't just go to one or two cities, but many.
keep an open mind.. there's a new year of salaam. two out of three, judge it on that.
You can't expect EVERYONE to be as cool as us...
Maybe your different perceptions have to do with the different role and involvment you had this year. Or that last year you did not have any precencieved notions about what it would be like. Things are always different the second time- especially if you think it isn't going to be.
Oh- and by the way- you still have not come to visit!
or maybe YOU were the one who sucked??
haha... just kidding ;-)
Post a Comment