YES!

YES!

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program is the reason behind this blog.

The program was found by the US Congress after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The program is funded by the US Department of State for it offers high school students (ages 15-17) a full scholarship to go the United States and live with an American host family while attending an American high school. The YES program is found in about 40 countries mainly in the Arab world and the Muslim world.

While being on the YES program, students gain life long skills such as leadership skills, communication skills and much more. YES students become ambassadors of their home countries while being in the States for they teach Americans about their culture, traditions, believes and details of the daily life. At the same time, YES students learn about the American life style, traditions, holidays and activities.

Since the participants of the YES program are between the age of 15 and 17 years, it is no question that it impacts them on a wide scale. For one thing, students become more mature and gain the skill of adapting to new situations they face in real life. The YES program takes the students out of their comfort zone by sending them to live with a host family different from their birth family so they have to be flexible enough to adapt. Also, attending an American high school could be very intimidating for most since American high schools are in general very different from high schools back home, thus by being put in a new environment with complete strangers teaches students how to build new relations and deal with different people. Moreover, the YES program provides students with leadership skills. Students participate in a very wide range of activities that help students with these skills such as presenting about their home countries, volunteering, sports and much more. Also, the YES program opens not only participating students but also the society around them to diversity. While being on the program, students meet people from different races, backgrounds, religions and learns to accept them while they accept him/her in return. In addition to that, the YES program gives the students independence and a sense of responsibility. Although students have a huge support system while being in the States; from the host family to the community representative to the community itself.., it is the student's job to get the most of the YES experience. From managing pocket money to choosing the right courses, every single detail of each day teaches the students something about independence and responsibility. Most importantly, the YES program boosts the student's self confidence to a complete new level. From the moment the student gets the "YOU ARE NOW A YES STUDENT!" , self confidence starts to build up. The feeling of accomplishment is very rewarding to oneself. Meeting new people, gaining a new family, changing someone's life and one's own life are only few among many reasons as to why YES students build self confidence while being on the program.

Although some think that coming back home is the end of the journey, it is in fact just the start. The mission of YES students never ends. After coming back home, students teach people about the American society and people. Students also take the skills they gained while being on the program and implement them to projects in their home countries. YES students become active members in their societies and help improve their country via community service projects done with other YES alumni or even individual efforts.

The YES program isn't about spending one year abroad, coming back home and that's it. It is much more than that. Not only does it transform students from teenagers to responsible effective members of their societies, but also widens their options for the future. For instance, the YES program opens the eyes of the students to options they didn't know they existed before. The YES program provides students with a large social network with people in different areas of the world and different majors. Also, the YES program encourages students to take control and lead projects that in direct and indirect ways prepares them for future jobs.

The YES program changed my life in ways can't be put into words. I am very thankful to have been able to be part of it.

Thank you YES, thank you US, thank you all for believing in me.

*To read more about the YES program, kindly visit the link :
http://yesprograms.org/

**To read more about my personal experience, kindly check out my other posts that I hope you find interesting.

Trick or Treat?

Attending a private school with students from all religions, we got to know about the different holidays and traditions of each religion. One of the yearly events that took place at school was the Halloween custom party. Students and staff would dress up and there would be a custom competition followed by a dance and candy distribution. In addition to that, I always watched American movies about Halloween so it wasn't a new idea for me. I always wanted to go "Trick or Treating" and going to the States I got to do it.

Every weekend throughout my exchange year was a new adventure for me. We would go out as a family to visit a new city/state, try new activities, have fun all together. As days of October flew by, people were getting ready for Halloween (which is October 31).

Volunteering was a major part of my YES experience and fortunately Halloween gave me a chance to volunteer while having fun and being introduced to some of the American culture. Being an active member of the YSL (Youth Service Learning) club, I had access to unlimited volunteering opportunities. One of these was volunteering to carve pumpkins for the local zoo. The moment I saw it, I signed up for it for I knew it would be a great chance to not only help out but also get to know more about the Halloween traditions. I remember that my host dad went with me and volunteered as well. I have to admit, the whole carving thing was totally new to me and I had a rough start! I had no idea what I was doing but with the help of my host dad I eventually got the hang of it and enjoyed it. It was so much fun making all these different faces with the pumpkins and getting creative. However, getting all the stuffings out from the pumpkin wasn't that fun to say the least. My host dad and I had so much fun and I gave him some serious laughs when I was so confused and lost!

During the weekend of Halloween, we went to Hutchinson, Minnesota to meet the family at our aunt's house. It was so much fun especially that everyone was welcoming and loving. When it was time to go out for trick or treat, I figured that I would go with them to see the kids and enjoy cite seeing around town with all these spooky houses. To my surprise, everyone suggested that I should get into a custom and go out knocking on doors like the kids! As much as I wanted to go, I was too shy and felt awkward for I was almost 15 years old. My host parents insisted on me and gave me the cutest custom ever. I was going to be "Winnie the Pooh" !! After becoming Pooh bear, I grabbed my candy bag and headed out with the kids and their parents.

Everything looked scary in a creative way. Houses decorated with orange lights and ghosts. Front yards gave the illusion of cemeteries and graveyards. It gave me the chills but in a cool way. I felt like I was inside a Halloween movie! Kids and their parents were all over the place with all kinds of customs and outfits. There were the cartoon characters, super heroes, witches,vampires, ghosts... everything. We went all over the neighborhood knocking on doors saying "Trick or Treat?!" and we would get tons of candy and chocolate. It was a real blast.

After we finished our round, we headed back to the house. The whole family was there and everyone shared laughs and jokes. We all checked the candy we collected and enjoyed it!

The next day we went and spent it at the Mall of America. It was HUGE! We had so much fun and did lots of shopping as usual. I also got to run into some Arabian employees over there. It was like the icing on the cake getting to meet someone from back home and speak Arabic with.

As much fun as the entire Halloween weekend was, the best part was after Halloween. All stores put all the chocolate and candy on some serious sales! I went and grabbed all the chocolate I could but I did save some of them for my siblings for when I came back home!

Al Hajj and Adha

Faith is in the air warming our hearts, everyone is asking God for forgiveness; it is the Hajj and Adha time of the year.

***The information in this post is very brief and summarized to keep it simple and straightforward. There is much more to the Hajj and Adha than is mentioned here.*** 

To begin with, "Adha" (أضحى) is an Arabic word meaning sacrifice. However, in the religious concept means to "worship God by doing the rituals in a specific place at a specific time." As for the place, it is Mecca in Saudi Arabia. As for the time, 8th to 12th of "Dhu Al Hijja" (The last month of the Islamic lunar calender and it means "Possessor of the Pilgrimage.") The Adha Holiday comes during the season of Hajj-10th of Dhu Al Hijja.

*Pilgrims (Al Hujjaj) are the people that are answering God's orders to go to the Hajj.

*Al Kaaba : it is the sacred house (also known as the Ancient House) and it is the direction to face while praying no matter where you are praying.

"Al Hajj" is the fifth pillar of the five pillars of Islam where Muslims from all over the world gather to worship God. The Hajj is a must on every Muslim who is capable - financially, physically and mentally once in a lifetime and each additional visit is optional. It is mentioned several times in the Holy Quran and the Prophet Mohammad (Blessings and Peace be Upon Him) explained it to people and taught them how it is done.

The are four basic essential steps that MUST be fulfilled during the Hajj.

1- "Al Ihram" : which is to intend that one is planning on going through with Hajj. Usually, the intention is in heart (As the Prophet said : All actions are by intention.) but it is preferred to be said out loud.

2- Standing on Mount Arafa : and this is the most crucial part of the Hajj ceremony. Pilgrims stand there and pray all day for God to forgive them from their sins.

*Mount Arafa is the location where Adam and Eve met after they were sent to Earth from Heaven.*

3- "Tawaf Al Ziyara" : it is where each person walks seven times counter-clockwise around the Kaaba.

4- "Al Saei Bayn El Safa wal Marwa" : each person goes back and forth between the hills of Al Safa wal Marwa.

In addition to these four steps, pilgrims drink from the Zamzam well, throw stones (Stoning of the Devil) and visit the place where the Prophet is buried in the Madina.

The Adha Holiday is on the 10th of Dhu Al Hijja and it is celebrated by Muslims around the world. People who have been (or are still) at Hajj are required to sacrifice an animal on this day and distribute the meat to the poor.

***There are specific types of animals and some conditions for the sacrifice but I am not going to mention them due to keeping this post simple.***

During the Hajj and Adha, people say all kinds of prayers and seek forgiveness. However, there a couple of prayers that are said and carry special meanings related to the season.

"Labbayka Allahomma labbayk..Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk..Inna l hamda wal niemata laka wal molk la shareeka lak" : Oh God we are here to answer Your commands, You are the One and only. You are the One to be thanked, You are the One with the blessings with no other.

"Allaho akbar Allaho akbar la ilah illah Alla...Allaho akbar Allaho akbar wa lil allah el hamd" : God is the greatest God is the greatest He is the only God... God is the greatest God is the greatest for Him we send our thanks.

It usually preferred that non-pilgrims Muslims fast the day before Adha which is Arafa day. It is mentioned that fasting this day cleans one's sins from the previous year and the upcoming year.

Like every other Holiday, people gather and families reunite to celebrate together this Holy Day. Big feasts take place and women prepare all kinds of desserts and goodies to share with others. Children dress up and visit relatives who give them money and candy. People donate money, clothes and food to the less fortunate to share the spirit of the Holiday.

As the Adha is amost here, I ask God to forgive us all and bring us happiness and joy.
May God bring peace to the world, especially the Arabic world as it is going through tough days.

New Start?!

The moment my finals' results came out last year, I knew that the life I lived the past couple years is no longer an option. I was certain now that with changing my university, nothing will be the same as before. I was worried.

Over the summer, I started to accept the idea of this new start with the help and support from family and friends. I reached the point where I was getting excited about starting and I was actually happy again. However, turns out that I was fooling myself. All of this excitement and enthusiasm were an unconscious phase to hide the pain and bury it deep down. Little did I know that when those true feelings return to the surface, reality will hit me hard. That started to happen two weeks ago.

I was having a normal day when my friend sent me a text saying that she moved in to the dorm. She said that she misses me and that the dorms are empty and not the same without me there. I would say that this text was the spark that ignited the explosion of my inner true fears. It was one of those moments where you suddenly understand what has happened, almost like waking up from a coma.

Almost thousands and thousands of terrifying thoughts went through my head at once. Tons of questions that made no sense and were left unanswered. Why did this happen? What did I do wrong? Where did the past two years' effort and hard work go? How can two years of my life simply evaporate into thin air? .. I felt like my head was about to explode, but instead my eyes exploded with nonstop tears. It felt like the tears were acid drops burning my cheeks and chin. I was devastated. I was a mess.

With days passing by, I was getting more and more nervous about my fresh start. There were days where I would cry but for a few minutes and that would be it.

It all came down to last night. Tomorrow is the big day, new college, new people, new life, new me. I have to admit that I cried myself to sleep, but they were relieving in a weird way. I had my friends' support and they were chatting with me trying to calm me down. I am truly blessed to have all of them beside me. Somewhere between my tears and the talk with my friends, my brain eventually gave up and let me get a couple hours of sleep.

When the sun came up, I was already awake. I prayed my morning prayers and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I wanted to enjoy my coffee and get my head together but my brain wasn't going to let me have it! I was already wondering and worrying about everything. My mom woke up just in time to wake up my siblings for school and pull me away from my dark thoughts.

I got ready and waited for the bus to arrive. As if I wasn't nervous enough, the bus was running late and we did arrive about ten minutes late. Luckily, the teacher understood that it was the first day and he let the students in.

My first class was Calculus-2. Due to my bad mood, I didn't really pay attention to what the teacher was saying. I got that there would be four exams throughout the semester and he said something about a book we should get. This was honestly my first time since I can remember that I wasn't interested in what was being said. I realized I wasn't giving myself a chance to adjust and fit in. However, no matter how distracted I am, the moment the teacher starts explaining the lesson he gets my full attention. The first lesson was related to high school maths that seemed a long time ago. I found the material very easy and simple for such things were the basics to more complicated formulas. I didn't feel motivated to participate.

Second period was my elective course; Introduction to Community Health. It seemed very interesting and it was a chance to learn about a different domain than engineering. General knowledge and being able to discuss topics that are not related to my major is definitely very important to becoming a successful member of the society. I hoped that this class would give me this opportunity and judging by the introduction it seemed like I was on the right path.

During my break, I ran into an old classmate/friend from school. We got the chance to talk a bit and catch up. I was running into new people everywhere I looked but I wasn't ready yet to make new friendships. I was still hanging on to the past two years and I was feeling "homesick" to the dorms and my friends at my old uni. I just had to give myself sometime. "Rome wasn't built in a day", so I wasn't going to forget everything in one day.

Composition and Research Skills was next. I was honestly excited for this one class for several reasons, mainly that the section instructor was my former teacher back in school and I have always loved and respected her. When she gave us the introduction about the course and some of the class rules, she sounded strict. I myself love rules so I was glad to hear all that! The best part was her fluent English language; it has been a long time since I have heard someone speak like this. I just love it and specifically I love and enjoy having a conversation with someone like that. I miss practicing my English. All the discussion that was taking place was amazing. When class was over I realized that I was going to enjoy this course for she mentioned that we will be writing many essays and like I mentioned before writing has become more of my hobby.

AutoCad was my last for the day. The teacher explained to us the importance of this course as Engineering students. It really caught my attention. She did mention that there will be tons of assignments that must be handed on time. That motivated me even more, I was ready to get busy studying. However, she kept on saying that "time is our enemy in this course". I had to disagree for we were the ones to decide if time is our friend or enemy, but I didn't say a word. Seems like there is so much to learn in this class and I was excited to start learning.

Overall, the day was much better than I expected it to be. My classes seemed interesting; in general some more than others. I still feel that there is a hole in my heart that hurts, but I am not going to give up on myself. I am going to give it my best and hope for positive outcomes. Looking forward to building new friendships but when the time is right. I must not push myself over the limit so that I don't crash again yet I will absolutely do my best.

Tomorrow is a new day, new classes, new teachers. May it be even better than today, we'll see!

A Muslim In Church

The major role of an exchange student while being abroad is being an ambassador of his country and culture.

After receiving my placement information, I started contacting my host family. They told me that they are Catholic and that they went to church every Sunday. I knew it was going to be very interesting due to the fact that I am a Muslim. I have to say that Christians constitute about 40% of the population in Lebanon so I am familiar with the basics of Christianity but I have never been to a church before. Before I traveled, I asked dad whether I could go to church with my host family or not. He said well of course why can't you go? After all, all our religions are alike in a way and send a message from God about love and peace but we each have a way of delivering this message. Besides, the Holy Quran mentions them and we are supposed to believe in Jesus just like we believe in Mohammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him). He encouraged me to to go church and said that I must respect their religion first if I want them to respect mine back.

My first visit to church was outstanding. I had to ask my host mom what to wear since I didn't know the dress code; for instance when we go to the mosque or pray we have to wear the Hijab. After we got ready, the entire family got in the car and we were on our way. When we got there, we met the priest and my family introduced me to him. He was very nice and welcomed me to the church. He said it was nice to have me here. Everything in church seemed very different than our mosques. I was eager to hear the lecture for I wanted to see the similarities and differences between us. 

I honestly don't remember what the lecture was about for that was over 5 years ago! But I do remember that I honestly liked it. I paid attention to every single detail from the readings of the Bible to the songs to the wise words of the priest. There was something in particular that caught my attention. During the Mass, there was a time where the priest would tell people to greet each other. Every one would shake hands and say "peace" to the person on their left, right, in front, behind, near... It was amazing. I have to admit it was my favorite part during church at all times. The cutest thing was that my host family when shaking hands with me would say "salam" which is Arabic for peace (and can be used to greet people). It was a great feeling.

After the Mass was over, people would go up in line to eat some bread and drink some wine. When I asked what was that about, they explained to me that it represented Jesus's body and blood (if I remember well). Of course as much as I liked attending church I never participated in the praying or the bread&wine eating ritual. For one reason, wine is prohibited in Islam for it contains alcohol and it is mentioned in the Quran as something to stay away from. Moreover, I had my own prayers. I would listen to the Bible and everything while sticking to my religion.

Week after week, church became more and more interesting especially when they would tell stories that we have in the Quran. It was cool getting to know different versions of the same story while of course respecting all views. The priest often talked with me always asking me about how is everything going with me and answered questions I asked.

There was this particular Sunday where I remember I had a cold and a really bad cough. I was coughing so hard I thought about skipping church and staying at home. Somehow I ended up going to church. For my luck, we happened to have front row center seats that day. My host mom made a joke about how I am a Muslim sitting in church's first row when some Catholics were having a hard time finding a seat! Anyway, I was so worried about my annoying cough for I knew it would bother people and disturb the church. So, I did my best to control it. I held it in all the way till the Mass was over. I was so focused on my cough to the point that I didn't hear a word that morning, I was not focusing. But thanks to God, I managed to survive it without coughing until of course we went out and I almost exploded coughing. 

Not only did church give me a great opportunity to learn about Christianity and teach about Islam, but also it was a great way to meet new people who lived near by. To be more specific, I actually met a Lebanese family living in Green Bay via church! I don't know how that happened but eventually the Lebanese family contacted my host family and we met. It was a sweet bonus. 

Going to church was such an eye opening experience for me especially at that age. I was able to see that despite the differences, the religions were extremely alike. They both had the message of love, peace, and obeying God. So why do we tend to hate each other or judge each other blindly?

Dorm Life - My Girls!

When you are away from home, your friends become your family especially if they are like my friends- Dorm Friends to be specific.

The past two years were probably the roughest two years I have had so far. My college experience wasn't exactly the way I hoped it would turn out. I studied as hard as I could but my efforts never paid off. However, I don't regret going through it despite all the pain that came along because I made some lifetime friendships.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I didn't know anyone there except my childhood friend but I was building new friendships in no time. I started to know the girls in my class and more specifically those who lived on campus. At first we were only acquaintances. We would say to each other in the dorm kitchens and elevators. We would have small chats before classes started. With time, I got to know the girls more and we started to visit each other's rooms. I started to go over when I had a question about something or when I missed a class. After a month or so, we started to actually bond. We would gather to gossip and laugh, we would support each other when one of us felt homesick or upset. I started to love these girls. There were times where we would grab something to eat together before going to uni or gather for dinner. These girls were amazing. I started to feel that I can talk to them about anything. We had some differences in Religion and politics views but we would always have a civilized discussion. I started to learn new things about the way they think and their live style and vise versa.

Another circle of my dorm friends was the girls I met in the kitchen and got to know them more! Girls were very different than me yet very alike. We would hang out when we were done with our studies. There were times where we spend the night giggling or even crying on each other's shoulders. No matter how tired or busy we were, we always had time for each other. During the times of exams, they would stop by my room to check on me. After exams were over, we would have a get together to catch up again. We used to share secrets and trust each other with our lives.

We had so many adventures during the past two years, some were joyful and other painful.

I remember the hunger attacks that used to take place especially when studying. There was this one day where I finished studying a bit after midnight and I was starving. I had some hamburgers, buns & fries in addition to other types of food. I picked up the phone and called my friend. I asked if she's hungry (although we were kinda always hungry!!!) and she said yes. I told her grab the girls and come to the kitchen near my room. And here we were at 1 A.M four girls eating burgers and drinking soda. We took some videos and pictures for the memory. Those moments were priceless.

There was also the neighbor friend circle too. The girls in the same floor were amazing. We would meet by coincident in a room and meet new girls. It would start by one girl going to her neighbor to perhaps borrow something and by chance another girl would come. Then she would call her roommate to come over. Some girls would hear the sound coming from the room so they would join them too. As for me, it would be when I am headed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and I would see the door open so I would stop by and say hi. These gatherings usually happened in the evening since everyone would be in there rooms. There were times where we would have a 10 minute conversation in front of our doors until someone would tell us to keep our voices down. We would giggle and head off to our rooms since that usually happened after midnight, yes they had the right to tell us to keep calm but we barely had time to actually sit down all together.

Honestly, there is not enough space or enough words to describe how wonderful the girls are. We were literally family. We lived together, ate together, laughed together, cried together. During the past two years I met so many girls and most of them became my friends. We had tons of fights but within no time we would go back to being friends. We never held a grudge against one another. The day I knew I was transferring schools, I was upset. I knew I was going to miss my dorm friends. I know that I will be in touch with most of them and that I will still see them but it will be different. I can't stand the idea of college life without them around.

I miss my girls but I will always love and cherish them. They mean to me more than I can express and the time we spent together is very valuable to me.

Navy, Columbia Blue & White ... Here Comes The Pirates!

After I got the news that I was accepted to be a part of the YES exchange program, I was placed with the Leitermans in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The placement information also said that I will be attending Bay Port High School. There was a link to the school's website so I checked it out. I was very excited to attend there especially that it was my first year in high school since in Lebanon, high school is grades 10,11 and 12 unlike the States where 9th grade was also in high school.

The first time I went with my host parents to see my new school I was both excited and nervous. We met with the principal who was very welcoming and nice. He explained to us the rules and how the system works at the school. He told us about all the activities and clubs they had and encouraged me to participate as much as I can. He told me that the Bay Port mascot was the Pirate and that the school's colors were navy, columbia blue and white, or in plain english blue and white! Afterwards, he gave us a tour and showed us where everything was located such as the library, the gym and the auditorium. I was so confused and felt already lost for the school was huge! It was nothing like our high schools back home. I would have to run back and forth between my classes whereas back home we would stay in the same room all day and teachers would come over. I had to learn my locker combination and get to know how to unlock it, I never had a locker before! When the tour was over, we went and met my counselor who helped me choose my classes and set up my schedule. As an exchange student, I was registered as a senior that way I can take almost any class I want. I tried my best to take as many courses similar to what my friends back home were taking so that when I got back I wouldn't be behind. That was a bit challenging since the academic system varied widely between the States and Lebanon.

I remember that my first day was September 1st, 2008. I knew it was going to be a serious challenge since not only did I not know anyone yet, but also it was the first day of Ramadan (the Holy month where we as Muslims would fast from sunrise to sunset). 

My host dad offered me the night before that he would walk me to the bus stop since all of this was new to me. He made sure that I knew what my bus number was so that I don't end up God knows where!! After I got on, I sat on an empty seat by myself since I didn't know anyone. Once I got to Bay Port I went to the main office to get some help getting around. Although I had already had my schedule with the color coded map of the school I was still lost. I was happy to know that they had assigned me two lovely girls to help me throughout my first day and make sure I would be in class on time. Tardiness was never accepted and I didn't want to be marked absent on my first day. Since the girls were making sure I am where I am supposed to be, they were given hallway passes that allowed them to be out of class after the bell rang so that they can get to their classes without getting in trouble. However, as much help they provided we did face a small problem. The LOCKERS. For some reason, I had this phobia of the locker combination. I was too nervous to get the hang of it and I was losing my patience since several tries and all were a failure. Luckily, the girls were there to help.

All the teachers were extremely nice and welcomed me with warm talks. Most of them introduced me to the class since I was an exchange student and most of them have never heard about Lebanon before. I have to admit, I was nervous for I thought that I will be judged for being a Muslim coming from the Middle East. I was wrong and I send my apologies. Of course there were some students that alienated me but they were very few. Most of them were excited and had tons of questions that I was gladly answering. All the teachers were more than supportive and told me that they were ready to help me when I needed help. It was so nice to get to talk to them for I learned about their culture and they learned about mine. They never made feel like an outsider or different by any way. I also had my concerns for I thought that the teachers might have a hard time understanding what I was saying due to my pronunciation problem but I never faced that problem. They were extremely patient and listened carefully. I was so happy and they made my experience in the States so much easier. They made me feel like I belonged there. They were always motivating and encouraging me. Their positive comments always gave me warmth in my heart. I am sure they don't know that but they played a major role in building my self confidence. I was a shy person that was too scared to talk to strangers and they turned me into a confident young lady that wouldn't let anything stand in the way of her dreams. If only I can ever thank them enough. I never hesitated to ask anyone of them anything whether about school or anything else. 

I miss every single one of this amazing family at Bay Port and I know that the chances of meeting any of them again is very slight and negligible but I will always have them in my heart. I will always think of them wishing them that life treats them well. I will always be thankful for them for changing my life in a ways I never thought about. I hope that some of them get a hold of this post and think of me as someone that perhaps changed something in their lives. 

Bay Port taught me not only what is in the books, but also acceptance of the others and gave me some life skills that I will always be thankful for. 

Forever a Pirate.