An Americans Point Of View

For my second interview I decided to interview an American to hear about his opinion of the Middle Eastern culture. What he has to say is pretty interesting so keep reading.

Q: So Nicholas, What was your first encounter with an Arab?

A: My first encounter was when I was in middle school in health class, his name was Muawiyah he was an ESL student and I was assigned to help him with his studies. 

Q: What was your first impression of that person?

A: He was very shy and very courteous.

Q: What misconceptions did u have about Arabs?

A: I thought that the language was gibberish, I thought they were from a desert place and not from a modern place. I also thought of them as angry people.

Q: Did learning more about the Arab culture change those misconceptions?
A: Due to the fact that I married an Arab-American, I would say it changed a lot. over time I realized every language means something.  Arabic uses a lot more phonological abilities, it makes use of more sounds than English so I realized that its a language not just weird sounds.  I also learned that there is this really rich culture of manners and etiquette that is advanced which is very accommodating to guests like when you go to an Arab's house, you feel very welcome and taken care of. 

Q: If there was an Arab country you would like to visit, which would it be and why?

A: Jerusalem, because of the rich religious history.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the Middle Eastern culture?

A: The treatment of guests and visitors and the close net families.