1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
The program I participated was an Arabic language study abroad program in Jordan on summer 2016. Because I am minoring in Arabic and I am very passionate of Arabic language and culture, this study abroad experience boosted up my Arabic skill, in both Modern standard Arabic and Jordanian colloquial Arabic, and my understanding of Arabic culture. Taking the summer courses in Jordan also allowed me to transfer up 8 credits to language credits, of which 4 credits were transferred into my minor.
Amman downtown view
2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
It was my second time studying abroad. My first time abroad is actually right now in America because I am an international student from China. Before I came to the US, I had no knowledge about Arabs or Arabic cultures, because through my whole life I barely saw any foreigners in my city. Then I came to Ohio two years ago and started in a language center, where I met my first Arab friends from Saudi Arabia. They introduced me to their culture, cooked me their food, and taught me Arabic. From then, a desire of learning Arabic and visiting an Arabic country kept growing in my mind. This year, I finally seized an opportunity to go to Jordan and spend a summer there. Before departure, I was dreaming what my Saudi friends showed me would be what I could expect in Jordan: hospitality, kindness, and so many other virtues.
While I actually landed in Jordan, I was quite surprised that it was different from my imagination. Not saying people were not nice, just I saw another aspect of real life. There were people always wanted to take advantage form you; there were people always rude and impolite everywhere. Soon I learned, my expectation for one culture wasn’t untrue, but biased. People do generalization from the pieced information they learn and then make their judgments, and I did too. I took the part that my Saudi friends showed me as a whole Arabic culture, but I didn’t realize that even though Jordan it is an Arab country, but there are 21 more other Arab countries out there. Every one of them has there sharing culture, but they are still different from each other in many aspects. More important is I neglected the fact that we were all human beings, that means no matter where we go, there will always be good and bad part. Therefore I learned, too much idealization will not help you be more open-minded to a new culture. In order to explore more and get involved when we step into a new culture, we need to keep in mind that only coming with an unbiased mind; we will see the world more clearly. That was one of the reasons that I didn’t experience the same gap when I first came to America. I was more unbiased and open-minded that time. Even though I can’t deny that is probably some differences between developed countries and developing countries, lowing unrealistic expectation is always the key.
Roman ruins
3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
I spent 2 months with my host family and I am missing them now, along with Mansaf, Qadayef, Sumbusa, Knafeh, Muluhayya, Halava, Kabab and Koftah.
Those two months, I laughed, I cried, I complained, I learned, and at the end all the feelings conclude to: I appreciated.
I have traveled to so many places in Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum, Wadi Mujib, Dead Sea, Red Sea in Aqaba, Nebo and Jarash. I have ridden a camel, stayed a night at the camp in the desert, experienced an authentic Ramadan, volunteered in an Ramadan tent tried scuba diving and snorkeling the first time, been to the lowest point on the earth, and taken a peek of the oldest city in the world.
There were struggles. Trying to get a cab and pushing the drivers to turn on the meter were painful, but I finally got used to bargain with them and even make some chats in Arabic fluently (just in certain topics though); I was stuck with the Israeli visa after hours of waiting, but I’m proud of myself at least trying to deal with the process and made it into the embassy. Mom said:” those struggles exist everywhere, you don’t feel them just because they are well taken care of for you.” How can I not appreciate this experience and chance to live in life and learn and have fun overall?
4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
When I was staying alone on the Dead Sea beach, a boy back against the burning sun was filling up a big bottle of mud. I walked up to him and did the same beside. Later his father, a Jordanian man, walked to us and started speaking English to me. He told me that for so many years he was looking for a treatment for his feet because he got injured when he worked in Saudi Arabia. Now he’s here with his family.
“People said this mud is magical, no harm to try right?”
He, then walked down to the water, and started collecting the stones. Soon enough he returned with a small rufous round stone.
“Take it, it will bring you good luck.”
All of a sudden I felt the warmth, it was even warmer than the 99-degree sun. Encountering strangers and hearing their stories about their astonishing lives make up a great part of my traveling experience. I also met an American teacher on the beach, who has been teaching in Bangladesh for 2 years and has traveled alone to the Dead Sea on her vacation. We took each other pictures, and she told me she’s leaving for Egypt tomorrow in the very early morning. She said:
“It’s nice meeting you, see you later…I mean, maybe we will see somewhere in the world.”
That, is where I believe “good people are everywhere”
Wow these photos are amazing! Who took them?