10 Years Later and Moving to the Middle East: Reflections on 9/11

My first day living in the Middle East will be the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.

Oddly enough, it is that heartbreaking day that set me on the trajectory to study the Middle East, Islam, and the Arabic language. Let me explain:

I cannot impress enough how September 11, 2001 has influenced and shaped my generation. The “millennials,” as many call us, have been subjected to the constant news cycle of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq – coined the “War on Terror.” I honestly can’t remember a time when the US wasn’t at war. For me, I don’t recall what a pre-9/11 world was like.

Nonetheless, I will never forget waking up that early Tuesday morning. There was a strange buzz around the house. I heard my mother and father talking about how a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I was 12 years old; I had no idea what the World Trade Center was. My parents were discussing how it was probably a tragic aviation accident. Then the second plane hit, and it became readily apparent that this was no accident. I then heard my mother say, “Oh god, a plane has hit the Pentagon.” I knew that was bad. I wasn’t entirely sure what the Pentagon was at 12 but I knew it was important. Despite this, my parents took me to school – an early morning band class – and I waited with my fellow six-graders talking about what was happening. We didn’t play our instruments in band that day. Instead we watched as the towers fell on a small TV screen, our teacher trying to explain to us what was happening.

We all know the story from there – the invasion of Afghanistan, then Iraq, the xenophobia and racism that Arab and Muslim Americans faced. That’s when the young progressive in me started to shine. Fast-forward two years to eighth grade. I was writing essays on the unconstitutionality of the PATRIOT Act, yelling every time I saw President Bush on TV, and printing out anti-war and anti-draft petitions for my classes. It was through that constant news cycle of the “War on Terror” that I realized nothing I knew or was told about the Middle East or Islam was true. So when I went to college I made the pretty radical decision (in my humble opinion) to major in Middle Eastern Studies and minor in Arabic Language. I mean really, a blonde hair, blue-eyed white girl learning about Islam and Arabic who doesn’t want to join the military? Let’s just say, it’s not that common.

Since then, I have been constantly challenged in my pre-conceived notions and own prejudices. I have come to not only love the history and language of the Middle East, but also the dynamism of its people and their unwavering hospitality. My two-week trip to Saudi Arabia only gave me a slight taste of what the Gulf has to offer. I know my five-month study abroad is only going to confirm what I feel about the region – that I love it.

It seems only fitting that 10-years after September 11, 2001 I intend to start a new life in Doha, Qatar. I know my 12-year-old self would be proud.

I am not an expat. I am a student.

I have done A LOT of reading to prepare for my upcoming semester abroad in Doha, Qatar. And by a lot, I mean a lot. I am the daughter of a librarian so it is unsurprising that I turn to research when faced with a new experience. As a result, it is imperative that I read, read, read until I know everything about the subject.

My reading has included books, articles, and many blogs. I have found blogs to be the most useful sources of information. They talk about daily life in Doha. They give glimpses into Western frustrations with the city as well as all there is to love about Doha. Unsurprisingly, all the English blogs I’ve found about living in Doha come from expatriates.

While the expat blogs (not to mention the expats themselves!) have been extremely helpful, fun to read, and overall a great introduction to Doha, I have thought about where my experiences and rather, my blog, fit in.

I am not an expat. I am a student.

Furthermore, I am a student who is going to attend Qatar University, the national university, rather than one of the Western campuses in Education City. My program through API is the first of its kind in Doha. Simply put, I am going to have a very different experience than expats. I am coming to Doha with the knowledge that I will be here for five months. In those five months, I hope to travel extensively through the country and region. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, and Muscat are already on my radar.

Also unlike most expats, I am coming to Qatar as someone who has spent her university career studying the region and language. I am coming to Qatar for Qatar’s sake. I am coming because I want to know this country and its people.

My blog will be a reflection of the fact that I am a 21-year-old female university student who is a Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic major. It will be a reflection on that I have spent countless hours reading academic articles on the Middle East, have visited the region before, and that my thesis, the crowning achievement of my major, will be focused around the lives of Qatari women at Qatar University.

I hope that my blog can give my friends, family, and anyone else an insight into life in Doha as an American university student.

PS: No disrespect meant to expats in Qatar. Y’all have been amazing to me!! And I really love all your blogs. This was just meant as a more self-reflecting blog like “Where do I belong?”

Why Doha?

Why Qatar?

Night skyline of Doha, Qatar

That is the question I’ve been asked by countless friends, family, and surprisingly, advisors.

Why do I want to study abroad in Doha, Qatar?

My advisor was baffled because he studies North Africa and doesn’t see the appeal in the hyper-modern, oil-rich Gulf. My parents were generally just concerned for my safety – especially with the recent Arab spring. My friends, most of whom have studied abroad in Europe, wanted to know why I would want to do a study abroad program where there will be no clubbing, no drinking, and worst of all, a curfew.

Yet, despite the reservations of everyone I spoke with, I have decided that Doha, Qatar is where I want to study and live for five months. I will be going with Academic Programs International direct enrollment program at Qatar University.

The reason I chose Doha is because I am fascinated by Gulf culture – where modern meets traditional. My experience in Saudi Arabia clarified two things for me: 1) I did not get enough time to explore this regions and 2) The Gulf is where it’s at. Doha is home to Al-Jazeera News, arguably one of the best news stations in the world. Even US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton (who happens to be someone I admire greatly) said, “You may not agree with it, but you feel like you’re getting real news around the clock instead of a million commercials and, you know, arguments between talking heads and the kind of stuff that we do on our news that is not providing information to us, let alone foreigners.”

Moreover, Doha is expanding rapidly, trying to position itself as not only a regional leader but a global leader. This is evident through their economic diversification as well as through their winning 2022 World Cup bid. Yet, there is a traditionalism that remains at the heart of Qatari society. It is this junction that I will be studying for my senior thesis. I will be researching gender-segregated higher education at Qatar University.

Already, I can tell I will come to love this city and its people. I have been following numerous Qatar related twitters and ex-pats in Doha. Even through Twitter, their kindness and welcoming is already apparent.

I can’t wait to go. Is it September 9^th yet?

Rest in Peace, Mr. Frye

I was going to write a blog post about how I leave for the Middle East in 22 days, but some terrible news yesterday has changed my mind.

Yesterday I found out that my high school Honors World History teacher and Mock Trial coach, Mr. Frye, has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I had been planning to visit him in the week between when I move back to Livermore and before I leave for Doha, Qatar. I was excited to tell him about my upcoming travel and all I have done and seen since starting college. I know that he would have been proud.

Mr. Frye is “that” teacher for me. I spent three years under as a pre-trial attorney for our mock trial team.  I was able to work with Mr. Frye one-on-one preparing for our competitions where I was questioned by judges. We spend countless hours working together and taking BART to Oakland.  While I haven’t decided to pursue a career in law, the public speaking skills and confidence he taught me are tools I use everyday as a tour guide at UC Berkeley. Mr. Frye meant a lot to me. He always encouraged my interests and my learning. He recognized my love of history and the social sciences. His history lessons were always interesting, funny, and insightful.

I will never forget at the beginning of our honors world history class he said, “This isn’t really a world history class. This is a Western Civilization class. The textbook and school standards don’t have you learn anything about cultures outside of Europe.” And he was right. We didn’t learn about any other regions – or only very briefly. As much as I loved history, I knew that I wanted to learn more about the places I had not been taught about in high school. Thus, my decision to major in Middle Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley.

Mr. Frye was more than a teacher. He was a mentor to me and one I will never forget. I am following in his footsteps, preparing for a career that is based in history and the social sciences. The gift of learning and support he gave me and all of his students is unmeasurable. He will be so missed.

It is rare that a teacher impacts students lives so greatly. Mr. Frye will live on in the accomplishments of his students. I know he will in mine.

Rest in peace, Mr. Frye.

Sunburns and Sand – Continued days in Paradise

Logray and Obi playing together, aww

I haven’t been so great about this whole posting a blog everyday thing. It’s probably because I am literally in paradise, and when I get home, I don’t usually want to get on a computer. It has been perfection to just relax and get away from it all. It has been a long time since I’ve really had a vacation like this one. While I’ve certainly traveled extensively in the last three years of college, all the trips have been work related. There hasn’t been much time to just sit and do nothing like there is here. And wow, I’ve really been doing nothing!

I said to my family, it feels like everyday we do nothing, eat, go to the pool, eat, go back to the spa, eat again. It is all about relaxing and eating. Probably not the healthiest lifestyle but certainly enjoyable for a week and

Best brunch ever!

a half.

Here is a quick overview of the last few days!

Sunday

We had brunch at the Hyatt. It’s a massive, wonderful Sunday brunch. Oh yeah, and it is endless champagne. So… y’know… I might have had a few glasses of champagne! But hey, I’m on vacation, aren’t I? Particularly, the tempura was delicious. It was truly an extravagant meal! After, we all went to the pool. It was the first day my parents stayed at the Hyatt, so we finally had access to the pool. WOW! Such a gorgeous pool. I loved being able to just lounge around  and work on my tan! Plus, there is an incredible spa

Suicide Cliff

that we could use too! A steam and dry sauna, hot tub, warm pool, and COLD pool. It was so relaxing to go from one to the other. I never want to go back.

Monday
Monday began with a lot of sight-seeing having to do with WWII. During the war, Saipan was controlled by the Japanese until the allied forces came in and took the island back. But obviously, that was a long and bloody process. There are hints of the war all over the island. At the beaches, you’ll find a coral covered tire or see a tank off in the distances. What is most upsetting is Suicide and Banzai cliffs. Right before the US took the island back, Japanese forces told all the Japanese on the island, including women and children, to kill themselves before the US could take them as prisoners. The Japanese believed that the US forces would torture them/do other awful things. So thousands of people, entire families even, jumped from Suicide and Banzi cliffs.

Banzai Cliff

We visited both. They are now filled with memorials in English and Japanese, calling for remembrance and peace. They are very quiet and somber places – as they should be. We also visited Bird Island, which is just a gorgeous island off of Saipan where many birds go. It’s a sanctuary space, so it’s well taken care off. Thank goodness because it is lovely.

Battlements at the WWII Japanese Last Command Post

Best of all on Monday, I had my first massage! Now I don’t usually share prices, but I got a 90minute full-body massage for $30. Wow! It was so relaxing and just what I needed. I just do not want to become addicted to massages, now.

Tuesday
Tuesday was a very boring and lazy day at the Hyatt. We spent the day at the pool. Stupidly, I laid out in the sun for far too long and got a semi-bad sunburn. It’s all healed now and has turned into a gorgeous suntan. But at the time, it hurt pretty badly. Thank god for aloe vera. I also went to see “Bridesmaids” with Janelle. TOTALLY hilarious and worth every penny!!

Wednesday
Early Wednesday morning, I took it easy because I had a small bout of food poisoning that night. All better though! We visited Forbidden Island and Lau Lau Bay. The former is a swimming area at the south of Saipan. It is a crazy walk down a treacherous hill to get there, so we did not go down. We just saw the area from a vista point. Wow. It’s just so incredible beautiful here. Then we visited Lau Lau, which is where my brother goes to dive. There were tiny crabs all over the beach. Totally adorable. Another

Managaha at the Sunset Cruise

reminder of the war was the drive up area was probably a Japanese landing pad. It’s small stuff like that that reminds you of the terrible destruction and horrors this island saw.

Wednesday night was  a sunset cruise around Saipan. It was a decent boat ride. There was a crazy performer who was dressed up in a waky USA outfit and then a Elvis costume. It was really for the Japanese and Chinese tourists. It was cheesy but the sunset was worth it. I haven’t seen a sunset like that in years!

Thursday
Thursday my brother, father, and I visited Janelle’s third grade classroom. The kids were excited to see us. Janelle said that I was probably the first blonde hair blued eyed person some of them had seen. Saipan is mostly Filipinos, Chinese, and indigenous Chamoros and Carolinians. There are not many mainlanders on the island and even fewer blonde people so…. haha that was interesting. It was fun to talk to them about

Goats on the street!

the benefits of working hard in school and college. These kids have a tough time on the island with pursuing higher education, so I hope some of them were inspired to keep going. The rest of the day I took it easy because I was still getting over my sunburn. That night Michael, Janelle, and I visited the Street Fair which is just a lot of food vendors and some local shops. It’s just something fun to do at night. Michael and Janelle have also introduced me to “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” WOW so funny!!! I can’t wait to watch the whole series.

Friday (Friday, gotta get down on Friday)
Maybe there wasn’t so much getting down on Friday. Basically I sat at the pool and spa and did not too much except relax! After, we all came back to Michael’s house where Janelle had made a beautiful Filipino dinner

Hyatt pool

including Lumpia (fried spring rolls), pansit (rice noodle dish), and sopas (chicken soup dish). YUM YUM YUM!!! Then we played Taboo as a family. Great day!

My overall time here has been amazing and I still have two more days! It has been the most relaxing vacation. I desperately needed the time away from Berkeley, work, and stress. Saipan is such an interesting place with a rich history. Id love to be able to spend more time here learning all about it! But sadly on Monday, I have to make the 21 trek home. BLAH! Not looking forward to that trip.

In other news, I am about to buy my ticket to Doha, Qatar. EXCITING!!!!

Paradise! A day at PIC and Managaha

All the fresh fruit from the farm my brother lives on. Yum!

Wow, so my trip has been mind-blowing incredible so far! Currently, I am sitting downstairs in my brother’s home that is build with coral rock (pictures to come later) and looking out over the beautiful Lau Lau Bay. Can it get any better?

Saipan is an interesting place. For it being a US territory, the island itself is pretty run down. Most of the buildings are quite old. In fact, most of Saipan has reminded me of the rundown areas in Riyadh and Jiddah. That being said, in KSA there is massive development going on. Sadly, in Saipan the economy is pretty stagnant and nothing is happening. Tourism is down because of the Japanese earthquake. My brother keeps describing restaurants and resorts he enjoyed that are now shut down because of the bad economy. Moreover, this comes when US Congressional Republicans voted to strip CNMI and all US territories of their voting rights in House/Senate committees. Really? It just seems so petty to me.

This is the lazy river at PIC!

What is hard with Saipan, though, is that they don’t make is super appealing to tourists. First off, only indigenous peoples can own land in CMNI. While, I think this is a good policy because it is there land and it helps preserve their culture, there has been no development of condo buildings or vacation homes. Tourist prices are also pretty high – as compared with other Micronesian islands. So there is a tourist price and a local price. To get local price you need to have a CNMI license. Luckily, since my brother does we’ve been able to get that price. But without it, Saipan is an expensive island for tourists! $25 for dinner, $40 for a 10min boat ride, $60 for the water park. It’s really too bad because this place is spectacular!

The sunset at PIC! Gorgeous

Despite the bad economy, the natural beauty here is astounding. Everywhere you turn there are banana and coconut trees. Birds are always flying above. And most places on the island have an ocean view simply because the island is just so small. It’s really gorgeous. Before coming, my brother described Saipan as a semi-tropical island. No way! This place is totally tropical. It’s 88*F everyday with high humidity. Tropical fruits grow. It just looks like paradise!

On Friday the family went to the Pacific Island Club, which is a resort here on the island. We enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch and then went out to the water park. There was a lazy river. Ah! What a great way to spend the day, just being pushed around by the water. Then getting out to read for a while and then getting back in. We also went out to the beach where they had weighted down trampolines in the water. That way you could sit comfortably in the trampoline in the middle of the ocean. I had never seen this before but it is GENIUS! They need to do this everywhere. That night we enjoyed half off cocktails and appetizers at the beach bar. I tried Keraguen, which is a local delicacy. It’s grilled chicken, steak, and raw fish that you eat with a soy sauce. It was delicious! I definitely want to get it again. And I FINALLY had my first umbrella drink at the beach!!

The fantastic beach at Managaha

Yesterday, the family traveled out to Managaha, a small island about a 10min boat ride from Saipan. It has the best swimming and snorkeling on the island. We chartered our own boat there and back which was luxury! Managaha itself is paradise. I am not kidding. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The water is perfectly clear and the most fantastic blue. Pictures do not even do it justice. It is so perfect. I just spent the day in the water snorkeling around the reef line. What beautiful fish they have, too! Clear fish, iridescent fish, Tron-like fish, stripped fish, big fish! My mom even saw a reef shark, ahhh!!!!

Managaha is just fantastic. If you EVER plan a trip to Saipan, Managaha is an absolute must. The beach is just spectacular! But what I loved is that there are places to shower on the beach and wash your feet off. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas. You can buy tequila sunrises (and believe me, I did!). So it has all the pristine natural beauty but there are still modern amenities for those of us who are not great at “roughing it.”

Managaha... wow!

Last night, my brother Janelle, and I went to The Godfathers, the most popular ex-pat bar in Saipan. There are only about 2000 main-lander (aka US) ex-pats in Saipan. And from what my brother says, everyone knows everyone! That’s what the bar seemed like. While it was no Bears Lair, it was definitely a nice bar. I was able to get Stella on tap! This island mostly has Bud and MGD… so not my taste! So I was thrilled with a Stella. Apparently even the Governor will go to The Godfathers. We saw one of the local assembly representatives in there. It was a fun bar.

So far, I am having the time of my life! I never want to leave this tropical paradise.

Fresh Coconuts and Leis… In introduction to Saipan

I’ve finished finals, moving my apartment, and a looooooong flight. Finally, I am in Saipan!!!

So for those of you who do not know, Saipan is the main island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which is under US protection. It’s in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about an hour north of Gaum. Don’t worry, I had never heard of it before my brother moved here, either.

Here I am with the family right after arriving in Saipan (L-R Michael, Me, Mother, Father, Janelle)

I left Tuesday the 17th at 1pm. I didn’t arrive in Saipan until Thursday at 1am! We flew from San Francisco –> Tokyo-Narita –> Saipan. It’s about an 11hr flight to Tokyo and another 3.5hr to Saipan. Since my parents flew business class, I was able to go into the Delta Lounge with them. Wow. I never want to fly differently. I don’t mind coach seats at all but the wait time in the airport is brutal. The lounges were amazing. Quiet, beer, and food. What more would I want? Oh and free internet so I was able to watch Gossip Girl and How I Met Your Mother.

When we got into Saipan, my brother and his girlfriend Janelle (with whom he lives) greeted us with fresh made leis and mwars (head-dress). It was a fantastic first impression of Saipan. It was a bit of a bumpy drive back to the house. Most of the roads are paved in Saipan, but my brother lives in a more rural area so the road into his house isn’t paved. The house he lives at is gorgeous! It overlooks the Lau Lau Bay with an unobstructed view. Oh, yeah, and he pays less for his HOUSE that overlooks the OCEAN than I do for my one bedroom in Berkeley…… yeah I might be a little jealous.

Here I am right after the flight with my lei, mwar, and fresh coconut juice!

I had a fresh coconut when I arrived! I drank it right from the fruit, yummmm!!! Mother, father, and I were pretty tired so we got to bed soon. The next morning we woke up to a beautiful daytime view of Lau Lau Bay and freshly made banana bread with bananas picked from my brother’s property! Delicious. So my brother lives on an area called Facey Farms. It used to be fruit plantation with all different kinds of fruits. Now it has 8-9 houses and the fruit isn’t sold commercially. But, the caretaker will go out and get you some if you want it. So currently we have fresh bananas (both eating and cooking), mangoes, papaya, limes, coconut, and jackfruit.

We had a lazy first morning yesterday. We went out to lunch at 360 which is a rotating restaurant. I had some mahi mahi that was delicious and fresh! We when drove to Mt. Tapochou, the tallest point on the island. It’s about 1500ft. It was gorgeous because we got to see the entire island. It is so small! Saipan is about the size of San Francisco. It’s just incredible how lush and green this island is. I love it.

View from my brother's house

Then we went to Pau Pau lagoon, which is a beach area. The tide was SO low because it’s a spring tide. It was barely a foot high! The water was crystal clear. Wow! I haven’t seen water like that in years. Unfortunately, there were sea slugs every where you stepped. EW! We didn’t stay long at Pau Pau because it’s not really that much fun to be 50ft out but only a 1ftdeep. When we got back home, we all just relaxed on the porch, had some coconut juice, and some gauc from freshly picked avocados.

The top of Mt. Tapochou

Right now we are about go to enjoy another day at the beach and finally it will be time to sit in a beach chair, reading, with a fruity drink. I could not be more excited!

This was Pau Pau Beach! Totally gorgeous BUT the tide was soooo low

Here I am at the top of Mt. Tapochou!