My U.S. Memoir: I tasted the United States and its Society-Third Part

by Mahdi Mala Abdulla

MEPIs and their host families gather to gether
for a group picture on the farewell day in Wausua

It was February 17^th, 2011 when I was nominated for the MEPI. I was in Barcelona on that day attending the GSMA Conference, The World Wide Mobile Conference, based on the Department of the State. I was so excited about that and couldn’t be happier. From that time until I arrived to the United States on June 22nd, 2011, I asked hundreds of questions from several people, read several articles and watched several movies to gain some knowledge about the American society before I got there. I had several questions that I didn’t have answer for at that time. So, I threw several questions such as, how should I act, where should I go, where should I never go in the United States to several people whom I expected that had answers for my questions. I derived all these questions from the eyes of media and the movies like the American Pie. The answers that I got for these questions were almost exactly the same as what the media and these types of movies said. The words, “Americans are cold and unfriendly,” and “America is a dangerous society,” were the words that always completed the answers for my questions. However, what was the outcome of these answers? How much those people were right about the American society?

The Second Part of My U.S. Memoir: MEPI Georgetowners as a Unique Family

MEPI Georgetwoners attending a lecture

by Mahdi Mala Abdullah
 By being a participant in the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in 2011, I feel like to be the luckiest man in the world for it was the most experienced program ever. From June 22 to July 26^th, 2011, only about a month and half, MEPI provides me a chance to get my own homes from the United States and several countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It helps me and all its participants  to understand what is going on in each of these countries. It offers me a chance to recognize the customs and cultures of several countries where the participants come from. Regardless of the academic and leadership skills that I learn from MEPI, I feel like to have my real family in several countries from now on.