Exit from Maldives

English Club Dinner, June 25, 2010

Lunch at Mayumi's home in Ina. So good!

Breakfast at Mayumi's home. I was in heaven!

Dinner at Futaba's home - makizushi - fresh & wonderful!

I'm telling you, I am grateful to my friends!

FINALLY WRITING
I wish I had written this about three weeks ago when it happened, but as I said, life has been a whirlwind since exiting.

AIRPORT

The cost to leave was far greater than expected. The airline only allowed 20 kg! I have never experienced that in all my travels before! So, they wanted to charge me about $1,200 just for my luggage! So, after 4 people had a conference to get my weight moved to "business class" ($860 charge) and I dumped lots of gifts, personal belongings, and even sheets they told me I needed in Maldives (but didn't need), I got down to $506. Very, very frustrating to lose so many of my things.

FLIGHT

Entering Kuala Lumpur was amazing. In just 10 weeks I had forgotten what so much land looked like - and mountains! I know it sounds like I am exaggerating, but I'm not! I was so impressed to see so much land and trees. It looked amazing!

I wish I could sightsee at all the locations I fly through!

I made it to Japan around 8 p.m. and again was blown away by the size of everything - highway buses, roads, all the lights, and the buildings. I know it sounds crazy to say "Japan seems so big", but compared to Maldives - it is!

IN JAPAN

I did trips to Nagano-ken to see friends. And to Sapporo for sightseeing and to see my friend Yuko's family. I have taught 2 elementary school classes to help a friend trying to encourage English education in the school systems in the lower grades, participated in 2 classes with another friend who has an English school at her home, and taught a lesson similar to the ones I did in Malidives to my old adult English Club for comparison / research. And, I met with Yosuke concerning more editing work which is coming due within 2 weeks as well as the publisher in hopes of new jobs.

The last 2.5 weeks have been busy and wonderful. I have so many GREAT friends who have taken time to meet me, and they have just been kind to me in various ways.

FUTURE

Due to the joy of seeing everyone again and in the grim prospects of finding a decent paying job in the U.S. soon, I decided my luck was better here at the moment. Since I still have my working visa for Japan, I thought I would try for a job at a translation company (to do editing, not translating!) and/or a university. I luckily found a friend's place to rent at a low price for 2 months and will yet again change beds! One other good friend offered me a place and it was VERY tempting too to be with a family, but, maybe I would be in the way, so I chose the rental.

I am longing for one place to settle and nest for six months. I just don't want to invest again on setting up an apartment unless I am sure I will stay. It is so troublesome in Japan to dispose of things, so I don't want to go through that again. Let's see what the next few weeks bring and then maybe I will know by September where I am going to be for awhile.

Anyways, I could have written so much about places visited here in Japan, but I have other things to work on right now. TOEIC is calling...and then packing and movers and and and....

Happy to be in Japan again. But, what do I miss about Maldives? My students there. I really liked them and wish I could have tutored each one individually. They were so nice and willing to learn and most were really talkative too. And, the beauty of the resorts and ocean and seeing so far in the distance in all directions - that was amazing. The sunsets were fantastic too.

Ja ne.

June 7

This is the school I work for on the 2nd floor - REACH Learning Center

This is Ghazee School - the only public school on my island.

This is me with Enam (a Bengali student) who showed me around after he got off work at the rec center.

This is me with Alaim (another Bengali student).

Cramming everything I can in!

So, I leave tomorrow and I am doing all I can to do things I didn’t do before!

Saturday –

Toured my island with my Maldivian friends. As they said, there is nothing to see, but we did find the 6 cows that exists in Maldives?! Well, there aren’t many but the only ones I bet on any of the surrounding islands?? And I saw the outside of the public school.

Sunday –

Did a day at my resort thanks to the “boss” there. He gave me a room and free snorkeling and the best part was Enam, one of my students, taking me around and giving me a personal tour. GREAT day but still not enough to do or see all there! I really hoped to be allowed to spend the night, but that wasn’t offered.

Sunday Class –

Really great students again. I always just fall in love with almost all of them! I REALLY wish I could have had one-on-one classes with many of them. Some have potential, but they are slow and need help but there just wasn’t time to help them with 2 hours a week and 10 units to do! And although I wrote them personal notes of advice, I think it was overwhelming to them, so they may have ignored or not been able to comprehend them. I really resent the fast pace even now. I hope they change their policy on how much to cover in a class.

Sunday night –

As I passed through the airport since I requested that route home, I took a short bus trip to the International hotel I have heard was the place for expats. It is nice and would have been a great place to join their pool and workout room if you had an income. Nice feel over there! It is on the same island but like a world apart – alcohol is allowed, no burkes in the pool, just very western feeling.

Monday –

Getting grading done and I hope to have some free time tonight to see people once more. Doing laundry now. It isn’t easy to do in Japan, but I didn’t bring many clothes so will have to figure out how to do it as I travel every 3 days or so there!?

Tomorrow –

Will need to complete packing before work tomorrow. Maybe I can squeeze lunch with the editor of Maldives Traveler in on my way to work. She was so nice always, but I just didn’t have the time to meet up with her and her friends.

Well, some pics are above. Enjoy.

Maldives was definitely interesting from the local’s point of view! Some people I met totally love living here and don’t want to live elsewhere. As for me, the people, the culture, the pace of life are great overall, but the strictness, the weather, and the importing of almost every food and product was just too much for me. So many ask if I will come back someday - I hate saying it, but probably I won’t unless I am staying at a resort which is nice. The rooms are not up to the standards of say the Westin in Tokyo, but you are paying for the view and the ocean which are amazing.

Good bye Maldives!!

Next: The whirlwind travels through Japan – Saitama-ken, Nagano-ken, Hokkaido, Tokyo

And then: America - Oklahoma and Missouri in July

Followed by….I’ll surprise you (and me!).

Vickie Winston

Talk In English Online

(Soon to be back on-line in July!?!)

Various Pictures 2

Prayer tower (?) in my town. This is one of two nice gardens in town too.
LOVE the ocean! Wish I had found this location months ago! Right with the waves!
Shi Ann and me in front of the central government area. The building behind is the police station. The one to the right is the Ministry of Defense.
See? In the water!
And meeting requirements fully clothed even in the water...amazing to me still...seems it would be so heavy to have your clothes fully wet. Well, good sun protection!

Various Pictures

Wholesome swim wear that works in the UAE and Maldives too! Model: Bobbi back from a swim

At the private Turkish school library in Hulhumale - Lela. Library asst. talking to Angie

Two of my Thai students - such nice ladies from Phuket I believe

My Japanese student Mizuki from Kobe and Ahmed from Maldives
Part of Angsana's class on the last day - Mizuki, Arey, and Ahmed

June 4

Shi Ann and me at the artificial beach in Male. The water was so nice!!
Star gazing at Banyan Tree one night. Amazing! Saw Saturn's rings, Big Bear, Southern Cross, the full moon and more.

Students and me on the last day! Love them!!
Dana - loving life and people as always.

Finally! I am updating my blog!

There are so many things that have happened since last time, but where to start?

DANA BECKELMAN

In loving memory, I pay tribute to her. She was Dr. Dana of Saitama University. She was mother to Cheyenne. She was irritant to countless people on list servers! She was a cheerleader to anyone who had even a simple desire for anything in their life. She was loving to thousands of people and loved in return. She was simply an AMAZING woman that should not have left us this soon since she had so much yet to do in life.

This is a nice video she had posted on You Tube. It was around 2000 with her ex Karen and daughter Cheyenne. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tyj9O7y5hg

TESOL 2011

I submitted my proposal to lead a Discussion Group at the conference in New Orleans in March 2011 entitled “Navigating Cultural and Teaching Complexities in Japan and Maldives”. I fear it won’t be accepted this time since I rushed creating my session description to meet the deadline. I see many areas for improvement in it! I need to start preparing a journal publication about my research findings though. Good opportunities. Thank you Lisya for your support!

RESEARCH in MALDIVES

It has been interesting to note the intercultural communication here and to observe society. It is fun to hear first impressions of my various roommates too. I hope to put my thoughts in an organized article sometime this year. I have half of my questionnaires from students too. I will gather the other half Sunday.

WORK

I finished up two eight-week classes at my favorite resorts Banyan Tree and Angsana last week. I really loved those students and enjoyed my time there greatly. I even went out last weekend for dinner with a couple of them. And I collected many nice gifts from the resort gift shops from them! Great!

I loved what my Japanese student discovered through the class. Japanese, and herself included, are often very tentative about speaking because of their fear of making mistakes. The Maldivians and Indonesians in the classes were not shy at all and made tons of mistakes! I think I said before that they wouldn’t even stop talking as I would try to stop and point out their errors! Communicating their mind was more important to them than what others thought about their ability. Mizuki really grew from that realization that she didn’t have to worry about making mistakes. She is confident now and willing to just speak out and compete with them. It is wonderful. I felt the same. What others think is so unimportant at times. I love my students even if they can’t speak well, and I admire their zest and creativity in class.

Sadly, my last resort that I am at now is more reserved. There are many low-level students and a mix of Bengalis and Maldivians. Their bonds with each other are not as strong perhaps because the staff is about 550 instead of about 200 at the other resorts. I don’t think they know each other as well. So, I feel we haven’t had the total relaxed atmosphere I like in class. I will see what they really think after the questionnaires though.

TOEIC BOOK with Yosuke Ishii

He is working hard on the next book and I am thankful he is using my help! I am so proud of him and impressed at his initiative and mind. He recognizes so many details in speech when he travels abroad or interacts with English speakers.

ROOMMATES

I think I mentioned my previous set of roommates to you – American teacher in the UAE with her pilot teacher husband who grew up in Peru? She was good to be with due to her stories and seriousness of teaching. She had been through the CELTA program which seemed to ensure excellence and awareness in her teaching which I saw in the classroom on occasion. She did eight 1.5 hour classes with mostly ladies from the community.

Since Sunday this week I have had a new roommate Shi Ann from Australia. She is about 21 years old but has done quite well it seems. She is in her final year of university and hopes to teach art in secondary school. Banking has been her part-time job and she has already bought her first apartment it seems without help from others. She is very curious about how things work, quietly will analyze things in her head, although she seems to talk non-stop at the same time. ;-) She loves photography too so we were great together touring Male together Thursday! It is refreshing to be with young people like her who seem to have no ill-will, are not jaded, and are just fresh and full of energy for life. It is so easy to feel like I am back in college when I am with her and just be carefree and curious and non-judgmental about anything that pops into our heads! It was great to enjoy restaurants and souvenir shopping together. I guess we are just well suited in many ways.

Another roommate arrived this morning. I think she is around 20 years old and is from Colorado or Utah. She just did the 32-34 hour flight through Dubai like I did and trying to stay up til a reasonable bedtime. She is very much in the belief of God leading her here…hope she tones things down in public. She was quite loud in the apartment and I worry about being with someone so open and loud in public about religion here…dangerous or possibly isolating.

Another roommate will move into my room when I leave. He works at the Beverly Hills Hotel (Laura, have to see if Mark and you know him!) and is away for several days of surfing now. I hope to meet him Saturday. His name is Chris and around my age.

A fourth lady moves into town tomorrow I think. I don’t know much about her. She will rent a room from Piper’s neighbor. She lived here for like 10 years long ago and speaks Dhevelia. She is in her 50's.

The apartment is coming together a little more. They found a gas canister finally and will install it this weekend so we can cook finally (9 weeks after I arrived??). The city finally built a sidewalk in front of my apartment five days ago, so I can walk around the dirt and trash if I want to now. The roommates got a hot water heater for their shower, wardrobe and bunk beds this week. Before it was only cold showers (all that is needed here unless it is raining often) and living out of a suitcase. So, things are coming together more and more.

LIFESTYLES

I cannot complain about sharing housing anymore. I was going to complain to a student, but he lives in one room with two bathrooms with 15 people! That is the housing at the resort, but still, it is not too uncommon it seems. Another student’s wife and child lives in Male. They have a 3 bedroom apartment. The three of them are lucky to share one room together and then 5 people sleep in each of the other 2 rooms! There are no beds and they just sleep on the floor and in the living room too.

I had heard it is common for brothers and their families especially to all live in one apartment – one family per room and I guess it is true.

I am very lucky that I got by without sharing my bedroom. I cannot imagine doing so! It is like my only retreat often and place I feel safe not to bother others if I come home really late. (Since we don’t have Internet, I end up spending lots of time at the school til the wee hours of the morning in fact – not watching news like I did in Japan since the system is to slow for downloading things! So, just checking on emails, planning my next trip, and doing job searches.) I am lucky too just to have air-conditioning since many apartment I walk by don’t as I can see those that units on the walls and people just leave their windows open. Shi Ann has been nearly eaten alive with mosquitoes, so I am glad I keep our place closed up and pretty much bug free! She would be so much worse off if we didn’t use the air-con!

OH! I am so impressed at how open everyone’s lives are here! I guess it is nearly unavoidable since they can’t afford to live alone in apartments, afford air-conditioning, afford Internet, computers, or other forms of in-home entertainment. So, people are just out in the streets especially once the sun goes down. It reminds me some of NYC in the ‘60s or something. I think I said that before here… People walk the streets just people watching, chatting, you can hear any fights or children crying in their homes. Yesterday, I was walking on the sidewalk when suddenly someone threw something down the stairs into the street! The man in front of me stopped and leaned against the building it seems to wait and see what else was about to happen. I think it was a domestic dispute and the woman was tossing things out?!

Speaking of fights, I saw my first one from my office window around 10 p.m. last weekend. About 20 young men began a street fight of some type. I think it was just 2 guys and then all their friends being supportive. I didn’t pay attention at first but then it dawned on me that things are usually very quiet so I started watching. The police came and all was back to normal within 10 minutes.

It’s very safe here really. I never worry about walking home in the middle of the night because there are always people still outside! It may be 2 a.m. but there are a few hanging off their balconies smoking or a security guard sitting here and their watching a store.

The people seem really peaceful and just themselves! In Japan, it felt like everyone worried about what others thought. Here, everyone just acts like they are all family or like they are completely alone in the countryside! No one seems to be putting on airs except for some of the teenagers trying to be cool.

Speaking of being cool – I was so shocked when one of my students started revealing his fake images! When he goes into Male, he said he wants to appear tough so the gangs won’t bother him at the ATM or other places (again, not gangs like America I think…just some youth are becoming addicted to drugs here so they are mugging some, but they only do that on back streets and I don’t think they would approach a foreigner.) His earring was like a magnet clip on. His fashionable spiky hair is a wig! He told me many things that were fascinating about his image (glasses, tattoo, phone, girlfriend), but not so interesting to pass on I guess. But, now I look at certain hairstyles and realize that many are likely wigs!

TRAVEL

I may have said I was staying four months in Maldives, but that has changed. I am leaving next week! Really, 1 month would have been more than enough for me, but I had to stay and finish 10 weeks of teaching. The issue of trying to survive on a stipend, finding food I could easily eat – what do I do with a coconut, a plastic bag of rice with no stove, and can of chips?? (NOT to mention any food that I consider necessary for my health) on this island, and so forth was so hard. Again, Americans in particular are so lucky! I guess some poorer neighborhoods in inner cities in the U.S. have trouble in finding fresh foods too though. I guess too if you didn’t have a car in America, life would be hard as well. Here, it is a matter of an hour commuting by boats and walking to find wheat bread or the possibility of a head of broccoli in one of like 5 stores that are known to sometimes have it. You will never find tofu and are unlikely to find anything but cabbage. If I had money to eat at a Male restaurant daily, this would have been more doable, but I didn’t have that luxury.

Thankfully the school gave me housing and the air-conditioned classroom for Internet. Otherwise, this would have been unbearable for me. Another motivation for leaving was that I thought I would do Internet classes from here and have some income, but that is constantly unreliable here so I had to give up hope on that.

The heat is not as extreme as it was in April, but Shi Ann is dying in it. The humidity is just terrible. The rain and clouds help so much! And it doesn’t rain as much as I thought it would. It comes and goes really.

MALE

Shi Ann and I had a great time being the typical tourist yesterday! Some pics are above (or another blog). We went to the artificial beach, saw a bit of a swim competition (no man-made pools for the public/anyone? In Male! So they have sections in the bay roped off!), shopping and more. We really enjoyed drying off from a wave splash up on the announcer stand they use to watch surf competitions. It is like a life guard stand. Lots of fun!

HEALTH

Doing much better overall! I think the relief of knowing I am going is positive as well as some relief in the heat from rainy season. Also, I try as often as possible to catch a guest boat to the airport on my way home anymore so I can take a bus to my island. That helps a lot in my walking in heat carrying books. So, things are good. :-)

June 3

ELZA MAULOOF INTERVIEW

I hope this download works. It is an interesting look at women in developing nations and I feel I can relate to some of it as they talk about Middle Eastern women in this part of the world some.

About her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elza_Maalouf

The radio show: http://www.box.net/shared/static/yaq1zp6bu0.mp3

ISLAM

This blog is mostly about a reaction I had to something. You can see some of my experiences in examples given. Warning – you might not enjoy this read.

Someone sent me a video that was supposed to make me worry about President Obama being too close to the Islamic religion.

So, this is more about a mix of discussing Islam and discussing Pres. Obama’s approach.

I really don’t get the problem with all the “proof” that was presented about his connections. I think his speeches and comments about the Muslim faith and Middle East culture is a great strategy for bringing a bit more peace to the world.

When you go to another country, you need to help them relate to you so you can start a friendship. That is what he is doing I believe.

Example, I decided not to show my photos from America here, because the Maldivians are so poor compared to my middle class family. If I show them the pictures of my families’ homes, they would think I was so wealthy and I fear it would separate us more – not just language and looks and clothes, but then also money. What is the point of dividing people around the world?

Islam is in America and there are mosques in America. Is this news to Christians? Why does it scare them? There are Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Christian Scientist, and many others as well. If you feel your religion should be the only one, then just see if you can convert people to your way of thinking through sharing or example if you are so inclined. Don’t just put people down without understanding where they come from and what they are looking for in life. And if they don’t convert, why should this matter to you? Do you seriously think America is about to fall and will become exclusively Islamic? America will never force you to be one religion or another. Focus on living your best life and stop feeling like you need to control others or living in fear. It will get you nowhere you want to be I think.

Pres. Obama brings up quotes from the Koran…I didn’t hear those quotes, but actually, the Koran and Bible have a lot of the same stories and information and lessons I have been told by a devote Christian. Again, you can show how much alike you are in values and beliefs and that can bond people and build friendships and trust. Again, why would you want to do anything but build positive connections? Focus on what is good and educate people to see what is common.

Also, one needs to show that they appreciate another’s culture in order to build friendship; Pres. Obama does that in the video clips in my opinion. He talks about their cultural history and inventions. What is wrong with that? You show that you have educated yourself on their culture and why not appreciate the genius of any individual or groups no matter where they were born and grew up? Maybe they will look at America and say, “Hmm… they have good people and good things and an interesting history too. I can appreciate that.” Show them how to appreciate and accept facts without becoming fearful or defensive and they may do likewise.

It is shocking that I find there is such a lack of education by Americans on what people know about this part of the world, and I am shocked by what the SW Asians know about Western culture (I say SW Asians since that is where I am now). When I try to talk about things, they can’t relate to it. If the textbook talks about planting something in “early fall”, they can’t grasp what that means. There is no fall season here. There is only rainy season or sunny season. The concept of planting in a season left blank faces. When I said there was a dog riding in the car in a picture, they didn’t believe me. They don’t have dogs here and dogs are thought to be bad animals, so they can’t comprehend one being in a car. That may be hard for many reading this to grasp, but it is just a tradition and what they have been fed. They don’t know differently and they are unlikely to have the chance to experience any of these things since they live here and not in America. They even told me they don’t study Maldivian history or World history in school…maybe in sixth grade they had some class about something related my students told me. And sure enough, they don’t know the name of the Eiffel Tower though many knew of it. They couldn’t name anything that symbolizes Japan or other countries really. They knew the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Liberty (not by name) and that was about all. Another teacher said they asked about Maldivian history in the 1930’s or 1940’s and they don’t know about it. History and world knowledge is not something that taught or valued at this time here it seems. They are in a different stage of evolving here. We have to understand that coming from our stage in America. It would be nice if they expanded their knowledge, but we in America still have some expanding to do too.

An example of how we might not understand them: There was a taxi driver in Male who is extremely proud about his career. It seems near the bottom of the barrel in America perhaps, but when you hear his reasons you can understand his happiness. Before he worked at sea and was away from his wife and children most of the time for decades. Now, he can go home nightly and be with his family and he doesn’t have to answer to a boss anymore but only himself since he owns his car. It is cultural and life experience differences.

Another example is an American who said her approximately 7-year old was almost not accepted (or not accepted – I can’t remember) into a western school because they couldn’t pass an entrance exam. Example: Draw a line from the umbrella to the weather symbol. Draw a line from the letter to the building you go to mail the letter. Her child drew a line to the sun (since many countries like here use umbrellas daily to keep the sun off of oneself, and I am wondering if it is too windy when it rains to use an umbrella) and a line to the airport (since that is where they could send letters off – there wasn’t a post office where they lived so they went to the airport to get letters out of the country). The school couldn’t believe the mother’s defense of her son’s answers since they had zero exposure to other cultures and those answers were unbelievable in their minds. Even here, I can’t receive a letter at my home. There isn’t mail service. If I put the company address as my residence, I get a sticker that tells me to come to the capital city for my mail (or I assume the nearest city for other areas of the country). It s important for people to understand there are different types of environments and ways to do things. We need to understand and respect it just as the people here need to open their minds to other possible ways in the world.

The call to prayer is like a song in the quiet. What is wrong with saying it sounds beautiful like Pres. Obama did? In addition, it is a childhood memory for him, so that in itself may make it sweeter too. Do you find cicadas or a whippoorwill sounding wonderful – a reminder that summer is there? It is just a connection to your past that may have good memories. And the call to prayer is a chant so it sounds slow and musical. And if he can say it perfectly…well, I can say, “The weather is nice today, isn’t it?” in perfect Japanese and people mistake that I can speak Japanese based on that…It only means I have heard it enough that I picked up the right sounds. Especially children can pick up sounds easily; so Pres. Obama can reproduce what he heard several times a day as a child….I don’t see the fuss. But, I need to be understanding too - the Americans bashing his interviews have not experienced life in a Muslim country. They can’t comprehend the experience since they have nothing to base it on.

Back to the video: I understand someone being sworn into office with a holy item from their religion (in the case mentioned – a Koran) since that holds more significance to them, but I agree that a Bible would be good to add under the Koran (I am not sure if it was or not) since it represents the nation and would be a common representation of the swearing in process. But, wouldn’t you trust the person’s word more if they swore on something important to them more than on something that doesn’t hold so much if any meaning to them? I would. And, isn’t America about freedom of religion? Is that going to change and people will be forced to be Christian? Is that what people really want in America? Forced to worship a certain way and adhere to one standard?

I am glad I am not forced to practice Islam here. I wouldn’t want America to force their religions on newcomers either. I do choose to respect some of the customs here like not showing cleavage or too much skin. I don’t have to comply, I chose to since I can imagine their impression of people in shorts and tank tops looking like they just left their bedroom without clothes on! I try to dress fairly appropriately NOT because I am Muslim or because they are forcing me to; it is just a sign of respect and they will appreciate my show of effort I believe and it could potentially help future relationship with them and other foreigners they meet in the future or dissipate the negative words preached to them by some extremist. Why not do things that may have a positive impact?

I think it is because of their religious convictions that things are so peaceful here. If it weren’t for being reminded daily of some power greater and 10 Commandment type things that Christians have too, these people would be restless perhaps?! (Well, I think there are severe laws where you can be whipped for getting pregnant and such, so that controls people too, but that is another issue!) In fact, I have to watch my moods here in Maldives – it is hot, I don’t have lots of money (same as them), care of our health and safety doesn’t exist in many ways, food is not easy to get or prepare, you have to go elsewhere for good education and medical care, and there isn’t much for entertainment since everything would cost money. Isn’t it better they use religion to bring order and a feeling of comfort to their lives? It seems better than disrespect and unrest that could be occurring. Let them promote peace in the most effective way I say. Islam is here and already accepted so use it for something positive.

Yes, there are radicals. They are Muslim ones and they are Christian ones and they are more from other religions too. But they are the minority. The majority of people here do not approve of violence I am sure. They seem to want a peaceful life – build their own homes, start a business, become a manager at their current companies, and take care of ailing family members. This is what I have read n their English journals. They are just so poor that they can’t imagine they might fly on a plane, travel to another country, or own a car. I am sure they look at the rich countries like America and feel some envy…that is human nature though religions tell us not to envy. But that envy doesn’t mean they will promote the downfall of America…especially if they meet nice Americans and Europeans.

I don’t know how you will view this since I guess 2 people can look at the Obama clip and one sees something to fear and the other sees someone building bridges across cultures. So, one may see this blog and think I am defending Islam and putting down America where another will see that I am saying we should just all try to have patience, understanding, and help in peaceful ways to bond people so there can be a happier and more prosperous future. I am not saying I support Islam. I am saying it exists and it is serving a positive purpose. I am saying you can’t criticize most people on how they worship because they are likely doing what is passed down to them and it is just tradition and culture. And even if it is a choice, who are any of us to choose how another chooses to live their life if it doesn’t harm. And no, Islam itself is not harming just as Christianity itself doesn’t harm; it is just some people that take it to the extreme or try to force their beliefs on others.

I choose not to fear that America is being greatly influenced by Islam. I don’t think that fear is realistic. Is it possible to look at this from my perspective? Maybe fear makes things seem worse than they are. Try seeing Pres. Obama’s actions and words as a strategy for helping in the long run with international relationships and America’s economy and other such matters.

Do you have a better solution to help improve relationships with this side of the world? Does war really work better than friendships among people? And, can I believe the solutions you present to me? How much experience do you have to speak of how to create peace and co-existence among people? How many foreign friends and connections have you developed to prove to me you might have a better solution than Pres. Obama’s attempts? From my experiences of living abroad and from what I have seen in his life experiences, I trust that showing commonalities, appreciation for other cultures and people, and showing that you have personal experience in their cultures is the best way to open up talks on more difficult subjects and to earn respect that may lead to positive outcomes. I trust that non-Americans I have come in contact with everywhere will hesitate before criticizing or harming Americans because they will remember that I am a peaceful person and they will wonder if there are other Americans like me. They must question any negative propaganda. I am for the strategies I saw in the video clips sent to me.

I am tempted to go on, but I think it would veer too much from the video. I hate talking about religion and politics because it divides and causes negative emotions within and among people. I just felt compelled to try and put an end to what seems to be another attempt to put down someone who is trying a positive approach to massive problems. I fear that I have just created barriers in my personal relationship with some of you by voicing my opinion. I am deeply sorry if that is the case. Let’s just not discuss these topics if possible.

I think this is the address for the video if you want to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tCAffMSWSzY#t=28

In hopes of a peaceful world,

Vickie