Saturday, April 9, 2011
LIFE AS A TEEN
You are blindfolded and put on an airplane. You have no clue the whereabouts of your final destination; however, you know that it is out of the country. Suddenly, you wake up and find out you are in the Middle East and you have a private tour guide who is a teenager that lives there. What are 5 questions that you would ask him/her about this region of the world and write down what you think you will encounter on your two week stay. DUE WEDNESDAY, April 13th at midnight.
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If I was to be blindfolded and put on an airplane with no whereabouts, and my last stop is in the Middle East; there would be many questions I would ask my teenager tour guide that lives there.
ReplyDeleteThe questions I would ask him are where exactly am I in the Middle East? Then I would ask questions about their culture such as, what religion is practiced here in the Middle East? What foods do you partake in? Who is running this specific place? And how am I suppose to dress, for the two weeks that I am staying here?
I would want to know where exactly in the Middle Eastern I am at because, maybe I have already heard of its wonders, or maybe because I would like to discover more new things about the place. The reason I would want to know what religion they study or practice is because I would not want to walk into a building that looks like a church and they are doing something different from what I know. Or go against my religion by studying someone else’s. Another reason would be, I want to know about their religion so I may know the differences if someone were to ask me when I return to my hometown. I would be interested in the type of foods they eat because, they may eat bugs or dog and that is something I personally would not eat it. I also would want to know what types of food they eat because, there could be something new I want to try that only they could make good (to my satisfaction).
I would like to know who is in charge (the governor), cause there would be a lot of information that I want to know about him/her. I would go into more questions about him, such as, do you think he/she is a good country runner? Is he a positive person? Does he or she do well for or by the people?. I personally think it is nice to have different fashion styles, so if I was to find out how they dress then it would probably give me a new idea to how I would dress. I believe I would encounter many new things, and I believe that I would answer all of the questions I have and more on my own.
If I met another teen in the Middle East, I would be surprised yet curious of the life this teen life by. I will would how different a typical teenager like me who likes to text, be on the computer, dating, higher education, etc and the teenager in the Middle East. I would mainly ask question about religion, education, what he/she do for fun, family life, social life, and future life. I will encounter all of these subjects that are important to me and define me for who I am.
ReplyDeleteThe first question I would ask is what religion is you and how does it affect your life if teens don’t have a religion? I ask this because I am Christian and on certain subjects, I use my religion to get through them so I will like to know different religions that are there in the Middle East and how will it affect me in my everyday life if I change my religion. My second question I would ask is what would be the highest education would the teen want to have in the Middle East. I ask this question because education is important in my life and I will like the highest education to get to the career I want to have which is psychologist. I will also wand to find out what colleges are good there for psychology.
My third questions I would ask is what do the teen does for fun. I would ask that because I don’t want to bored there in the Middle East however, I would like to try new things. I ask this because I want to try new things that can interested me so I can expand my culture. My fourth question I would ask is how the social life is in the Middle East. Is there less pressure then the United States or more pressure? How are both societies similar and different? My last question is what does most teens in the Middle East do with their life? Is it mostly good or bad? How does it affect other generations. Most of things I would encounter is in the questions I asked above to the teen tutor guide. Other things I would encounter is different type of foods that they eat and different drinks that they have also.
If I was unknowingly sent on a journey to the Middle East with a private teenage guide I would adopt the lifestyle he or she currently has. I would like to attend the same school and classes they are enrolled in if I am there during the Middle Eastern school year. In addition to attending school I would also like to participate in their daily activities such as handing out with friends or doing chores. Doing all of the same activities as my guide would allow me to get the full experiences as a modern teen living in the Middle East. The more thorough experience I gain while there the more comparisons I could make to my life as a modern day American teen. One of the things I may encounter while there is very rural land with lots of dirt paths instead of concrete streets. Also I may find myself surrounded by very intelligent young people and wise old people with stories to tell and advice to give. One question I would ask my guide while I’m there is what do they enjoy most about living in their country? While I am there I would be able to observe this trait of the land for myself and see if it is something I also enjoy or are fond of. Another question I would ask is do you feel like you are limited in your successes because other countries have more advanced technology that is not accessible to all people as it may be elsewhere? Some Middle Eastern countries are more impoverished than other parts of the world so they may not use all of the same technology Americans have at their disposal. I would also ask my guide what country they would travel to if he or she could travel to any other country in the world? What is one thing he or she wishes they could change in their life? And do they plan on living in that country for the rest of their life? If not where would he or she relocate to? I believe I would enjoy the time I spend in the Middle East if I was given the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteTyrell Young
ReplyDeleteThe Middle East is often connoted as a region plagued with violence, poverty, and extreme terrorism. Many people fear going to the Middle East because of the bias propagandas that medias broadcast to the public particularly in the Western world. For me it’s an opportunity to explore and understand another culture rather than fearing that the worst might happen. If I was blindfolded and unknowingly taken to the Middle East, I would ensure that my time there is a memorable and fulfilling one. Also, what would make my stay more pleasurable is if I am given a tour guide preferably my age group who could answer my questions about the region.
My first question would be “what is it like living in the Middle East?” This question to me is relevant because part of understanding a person is knowing their way of life and how much they appreciate it. My second question would be “how is the educational system in your country? Is it outstandingly well or a tragic failure?” A child’s learning ability depends on the educational access he or she is given and from my point of view, a proper education is very essential. My third question would be “do you see people from the Western world particularly the United States as a threat to your country or do you embrace the fact that all humans are created equal and should not be judged because of the country they are from?” The reason why I would ask this question is because in today’s society people are often discriminated by others due to the simple fact that they bear a different ethnicity or worship a different religion. The primary fact is we are all equal and therefore should be treated with fairness and equality. The fourth question I would ask my tour guide is “what would like to accomplish further on in the future?” If he seems uncertain or have doubts I would encourage him to never give up even when the road is treacherous and seems unbearably. The final question I would ask my fellow tour guide is “how do you see me different from you?” Though it might seems like a silly question to ask it is my most favorite. The reason is because people can see you different from how you see them.
No doubt my trip to the Middle East would be memorable and unforgettable. From the friendly smile that warms the heart of the residents to the amazing adventures that bring about my happy side. My trip to the Middle East would be a success.
Nigel Cyril
ReplyDeleteWell first of as soon as they let me see were I am, I would ask him how did I get here and who are. I would be completely in an alert mood due to the fact I was basically kidnapped and put on a plan to a country I know nothing about, but once I slowly gain my sanity I would ask him some personal questions before we would start the tour guide. The main question I would ask him is who is he and how did he get this job. I would ask him if he could tell me what happen to me and why I am here, after that I would ask my few remaining questions once the tour has begun. One of my questions would how is life in the Middle East? Do you have good food and a well balanced economy fair for everyone? I would also ask him if this country has any historical monuments. Like the Statue of Liberty in America, or the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I would ask him if he could show me around and if they have an inside, see if we can go in and check out its historical moments, then I would ask if I could see what the educational program is like in Middle East. I’d ask if there was any uniform, how the teachers are, and how the school schedules are. After were done with how they do their educational system, I would ask him how’s the food? I always like to eat and love all kinds of food (except Hispanic food) I would see what they normally eat, if its goods, and how healthy it is. I would probably eat anything if I was stuck on a plane all the way to the Middle East and not feed by flight attendants. I would completely eat out everything they would probably give me due to my hunger. After I am done with eating, I would ask them how the homes in the Middle East are, Are they like America’s or different styles and decorations. Then take a good nights rest, any try to escape the next day.
Marvin Clarke
ReplyDeleteI’m blindfolded and I end up in a Middle Eastern country with a teenager tour guide, I know that the first thing I want my tour person to do is clear up the entire stereotypes that people place on the Middle East so I can other people can learn from me that most of the stereotype you place on the Middle East is wrong and that the people in the Middle East is similar to your culture in many ways. I have many questions that I would be glad to ask my tour person, the first question I will ask is can he/she show me the momentums that they have, like special buildings or places that have a huge history that is attached to the area. Second question I would like to ask is what type of activities do teens my age do on their extra time, like do they listen to the type of music I listen to, do they play video games that I play or do they do something similar but different to what me and other teens in my country do. Another question I want to ask is what type of food do they eat because I want to see if the meals I eat is similar to there’s and I also want to open my eyes to new culture’s lifestyle. Being in the Middle East and learning about their way of life can help widen my horizon and not learn about the Middle East through another person’s judgment because you would not learn anything unless to get a chance to experience what it is like to be in the Middle East. For my 2 weeks in the Middle East I would learn so much about the country that I can educate someone and encourage he/she to go and enjoy the same trip I had, I would also see things that I never seen before like different animals, foods, places, monuments, I would also hear different type of speech that I was never exposed to. I have the experience to learn about a country I was never exposed to and I would be able to communicate to some one who comes to that country or I teach someone that speech so they can use it to communicate with the Middle Eastern people. Learning new things can expand my horizon and that is what I need to do so I can accept culture without acting like I do not know what I am talking about.
If I were lead around a Middle Eastern country by a teenager my age, I would be intrigued by how this teen lives his/her life, and what challenges they have to face living in the country they do. Because there seems to be a lot of political trouble in the Middle East, I would probably be interested in hearing how this teen copes with living in that country.
ReplyDeleteThe first question I would ask the teen is on a scale of 1(easy) to 10(hard), how difficult their life is. Based on where in the Middle East they live, their life might be really easy, but their life could also be very hard. I would ask them what makes their life so easy or hard.
The second question I would ask this teen, is do they have to desire to go or live somewhere else based on how they live their life. Would they want to move away from their native country because of the events that occur there? Or do they just have a desire to travel because they want to see the world outside of their country?
The third question I would ask them, is what kind of education they receive and if they believe they could receive a better one. Is the education top notch in the country, or is it just good enough to get decent test scores? Do they believe they could learn better in another country, or is the education in their native country good enough?
The fourth question I would ask them, is how much does religion influence their daily routine? Does their routine completely revolve around their religious background, or does it play a small part? Is there even a religion they follow?
The fifth and last question I would ask this teen is what do they do in their spare time? Do they enjoy going outside and being active? Or do they prefer to stay inside and do more educationally related things for fun? These are the questions I would ask, because I know if the positions were switched; the teenager from another country wanting to know about me and where I come from would do the same.
If I was taken to the Middle East unknowingly I would be very surprised, but while I was there I would try my best too experience and learn about their culture the best I could. Though to be honest I would be a little scared just because the Middle Eastern region is not known for having a great relationship with the United States. Though I was not born in the United States I do live there, so I wouldn’t completely know what to expect. I don’t know if I would be accepted by the people that live there or treated harshly. I’m not one to judge or think something about them automatically when I first meet them but I fair I might be judged. Questions I would ask while there would include, what do teenagers that live in the Middle East enjoy doing? How are the schools? If there is one thing you could change about the Middle East what would it be? What’s your national dish and could I try it? How most parents in the Middle East are; are they strict or lenient? I would expect for a lot of people in the Middle East to be very religious. I think that people might keep to themselves there also. The person that shows me around (My private guide) I would like to be with them a lot so that I could get the full Middle Eastern experience, I definitely don’t want to stay in their house and just eat up all of their food. I would like to meet their friend and family and talk to them about how their lives are. I think that I would learn that in some ways our lives are very similar to other teenagers in the Middle East. Though I do believe that maybe the average teenagers in the United States would be more in to technology or have more technology than the average teenager from the Middle East, overall I do believe that visiting the Middle East would be a good experience for me and that I would have fun as long they are friendly to me I would be friendly as well.
ReplyDeleteIn The Kite Runner Amir is risking his safety to save his half-brother‘s son, Sohrab. Depending on the individual Amir may be right and he may be wrong; giving my own opinion I believe he is right because he believes and knows that he will be doing good if he finds Sohrab and saves him. Paying no attention to the reason why he chooses to do good puts him in the right but deliberating the rationale puts him in the wrong.
ReplyDeleteAmir putting himself at risk to save a child from a “raped” country is brave. Amir puts his family in California on hold so he can atone for his sins and redeem himself, which is selfish, however he is still determined to find Sohrab despite his encounters. Amir sacrifices his luxuries for Sohrab. He lived peacefully with his wife in California now he faces the “true Afghan” life, which is nothing like his life in Afghanistan when he was younger. The towns are mostly full of women and children, the quantity of deaths is great, children and their families are starving, the buildings and houses look like ruins, and worst of all the Taliban is the oppressor of the Afghans, committing the “greatest sin,” theft. Amir putting himself at risk for another person is morally good. The fact that Amir steadily goes on his journey for his nephew despite the danger he faces makes it right. Because he decides to leave his family behind for the well being of another makes him right. Despite his cowardice he faces his fear and continues looking for Sohrab.
However his motive for searching for Sohrab is not right. Instead of saving a child so they will not be in danger or saving Hassan’s son because he is his nephew, he wants to save him so he can redeem himself, which is selfish. Since it is a request from Rahim Khan to retrieve Sohrab that would make it a right motive; to carry out the duty of a dying man. In my opinion doing the right thing because of the wrong reasons still makes the doing morally good.