Jett's Study Abroad Experience
Spring 2023
Spring 2023
I made it back from my trip to the Middle East, and boy was it an amazing trip! The experience was surreal as I found that countries that have a bad reputation in the United States, are actually very beautiful and full of some of the most gracious people in the whole world. Before and during the trip there were people who were worried about this trip including family, friends, and even people I have met at Roehampton during the semester. People constantly talked about it being unsafe and many people were unwilling to consider going with me. I can't blame them, but I also think it's unfair to judge countries and people based purely off of few bad things that happened in the past. I will talk more about this at the end of the blog though, as I am excited to get right into the trip. To start off, the itinerary of the trip went like this. I first flew from London to Istanbul, Turkey with a layover in Athens, Greece. I then spent 3 full days in Istanbul, and on the fourth day, took another flight from Turkey to Dubai, UAE with a layover in Bahrain. I spent another 3 full days in Dubai, before returning to back to London with another layover in Istanbul. This means I was essentially gone from April 2nd to April 11th, as I got into the airport at about 11 pm on April 10th. Another important thing to bring up quickly is that while I want to focus on what happened during my stay in each country, I do want to touch on security in these countries before anything else. The thing that made people worry about this trip was security, as the middle east is known for unrest surrounding civil wars, terrorism, and armed conflict. I do think that this blinds people to the real beauty and culture that these countries have to offer, but these concerns are also genuinely valid and should be considered before making a trip like this. I won't hide the fact that airport security and customs were extremely strict. I was questioned going both directions to and from London while I was at the Istanbul airport, and there are multiple sets of security at each Middle Eastern airport. In fact, at the airport in Istanbul when I was traveling from Dubai back to London, they required me to go through standard airport security (even though I was on a layover and did not have checked bags) and customs security that had bag scanners and metal detectors. Then at my gate they checked my passport 2 times, my boarding pass 3 times, questioned me, unpacked my entire bag, swabbed my shoes, and patted me down. So, obviously it cannot be denied that there is strong security presence, as airport security is very strict, and you see heavily armed guards everywhere. This all being said though, when I was in each country, there was never a moment where I felt unsafe. Every person that I met was extremely nice and wanted to teach you about their store or the country, so you could always ask for help from everyone if you got stuck. I felt very secure and welcome everywhere I went and would strongly encourage everyone to take an opportunity to travel to eastern countries, as they will truly be unlike anything you have ever experienced before. Now as I explain this trip, I am not going to go day by day, because that would simply take way too long, and I still would not be able to cover everything. Instead, I am going to talk about the best parts of each country and make a list of everything I did. Istanbul, Turkey It's hard to even know where to start with Turkey... Istanbul is one of the only cities in the world that is split between two continents by the Bosphorus Straight. This means that you get the best of both worlds as you have some of the most delicious food in the world that falls under Turkish cuisine and buildings that are reminiscent of gorgeous European cathedrals but are filled instead with the holy Arabic inscriptions of the Quran and colors coming from the vibrant dyes that were carried along The Silk Road. There is also no shortage of things to do as you can push your way through the bustling grand bazaar and negotiate your way to the best prices, or you can wander through the world famous Hagia Sophia which you can appreciate as a museum, holy place of Islam, or former Christian church. Turkey is the remains of the once world sprawling Ottoman Empire till the fall of the sultanate, that gave birth to the Republic of Turkey. This means that while Islam is the national religion of Turkey, you see a mix religious influence ranging from Catholic to Judaism to Islam. The only religion that is not widely practiced here is Eastern Orthodox, as Turkey (Ottoman Empire) had a long history of wars with Russia. As for what I actually did while I was there though, I stayed in the part of city called Sultanahmet which is on the European side of the city and is the heart of what was previously called Constantinople. This is where the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Hagia Sophia are located, as well as tons of street food vendors and a local bazaar called the Arasta Bazaar. On the first day, I arrived in the city at about 10 am, so I figured I should get right to exploring. My first order of business was to learn more about Middle Eastern culture because while we are taught about Islam in school, that information means next to nothing once you are actually immersed in the culture. So, I figured the best thing to do would be to visit the Blue Mosque and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic art. Both of these places exposed me to the holy prophet Mohammed and taught me straight away about how much the religion is based on respect and requires people to follow important rules (such as women having to cover their hair to enter a mosque). These helped me gain an understanding of the culture and history, as well as exposed me to a religion that largely determines most of what happens in the Middle East. On the second day I decided to walk all over the city and through the grand bazaar. I also took a ferry over to the other side of Istanbul across the Bosphorus called Üsküdar, which was my very first time visiting the continent of Asia. While the city was relatively similar despite being on different continents, the experience of being able to switch continents in about 15 minutes at a cost of about 10 dollars round trip is very special in itself. After walking around Üsküdar, I took the ferry back over to Sultanahmet and decided to walk around and find a food called doner kebab. Once I found it, it only costed about 2 dollars and it was essentially a wrap that is filled with vegetables and meat that is carved off of a giant rotating skewer of meat. To finish off the day then, I took a boat cruise along the Bosphorus and Golden Horn that shared more of the history of famous landmarks such as Galeta Tower, Hagia Sophia, and many others. On the third, and last, day in Turkey I took a guided walking tour, that only have 4 other people besides me who got to spend an entire day with a Local man name Emre who took us to and explain the history of the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace. This was a very special experience because he was very knowledgeable and learning the history of a city is so much better when you have a local person who is willing to explain all of the small details of a place rather than just reading a bunch of plaques. The Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern showcased almost a thousand years of history that Istanbul has as it was owned by the Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, and now Turkey, as the architecture would get changed as ownership changed creating a collage of beautiful architecture everywhere you look. The Topkapi palace was also very fascinating as it basically explained everything that had to do with the lifestyle of the sultan which was the person/title of the person who ruled the Ottoman empire for almost a thousand years. It also made me realize how inaccurately the movie Aladdin actually portrays the culture surrounding the sultan. While that sounds silly, the rich luxurious lifestyle that the sultan appears to have in Aladdin is very unrealistic, as the sultan actually lived a very simple lifestyle with minimal furniture and almost zero contact with women. Following the end of my tour I ended up going back to my hostel in order to sleep since I had to wake up at about 1:30 am the next day to head to the airport to go to Dubai. To finish this section of my trip off though, here are some pictures of the Hagia Sophia, Turkish flag, Kebab, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Oddly enough, the most daunting part of the trip was actually my flight to Dubai. During this flight, the flight path was sent through Syria and Iraq, and then I had a layover in Bahrain. For those who do not know where Bahrain is, this is a small island nation right off the coast of Saudi Arabia. This was nerve-wracking for me because this way my very first time being such a severe minority. I want to make it clear though that the fear was not out of being around different people, as my main concern was more than I did not know how I would ask for help if I needed it, but I quickly settled in as I realized that many people could speak English to some extent even though English is not one of the official languages. This fear was even further extinguished the moment I landed in Dubai though. Before I even landed, I was incredibly amazed by what I was seeing. Upon seeing land for the first time flying into Dubai, you are immediately greeted with a sight of the man-made palm islands and the tallest building in the world: the Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa in particular was one of the things I wanted to see most in the entire world, as when I flew in and saw it pierce the sky bringing a whole new definition to the idea of a space needle, I was in awe. Once I landed, I was able to get into the country pretty easily, as there was very little questioning, and the customs agent didn't hardly talk to me. I also didn't need to get any foreign currency as I was able to pay for everything in Dubai with Google/Apple pay. In order to get to my Airbnb I took the metro system which was incredibly clean and very timely. The night I got there I didn't do a whole lot since I had been traveling for almost 15 hours by that point, so I just ate dinner really quick and went to bed shortly after (even on accident as the moment I laid down I couldn't help but close my eyes) so I could start to enjoy the city the next day. My first day, I made a direct line to the Burj Khalifa, which honestly... was exactly as amazing as I imagined it would be. It was so tall that the top started to look foggy because of how far away it was. In fact, I would argue that there is really nothing that I have ever seen that can quite compare to the might and impressiveness of the Burj. However, after seeing the Burj and taking tons of picture of it, I walked around downtown Dubai and saw several landmarks such as the Dubai Opera house, Souk Al Bahar (a local market), and Mall of Dubai (the biggest shopping mall in the world). If I'm being honest, I am not usually into things like shopping malls when I explore a new country, but Dubai's modern culture can only be explained by calling it a "millionaires paradise" as most of the population is Indian and Bangladeshi expats who are able to afford the expensive price tag for life in Dubai. So unfortunately, much of tradition culture in Dubai has been drowned out, but don't worry, I made sure to find that traditional culture before I left. On this day I also learned that the only people who can BUY land in Dubai are the local people who have family that is traditionally from the Emirates. Anyone else who wants to live in Dubai can only do so on a visa and are not allowed to buy any property. The population of Dubai is roughly 10 million, but only 1.5 million actually own property, are residents, and from Dubai. The other 8.5 million people who live in Dubai are expats who are on a visa and are all renting property. I can't stress it enough though, when I say those 8.5 million are ALL on a visa. Not a single person who comes from somewhere besides the UAE can be a resident, meaning that the only way to become a resident of Dubai is to be born from a traditional family who has been in Dubai for generations. So, I suppose the national culture is preserved, but it is hard to find. The second day I saw: The Burj Al Arab (the world's only 7-star hotel), the Jumeirah Mosque (a traditional Syrian style mosque), The Arabic Art Center, and the Dubai Gold/spice Souk in the ancient city of Deira. In the Souk I was able to try traditional Emirati tea that was very sweet and tasted of cardamon and Saffron. The saffron from the Arabian Peninsula is the highest quality in the world, so it was quite a treat getting to try it for free when it is usually very expensive. I was also able to try some dates and smell some crystal incense that was probably the strongest scent that I have ever smelled as it literally brought tears to my eyes in the split second that I smelled it. On the way back from the souk I took a traditional Abra boat that took me a few other people across the natural river that separates the ancient city of Deira from the modern city of Dubai. After that It was getting to be later afternoon and it was finally time to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa. When I got there the museum on the bottom went through the whole process of the Burj slowly being built up over the years and how this feat of creating the tallest building is one that the Middle East carries much pride over. The elevator to the top took almost 2 full minutes, which for an elevator ride is quite long. Once you reach the top the doors open to one of the most amazing views in the world, as you go directly outside on to a wooden platform that puts you right into the outside air. At 2500 feet (125 floors) above the ground you can see above all the other skyscrapers and look either over towards the palm islands, out to sea, or out into the vast Arabian Desert. After about an hour of taking tons of pictures and just marveling at where I physically was in the world, I decided to head down. Before I talk about my last day though, there is an important thing that I feel needs discussed. While I was in the Souk, I was with a couple other American's. The shop that we were invited in to in order to try the tea and dates (which are considered holy foods in Islam), and to smell the incense, the shop owner was asking people if they knew what the incense was. One of the Americans thought it was funny to suggest that it was crystal meth and made a bunch of people laugh, and you could clearly see the hurt in the shop owners face. Afterwards when people were trying the dates and tea someone took a bite of a date and spit it back out into their hand and started telling the people around them how gross it was. When I saw this, I not only felt embarrassed, but I also felt ashamed and angry. Things that American's may think are funny such as the crystal meth joke and telling people how gross they found the date is really offensive, especially to someone gracious enough to invite us into their store and share their culture with us. Dates are considered a gift and they are one of the holiest foods because of the prophet Mohammed eating them after fasting for Ramadan. It is unacceptable to make jokes like that and trash on another in the fashion that I saw in that store. The only thing that makes it worse is that these were adults that I was watching that were doing this. I can't help but feel shame that people can be so disrespectful and rude to such a beautiful culture, so when I hear that other culture hate Americans, this is proof of why we are looked down on. As a whole, American's need to do better and while I am not accusing anyone in particular, it hurts so many people when we can't be accepting of other cultures and treat them as equals. The third, and last, day of my time in Dubai was another very full day. To start the day, I was out onto the Palm Jumeirah and saw the world class Atlantis Hotel and the Burj Al Arab. This was incredible, because these huge islands, blue water, massive hotel, and whole ambience is completely man-made. After the Palm, I headed over to another mosque called the Blue Mosque, and as the name suggest this mosque was model after the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and was created by the same person. While this mosque was considerable smaller than the one in Istanbul, I was given a really good understanding of how Ramadan works and was shown some of the hand-made Qurans that are used for the daily prayers. After the Mosque though I went to another spice souk where I was given the opportunity to try on a full Arabian outfit including the Thawb and Keffiyeh, which are the respectively the white dress and head wrap that men in the Arabian countries wear. It was an honor to get to try it on with the help of a random local and it gave me a huge amount of respect for the men who wear it every day even in the desert heat as it covers the whole body. To round off the day, and the trip, I was able to stop at a traditional restaurant and got to try traditional Arabian coffee with ground cardamon, and a delicious local bread called Emirati Rigag. The next morning, I had to wake up and head right to the airport for my flight back to London. While I was very sad that it was time to leave, I was also so thankful that I got to have this opportunity and was able to experience the Middle East when it is so commonly overlooked because of the bad stigma that it has in the United States. But to finish, here are some of the best pictures from Dubai. Again, during this trip I felt so much sadness about the beliefs of the United States. Because of events such as 9/11 and the terrorist attacks that we hear about on the news, we give this unfair reputation to every single person in the Middle East, and it's really unfortunate. The culture that is cultivate through Islam in the Middle East is one graciousness and kindness unlike anything that can be seen in western cultures. And when I say this, I don't mean one is better over the other, as I simply mean that they are different. The only way to experience these beautiful eastern cultures is to swallow the unlikely fear that something could happen, and step outside of our comfort zone. It is absolutely important to make sure you are safe, but deciding to shun all travel to the Middle East is not being careful, as it really just comes off more as discrimination. The people there are not terrorist and Islam creates quite a beautiful culture. There is extremist in all cultures including Christianity and Judaism, so the discrimination that is built into American society against Muslims just because there are some extremists that have done bad things in the past is extremely unfair. I'm not asking everyone to travel to the Middle East at any chance you get, but I am asking everyone to reevaluate how they view the Middle East and its people. Give it a chance and it just might become your favorite place in the world!
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July 2023
While I attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I was born in Littleton Colorado and grew up in a rural area. When I moved out to Hawaii for school, I quickly found my groove in Shidler College of Business as a triple major studying Marketing, International Business, and Quantitative Economics, and I was later chosen to be one of the Shidler Global Leaders. This and several other scholarships, including the Johnson Scholarship, gave me the amazing opportunity to go spend a semester abroad in the United Kingdom.
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