In the summer of 2011 I was prepared ready to travel to USA; except for not knowing where to go after I leave the airport. I did not care if I know someone there or not, I just needed to go alone and see what's going to happen in this adventure. My father told me about his friend in NEW YORK and he said that he will call his friend to tell let him know my arrival date and time to see if he wait for me and help. My father assured me “do not worry, he will wait for you at the airport and will take care of in the first day”, Well New York sounds good but I did not care if he is going to wait or not. The only important thing for me was to fly out of my country.
I arrived to JFK airport around 4:00 PM; I finished my immigration document; after that I got out of the airport and looked everywhere searching for my father's friend with no luck, so I started calling him again and again -five times-, but he never answered. I did not get mad because I had a feeling he is not going to show up and I believed my feeling in that moment, most important thing at that time was what should I do now?
In that moment I had to take care of me by myself. I'm stranger in this country and I also look as a stranger for people around me. When I stepped outside the airport I overheard some people saying they will go to Manhattan bus station to get a bus to VIRGINIA State. When I heard '' VIRGINIA" I kind liked the sound of that and I said to myself let me go to Virginia, it was a common name for beautiful girls after all and sounds better than Manhattan. Suddenly I saw a man walking to me and he asked me ''where you want to go?" I said to Manhattan bus station, he said ''I will charge you 80 dollars to drive you there” and he told me he is a limousine driver.
I recognized after that he was not a limousine driver because there was no sign on his privet small car nor any writing, I found out later that 80 dollars was so too much to drive me there, he wanted to get my money because he saw me as a stranger, and he knew he can get from me as much as he can. I had on me at that time $300 dollars in my pocket, but I accepted his deal because I wanted to go to VIRGINIA.
I arrived to VIRGINIA at 5:00 next day in the morning, I started walking in the streets until after I left the bus station to find an open corner store; I went inside and I talked to the cashier -he speaks my language- so I asked him for a job, and that is how I got my first job in USA, next I looked for a room to rent and found it as well. 2 weeks later; my dad’s friend who was supposed to meet me at the airport called me on my cell to ask me ''Are you in USA?"
I said oh yeah you did not know! He said fine you can go to Bridgeport, CT and you will find job there with more money, I told him OK and thanked him.
Virginia is beautiful but not as what I thought of it; so I traveled to Bridgeport and started to work in a grocery store and restaurant too, it was very hard on me at the beginning to do that job because the customer treated me so badly because I sounded as a stranger for them and I did not speak English like they do. For that reason I went to school to learn English to communicate with everyone and to continue my accounting degree. It has been two year since and I'm still feeling as a stranger to the people of USA which I hope it will end when I finish my study.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
still friends
A long time ago I planned to leave my country for any other country. I always had a dream to travel and get the experience of traveling. I had that dream since I was 15 years old when I told my friends about it.They started to laugh and make fun of me. One of my friends,Karim, told me "you are stupid because you are thinking about something like that" and hr thought that was so funny.I talked to my father about that too and I was so sincere when I told him “Dad I really want to leave this country”.My father told me “just focus on your school and we do not know what is going to happen in the future”.
I started getting busy with my family and my study but I did not forget about my dream. Four years later; my friend Karim surprised me when he said to me “I’m going to the USA tomorrow”.When I heard that I told him, " Congratulations ,but why you did not tell me before ?"
"I did not have time to tell you", he said!.
"Why are you telling me now, one day before you travel? " , I asked!.
"I wanted to surprise you", he said!.
Karim was the one who made fun of me before I told him about my dream. Now he was the one who was traveling. He found a way to get out of that country but he kept it a secret while he knew it was my dream. He was my best friend! If he found any way to travel, he should have told me because he knew my situation and dream a long time ago. I felt so sad and mad at him. I was feeling shame for one who I used to think of as my best friend.
At that time I was still a student in college when karim went to the USA, but I started to working during summer to save some money to move out of my country, mainly because I believed in myself and that I knew I could do it. It was not important to me at that time where I was moving to,but it was important to me to find a solution that I asked everybody about a way out. I started to get as much information as I could get from them. After a few months karim came back from the USA and I asked him about some information and some details that might help me but he did not give me any. I said to myself I will get there without his help. One year later karim went again to the USA and like the last time he surprised me about the date of his travel.
I did not care about that much because I remembered his history with me before. I worked hard on that year to forget about my obsession with travel. I went everywhere to find out how to get away until I got approval from the USA Lotto Green card. KARIM was in EGYPT when he saw my visa and he looked like someone who got shot. Finally I came to USA in 2011 and I did to my friend the same thing he did to me.I did not tell him about the date of my travel.I called him one week after I arrived to the USA and I told him "My dear friend I am here in USA".
In 2012 I received a phone call from MEXICO.I was surprised when I looked at my phone screen because I do not know anyone in MEXICO and I have never been there. When I answered the call I found the person on the line was my friend karim.I asked him,"what are you doing in MEXICO?"
He replied “I came to MEXICO to find a way to go to USA because my USA visa is already expired”.
"what you need now?" I asked
“I need your help, I need some money because I do not have money now”, he said
I sent him some money,not only once but many times, I helped him as much as I could.
Karim is still in MEXICO until today.We still call each other over the phone and we are still friends but I learned from this situation, if someone needs help and I can help them I will do it even if he is not going to help me back. I learned as well that if I wanted to do something for myself I should not wait for anyone’s help but me.
I started getting busy with my family and my study but I did not forget about my dream. Four years later; my friend Karim surprised me when he said to me “I’m going to the USA tomorrow”.When I heard that I told him, " Congratulations ,but why you did not tell me before ?"
"I did not have time to tell you", he said!.
"Why are you telling me now, one day before you travel? " , I asked!.
"I wanted to surprise you", he said!.
Karim was the one who made fun of me before I told him about my dream. Now he was the one who was traveling. He found a way to get out of that country but he kept it a secret while he knew it was my dream. He was my best friend! If he found any way to travel, he should have told me because he knew my situation and dream a long time ago. I felt so sad and mad at him. I was feeling shame for one who I used to think of as my best friend.
At that time I was still a student in college when karim went to the USA, but I started to working during summer to save some money to move out of my country, mainly because I believed in myself and that I knew I could do it. It was not important to me at that time where I was moving to,but it was important to me to find a solution that I asked everybody about a way out. I started to get as much information as I could get from them. After a few months karim came back from the USA and I asked him about some information and some details that might help me but he did not give me any. I said to myself I will get there without his help. One year later karim went again to the USA and like the last time he surprised me about the date of his travel.
I did not care about that much because I remembered his history with me before. I worked hard on that year to forget about my obsession with travel. I went everywhere to find out how to get away until I got approval from the USA Lotto Green card. KARIM was in EGYPT when he saw my visa and he looked like someone who got shot. Finally I came to USA in 2011 and I did to my friend the same thing he did to me.I did not tell him about the date of my travel.I called him one week after I arrived to the USA and I told him "My dear friend I am here in USA".
In 2012 I received a phone call from MEXICO.I was surprised when I looked at my phone screen because I do not know anyone in MEXICO and I have never been there. When I answered the call I found the person on the line was my friend karim.I asked him,"what are you doing in MEXICO?"
He replied “I came to MEXICO to find a way to go to USA because my USA visa is already expired”.
"what you need now?" I asked
“I need your help, I need some money because I do not have money now”, he said
I sent him some money,not only once but many times, I helped him as much as I could.
Karim is still in MEXICO until today.We still call each other over the phone and we are still friends but I learned from this situation, if someone needs help and I can help them I will do it even if he is not going to help me back. I learned as well that if I wanted to do something for myself I should not wait for anyone’s help but me.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Boring person
woke up around six o’clock in the evening to study and finish my homework, after I finished my homework I would watch TV for an hour or two then go back to bed because I had to wake up early in the morning to repeat the same cycle. Every day I had the same routine, but Friday was special day, on that day I just stayed home all day watching TV.
When I got older and went to high school, I started to change that system little by little,
I started to go out with my friends on the weekends to watch new movies, played football or spend time in a coffee shop. My father and Mother did not like to see me out every weekend with my friends; they loved to see me staying home even on Friday to study. I did not limit going out except on weekends, but I started to go out with them during some weekdays.
In summer time I needed to change this pattern; so I got myself a job; after work I would go home not to eat or to sleep, but to watch TV because I thought TV is the only fun I can get and to get me out of the lifeless routine. Also I had the same bored times during college, with the exception of was going out with my friends more than before.
Sometimes to escape from that routine, I would sleep over at my uncle's house and watch TV. I wanted to learn more about the outside world, I loved to hearing the news around the world, but after some time I hated hearing it because the bad news made me even more sad.
My main reason for feeling bored at that time was finding out that after I would finish college I might not find a job which really made me feel down, the unemployment rate in my country is so bad like everything else there. I started to think and ask myself if I could only move out of my country to anywhere else and leave all the people I know; life might not be as bad.
I think the main reason that made me feeling bored and depressed when I started seeing my friends finishing college and not getting any jobs. I thought when I will finish my college my future will be similar, just thinking of that made me so desperate to get out of there and leave everything behind.
Now I’m in the USA. I do not feel bored like before because now I’m so busy doing many things and talking to many friends, also because I'm living alone and my old lifeless friends are not around me.
I think the main reason I do not feel bored anymore is because I moved out of my country, everything in that country made me feel sad; education, jobs and health care I am sorry to say it,but my country is not meant for me or anyone else who would like to live
.
Not much of the country itself but more of the regime, system and people who govern that country.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Education days
Education is always an important aspect of my life, it was in the past, still is and would be in the future. That idea played a vital role in making me what I am today. It always meant to me hard work - I really had to work hard to finish my study- I said work because I think education for childrens is like a job they have to do.
I was stressed out since I started my first grade 20 years ago. I had to pass 5 years elementary learning and study hard to pass to middle school.Although elementary school is the first step of education to any child.It was hard for me even in at that young age to enjoy it.It was similar to working HARD.
I had many memories of me crying and fighting with my mother because she wanted me to study harder and not to fail in school. I passed that elementary school with many challenges and moved to middle school that lasted for another 3 years of hard work that took me to high school.
I was so nervous and so stressed out during Middle because I felt if I did could not get good grades in middle school. I would not get to the high school and switch over to a craft school which my mother did not like. She wanted me to get to high school because high school is the only kind of school that would allow me to get into college or University. Craft school was a lower education level that people looked down at on; unfortunately that is the education system in my country.
All the schools I went to were public schools.Teachers in those schools did not care about how much education and information the students got because of many reasons, for one the ministry of education did not give those teacher sufficient wages to survive, so most of them were involved in tutoring private classes to make ends meet. Schools became building without education while all private tutoring became the only venue for getting information from teachers.
It is a strange education system; for that my mother brought me private teachers which were not cheap and she paid them to help me get good grades. She did all that because she wanted me to go to college. I really appreciate what she did for me.
I passed high school and got enough credit to put me in university studying Commerce.
Now I realize that it was not my personal problem rather it was my country devastated education system that stressed me out throughout my school years. No wonder with that much emphasis on education, my country still a third world country.
I was stressed out since I started my first grade 20 years ago. I had to pass 5 years elementary learning and study hard to pass to middle school.Although elementary school is the first step of education to any child.It was hard for me even in at that young age to enjoy it.It was similar to working HARD.
I had many memories of me crying and fighting with my mother because she wanted me to study harder and not to fail in school. I passed that elementary school with many challenges and moved to middle school that lasted for another 3 years of hard work that took me to high school.
I was so nervous and so stressed out during Middle because I felt if I did could not get good grades in middle school. I would not get to the high school and switch over to a craft school which my mother did not like. She wanted me to get to high school because high school is the only kind of school that would allow me to get into college or University. Craft school was a lower education level that people looked down at on; unfortunately that is the education system in my country.
All the schools I went to were public schools.Teachers in those schools did not care about how much education and information the students got because of many reasons, for one the ministry of education did not give those teacher sufficient wages to survive, so most of them were involved in tutoring private classes to make ends meet. Schools became building without education while all private tutoring became the only venue for getting information from teachers.
It is a strange education system; for that my mother brought me private teachers which were not cheap and she paid them to help me get good grades. She did all that because she wanted me to go to college. I really appreciate what she did for me.
I passed high school and got enough credit to put me in university studying Commerce.
Now I realize that it was not my personal problem rather it was my country devastated education system that stressed me out throughout my school years. No wonder with that much emphasis on education, my country still a third world country.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Life changes
On 1-25-2011 an Egyptian revolution started, protesters demanded the president to step down because of many chronic problems that included lack of freedom, bad economy, unemployment rate and inflation.
Former President “Pharaoh”
Starting of the revolution
At that time I was living in Egypt and very happy about that revolution because I thought it is a new beginning will start soon and the old regime will be gone.
Unexpectedly the president stepped down and the military controlled the country until the people elected a new president. Before all this happened I took my decision to leave the country to anywhere else; it did not matter where I will go, as long as it would be away from this land. Before the revolution started i did not care much about democracy because I just needed to finish my education which was all what interests me. When I was young my family took care of my needs, food, allowance, clothes, books and personal needs
because they wanted me to focus on my education and become a productive person that enjoy a good life.
I agree that education is very important subject to all Arab countries, but I always had a feeling that in spite what my family are doing for me which was very hard for them; I know my country economy is bad and the same powers that control the economy will always stay and those are the only people who are comfortable with things as it is in my country. That means a minority group are controlling the whole system which is true too for all of the Arab countries.
So as I mentioned; my family wanted me to get good education for believing on me, the education was my chance to change my life and their life as well since they believe that
highly educated people can change the country to the best. When I was young I noticed the regime is rewarding security personal (police, arm forces and intelligence) with good salary and benefits; it was clear that police servicemen were above the law; police officers were very special in my country, because of that; I saw most of people were scared and afraid from them. For the president himself as a military chief who is on top of pyramid; when people are allowed to speak talk to him, they would not look to him directly, how could they stare at the pharaoh, they used to look at the ground while talking to him, I feel some times he wants people to worship him, but i can find an excuse for them because I know the president and the media surrounding him that creates that image of him. The media wanted everyone to be aware that he is the wise man who everyone should agree with anything he says or do, otherwise the police will take care of things in a country that lived under Marshall Laws for more than 60 year!!! Security is what protected the president and his entourage who looted my country BIG TIME. So I was mad about all that and I could not do much to my country nor my family to change their lives. I just needed to finish my education as soon as I can and leave out of this country; not only for making more money but also to just change the place because every time I see all this things happen every day it hurt my heart very bad , I did not believe the revolution will ever happened in Egypt, but it already started, hundreds of civilian were killed by police officers and snipers. I took 18 days to for the military president to step down, but the protesters managed to eliminate the police after 3 days only, it was a powerful revolution, I think God gave this power to the protesters to hold while being killed. No one believed before that people can make a revolution because of the power and brutality of the police as I mentioned before.
At that time I was set to travel to USA and I was ready to go, I did not believe that country was bad and we all need to leave, it is a beautiful country with a long history and worthy tradition that can be turned into the best place for everyone to live in, but it was too late for me, we all had great dreams for her after the revolution, Should I stay ? No I just wanted to take care of my responsibility to myself to feel free and forget about the all bad and ugly things that happened before.
Banner says “Kill more of us, we will not accept your ruling anymore”
An image of a Khaled Saeed who was tortured by police and sparked the revolution
Cairo Airport
My new homeland
I needed to stay away from all and live by myself; I always have feeling of the big responsibility I have for my family. After 6 month of the revolution; I moved to USA. I do not know why but when I saw NEW YORK for the first time I was not surprised, maybe because I just came to USA to live and not to tour and enjoy then leave after few days.
After I landed in NY; I went to VIRGINIA because I know someone over there. I stayed over there 2 weeks looking for any job, but I could not find any.
Latter one of my friends called me about a job in BRIDGEPORT CT, so I moved here and started to work. In the beginning it was hard because too many things are new and different between Egypt and USA, even my room in my country was bigger than the house I stayed in now, the food, people, work and everything is different, in Egypt I used to live with my family, here in US I do the single person life which means I do my food; wash my clothes; pay my house rent, but now I got used to that life style which is working, have some fun and try to study to build a carrier.
It is kind of hard to work and study at the beginning but I am doing it because I love Education. the best thing that makes me happy now is that I’m responsible for myself and it does not matter if I have money or not if I can live whatever I choose for myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)