Gary1

Steven Gary
Mrs. Patroni
Eng 111-373
16 September 2014
A Ne !or"#
As t$e p"ane too% &"'g$t &rom ()* to Moro++o, ' as &i""e# it$ e-+itement. ' $ear# on"y
ba# t$ings &rom t$e me#ia an# s.+$ abo.t A&ri+a b.t ' never rea""y "istene#. ' never imagine#
trave"ing internationa""y, b.t $ere ' as on my ay to Moro++o, t$e Mi##"e East an# $o o."#
t$in% A&ri+a. /oy as ' e-+ite#, "i%e a to##"er on 0$ristmas morning. 1itt"e #i# ' %no, t$is
e-perien+e o."# +$ange my perspe+tive o& $o m.+$ e as Ameri+an2s "ive an# $ave a "a+% o&
va".e.
!$en ' as 13, my parents sat me #on an# sai# 3Steven e nee# to ta"%.4 'n my min# '
as t$in%ing 3.$-o$ $i+$ tea+$er +a""e# $er t$is time54 'nstea# ' got a +onversation abo.t
#i&&erent +."t.res an# $o ' nee#e# to be open min#e# abo.t $o ot$ers "ive in #i&&erent
so+ieties. My &irst t$o.g$t as $y o."# ' "eave t$e +o.ntry5 '6m per&e+t"y &ine $ere '6m at7 '
too% more t$o.g$t into it an# #e+i#e# t$at ' o."# tag a"ong. ' #i# more resear+$ on $ere ' as
going b.t a"" ' got as &oo# an# st.&& t$at ' #i#n6t rea""y +are abo.t. 8$e #ay +ame to "eave &or
Morro+o an# ' as rea#y.
!$en ' arrive# in Moro++o, ' as +omp"ete"y 9et "agge#. 8$e time :one as #i&&erent, t$e
environment as #i&&erent, an# t$e peop"e an# "ang.age as #i&&erent. ;##"y eno.g$ it as
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m.+$ simi"ar to t$e <nite# States. !e ere in 0asab"an+a an# t$at6s "i%e Ne =or% it$ t$e
amo.nt o& peop"e ' sa. 8r.t$&.""y, t$e on"y #i&&eren+e ' +o."# portray as t$e #ress o& t$e
omen, an# t$e "ang.age. 8$e omen ere earing #resses an# most i& not a"" $a# s+arves
+overing t$eir $air. A"most a"" o& t$em ere spea%ing Arabi+ an# some )ren+$. '& yo. %no yo.r
$istory, t$e )ren+$ r."e# Nort$ern A&ri+a &or a $i"e. Amongst ot$er t$ings, t$ere as t$is
ama:ing +o&&ee s$op t$at my parents too% my too. '& yo. t$in% Starb.+%s is goo#, t$en yo. $ave
never $a# &oreign +o&&ee. 8$is +o&&ee too% me to $eaven &or &ive min.tes. 8$e rest o& t$e #ay as
9.st getting into o.r $ote" &or t$e #ay, be+a.se its nig$t time in Ameri+a an# o.r bo#ies $a# not
yet a#9.ste# to t$e ne time :one. 8$e ne-t #ay or evening, e >me an# my &ami"y? o%e .p to
trave" to t$e mo.ntains in /i+$ette.
8$e trave" to /i+$ette as a stress&." one. !e $a# to ta%e a +ab &or an $o.r to get to t$e
base o& t$e mo.ntain. 8$e p"a+e e ere staying at as in t$e +o.ntry si#e. My step&at$er6s
&ami"y gra+io.s"y "et .s stays in t$eir $ome. !$en e arrive# at t$e mo.ntain my step&at$er6s
brot$er @a"i# as aiting it$ a #on%ey. !e p.t o.r s.it+ases on t$e #on%ey an# a"%e# .p t$e
mo.ntain. ' $ave never &e"t so "a:y be&ore, ' 9.st #i# not ant to #o it. !e event.a""y arrive# at
t$e top an# t$e vie as spe+ta+."ar, .n"i%e anyt$ing ' $ave ever seen be&ore. =o. +o."# see over
t$e $o"e +ity. <nti" t$en ' $a# never a+t.a""y stoo# ne-t to a +os, s$eeps, #on%eys, or
+$i+%ens. 8$is as so e-+iting to me, &or t$e &irst time ' +o."# a+t.a""y pet a +o an# +$ase
+$i+%ens. 8o some peop"e t$at6s "i%e A o$ $atever. A b.t to me it as 9.st t$e best t$ing ever.
8$is as #e&inite"y a +."t.re s$o+% to me as e"". 8$e p"a+e e staye# at is "i%e a &arm b.t not a
&arm. ' $a# never "ive# in s.+$ +on#itions. (.st getting .se# to t$e s.rro.n#ings as a tas% in its-
se"&7 a&ter sett"ing in a"" ' ante# as a ni+e $ot s$oer. ' as%e# $ere t$e bat$room as "o+ate#
an# ' as given a b.+%et &i""e# it$ ater an# #ire+te# to t$e o.t$o.se. ;ver t$e ne-t +o.p"e
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o& #ays as ' trie# to a#9.st ' a"so pit+$e# in an# %ept myse"& b.sy. 8$ere ere no vi#eo games, no
Eng"is$ te"evision, no ar+a#e an# a"" t$e goo# t$ings t$at ' as .se# to. ' ent o.t an# $e"pe#
$ear# +os an# s$eep. ' $a# never a+t.a""y or%e# as $ar# as i #i# on t$e &arm. 'n t$e pro+ess '
pi+%e# .p a "itt"e Arabi+ "ang.age. My step&at$er6s mom to"# me it$ $an# gest.res, to +"imb on
t$e #on%ey an# ri#e it to get t$e +os insi#e. ' $ave never ri##en a $orse ba+% $ome7 ' #i#n6t
%no e-a+t"y $at to #o. S$e spo%e one or# &rom $er mo.t$ an# "e# me to be"ieve t$at t$is as
t$e or# t$at ' nee#e# to spea% to get t$e #on%ey to move. S$e a"so gave me t$e or#s to get t$e
#on%ey to stop moving. ' s"ig$t"y ab.se# t$e or#s trying to repeat it to myse"& a"most +on&.sing
t$e #on%ey. ' +ame in a&ter a "ong #ay an# s"ept "i%e a baby. ' ao%e at 4B00am to get t$e +os
insi#e to ma%e b.tter an# mi"% &or t$e #ay. No, ta%e a se+on# an# t$in% o& t$e eir#est t$ing
yo. $ave ever $a# to #o. No try an# re"ate to t$is. ' $a# to mi"% t$e +o an# ma%e s.re t$e mi"%
$it t$e b.+%et. 8$is as among t$e eir#est t$ings ' $a# ever #one in my "i&e. Event.a""y, ' got
t$e $ang o& it even t$o.g$ it as a "itt"e a%ar#.
/y t$e en# o& t$e to ee%s, ' rea"i:e# repeate# t$e same ro.tine a"most every #ay7
$i+$ asn6t ba# be+a.se ' en9oye# every min.te o& it. 1eaving as in my opinion t$e $ar#est
part o& my trip be+a.se t$is trip opene# my eyes to see t$e Ameri+a t$at e a"" %no an# A "oveA.
!e Ameri+ans aste &oo#, an# ta%e a#vantage o& t$e t$ings aro.n# .s b.t #on6t va".e t$em.
8$ere is m.+$ gree# t$at +omes &rom t$e Ameri+an peop"e as a $o"e. Con2t get me rong ' "ove
my +o.ntry, as m.+$ i& not more t$an t$e ne-t person, b.t $en yo. ta%e a trip "i%e t$is7 yo. see
a"" t$e t$ings e ta%e &or grante#. )or e-amp"e, bat$ rooms, p".mbing an# ni+e +om&ortab"e be#
it$ pi""os e a"" $ave b.t +an6t &at$om not $aving t$ese t$ings one #ay. 't is +ra:y to see $o
my "i&e as a"tere# $en ' ret.rne# to t$e states. ' $a# a greater appre+iation o& t$e $ar# or%
t$at &armers #o an# a ne respe+t &or t$e peop"e in ot$er +o.ntries. '& yo. ever $ave t$e
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opport.nity to ta%e a trip "i%e t$is one, ' strong"y re+ommen# it. '& ' $a# to go ba+% ' o."# #o it
a"" over again.