English 1101

Professor Michelle Holmgren

Balqis Nagi

Trip of my life

When most people hear you’ve come from abroad they are usually fascinated. But when you tell
people that you’ve just come back from The Emirates after living there for almost 8 years they tend to
be extremely surprised and fascinated. So, usually that is when the questions start flowing in, such as:

“Why did you leave?”

“How you liking our weather eh?”

“Do you miss it?”

But the question that always hits me is “Did you like living there?” My answer to that question is always
a thousand times yes. Travelling to The U.A.E from Canada at the age of 10 not only influenced me in
many ways, but it affected me immensely.
The Emirates harbors a wide range of nationalities, and because of that it is very multicultural
and encourages all cultures and their traditions. Just by going to the supermarket, you can’t help but
notice the diverse nationalities around you. So, due to the fact that it is a multi-cultural country, it
therefore teaches the young generations to respect and accept diversity. So, going to school with all
kinds of nationalities taught me to respect their cultures and traditions just the same way they equally
respect mine.
Because the Emirates is situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, its official language is
Arabic and its official religion is Islam. So in school it was mandatory to study Arabic even if you were not
Arab. Also you would have to study Islamic Studies only if you were a Muslim. Because I studied Arabic
and Islamic Studies for almost 8 years, my very narrow knowledge of Arabic and Islam was expanded to
the fullest. Speaking Arabic wasn’t just implemented in school, it was also implemented at home and
wherever you went because most sign and advertisements would be written in Arabic but of course
translated in English afterwards. So just by being in an Arab environment it helped me practice my
Arabic everywhere and by doing so my Arabic got better and better with time. At first I felt extremely
dumb but then I wasn’t alone. My teachers would encourage me to work harder and speak more often
at home and so I did so .If I were still living in Canada I would not even know how to form a proper
sentence in Arabic.
Another impact The Emirates had on me was my education. I was enrolled in an all-girls British
system school called Al Nahda National School. I didn’t like the idea of being in an all-girls school but it
grew on me. I attended that school from grade 5 till senior year and I loved every year I spent in it. Its
curriculum was British program based, meaning it followed the curriculum they taught in Britain.
Comparing the British Program with the American Program, I would have to say from personal
experience that the British program is much more advanced than the American Program. The difference
is that the British program is more demanding. In grade 10 you would study material you’d probably
take in your first semester of university. You would then have to sit for British exams called the O levels.
Then in end of grade 11 you would have to sit for another British exam called the AS level
exams. And finally in your senior year you would make it or break it by sitting in for your final exams
called the A levels. The material you study in your final year is basically what you would normally study
in your first year of university. What I learnt in high school back in the Emirates helped in the courses
that I am now taking .So because I went to that school, I personally feel more confident in my first year
of university. I’ve also gained immense confidence in myself.
Other than that, the Emirates had a huge influence on my social life. As I mentioned before The
Emirates is a very multi-cultural country and so you meet a lot of different people .Each with their
genuine personalities. You meet new people and you befriend them. That is what I did. And till this day
they are the ones who have shaped my personality as it is now. And yes, most people would say that
you could meet friends anywhere but in my opinion these specific friends are the ones who shaped my
personality.
To conclude, moving to the Emirates changed my life. I can speak Arabic fluently now. I can
answer a question about my own religion with full confidence. I can go to my lectures and feel confident
I’ll come out with a full understanding of what will be discussed. To sum it up, moving to the Emirates
was the best thing that has ever happened to me.