The Middle East. A region marked by a common Western misunderstanding of conflicting tribes, religions, governments, and nations. Yet for such a conflicted region, I have come to discover an Arab unifying factor is the desire to welcome anybody and everybody: neighbor, a friend, a family member, a foreigner. Anybody. Though the region is changing, I am quite certain about one thing: the Arabs' desire to welcome will always be a constant.
I am now living in Amman, Jordan during the first fall of the Arab Spring. It will be very interesting to observe how the country will react to the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the neighboring country of Syria that is inching dangerously close to the end of the Asad regime, and its own Jordanian people demonstrating for reform. I am lucky to have the opportunity to have a firsthand experience of life in the Middle East in such a crucial time for the region. Thus, I hope to share my observations and thoughts through the eyes of an Arab-American, who is currently straddling her life between her two cultures that are in constant conflict.
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