The Lion’s Den

Jenin Abed (Germany)

“Jenin, don’t you feel uncomfortable going to the United States these days, after all that happened?  After Iraq?” “What?  You’re going to the States?  An Arabic girl? How could you do that?” “Beware of the CIA, Jenin!” and “Wow, you beard the lion in his den!”  These are some of the comments that I heard from people in Germany when I told them that I would study in the United States.  The United States reputation is not the best for the moment.  It is suffering from wars, Bush, Guantanamo, capitalism, and torture. 

Honestly, I was really worried about these facts, but when I came to San Jose I realized that I am really in Mexico.  But even that was not so sure.  Thanks to the International House, I was confused about where I actually am.  Sometimes it felt like Spain or Latin America, sometimes like France, sometimes like home.  I was surrounded by people speaking Japanese, Spanish, French, English, and a lot more.  Only here is it possible to learn 20 languages at one time.  Here is the place where Japan made peace with Korea, Palestine with Israel, Armenia with Turkey and so on.  Finally!

I will tell people in Germany that I had the most peaceful time of my life in the United States.  It was really worth it to visit the lion in his den.