Bobby_CP_#2

Yesterday I met with my second conversation partner, Mohammad. Interestingly, he and Badah share the same last name, Alajmi. I learned from Badah and Mohammad that Alajmi is a tribal name that many people in Kuwait share. I found this very interesting, considering my limited understanding of the social structures of Middle Eastern societies, and I would very much like to learn more about the tribal relations that seem so definitively influential in that region. Mohammad and I spoke about some of the same things that Badah and I had covered, but Mohammad seemed to have a better command of English than Badah did. Apparently soccer is a huge deal in Kuwait. Real Madrid and Barcelona were playing the following day and Mohammad was very excited about the match. After winding through the congenial chit chat about the city and the university we moved on to more personal and complex issues. He was curious about the legality and acceptance of marijuana. I told him that it was a complicated issue, but gave my opinion about it. Mohammad wanted me to tell him about American culture. I explained that American culture is hugely varied, but we are all essentially American. I began by explaining the culture of the American South, using Tallahassee as a reference. Then I tried to explain the Northeast, Midwest, and Western cultures to the extent that my familiarity allowed. I also tried to touch on some taboos that might be acceptable in other cultures but that Americans wouldn’t condone. He then asked me how I felt about several issues. He began asking me some questions that appeared on a survey he took in class, such as what I believe it means to be in a relationship, when do I think is the right time to get married, what marriage means to me, what I would do if I caught my son or daughter smoking cigarettes, and others. In the end I felt like I had a pretty meaningful conversation with Mohammad and like we had gotten to know each other well enough to be friends.