Internationalmatt's Blog

This blog is about my international friends and their inspiring stories

Saturday with my Friends Mohanned and Sally from Sudan

Saturday evening I visited my friends Mohanned and Sally from Sudan. I always enjoy my visits to their home because our conversations are always interesting and I learn more about their culture. Sally also happens to be an excellent cook, so the food is always delicious.

Sally outside cooking on the grill with her sons

Mohanned’s brother was there and we had a chance to talk about studies and going to the University. I also met a friend of theirs named Hafiz. We had an interesting conversation. Sally shared with me about how when she they first came to America she was surprised to see older people out in restaurants and other places because in Sudan older people have to stay home. It is interesting to learn about the various aspects of American culture that newcomers to America take note of and why.

Mohanned and Sally

We talked about future goals for both Mohanned and Sally. Both of them are college graduates from Sudan and hope to continue their education here. I am confident they will both do well as they continue their studies.I look forward to more delicious meals with Mohanned and Sally and especially look forward to seeing how they do with their continued studies.

September 19, 2010 Posted by | African friends, Cross Cultural, Experiences of international friends, International Friendships, Internationals, Sudanese friends | Leave a Comment

A Multi Language Handmade Thank you with A Lot of Meaning

In late November last year I started a new project not only for me but also for Lincoln. The program is called Family Literacy. The program includes English classes for parents of children in Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade. It also includes family classes, PACT- parent and child together- time in the classroom. This first year has definitely been successful overall. Of course for me, my focus is on my class.

All of my students have made considerable progress. They are interacting with the school more and reading to their children in English, some for the first time. They have also formed a sense of community with each other. It has been great to watch as women from diverse cultures have formed friendships. The women are from El Salvador, Iraq, Mexico, Sudan and Ukraine. They have shared food from their culture. They have also found that they share many things in common such as their lives as women and mothers. We have three who have found they needed to wear glasses in class and when one of them shows up without their glasses the others ask them where their glasses are. I am proud of all of them for the progress they have made and even more for the effort they have put forth.

They gave me a handmade thank you that meant a lot to me. They wrote it in English, Arabic and Spanish. They exaggerated when they said I was the best teacher, but I understood what they were trying to say. It is not so much an issue of me being the best teacher as it is an issue of me believing in them and letting them know that I believe they can do it. For them it is perhaps the first time in their lives a teacher has shown them that kind of respect and believed in them. They are the ones who gave all of the effort and did the work. I am thankful for them and for the opportunity to impact them and their families.

June 3, 2010 Posted by | Experiences of international friends, Hispanic friends, International Friendships, Internationals, Middle East friends, Sudanese friends, women's issues | Leave a Comment

An Evening with Mohaned and Sally from Sudan

This evening I spent some time with Mohaned and Sally and their family. We had some delicious food which of course is something I look forward to anytime I visit Sally and Mohaned. I also had an opportunity to meet Mohaned’s step mother and younger brother. I also met a friend of theirs from Somolia which was a small world moment for me because I taught his wife in one of my classes at SCC.

Ihsan is Mohaned’s step mother. I had his father Maki during my previous visits, but his step mother and brother had not arrived yet. When Sally first told her that her teacher Matt was coming, she felt sad because my name Matt sounds similar to the Arabic word for died. I use Matt instead of Matthew because Matthew is difficult for people from some cultures to say. Ihsan is a very nice woman and I could see she was happy to see her grandchildren. She saw snow for the first time in her  life which she enjoyed.

Ihsan with her grandsons and Maki

Mogtba is Mohaned’s brother. He will graduate from a university in Sudan soon and will come back to Lincoln to live. He also saw snow for the first time during this trip to Lincoln. He enjoyed looking at pictures on Mohaned and Sally’s laptop of their family. He is a nice young man and when I left I promised Maki I would push Mogtba to learn English when he comes to live in Lincoln. Maki smiled and said thank you.

Ihsan, Maki, Mohaned and Mogtba- in the white t-shirt

I did try to get another picture of Sally, but right when I got ready to click her son Wadah jumped into the picture. It seemed like a great picture to keep. Wadah is very social and does not like it when visitors leave. When I left, Sally gave me some food to take home. It was another enjoyable evening with my friends.

March 21, 2010 Posted by | African friends, Experiences of international friends, International Friendships, Internationals, Sudanese friends | Leave a Comment

A Grandfather visiting from Sudan sees snow for the first time

On New Year’s Day I had the opportunity to visit my friends Mohaned and Sally from Sudan. Sally and her friends prepared some delicious food which I not only enjoyed feasting on there but I was also able to take some home. We were joined by some other friends, Mohaned and Sally’s two little boys and their grandfather Maki.

Our Feast

I had met Maki before the last two times I went to Mohaned and Sally’s apartment. Maki is having a great time visiting his family. He loves to spend time with his two grandsons. Maki has also had a chance to experience something he had never experienced before. Maki saw snow for the first time in his life.

Maki with his son Mohaned, Sally and one of Maki's grandsons

Sally and Mohaned had told me that Maki wanted to see snow the last two times I went to their apartment. Sally told me Maki repeatedly asked when it would snow.Maki got his wish in a big way last month. December was a record month for snow in Lincoln Nebraska. We had over two feet of snow which is over 60 cm. Maki has gone out to play in the snow with his grandsons. He will have quite the story to tell his friends when he goes back to Sudan later this year.

me with Maki and one of his grandsons

Maki is a lot of fun to be around. He was the one who helped me to put the traditional headdress on that I wrote about in a previous blog. After he put it on me we all had a good laugh. Maki has a good sense of humor. I joked with him about what he can eat and not eat for his health and he just smiled and let me know he can eat whatever he wants.

For those of us who have seen too much snow in our lifetimes it can seem funny that someone would derive so much pleasure from something as simple of snow, but when someone has never seen it before snow can be a fun adventure.

January 4, 2010 Posted by | African friends, Cross Cultural, Cultural Ambassdors, Experiences of international friends, Holidays, International Friendships, Internationals, Sudanese friends, winter | Leave a Comment

Fun memories from 2009- Matt’s new fashion from other cultures

This past year has been an eventful one for me. I have made many new friends from several countries. I was able to start a new adventure teaching parents of elementary school students while their children are in school. I have learned more words from other languages. I had a wonderful surprise by receiving my van from Jesus. I have shared numerous fun times with my international friends. For a little fun on a cold snowy winter weekend I am putting some pictures of me with some new fashion from other cultures in my blog. You can vote which you think is the most fun. The choices are me in a traditional Karen robe, me in some traditional Sudanese clothing, me in a hat from Vietnam that a friend brought me from Vietnam, and me with a fan from China. I always enjoy sharing my friends culture with them. These are the only ones that fit into the fashion area so far.

me wearing a traditional Karen robe with my friend Law Eh Paw who hand made it for me

me wearing traditional Sudanese clothing

me wearing a hat from Vietnam that my friend Lien brought back for me

me with a fan one of my friends from China gave me

December 27, 2009 Posted by | African friends, Chinese friends, Cross Cultural, Cultural Ambassdors, Cutural Celebrations, Experiences of international friends, international fashion and crafts, International Friendships, Internationals, Sudanese friends, The Karen people, Vietnamese friends | 1 Comment

Matt the Choir Director?

We had a fun snowstorm here in Nebraska the past few days. Yesterday morning I had seven brave souls who came to class even though they are new to America and are from places where it never snows. I had 2 from Iraq, 2 from Vietnam, 2 from Sudan and 1 from Burma. The class is a beginning English class and meets at a place called the Center for People in Need. People who receive help from the Government are required to volunteer in the community including new refugees who don’t know anything about America. I try to make the class a welcoming place and fun for them to make the best of a less than advantageous situation for them.

Yesterday morning to make it fun for them I taught to sing Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. I explained that let means give permission, among other meanings, and that we would sing it to the staff. We practiced and off we went to walk around the building. My seven member choir sang let it snow loudly for the Assistant Director of the Center, the Director of the Center, the reception area, the woman who is in charge of publications etc, and their supervisor. All of them loved it and smiled. My students had a lot of fun. It was a bright moment in a dreary day for my students and for the staff at the Center.

I can now add Choir Director to my resume to go along with Wedding Coordinator :) . The spontaneous moments in life provide fun little adventures.

December 9, 2009 Posted by | Experiences of international friends, Holidays, International Friendships, Internationals, Refugees, Sudanese friends, The Karen people, Vietnamese friends, winter | 2 Comments

Thanksgiving week fun- lunch with Sudanese friends

Sally, Mohanad's father, Mohanad and one of their boys

On Saturday I had the fun experience of visiting some friends from Sudan to eat lunch with them. We had a lot of fun and a lot of good food. It has been my experience that when I visit a friend’s house from another culture that the food is delicious and plentiful. My time on Saturday with Mohanad and Sally certainly fit that description.

When I arrived, one of the first things I noticed was all of the food on the table. I met Mohanad’s father who is here visiting. I also met two young energetic boys who were a lot of fun to be around. We had a great meal and a good time together.

Sally, Mohanad's father, and me with their two boys

After lunch we sat down to talk, drink tea, and eat desserts. Sally is a wonderful cook and Mohanad is a good host. Every time my plate started to get empty Mohanad put more food on my plate. I was so full that I could only eat a little dessert.

me wearing some of their traditional clothing

Sharing a meal is one of the best ways to get to know friends from other cultures. We all had a good laugh when I tried on some of their traditional clothing. Mohanad’s father helped me with the head wear. My time with them made me think about how we need to take time to get to know people for who they are and not stereotype. Mohanad and Sally love their sons, and want to learn English so they can provide a good future for their sons. They may wear different clothes and have a different religion than me, but they want a good life for their family just like most of us do.

me with Mohanad's father

Right before I left, I asked why Mohanad did not have a big stomach like me with all the delicious food Sally cooks. We also got online so we could become facebook friends and so I could show them some pictures. It was a wonderful afternoon with my new friends.

November 24, 2009 Posted by | African friends, Cross Cultural, Cultural Ambassdors, International Friendships, Internationals, Muslims, Stereotypes, Sudanese friends, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

   

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