CP #4 Jude

On Friday night, I had the opportunity to hang out with Katelyn's CP Yassas at his apartment. Yassas is an older gentleman from Saudi Arabia, and honestly, one of the kindest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. I met Yassas at his apartment after a meal and he had Katelyn and I upstairs for some Arabic coffee and Arabic tea.

In Yassas' apartment, the walls were completely barren except for a few modest tables and a Saudi flag. Along different objects were post it notes with words in English and words in Arabic. The sofa and kitchen were all labeled, as well as the walls and doorways. Here is a man who really wants to learn English. When I walked in, I explained to him that I always thought the Saudi flag was the most beautiful country flags in the world. He unfurled it and took me through the meaning of the text. The writing in Arabic means "All one in Allah." I never knew that!

He led me to a small table and we sat around it. I had never had Arabic coffee before, so it was a new experience. It is always taken after meals and is a lot lighter than American style drip coffee. The coffee beans are a lot smaller and more bean-like than the south American and South Asian coffees we drink in America, and instead of using a filter, Yassas used a piece of palm to filter the coffee. It was light and delicious, but nothing could prepare me for how wonderful the tea was. It was the perfect blend between light and sweet. It needed no milk or dairy product, it was just delicious. Also, Yassas had a container of fresh figs from Saudi Arabia. This was a luxury I couldn't thank him enough for letting me partake in.

We talked for about two hours about American and Saudi cultures. Yassas wants to obtain his masters in public service from the University of Middle Tennessee, and they are willing to accept him pending he gets a sufficient score on the Toefl. He is enjoying his time in America, but he is having an extremely difficult time with English. Although we had trouble communicating, it was strange how king I could tell he was through his eyes and expressions. We talked about the types of towns in Saudi Arabia and in Florida. I am from Sarasota, which is a beach town, and he is from a beach town in Saudi Arabia as well. We spoke about tourism and the different types of houses in Sarasota and Dijjah (the name of his town). Surprisingly, they are extremely similar. both are formatted to the beach climate and have large bottom floors to keep cool.

He told me more about the neighborhood where he lives, and he said that in his first week, he heard a gunshot outside his apartment. This really scared me, and I offered to help him find housing when he needs it next. I look forward to more outings with Yassas, and I really enjoyed him company.