Almost There...

After a bit of thought and great suggestions from close friends, the format of my blog is changing a bit. Instead of the overly ambitious, strictly academic style I first proposed, I'm going to stick with more of a personal blog. Having to split time between packing, working, the release of the last Harry Potter book (and of course the need to take two weeks to rerd the last six), and visiting friends and family proved difficult also sit down blog on ultra-educational topics! But don't worry, I'll keep everyone updated on my studies while I'm sticking to blogging about my sure-to-be-entertaining life overseas.

Initially our trip to Lebanon was just a grand idea, but now it is really beginning to take shape. The realization that we are actually boarding a one-way flight out of the country hit as we were on our way back to my hometown in Missouri. Alex met my family and teenage friends for the first time, but I was saying goodbye for the next couple of years. Everyone was just as excited as we were and expressed so much interest. Saying goodbye to everyone was a little jolt of reality.

Only two nights before we leave South Orange, and ten days until we are on a plane overseas. Unfortunately, I've been working a lot of hours and it’s adding to my stress level. On the other hand, there are great people in my life teaching me life lessons to keep my stress level to a manageable one or two cranky hour every other day.

Alex had me pseudo-packing ever since we knew that we were going. I managed to part with clothes (most I didn't wear at all) and random things I stored. I can't begin to tell you how great it feels to know that I have the things I need and no more. I rid myself of so much crap, and so much mental weight by being honest to myself and throwing out all the useless junk I had.

Also, Alex made sure that we began packing last week, just a little bit everyday. I'm so used to the last minute, late-night packing - no wonder I hated traveling! This time, however, our preparations are going very smoothly. We're moving everything out of our apartment Wednesday morning and then living with his mother for the first part of the week and his sister's the last, before we head out to the airport

Speaking of working, I've caught myself thinking about how my first couple years of college went and how I want to spend the rest of my college career.

Five days after I moved into my dorms at Seton Hall, I had an interview for a job. Two days later I was working. Now, I’ve been at Other Mothers for almost two years. Getting a job probably wasn’t the best idea for a college freshman, but it was a matter of survival.

I worked as many hours as I could fit around my school schedule, so I had enough money for food, clothes, and a little extra. On top of that, my co-signer for student loans fell through after my freshman year. I figured out that I wouldn't need to take out any loans if I rented off-campus. Although manageable, it translated into a definite increase in expenses.

Working at Other Mothers really helped me through my first years in college. I remember last summer my boss told me she would give me priority and allow me to work as many hours as I needed/wanted. I invested a lot of time there and was extremely grateful. The location was perfect, as it was right off campus and I didn't have to spend any time or money on commuting, and it was a relatively easy job so I wasn't completely drained when it came to studying. Nevertheless, working was a bit of an impediment on my college career.

At last year's hooding ceremony for Diplomacy graduates, many of the students being awarded were involved in numerous organizations. Being able to participate in clubs requires a student with time to attend meetings and devote to whatever activity is involved. As a freshman and a sophomore I participated in Seton Hall's Model United Nations Association, but usually my attendance and participation were poor due to my limited studying time and lack of money to attend some of the more costly conferences.

This led to my increasing frustration that I did not have enough time or money to intern, get more involved on campus, or even attend school-wide events. I was worried about building my resume, but had no means to do so. Even worse, my uninteresting resume made it difficult to land an internship. In the pool of people I was up against, it seems that being an independent student was not in my favor.

Although there is a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that I am a hard worker and have, for the most part, put myself through college, it seems as if there is no place for the independent student in universities. We are often sidelined as the ones who are "too busy" for our education. There is really no reward for those of us who try, even in the toughest of circumstances, to manipulate the system so we can hopefully get out of the vicious cycle of resorting to an immediate source of cash in order to finance our prospects for the future.

Nourishing my passions and being able to give more than half of my time to studies is what I look forward to in Lebanon. I’m overjoyed that I have this opportunity.

My book recommendations for the month are Khaled Hosseini’s books, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. I came across The Kite Runner at a 25 cent sale, and I never picked it up until my roommate happened to see it on my floor and told me the great reviews he heard. On our 13 hour drive to Missouri I could not put it down! Hosseini writes a narrative about an Afghani boy and his childhood friend. It’s a tale that spans the time of the military coup of Doad Khan in the 70s through the Soviet Invasion and then the take over of the Muhajadeen and the Taliban. Every other chapter was a surprise, and each page was filled with history and insight into Afghani culture. Even Alex, who is not usually one for fiction, was pleasantly surprised by this narrative.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is just as refreshing as The Kite Runner. The book just came out this year and I’m sure will be, along with The Kite Runner, a New York Bestseller. This time, however, Hosseini writes a narrative from an Afghani girl’s perspective. The story takes place during the same time frames, and to read this book after his first is great because you can draw so many parallels between the two narratives. Hosseini’s style, although very much similar in both books, does not get tiring at all! Alex and I literally read it side by side, and didn’t want to stop even to go to a Cardinals baseball game!

Finally, if anyone wants to be able to view pictures from our Missouri trip the link is http://picasaweb.google.com/alexander.m.adrian/Missouri2007

Sui Generis

Is man inherently good or evil? Has religion even been the actual cause for wars, past or present? Will states ever solve the pollution problem? These loaded questions have certainly been through their share of debates, each person finding select historical proof to back up their conclusions. As difficult is trying to convince family and friends that traveling to a conflict-torn region is practical and worthwhile. On the fifth of September, 2007, Alex and I will travel to Beirut, Lebanon, where we will attend the American University of Beirut (AUB). I shall continue my undergraduate degree in Near Eastern Studies, and Alex, already obtaining his B.S in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall, will begin his graduate coursework in Economics. Our announcement has produced few enthusiastic supporters but we thank everyone who has encouraging words to offer. No less noteworthy are those who have warned us against going, and want us to be as safe as possible. We understand your concern, and also thank you for your caring gestures and loving honesty.

Planning for such a trip undoubtedly must go beyond luggage and applying for visas. There is the fighting in the North, between the Palestinian faction Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army, and not to mention the unrelenting political bickering. Safety is always a concern, but such is the nature of the student to parade where some think it unwise. Yet, one could mark any region unsafe. Besides the Middle East, jihadist movements are popping up in Western and Eastern European countries. The African continent is home to some of the most oppressive regimes currently in rule, and South America is expressing an increasingly anti-American sentiment. In all of these places, however, channels of communication and cross-cultural understanding are key to solving international issues.

So, where else better to study the Near East than in the heart of the beast? Lebanon is sometimes considered the most liberal of Near Eastern states, and its historical make-up has certainly made her politics and culture spicy. With luck and determination, studying in Beirut will result in firsthand knowledge of the culture and proficiency in the Arabic language, surely helping make a student more marketable when applying for schools or jobs. Blogging (I mean to use to a scholarly format rather than the average personal diary) will serve the purpose of addressing arousing events, and, for those who have expressed concern, to let people know I'm still alive and typing.

Though I may never come close to solving the aforementioned questions in this blog, my intentions are purely educational. Whether it be commenting on international air travel, overseas living conditions, foreign nationalism, politics, or just day-to-day living, there is so much to be learned in a trip of this caliber - from preparations to repatriation. Please feel free to comment or criticise the content or quality of the blogs, in fact I encourage any and all comments and/or questions before and during our travels. My hope is you, as the reader, and I can interact through the blog and create an atmosphere of continual learning. As we do so, I am confident the benefits of travel and study will transcend the dangers.