Today, Kally and I met again with Essa. We discussed
upcoming tests and presentations that we were nervous about. It seems like all
of the test come in rounds, so we figured we would meet at union grounds and
get some studying in. Essa had a presentation this week that was apparently
quite a crazy experience. Originally his group had 3 members, but one of them
backed out. After they started the presentation, the other group member played
an unexpectedly video that lasted way longer than expected. With a 5-7 minute
time limit, Essa had to speed through his portion of the presentation.
Apparently, the teacher asks a question and then the students have to feed off
of that question and develop justifiable, quality answers. Essa’s question was:
What was your first problem you had here in the states? Essa said his legs
began to shake, which we can all relate to. He then answered with a story that
just fascinated Kally and me. Apparently, the police came to his apartment door
at 5 am. They then informed Essa that his balcony was on fire. His neighbors
told the police that they had seen Essa smoking the night before. He admitted
that he had, but that he had not thrown the cigarette. This led to his
presentation topic of fire prevention at home. Because Essa was formerly a fire
fighter, he was well informed and knowledgeable on this topic. He explained
that in the classroom there are no fire exit signs and that the escape plan
should be listed throughout the room and not just near elevators. The doors open inward,
which is apparently a hazard. Overall, Essa had a great presentation. Another
interesting thing he mentioned was his semester is 8 weeks shorter than ours.
He mentioned that this week is when his family goes back to Saudi Arabi. His
wife and daughter would no longer be with him; however, he did not seem
concerned about it in the slightest. I know that sounds odd, but when we would
ask him if he was worried about being apart he would say no and act very
indifferently about it. He mentioned that if he passes his classes, he would
have to stay here to take a writing course. His take on it was that if he has
to take the courses than he will do so implying that academics come first at
this point in his life. He is definitely looking at the future with serendipity,
which in some ways is pretty cool and admirable. He knows that getting through
his current courses is going to be difficult, and I think he is acting
unconcerned about his family as a way of coping with the nerves. Sometimes
ignoring the problem or telling yourself you aren’t worried is the best coping
mechanism there is. Apparently, when he went home over Christmas break, he
insisted that his wife stay with her mom over the break and that he stay with
his mom. I don’t know if they were in need of some alone time or if he felt
that they should spend quality time with their individual families since they
were only there for a short time. Overall, he just didn’t seem anxious to get
home. He plans to stay here for spring break and wait to see his family until
the summer or upon completion of his required courses. We then discussed the driving
test he had to take when he got to the states. They told him that he wouldn’t
have to get on the highway, which he did. This frustrated him quite a bit, and
he said he almost failed the test due to the fact that he did not yield when
making a left turn. Essa is apparently a wild man on the road. We asked him if
he had gotten any speeding tickets since he had been in the states. Well, he
sure has! He got one ticket for going between 100-110 MPH. The speed limit was
70. He attempted to justify it to us by saying that he was on the highway so it
was ok. He mentioned that he was going downhill and was on the phone. This
sounded like a recipe for disaster to me. The ticket cost him $220. He did say,
however, that the driving rules are about the same here. One of Essa’s talents
is giving visual descriptions that really help us imagine what it is he is
explaining. For example, one time, he was going so quickly that the dashes on
the street that separate the lines of traffic appeared as one line because he was
speeding by them. He claimed to have had a speeding problem back home as well.
He says the drivers are way crazier at home and that accidents often occur
because no one stops at stop signs. An accident actually occurred right outside
his house for that exact reason. Essa has a fascination with the meanings
behind names. He had looked up Kally’s name and my name this week and shared
with me that my name means priest or a rhythm of music. He could not find the
meaning of Kally’s name. His name means Jesus, which is why his family calls
him “J”. He said he has so many nicknames back home and that he named his
daughter Dana because it means “big pearl”. His father picked the name. His
wife was into the hip, modern names, but he agreed on Dana so she would choose
a more classic name. Overall, we had a great time today talking with Essa and
hearing all about his wild road adventures. Everyone, lookout! Essa is on the
road!
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