I was thinking about how I experience American life, and although it is busy, in our church fellowships (mine and my husbands, and then ours from places we lived married) we have very strong,deep relationships that have lasted decades. Thanks to email, we can keep in touch even better.

Maybe after Ramadan we should get you invited to some good old fashioned church potlucks. They are very very similar to Iftar…people east as though they haven’t all day. Do you have any Evangelical Christian friends? It may sound bizarer, but several of my more devout Muslim friends have said they have more in common with us than completely secular Muslims. Just a thought.

Ray, for the most part Arabs are brown skinned or olive skinned, but in the context of the greater population there are the few that tend to be white, typically from our specific region: jordan, palestine, syria and mostly lebanon. geography, climate and urbanization i suppose.

yeah that kind of sounds fun, but the life i guess the life i pictured didnt involve a trailer park or a scene from from ‘my name is earl’ if you know what i mean

If you don’t like the structured life, I can definetely understand why. I would suggest moving down to Kansas or one of the southern states in America. Things are more relaxed, and you get the advantage of good money and life, if you’ve got a halfway decent job. Of course, on the flipside, there’s not a whole lot to do other than burn garbage and drink beer on Fridays.

as for impact. the problem with that question is that it’s idealistic in the sense that i’d really have to be the selfless type and with that come sacraficing any ambition for wealth for the sake of a “higher purpose”.

In the mean time, I like to look at it this way. Where will you have a greater impact? Where can you make a real difference? In short, who needs you more?

here is a question for you…

when your old and frail and close to the end, what is it your going to wish you hadn’t given up? the money or the life?

are you going to pray to God to give you a few more dollars or a few more minutes with friends and family?

answer both of these truthfully and you have the answer to the path you want to take.

Yes, you’re absolutely right…it depends on how you define ‘a life’ … having had exposure to the two worlds (USA, Palestine & Jordan)I would definitely say that there is more of a social life in Palestine and Jordan than here…People there are not as consumed in work as we are here and so tend to have more than just work to focus on…maybe I feel that way because when I’m there, I am on vacation and maybe I see everyone else having the free time that I have.

Depending on where you live in the US and how involved you are in the Arab and Muslim Community and centers, then you will definitely feel the same (if not even stronger)cultural and religious connection that you feel living in Jordan or Palestine or any other Arab country. I believe that the majority of us here in the West tend to stick to our traditions(not stone age ones, though some us still stick to those), culture and religion more than some back home do!

My personal preference is a balance between the two … I would like to be able to travel between here and there!

lksfadljk, “thereâ??s a lot of stuff to do in Canada”, stuff yes, but not really a life and i guess it depends like i said on how one defines “a life”

“You just have to work a bit harder on finding the eccentricities of Canada that matches the personality of every estranged arab.”

I think it’s not a matter of finding those eccentricities, but that they either don’t exist or that they are in an environment that is all together different. it’s the difference in feeling between sleeping over at a relative’s house and in your own bed in your own home.

Jennifer, welcome to my blog and hope to see your comments. yeah i empathize with a lot of what you’re saying. and in truth if anyone ever had to make that cruicial life decision about choosing a country…the falafal sandwiches can really tip the scales in favor of Jordan

I just got to reading your blog so you’ll find many comments here:D

I have been in the US for about 4 months now, and these questions have been in my head. While i love the freedom of walking down the street with no shabab yelling silly and somtimes crude stuff, i miss the simplicity and pace of life. I also miss the kind of friendships i formed there, and i wonder if it’s a country thing, or if it’s a life thing, you know? You make those great friends only once in a lifetime. People here are so preoccupied with themselves.

I am struggling to make ends meet and make and multi-cultural marriage get started on the right foot. I

I’ve never fit in in either Canada or Jordan. I’m too Arab for Canada, and I’m too liberal for Jordan. So life is frustrating for me wherever i live. But focusing on the positive side, Canada isn’t trading money for life because there’s a lot of stuff to do in Canada. With money, you can travel. You can take classes.. learn another language, learn dancing, learn sports, learn to sky dive! With money you can buy flowers for your girlfriend everyday to make her happy ;P I understand what you mean about the rules in Canada and it is precisely these rules that make life boring and take away from our interesting stories. And as Arabs.. we’re used to frustration to the extent that we even thrive on it! If something is easy for us we don’t even think its worth doing. But living in Canada is not a choice between money or life. You just have to work a bit harder on finding the eccentricities of Canada that matches the personality of every estranged arab.