Indians and Iraqis

I can't help but be amazed by just how connected our world is. As part of our research, we interviewed an Iraqi couple who had come to DMH so that their baby could have open heart surgery. Since the family couldn't speak Marathi, Hindi, or English, they had an Iraqi student studying in Pune translate for them. After interviewing them for our project, we started talking with the translator, whose name is Ibrahem.

Yesterday he called us up and asked if we could go out to dinner. I couldn't help but smile--here were four Americans and an Iraqi eating Chinese and British food in India. Despite the turmoil going on between our two nations, we had no trouble getting together with him and making friends. I suppose that's one of the joys of traveling internationally--meeting interesting people in unexpected places.

Naturally, being who I am, we started talking about how Iraqis felt about Americans and how Americans felt about Iraqis. There seems to be two sides in Iraq--those who are angry at the American occupation and want them out, and those (like Ibrahem) who are happy that Iraq is a free country now. Without Saddam Hussein, there is, among other things, the freedom of press. It is undeniable that Iraq faces a much brighter future without Saddam Hussein leading the country. It is interesting to note that Ibrahem faced significant difficulties in getting a visa to study English. Thus, he came to India to study English (rather than a country like England or Australia).

In the two years since he left for university here in Pune, Iraq has become more stable, and the link between it and the rest of the world have opened up. Ibrahem told us that someday he wants to visit America. In a very real sense, even though our various governments bicker and fight over various geopolitical issues, we as tourists and travelers are unofficial ambassadors of our respective countries. It is encouraging to know that despite the actions of our governments, there is still an inherent respect between two people, and a common interest in learning more about one another's culture. Perhaps more than anything, I believe this should be the goal of traveling abroad. When I return from India, I'll have a nice paper in hand as well as a nice collection of pictures and souvenirs. But perhaps the most valuable thing I will have developed is an appreciation of India and its culture.