Who am I?
Hi,
My name is San, and I'm a 21-years old Iraqi millennial living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I'm currently studying for a Bachelors of business administration @UCSI university (Class of 2020!)
My interests and their origins
I've always been a hardcore fan of video games! I've always envisioned them as forms of self expression, or a visual median of some sort. Imagine living in the midst of a plot and seeing all the events unfold!
I was introduced to gaming at a very young age! When I was Five, the US got into an armed conflict with Iraq, so as one can imagine, the security situation wasn't ideal. It didn't allow an innocent 5 years old kid to wander around and play, as is the norm for people in that age category.
My mother came into our once-modest living room and unboxed the Atari or Sega (It was one of those consoles that came with a gun to aim in old 2D games.) As a young child, those few hours spent gazing onto our very small television felt miraculous. Trying desperately to be a good Mario and timing my jumps over the enemy! I didn't get to play as much as my heart's content due to the electricity in my country: It was very unstable and we spent most of the day without it. But no worries! I've had plenty of years to play to my heart's content. Gaming helped me gain a fluent grasp of the English language. It also nursed my intellect. Being in so many plots, controlling characters with different viewpoints of life, observing different antagonists and theirs agendas, and sometimes, making choices that affect the plot, are all integral factors in gaining insight. Nowadays, games are so popular and so fluent in visual and narrative expression, to the point where they feel as a Hollywood production or a simulation of some sort.
Music
Music was always an integral part of my life. I use music to unwind, think, contemplate, chill and reflect. One of my favourite activities would be wearing my Sony MDRs every morning and listening to a mixture of Classical rock, EDM, Indies and more. As a child, I was never able to connect with Arabic music; it was just very loud and fast-paced for my taste. I've always leaned towards classicals, which eventually lead me to my love of soundtracks. My favourite would be Ezio's family by Jesper Kyd. The melodies and vocals were very melancholic and it provided me clarity whenever I listened. Now, as I've mentioned earlier, I listen to a multitude of genres! Some of my favorites would be: Rolling stones, Lana Del Rey, ACDC, Daughter, Creedence Stillwater, Chris Cornell, Johnny Cash and others!
Growth and difficulties
Growing up in Iraq isn't as easy as one expects. Least, not in the time period I was born! Before 2003, Iraq already suffered economically. $50 was enough to support a family for two weeks or so... I always stayed indoors and never knew anything outside the confines of my home. We had to leave Baghdad and live in Kerbala with my uncle as the security situation wasn't hospitable any more. I remember living in my uncle's house with my family and his. I remember getting our first desktop computer, I remember school and going through everything, and everywhere accommodated by my mom thankfully. I wasn't exposed to a lot of people, socially speaking. As a result, my social skills suffered until I became 20 (not too long ago, right?)
I would describe myself as an odd/maybe a bit eccentric guy as a result. Society always felt foreign as a result. I was always overburdened by the saddle of endless rituals that came with socialising. How I had to never ask about someone's family members besides the dad, how that is considered an insult to honor, how any fuck-up, whether it’s deliberate or in deliberate, is viewed as my family's fault because they haven't brought me right. How some people judged us for sending my sister, who's a perfect adult and person, alone to live in Kurdistan (A perfect and stable region north of Iraq) to study in the American University of Sulaymaniyah (She graduated with honours so joke's on them, I guess.)
As a result, I was always introverted and never really roamed the world that lay outside my house. I remember that I hung out a maximum of 9 times a year. I just couldn't make friends. By the age of 18, my mother decided to send me abroad as she knew I was always destined for a life outside of Iraq, so she prepared me.
IYLEP
Iraqi young leaders exchange program is a program which is implemented by the US department of state and world learning (a non-profit which I'll always be grateful to.)
In this program, a good number of applicants are selected to go to the US for a month to undergo a number of activities, whether workshops about global health or social justice, IYLEP helped me learn a lot about a lot.
My First week in IYLEP was in Brattleboro, Vermont. SIT camp was amazing. 31 Iraqis, 99 Mexicans, about 15 Americans and 12 Brits! I got exposed to a lot of different people, cultures and customs! They weren't as uptight as the people back home though. I gained friends who I'm talking to until this very day! I remember how we all hosted different exhibitions to introduce our cultures! I got to learn how to valse and I danced with a lovely friend called Mariana!
After my first week, we split up to different states as each state had its own theme (e.g social justice). I was chosen to go to Portland, Oregon (GO TIMBERS!) Portland was something else; it's one of the most liberal states in the US. It's also the culinary state. I had the best host parents whom I'm still in contact with until today. I wouldn't consider living in the US as the costs are quite high but I'd DEFINITELY live in Portland. I finished my Second and Third weeks in Portland and I departed to Washington (only memorable things there are the white house and the exorbitant prices!) I went back to Iraq afterwards as my program ended. It was hard as I came back a different person.
Life after IYLEP
Life after IYLEP was very difficult and different. I not only came back to Baghdad as a different person, but I also knew different people. It impacted my social life as I was now an open-minded individual; I now had gay friends, am ok with non-religious ideals and most importantly, I wanted to impact my society in a positive manner.
I started by volunteering in Kuluna Mowatinon (we're all citizens), it's a religious tolerance program meant to foster co-existence. From there onwards, I joined the First E-tourisim blog Baghdadlife as a translator, joined two of Baghdad's most prestigious newspapers as a freelance translator and I became a certified translator/ journalist by the age of 17. I wasn't as successful as you think though; I was socially dead... I only went out of the house like 9 times a year and my life didn't have a notion of friendship. I had differences with the very few who remained and tolerated my new ideals in life. I later gave all hope in my country as the people who I volunteered under did the same or turned out to be morally decayed. In Iraq, it's not uncommon for NGOs to be made for profit or to use donations for Tshirts and such. Of course, I'm not insinuating that all NGO practices are bad but they should be monitored.
3 years pass by and I graduate high school. Mother notices my ever-lingering loneliness and decides to send me abroad to Kuala Lumpur. I wholeheartedly agree as I have nothing in the country which I'm inclined to call home. I research possible universities and decide on the best-fitting syllabus. I await my acceptance letter. I get accepted. The path ahead is now clear: I'll be leaving Iraq and I'll be living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the next Three years.
What led me here
(Suria KLCC. KL's most famous landmark)
Malaysia has a lot of diversity. Geography wise, it has highlands, waterfalls, islands and mountains! It's every travellers wet dream. Food wise, Malaysia has three leading demographics: Malays, Chinese and Tamils. Each have their own holidays, customs, outfits, language and most importantly, food. You can have nasi lemak for breakfast, dim sum for lunch and banana leaf for dinner, thus, eating three cultures' worth of food in one day!
The country has lots of languages: bahasa which is the national language, mandarin and Tamil. Religion wise, the country's leading religion is Islam but there are lots of other religions such as Tawism, Buddhism, Indian religions and Christianity.
My First two years in Malaysia were difficult; I didn't have a lot of friends and I struggled with fitting in. Malaysia can be a difficult place to fit in as a lot of people are quite weary towards internationals. In university group assignment, for example, most Chinese would like to have Chinese group mates and so on. Job wise, a lot of jobs require bahasa or mandarin and a lot of companies steer-off hiring internationals as their visas can be rejected by the government. As I said, lots of racism here.
It took me a while to get to know the people who I know call brothers. I changed a lot. It wasn't easy at first as my lack of social interactions in Iraq hindered my social skills and things as how I look, how I dress and how I act. My friends were a big help and I changed drastically. I started to get attention from the opposite sex, I got dates, people started approaching me and saying hi! It all started when I was naive enough to bet against my best friends in an attempt to prove that looks don't matter and that people won't care how I look but I was quickly proven wrong.
I got three new tattoos as ever-lasting reminders of my country and what matters the most. Then, I decided to share my thoughts and reflections with you, my dear readers.
San Algamal
My name is San, and I'm a 21-years old Iraqi millennial living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I'm currently studying for a Bachelors of business administration @UCSI university (Class of 2020!)
My interests and their origins
I've always been a hardcore fan of video games! I've always envisioned them as forms of self expression, or a visual median of some sort. Imagine living in the midst of a plot and seeing all the events unfold!
I was introduced to gaming at a very young age! When I was Five, the US got into an armed conflict with Iraq, so as one can imagine, the security situation wasn't ideal. It didn't allow an innocent 5 years old kid to wander around and play, as is the norm for people in that age category.
My mother came into our once-modest living room and unboxed the Atari or Sega (It was one of those consoles that came with a gun to aim in old 2D games.) As a young child, those few hours spent gazing onto our very small television felt miraculous. Trying desperately to be a good Mario and timing my jumps over the enemy! I didn't get to play as much as my heart's content due to the electricity in my country: It was very unstable and we spent most of the day without it. But no worries! I've had plenty of years to play to my heart's content. Gaming helped me gain a fluent grasp of the English language. It also nursed my intellect. Being in so many plots, controlling characters with different viewpoints of life, observing different antagonists and theirs agendas, and sometimes, making choices that affect the plot, are all integral factors in gaining insight. Nowadays, games are so popular and so fluent in visual and narrative expression, to the point where they feel as a Hollywood production or a simulation of some sort.
Music
Music was always an integral part of my life. I use music to unwind, think, contemplate, chill and reflect. One of my favourite activities would be wearing my Sony MDRs every morning and listening to a mixture of Classical rock, EDM, Indies and more. As a child, I was never able to connect with Arabic music; it was just very loud and fast-paced for my taste. I've always leaned towards classicals, which eventually lead me to my love of soundtracks. My favourite would be Ezio's family by Jesper Kyd. The melodies and vocals were very melancholic and it provided me clarity whenever I listened. Now, as I've mentioned earlier, I listen to a multitude of genres! Some of my favorites would be: Rolling stones, Lana Del Rey, ACDC, Daughter, Creedence Stillwater, Chris Cornell, Johnny Cash and others!
Growth and difficulties
Growing up in Iraq isn't as easy as one expects. Least, not in the time period I was born! Before 2003, Iraq already suffered economically. $50 was enough to support a family for two weeks or so... I always stayed indoors and never knew anything outside the confines of my home. We had to leave Baghdad and live in Kerbala with my uncle as the security situation wasn't hospitable any more. I remember living in my uncle's house with my family and his. I remember getting our first desktop computer, I remember school and going through everything, and everywhere accommodated by my mom thankfully. I wasn't exposed to a lot of people, socially speaking. As a result, my social skills suffered until I became 20 (not too long ago, right?)
I would describe myself as an odd/maybe a bit eccentric guy as a result. Society always felt foreign as a result. I was always overburdened by the saddle of endless rituals that came with socialising. How I had to never ask about someone's family members besides the dad, how that is considered an insult to honor, how any fuck-up, whether it’s deliberate or in deliberate, is viewed as my family's fault because they haven't brought me right. How some people judged us for sending my sister, who's a perfect adult and person, alone to live in Kurdistan (A perfect and stable region north of Iraq) to study in the American University of Sulaymaniyah (She graduated with honours so joke's on them, I guess.)
As a result, I was always introverted and never really roamed the world that lay outside my house. I remember that I hung out a maximum of 9 times a year. I just couldn't make friends. By the age of 18, my mother decided to send me abroad as she knew I was always destined for a life outside of Iraq, so she prepared me.
IYLEP
Iraqi young leaders exchange program is a program which is implemented by the US department of state and world learning (a non-profit which I'll always be grateful to.)
In this program, a good number of applicants are selected to go to the US for a month to undergo a number of activities, whether workshops about global health or social justice, IYLEP helped me learn a lot about a lot.
My First week in IYLEP was in Brattleboro, Vermont. SIT camp was amazing. 31 Iraqis, 99 Mexicans, about 15 Americans and 12 Brits! I got exposed to a lot of different people, cultures and customs! They weren't as uptight as the people back home though. I gained friends who I'm talking to until this very day! I remember how we all hosted different exhibitions to introduce our cultures! I got to learn how to valse and I danced with a lovely friend called Mariana!
After my first week, we split up to different states as each state had its own theme (e.g social justice). I was chosen to go to Portland, Oregon (GO TIMBERS!) Portland was something else; it's one of the most liberal states in the US. It's also the culinary state. I had the best host parents whom I'm still in contact with until today. I wouldn't consider living in the US as the costs are quite high but I'd DEFINITELY live in Portland. I finished my Second and Third weeks in Portland and I departed to Washington (only memorable things there are the white house and the exorbitant prices!) I went back to Iraq afterwards as my program ended. It was hard as I came back a different person.
Life after IYLEP
Life after IYLEP was very difficult and different. I not only came back to Baghdad as a different person, but I also knew different people. It impacted my social life as I was now an open-minded individual; I now had gay friends, am ok with non-religious ideals and most importantly, I wanted to impact my society in a positive manner.
I started by volunteering in Kuluna Mowatinon (we're all citizens), it's a religious tolerance program meant to foster co-existence. From there onwards, I joined the First E-tourisim blog Baghdadlife as a translator, joined two of Baghdad's most prestigious newspapers as a freelance translator and I became a certified translator/ journalist by the age of 17. I wasn't as successful as you think though; I was socially dead... I only went out of the house like 9 times a year and my life didn't have a notion of friendship. I had differences with the very few who remained and tolerated my new ideals in life. I later gave all hope in my country as the people who I volunteered under did the same or turned out to be morally decayed. In Iraq, it's not uncommon for NGOs to be made for profit or to use donations for Tshirts and such. Of course, I'm not insinuating that all NGO practices are bad but they should be monitored.
3 years pass by and I graduate high school. Mother notices my ever-lingering loneliness and decides to send me abroad to Kuala Lumpur. I wholeheartedly agree as I have nothing in the country which I'm inclined to call home. I research possible universities and decide on the best-fitting syllabus. I await my acceptance letter. I get accepted. The path ahead is now clear: I'll be leaving Iraq and I'll be living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the next Three years.
What led me here
Malaysia has a lot of diversity. Geography wise, it has highlands, waterfalls, islands and mountains! It's every travellers wet dream. Food wise, Malaysia has three leading demographics: Malays, Chinese and Tamils. Each have their own holidays, customs, outfits, language and most importantly, food. You can have nasi lemak for breakfast, dim sum for lunch and banana leaf for dinner, thus, eating three cultures' worth of food in one day!
The country has lots of languages: bahasa which is the national language, mandarin and Tamil. Religion wise, the country's leading religion is Islam but there are lots of other religions such as Tawism, Buddhism, Indian religions and Christianity.
My First two years in Malaysia were difficult; I didn't have a lot of friends and I struggled with fitting in. Malaysia can be a difficult place to fit in as a lot of people are quite weary towards internationals. In university group assignment, for example, most Chinese would like to have Chinese group mates and so on. Job wise, a lot of jobs require bahasa or mandarin and a lot of companies steer-off hiring internationals as their visas can be rejected by the government. As I said, lots of racism here.
It took me a while to get to know the people who I know call brothers. I changed a lot. It wasn't easy at first as my lack of social interactions in Iraq hindered my social skills and things as how I look, how I dress and how I act. My friends were a big help and I changed drastically. I started to get attention from the opposite sex, I got dates, people started approaching me and saying hi! It all started when I was naive enough to bet against my best friends in an attempt to prove that looks don't matter and that people won't care how I look but I was quickly proven wrong.
I got three new tattoos as ever-lasting reminders of my country and what matters the most. Then, I decided to share my thoughts and reflections with you, my dear readers.
San Algamal
nice one.
ReplyDelete