Introduction

Introductions have always been difficult for me, how can someone sum up themselves in enough words but make sure not to bore whoever is listening (or reading in this case). But here we go:

My name is Farah, I'm Palestinian, of Australian nationality, but I've lived in United Arab Emirates for my whole life. I was born in Sydney, but my earliest memory was in the city which seemed like the city of dreams, Dubai. And it was to me, the city of dreams, it was an unbelievable experience to be able to watch it go from desert with a few odd buildings to a city that can be described as one of the world's finest. I lived in Dubai for most of (and the best of) the years of my life before I moved to Abu Dhabi, and while it may be dramatic to call it a culture shock, it was pretty shocking. Moving only an hour's drive away, I had been placed in a place that was pretty different to what I've always known in Dubai, perhaps not in terms of the city, but in terms of the group of people that had moved into the city. That being said, I've pretty much been surronded by the same enviroment for my whole life, but the way i look at things changes all the time. With what would seem like a bland, never-changing surronding, I was able to watch things come and go, grow, and change in the same circumstance which held a certain familarity and made it less scary and more about learning. 

My family is Palestinian (or Jordanian, it doesn't really make any difference), and we are a naturally close family. I grew up surrounded by my family and they still remain a huge part of my life. The capital city of Jordan, Amman, has always been a point of reference to us, even if I hadn't really realized it before. It holds a sense of comfort that took me a long time to appreciate. Its play a major role in my long time love for culture, I've always found it to be one of the most important concepts of my life. Which brings me to my next point. 

This is my first week in the IB Diploma, and when I chose English Language and Literature, I did it in hopes of learning more about languages. Not just the language of English words, but also other languages such as culture. Language is a large part of my life, I speak fluent Arabic and English, and it has always been somewhat of a struggle to balance these two; but I've learnt about the importance of preserving your mother tongue, which to me, is Arabic. According to the dictionary, culture is about customs and social practices that are cultivated by a group of people. But I believe that its more than that, call me dramatic, but its more like a feeling than a defination. I think it's about the sense of comfort that you feel because you've been raised by these ideas and thats all you've known. It's about a point of reference that comes in terms of what you think about when you make a decisions. It's something that defines you, not in a way that it constricts you, but in a way that it makes you unique when you're among different people. It's something that makes you feel at home among the people close to you and your family. I know that many people feel the need to break away from their culture, I am not of those people. I identify with my Palestinian/Jordanian culture as well as the Emirati culture after living here for so long. And at this point, my goal is to continue my journey of learning about culture, language and identity.