Blabber By Hackensack River: To USA

It is Ramadan: my last breakfast with my family. It was silent breakfast. Even the TV was off.

 in my last day praying Taraweeh in Egypt, I asked the Sheikh (Religious Man) about my eligibility to break fasting at the departure day, and he said you are eligible.

At my last hours in my house, two of friends came to my house (N.A and H.S), a really close relative and person to my heart (Sandy), and my Aunt. The last good bye was really exciting for me and sad moments for them. The moment my elder brother came to drive me to the airport was a super exciting feeling to me. So many questions were in my mind, and preferred to not find answers until they show up in the proper time.

At the airport, I felt so happy and excited mixed with impatience to cross the ocean. Last moments were mom crying, sisters hugging and crying, brothers wishing me good luck, and me smiling.

It is dawn time, and my Lufthansa flight was so comfortable, and before taking off, I felt something in my head saying Hossam, are you sure from that decision?

After about four hours, I landed in Frankfurt, Germany. I took the in-airport train to reach the USA flight. By the USA flight gate, I met students from Palestine, Jordan, Tunisia, India, Egypt, and Algeria. All have something in common; Experience the American Dream.

All the way from Europe to USA, I got friends from multiple countries, especially Dallel from Algeria.

During landing to Dulles Airport in Washington DC, I felt wonderful positive energy filled with excitement. After the checking my papers with the Airport officer, I get out of the checking office looking for who is waiting for me. Finally, the sweetest lady is smiling to me holding a sign; she is the American Councils for International Education representative.
She checked all names for the US Department of State fellows who came from different flights; then, we moved to the hotel bus. The driver took the responsibility

of taking care of luggage . I and my Jordanian friends ,Reeham and Dana,started to joke (ايه الالش ده). I sat by Reeham, and we started to enjoy the views of DC on out way to Radisson Hotel.
By this time, I started to realize that I am on the US land;hence, I started to plane achieving my goals.

Blabber By Hackensack River- Pre-departure events

In July.14.2011, I received a very interesting information from the US Embassy regarding my University placement and pre-departure orientation.

Congratulations for being selected as a finalist

Shahin,Hossam  Fairleigh Dickinson University

Fairleigh-Dickinson University

Fairleigh-Dickinson University is the largest private university in the state of New Jersey. The Metropolitan Campus is home to about 4,000 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students from the United States and 63 countries. The campus is located in the suburban community of Teaneck, with all the benefits of being in close proximity to New York City. FDU offers more than 100 academic programs in the disciplines of business, education, engineering, hotel and restaurant management, liberal arts, nursing and allied health, and the sciences.

  

 Pre-departure Orientation

Please plan to be at the Embassy for your pre-departure orientation on July 24 at 10:00 AM. Please enter from the West Gate . The session will take place at the Information Resource Center at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Please bring your ID with you. It is expected that we will finish at 4:00 PM.

The departure orientation was a great opportunity for me to know more about the details of my program, and the officers were very nice and friendly. We started the orientation by talking about what I should do, what amount of stipend, cultural shock issues, and what is expected from me.

After while, an educational specialist from AMIDEAST who talked with me about the educational diffirences and how I can overcome the US on campus new life. She told me, you are going to a very fine and prestigious campus in a very nice area of USA. She warned me from different cultural differences such as:

Do not call you friend multiple times, he or she might be busy, and they will call you back when he or she has got time, and Hossam, do not flirt with girls, it considers as a verbal sexual harassment in America. We took lunch together, Pizza.

Last words from US Embassy officer were, you are going to blue city blue state, you are the luckiest!

I left the Embassy at 4.00 having the passion of being lucky; grateful for having my family who launched my personality to achieve all of this.

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Dear Hossam, Your visa appointments will take place at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 21^st, 2011.  I will meet you at 9:00 AM at the North Gate of the U.S. Embassy . 

Counselor: Hi, how are you !

Hossam: I am wonderful, thanks

Counselor: so, what do you study?

Hossam: Clinical Pharmacy

Counselor: so you are Hossam who is going to USA on US Department of State fellowship?

Hossam: Yes, I am

Counselor: Congratulations, your visa is approved  and I will send it to the public affairs section in US Embassy?

Hossam: Thank You

I got my Visa, can not wait to have my tickets to DC, can not wait to have my American Council coordinatory contact information, and before all, I can not wait to phone my mother telling her what she already expected to happen.

On my way to Tanta, I had a nice chat with another passenger, and after long conversation, he said " you have such enlightened positive energy"

To Be Continued

Blabber by Hackensack River

 Very refreshing day in my second year of Pharmacy school when I woke up early to start my college day.The day was very vivid, and I was too excited not only because I will spend nice time with my friends but also because I was invited to take my dinner at evening at the residency of the US Ambassador, Margrate Scobey. The final class was Biochemsitry section;therefore, I flew home to prepare myself for the dinner among US diplomats and cultural specialists. As usual, I turned on my computer to check my email, and here was the big surprise whcih was the first brick to build the rest of my life; my pursuite of happiness; my blabber by Hackensack River:

Dear Hossam,

    I am pleased to inform you of your selection as a finalist for participation in the scholarship funded by the United States Department of State to pursue undergraduate study in the United States.  The scholarship Program was established with funds allocated by the Congress of the United States and is intended to promote mutual understanding between  U.S. and your country.

    The Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo will provide you information regarding your acceptance of participation and the terms and conditions of your scholarship. Once your participation in confirmed, further information will be provided regarding your visa and placement at a host college or university in the United States.

    The  scholarship provides round-trip travel from your home city to your U.S. host college or university, tuition, housing and meals, and a stipend for living expenses as well as enrichment activities for the period of the program. 

From here, the journey of personal development, independence, passion, love, friendship, and excitement fired up. After reading the message, I realized, it my time to go to the US Embassy to take my dinner feeling so proud and HAPPY.

To Be Continued 

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Advice: Circumstances? What Circumstances? Do your own Circumstances....