Getting to Know Hanan Part 3 --- TCU vs. WVU

            Since Hanan had never been to a football game before, I decided that our third meeting should be at Amon G. Carter Stadium, where TCU played West Virginia University. Prior to the Thursday night game, Hanan had been texting me how excited she was to go to the football game. Hanan has been in the Intensive English Program for almost two years at TCU, but not once has she ever been to a sporting event. Being a sports lover myself, I was completely baffled by this fact. Once I had asked her if she liked to watch soccer in Saudi Arabia. She said she had been to a couple of games when she lived at home. I guess the professional Saudi Arabian team is pretty good.

I forgot to tell Hanan that the theme for the football game was blackout, so she had to borrow some of my clothes. It took a while for her to find something to wear because she has to fully cover her upper body. I was also curious about this Islamic practice, so I decided to a little research again. Wearing a hijab (a head covering) is common in Islamic cultures today. Educated Muslim women follow this dress code as a way to show that they are receiving guidance from God and His prophet Muhammad. God knows what is best for human beings, far better than any human being could understanding. Muslim women also wear a hijab for another main principle reason: modesty. Modesty for women in the Islamic culture means not wanting to receive unnecessary attention from others, such as flattery, compliments, envy, or sexual attraction.

When we were walking over to the game, Hanan started her spree of taking pictures on her phone. She wanted to brag to all of her Arabic and IEP friends that she was going to an American football game. When we got into our seats, Hanan was overwhelmed by the amount of people in the student section. Although we weren’t talking that much, she continued to take pictures and send snapchats to her friends, so I knew she was enjoying herself.

Once the actual game started, I had to explain the game of football to her and her friend from the IEP who we ran into at the game. It was almost harder having to explain football in simple terms to someone who has never seen a game before. When everyone started cheering when TCU scored a touchdown, I had to explain to them how the players have to get the football into the “purple box” at the end of field by either throwing it or running it in. They were confused by the fact that the football could never touch the ground. Hanan and her friend also quickly caught onto the different TCU cheers. They thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. They were taking pictures and videoing it every time the student section did a cheer. Hanan wanted to go to the concession stand during the second quarter. She paid for my snacks and water, and was making sure that she was sharing her food equally with me. When I protested that I didn’t want her to pay, she said that I was ridiculous and that she was repaying me for taking her to the game.

Since Hanan didn’t wear comfortable shoes to stand in, she kept sitting down on the bleachers. At one point, I wanted to make sure that she didn’t want to leave. Hanan responded, “I am having so much fun, I just don’t know how to show it.” Hanan keeps up our conversation pace very well; there are usually just long pauses in between her sentences when she is trying to remember the correct English word to say. This translation process also dips into her emotions. I believe she doesn’t want to say or make the wrong facial expression, so she just doesn’t make any at all. Her response just made me smile. I adore Hanan for her peaceful nature and loving heart. Once again, I cannot wait to meet up with her again soon!

Getting to Know Hanan Part 2

           Hanan continues to be amazing company. Our second visit was another great learning experience. Since we had connected really well on our beliefs, personalities, and love for fashion, I was excited to meet with Hanan a second time. She suggested we meet at Pizza Snob, even though she does not eat a single thing she does not cook herself. Since Hanan is Islamic, they practice cooking food in a different way. Islamic people have to drain the blood of any animal they eat with their own hands. They believe that if you do not drain the blood, then it is “bad,” as Hanan put it. After I researched what she described, I discovered why the Islamic people use a specific slaughtering method. The Arabic root word for slaughter is “Zakah,” which means “to purify.” The animal’s blood has to be drained completely before the head can be removed. This method is actually pretty hygienic, which prevents a person to get diseases or toxins from the animal’s blood. This way of killing the animal helps keep the meat fresher for a longer period of time and the animal does not feel pain when the killing occurs. The Islamic people also believe that eating any carnivorous animals such as a lion, tiger, or leopard will affect how they behave. If they eat the meat of these ferocious animals, they also believe that they themselves will become violent and ferocious. Muslims are allowed to eat cows, goats, chickens, fish, etc. because these animals are docile. Even though I ate while we talked, Hanan was not judgmental at all and even told me that I needed to eat more.

            Even though Hanan sometimes struggles to find the right English word, she is still so caring and interested about my life. She remembered that the first time we met, it was big and little week for my sorority. I tried to explain to the best of my ability what bigs and littles were. I told her that I would be getting “two freshman babies.” She kindly asked how they were doing and if they were settling into college well. She then began to explain to me why she was upset that day. One of her friends from the Intensive English Program was getting a divorce, and Hanan was sad for her friend. One of the biggest things I have learned from Hanan is that every person has a story, no matter their ethnicity, religion, or their country of origin. I believe that a lot of Americans, including myself, put all other human beings into a small, metaphorical box that we do not peek into. Too often I find myself just going through the motions in my little TCU bubble. My routine is the same almost every day; I wake up, have my oatmeal and coffee, go to class, exercise, accomplish my homework and studying, and then go to bed. I do not usually spend my time pondering how other people across the pond also spend their day. This thought process facilitates the issue of me not understanding that not every non-American person lives the same lifestyle as me or each other. Hanan has really opened my eyes to beginning to truly understand the breadth of cultures and how they all differ from one another.

            At the end of our visit, Hanan invited me to come to her home. She said she wanted to have a girls’ night and cook me a true Arabic meal. Hanan’s personality has also began to shine through as we have talked and gotten to know each other more. Hanan can be extremely sarcastic. She also loves to make fun of my American antics and how I generally meet her stereotype of American people: blonde and blue eyed (side note: I have brown eyes). I also learned that Hanan had never been to a TCU football game in her two years at TCU. I invited her to come to the West Virginia game with me and my friends, and she was beyond excited! We are both so happy that we are building a relationship that will last, not just fulfilling a requirement for a class.

P.S. Here is an awesome article written by a TCU student who also talks about the TCU bubble in a different light:

http://sds.tcu.edu/privilege-in-the-tcu-bubble/