Written by: Abdulrahman Alabsi
Saudi Arabia
Corvallis Boys and Girls Club is a place where they provide after school care for the families in Benton County. It is a non-profit organization that provides care for more than 10,000 K-12 students. Last Tuesday we visited The Boys and Girls Club. Before visiting we had to prepare for our visit. We wanted to provide activities that represent our culture and heritage. So, I decided to bring a black marker and colorful paper to introduce the children to the Arabic calligraphy. I wanted to show them something beautiful that they could enjoy and bring home to share with their parents. Moreover, my friend Mohammed decided to bring the traditional clothes of Saudi Arabia. We decided to work together to show them a side of our culture to pique their interest.
When we went there, they gave us vest and tables to prepare for the activities. Then, kids came to our room. At first they were curious, but still shy to talk with me. So, I began by asking them to teach me how to write their names in English, and when they do, I write their names in Arabic. They were impressed by the letter structure of the Arabic language. When they saw their names in Arabic, they wanted to writes their names in Arabic too. Something interesting I found was that they tried to copy their names from left to right, while Arabic is written from right to left. So I had to teach them more about the Arabic letters structure. Shortly after that, a girl named Tamara who is from Saudi Arabia came and decided to take my job. She was 12 years old and familiar with most of the activities, so I let her take my job. She wrote her friends names in Arabic and helped them practice writing their names in Arabic. After that, I became jack of all trades. I drew a mustache for a kid named Eric, I thought a girl named Emmy how to play an Arabic game called territories, and I helped Tamara to write the Arabic alphabet in a sheet of paper because she wanted it give it our instructor Dr. Rachael Kate. In the end, we said goodbye to the kids and cleaned the room before leaving. I decided to write about this trips, because it was a truly beautiful experience, there is nothing like children curiosity about the world. Honestly, this trip reminded of my young sibling back home.
