Aisha Ali

Program:

• PGS: Cairo as Palimpsest

Ask me about...

• Adapting to language barriers while studying abroad.

• Sharing identities with the local community & understanding how you are perceived while studying abroad.

My Experience Abroad:

As a nursing major with a global health minor it is extremely important to immerse myself in various cultures, as my patient population will be representative of the whole world. While the class didn't necessarily address the healthcare system in Egypt there are other factors that can influence ones health, such as race/ethnicity, culture, religion, and socio-economic status, and I was able to see this while in Egypt. Additionally, I was taking Arabic which is the primary language spoken in Egypt. So I saw the class as an opportunity to practice my language skills in a real life setting.

Other Highlights:

• Navigating the very busy market place known as "Khan El- Khalili" in which I mastered my negotiating skills in Arabic.

• Being woken up by the call of prayer at 5 AM every morning, and hearing it throughout the day kept me grounded in the culture of the host country.

• Eating dinner on a boat accompanied with performances that included singers and belly dancers, and watching my classmates join in.

• Seeing just how large the pyramids are in real life and still being in disbelief.