Shani CP #2

I really enjoyed the workshop at CIES. I was in a smaller group with 4 other people: 3 guys from Kuwait and 1 guy from Venezuela. It was fascinating to see how different the two cultures were. Even the way people greet each other in each of our countries is different! I think it's really interesting that in Kuwaiti culture you greet people differently based on your relationship to them. For example, you would greet your father differently than you would greet a friend. I also learned a lot about the strict gender roles in Kuwaiti culture; I found it interesting that men and women generally don't hang out in the same room. I also learned a little bit about the history of Kuwait! In addition to hearing about the culture in both Venezuela and Kuwait, I enjoyed being able to talk about American culture and my heritage. During one of the activities, one of the guys in my group asked me about where my family comes from. I talked to them about how my grandmother was born in Yemen, which I think surprised them due to my Jewish heritage. Overall, I learned that although there are many differences in our cultures, deep down our values are the same. I had fun and learned a lot!