Chat w/Ross School, April 16

Excerpts from chat between students in Damascus and students at the Ross School in E. Hampton, New York, on Wednesday, April 16.

students from Ross school

Ross school: hello
Damascus: hello
Ross school: hello my name is laura
Damascus: hello this is david (David is Alaa's nickname)
Ross school: do you go to school?
Damascus: no I doesn't.
Ross school: do you have a job?
Damascus: no, I am not allowed to work here
Ross school: how do you get money?
Damascus: my father, even though is old, he still works. He is a sort a mediator to get goods in and out of Iraq.
Ross school: how old is you?
Damascus: I am 17 years old.
Damascus: Marwan and Noora came in.
Damascus: Marwan is 19 years old , Nora is 20 years old .
Ross school: I was wondering how did you feel when the US invaded Iraq ?
Damascus: we were very frustrated
Damascus: and sad.
Ross school: do you have any questions for us ?
Damascus: how does it feel to be a student in the US? how does it work?
Damascus: Marwan asked
Ross school: we are in a private school which works differently than the public schools here
Ross school: it's expensive, but many people get financial aid
Ross school: www.ross.org is the website if you want to check it out
Ross school: it's privately founded by one woman.
Ross school: we get to travel to many countries including Mozambique, Greece, Brazil, and Italy.
Damascus: are there many difficulties in terms of the text books themselves?
Ross school: are any of you going to Syrian schools?
Damascus: Marwan goes to school here.
Ross school: are you okay in the schools ?
Damascus: Marwan says that the text books her are different than the ones in Iraq, so it is hard for me.
Damascus: their treatment to us in general is not very good, but i am not different than anybody else.
Ross school: when the war ends will any of you go back to iraq or do you prefer to stay away from there?
Marwan: I am not optimistic about the situation and i don't think i will go back anytime soon.
Nora: I don't think, as long as the American forces there, that the situation will change for the better.
Ross school: how do they spend time in Damascus?
Marwan: I read as well as do other things for fun
Damascus: I like to write too.
Marwan: recently I wrote a play and it was performed yesterday.
Damascus: David says that he spends most of his time on the internet chatting
Ross school: are you chatting with people in Baghdad or other places?
Damascus: he chats with mostly people in Turkey because he speak Turkish.
Ross school: do you feel animosity towards all Americans? what can we do as students to help you?
Damascus: We know that the American people are good and many oppose to this. We don't like the American troops.
Noora: What do YOU think about the US Army ?
Ross school: we don't think that the situation has been handled well.
Ross school: the soldiers aren't culturally sensitive or trained, so it's pretty tough
Ross school: we don't understand why the soldiers are really there
Ross school: we don't even get the real picture of what's happening over there
Ross school: except in this class we see what's really happening and it's much different than what we see on the news daily
Damascus: in the US we thought there is a freedom of press and you can get the reality a lot easier than we could
Ross school: there is but there is A LOT of censorship against the media
Damascus: Us leaving out homes reflects that the situation is bad
Damascus: Marwan is surprised to know that there is censorship
Ross school: the major news stations chose to edit the stories so as not to "upset" people. The real whole story is out there, it just needs a little extra work to be found
Ross school: many people focus on news about celebrities here over the situation in Iraq
Damascus:Nora: That is funny, so people don't want to see the situation they created in Iraq, while we live in it. How do we suppose to feel now
Ross school: most people feel that they are not a part of it or the decision to invade Iraq
Ross school: so they chose to avoid the situation
Ross school: a lot of people block it out because they don't want to feel responsible, we don't really know what to do as civilians.
Damascus: we are very happy to meet with you guys
Ross school: another thing, we were told the wrong reasons for why the US invaded in the first place
Ross school: okay we have to go as well, our class is almost over. it was very nice having the opportunity to speak with you
Ross school: shukran
Damascus: we are thankful as well. hope to talk to you again. Peace upon you!
Damascus: we have to go now
Damascus: bye!

Questions from Kelly Martin, Collinsville IL

Kelly Martin from Collinsville high school sent these questions via email for Firas, Ahmed and Alaa (whose friends in Damascus call him David).

Kelly: Do many people have their own computers, or are many internet cafes?
Firas: From my perspective not too many Iraqis have PCs here in Syria, the majority of Iraqis can't afford to buy PCs, and however, Iraqi people are eager to learn about PCs and how to benefit from it especially from the internet!
The internet for the Iraqis become their only window to the outside world, they consider this service as the only way to communicate with their friends, relatives, beloved, parents….etc, who live in Iraq and other countries, the availability of internet cafes are good in some areas but the service are monitored by an admin in the café, and a lot of facilities are blocked including the voice chat and web cam in most of the cafes in Damascus, the reasons for this are unknown to me.

Kelly: What do you spend your days doing?
Ahmed: I spent most of my days reading E-books and self education myself, communicating with my friends via internet is daily activity.

Kelly: I'm sorry to hear that your Iraq credentials are holding you back from continuing your studies. Do you believe that you will be able to receive them eventually and resume your formal education?
David: In regard to my school papers, I can't go to the area I used to live in because I and my family are threatened to be killed if we go back. And I am very sad about this. Years are passing away. My peers are in their last year in high school and I am still in my tenth grade. I can't finish my studies because of those threats. I can't wait to pursue my study for it is my ambition.

City College of New York

Students in Damascus and students in Brooklyn chatted for a few minutes today. Here's some of what they said.

BROOKLYN: Hi. My name is Andrea. My classmates are standing beside me.
The professor has stepped out. We will wait till she comes back
DAMASCUS: nice to meet you Anderea
BKLYN: too bad you can't see us
DMSCS: next time we will i hope
BKLYN: Here are our names... Mayra, Edie, Anita, Nikki, Saidah, Carlette, Ekraam, Shaquan, Juanita, Domingo, Sherriann, Naomi, Clara, and the professor is back.
What are your names?
DMSCS: from right to left Ahmed the translator, Firas the coordinator, Nawar an iraq student
this is me waving Ahmed
BKLYN: we're waving back
DMSCS: nive to meet you all
^^
BKLYN: Nawar, how is your father
DMSCS: Hi my name is Firas Majeed the coordinator of the webcast.
i'm pleased to annonce our first webcast session, i hope both parties will enjoy and benifit from this experience.
this is Firas
beside him is Nawar
ANd this is Alaa
BKLYN: Hi Alaa
DMSCS: hi
Nawar said: he is good
BKLYN: Have you been able to go back to school Alaa?
I'm glad Nawar
DMSCS:
Thanks to you he siad
Alaa said : NO , i don't have my high school credentials
BKLYN: What was your education like in Iraq?
DMSCS: he said : i'm willing to risk and go back to iraq to get them
BKLYN: So that means that the education in Iraq was good
DMSCS: i was very good as a student
BKLYN: Do you think the school and the teachers was good
DMSCS: he said : in waht era you mean ?
what *
BKLYN: During the time you were in school, what was the school like?
Is Marwan there?
DMSCS: in both times the education was good , but the security situation is the only challenge we face as students ( Alaa said
yes
wait please we will call him
Marwan has come
this is Marwan
i hope you saw him
BKLYN: Is it safe to go back to school in Iraq? What are the challenges?
Hi Marwan
DMSCS: hi he said
BKLYN: the girls think your cute
DMSCS: he said thanks
BKLYN: great smile
can you guys get to the US
America
DMSCS: he said : i'm very please talking with you
BKLYN: Do you think a democracy is desirable in Iraq
How are you Samer
if you're there
DMSCS: Democracy is just a head line we see and hear but in fact there is no such thing called democracy in Iraq " he said
BKLYN: Great answer!
that is your reality
DMSCS: Samir will come here in a minute please wait
yes this is our reality
he said
BKLYN: We only see headlines also. Can you tell us what is really going on in Iraq now?
ok
DMSCS: about coming to the states no it's out of question from a lot of iraqis
he said
BKLYN: sorry to hear that
why is it out of the question
DMSCS: this is Smair
BKLYN: Hi Samir
DMSCS: sorry Samir
hey
BKLYN: We're waving back
DMSCS: ^^
BKLYN: Are you guys tired?
what does ^^ mean?
DMSCS: no , on the contrary they guys are very excited to talk with you
BKLYN: So are we!
DMSCS: ^^ means a happy face
BKLYN: in that case ^^
DMSCS: Marwan want to ask you a question
BKLYN: Samer we believe you will become a doctor!
you can ask us questions also
What do you think about Americans
Honestly!
DMSCS: Samir said thanks for your hopes about me , but it's easier said than done .
BKLYN: Over here to
You just have to want it
DONT GIVE UP
DMSCS: Marwan said " as American , i think they are peacefull people , and they are very educaated and want to live peacefully
BKLYN: that's true for everybody except....BUSH
What was your question Marwan
DMSCS: Marwan question is " do you think after what happened to the iraqi people , and all the "
misery we face is easy to iraqi individual to live in US the country who invade us ?"
is it *
BKLYN: Again, it's Bush, not us. Most American are against the war.
But soon new elections are coming up and change is coming.
Personally WE WOULD WELCOME YOU
DMSCS: Marwan said " what is the image of the iraqis in the eyes of the American people "?
thnkas
thks
BKLYN: 98% of the students in this class are not American born
DMSCS: Aha
so it's a multi cultural school ?
BKLYN: We see that you are suffering, but headlines tell us that we are helping the Iraqis.
All Public school in New York City are multi-culturals
you would fit right in
DMSCS: this is all media talk " Marwan said
BKLYN: In your opinion, what is the purpose of Americans invading Iraq?
DMSCS: Marwan asking " what is your opinion about the iraqs (honestly )
?
BKLYN: We think you are people just like us who want peace and stability.
DMSCS: the cafe admin came and he said that we have to close the webcast session
we have only five minutes left
BKLYN: Were you in favor of Sadam Hussein before the war?
DMSCS: firas said : this is a pleasure to him " and all the guys here are pleased to do that again
of course you were in favour Marwan said
we were *
this is Ali on the cam now
BKLYN: that's a shocker. we heard so many horrible things
Hi Ali
We know you have to go now, so thank you for your time, and your honesty. Good Bye from BKLYN, NY
Salam
DMSCS: we hope next time you guys over there can open your webcams and dedicate more time to discuss alot of things
Salam ^___^
BKLYN: Absolutely, we will be working on that
We're waving good bye also
DMSCS: OK see you we all said that
ok bye

Alaa Ali Hassan, 16

I was born in Tuzz Khormato in Salah al-Deen province in northern Iraq.

I'm supposed to be now in my 9th grade but the situation in Iraq made me to quit my study altogether.

My wish is to complete my studies. I live in Damascus in the Jaramana neighborhood (a place where many Iraqi refugees live) with my parents. My father was a merchant in Iraq.

My hobbies are listening to music, learning new languages, and I can speak five languages — Chaldean, Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and a little English. Nowadays I'm trying to enhance my English language.

My major problem here that I can't stand the reality that I'm not studying here in Syria.

I came to Syria with my family in February 2007, leaving my home land country behind us.