I chose to conduct my interview with a friend of mine, Mohammad Al-fadhli. Mohammed is a native Kuwaiti who is here in Ohio studying for his business degree at Wright State University. Mohammed was given educational benefits by the Kuwaiti government to come here and study. The Kuwaiti government pays his tuition, and generously affords him with plenty of cash for living expenses. Mohammed is somewhat of an ambassador to his country and helps other Kuwaiti students transition their lives to the United States. Mohammed plans to return to Kuwait after receiving his degree and work for the government. His father is currently the Minister of Education for the Kuwaiti government. I will begin with a summarization of the interview and then follow with my synopsis and reflection. Women and men still share traditional roles in Kuwait. Women cover their face and body with a burka and a hijab. Men do not greet women in public, but do greet each other with a hand shake and say, “Asalamaleka”, or peace be upon you. Girls can be married anytime after puberty and marriages are based on particular families. The marriage must be blessed by sheik at mosque. There is a contracting signing where the man gives women’s family a purse, the woman often spends it on jewelry. It is not normal to not get married, it is looked down upon. Divorce is permitted and follows sharia law divorce; it says divorce can be permitted under the Koran. While globalization has undoubtedly affected the Kuwaiti people monetarily, old world traditions and greetings are still a part of daily life. Men and women go to separate schools in Kuwait. They feel the learning environment shouldn’t intermingle with social dramas between men and women. Their education system is similar to that of the United States with a kindergarten through twelfth grade system. High school however is more similar to the European model. Tests and aptitude tests are often given to place students into different educational categories and pathways. Education is very important in Kuwait and the government needs plenty of smart minds to help with the Kuwait’s ties to the global oil community. Education in Kuwait also adheres to religious texts and followings. All children are expected to take religion courses and tie those teachings into everyday life. Over the past fifty years education in Kuwait has made swings towards an emphasis on math and science. Kuwait has a constitutional monarchy, however Mohammed informed me that the parliament was recently dissolved and there will be elections held soon. The monarchy is undoubtedly affected by religion and ties itself closely to Islam. The major religion in Kuwait is Islam and the national language is Arabic. Mohammed made it a point to tell me that everyone speaks Arabic and everyone is a Muslim in Kuwait. Islam’s major teachings are that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet. Muslims celebrate their religion through two major holidays; Ramadan and Eid, al-adha. Eid al-adha celebrates Abraham’s relationship to God and the sacrifice his was willing to make; giving up his only son. Ramadan is a fast all practicing Muslims make once a year. This holiday is taken very seriously in Kuwait; restaurants and business close during the day and all citizens adhere to the policies of Ramadan. Kuwait is a very rich country, so it is no surprise that it’s citizens can afford the very best the west has to offer. Technology is definitely booming in Kuwait. People walk around with their IPhones and drive their Ferraris. Most Kuwaiti’s tie technology into their daily lives. However women are not permitted to put pictures of themselves on the Internet. Mohammed tells me that girls will often post pictures of celebrities on their social media outlets instead. Leisure time is very important in Kuwait and Kuwaitis make sure to find plenty of time for dancing, music, golf, and various other forms of westernized “fun.” Mohammed feels that these westernized impacts are because of the globalization Kuwait has felt once oil was discovered there. He feels that it is good for the country but possibly bad for the religion. He sees religion shrinking in Kuwait even though the government is steadfast to keeping it. I also chose to ask Mohammed about his family. He tells me of his two brothers back home who are still in grade school. He also told me about his sister who will be getting married in the spring. Mohammed plans to take a trip back to Kuwait to see the wedding. The airfare runs about $3000 round trip (pennies for his family). My last question to Mohammed was how he felt about American women. I asked him this because I know him personally and usually hear him discussing women. He tells me that he cannot wait to be with an American woman, he longs for the day he proclaims. The interview I gave to Mohammed was very informative. He discussed many topics, such as religion, family life, governmental policies, educational policies, and many more. Mohammed gave me a basic outline of daily life as well as long term life in Kuwait. He also delved into oil topics and how Kuwait can fit into the global community. The experience I had with Mohammed was a memorable one. I was surprised by many of his answers and I undoubtedly learned invaluable knowledge about another land half a world away. If I had more time to interview Mohammed I would’ve liked to know a bit more about why his country chooses to send so many people to the United States to study. I will admit I carried many preconceived notions about Middle Eastern people and while many of them were correct some were not. I was very surprised by the western impacts on Kuwait and how technological the country has become. I think Mohammed is definitely a “migrant.” He came here to study but plans to migrate back to his country. I believe this says a lot about the affects the United States has on the rest of the world not only abroad but here as well.