OCTOBER 2006

a different world
Exchange student reflects on life back home
As daily news reports filter in, many
people of Iraq react with a mixture of
horror, disbelief and at times hope for
an end to the war. Many people in Iraq continue
with their daily routines while their
minds stay fixates on the war. In the United
States, Chaldeans are kept abreast of what
takes place in their homeland — thousands of
miles away — with no control over what is
occurring to our people overseas.
Like many other Iraqis, Firnas Aziz, a local
exchange student, was thrilled when the war initially
started. “It was like a whole new beginning.
They said that it would be much better than
what we had. And here it is more than three
years and no progress.”
Aziz came to Michigan in July of 2004
when he was a high school junior to study
abroad just as many students do; he was 16 at
the time. He finished the last two years here
and got his diploma from Milford High
School.
Leaving the war and moving to a free country
was a huge adjustment. Along with adjusting
to the new customs and style of living, Aziz
found it difficult to adjust to living with an
American family. “This is probably the hardest
thing that I had to adapt to,” he said. “As it is
known, Chaldeans and Americans have completely
different cultures and ways of doing things. I am
not saying that living with Americans is bad, but
it’s something that I got used to — and I like it.”
Along with the different traditions and values,
the language barrier was a challenge. “At first, I
really had a hard time trying to communicate and
I was sick of it but as I kept trying and trying, I got
a lot better at it,” he said.
BIG ADJUSTMENTS
Acquiring a taste for the American hotdog and
hamburger was tough on Aziz’s taste buds.
“Adapting to the American family was hard and so
was the food,” he said. “Like when I first came
BY LINDA JABORO
Firnas Aziz
relaxes at his
temporary home
in Commerce
Township.
here, the first thing that I had was pizza and I
thought it was the most disgusting thing ever. But
now it’s one of my favorite foods here.”
Aziz’s English has only a hint of an accent —
thanks to his father and his excellent education in
Iraq. “I only have been speaking English for the
two years that I’ve been here. I studied English in
Iraq for five years in school but we only learned
how to write and speak. My dad was a major factor
that I am good at English.”
Just as many other exchange students, Aziz went
through a strict process in where he improved his
English skills and gained many new relationships.
“While I was an exchange student, I came to
Michigan for a month for language training. There,
the government placed us with host families. After
that was over, everyone went to their states for a
full year as exchange students. After that year was
PHOTO BY BRAD ZIEGLER
over, the family that I had in Michigan for a month
offered me to stay with them. We get along pretty
good. And now I am trying to move out to live on
my own with some friends.”
Thus far, Aziz has enjoyed the local Chaldean
community along with the “freedom” of living outside
of war. “I like the Arab community here. It
kind of reminds you of back home. It’s been lots of
fun so far but I just wish that my family is here with
me,” he said.
LIFE BEFORE WARTIME
Aziz still fears for his family back home but
remembers a time when he didn’t have to worry
about shootings and bombings. “Life before the
war was great. There was a lot of peace, no bombings
or anything like that. My family, friends and I
would stay late at night outside doing whatever,
which we could not do at all after the war began.”
Initially Aziz was happy for the war because
there was no democratic system. “We had no right
to say anything on Saddam or the government.
Whatever Saddam or the government said, everyone
had to agree to it, otherwise you would see
yourself in jail or maybe killed,” he said.
But as time rolled on and the war become more
real, the life of Iraq changed forever. “The life was
something different. Kids would be playing around
outside of their homes during the bombing. You
could see the soldiers and Al-Ba’ath party people
everywhere in the streets. It was like a war zone in
your neighborhood. But we didn’t care and everyone
did work and did whatever they had to do. But
when the Coalition forces were close to Baghdad,
that’s when everyone realized it’s going to be real.
So lots of people closed their shops and took off
somewhere else other than Baghdad.”
Like many, Aziz’ thoughts of the war are not
good, but he hopes for new beginnings. “The war
killed a lot of innocent people,” he said. “It killed
some of my relatives in Baghdad. Right now, the
Iraqi and the U.S. Army are fighting unknown
fighters that dress like normal people and that’s
really hard to recognize. I do have hope for a better
Iraq but that takes a lot of time and blood.”
Currently Aziz is studying at Oakland
Community College but hasn’t yet chosen a particular
career path. Although he enjoys being in
the United States, there is really no place like
home. “What I miss is Iraq itself,” he said. “I miss
my great family that supported me with everything
I did. And who doesn’t miss the food! No one
cooks like my mom.”
OCTOBER 2006 CHALDEAN NEWS 39