Before going on this trip, my perception and expectations of Qatar were that it would be a hustle and bustle environment, much more modern than the United States, and that it would not be too inviting to other religions besides Islam. However, my perspectives changed tremendously after being in the country for 2 weeks. While I did observe that the companies in Qatar are more advanced in terms of their thinking and technology, my other two notions were completely wrong.
Qatar is an extremely calm environment, in which no one seems to be in a hurry to get places. I observed this to be so different from the United States, because everywhere you look here, people are in their own worlds, and are always in a hurry to get somewhere. I could see this in the students attending TAMU Qatar that I met, they all had a very laid back attitude. However, most of the students lived in families that practiced Islam lived in very strict families, so I found it very interesting that they still had an overall laid back demeanor. There was also very little traffic in the roads of Qatar, much unlike the unbearable traffic you can find in Houston.
Additionally, i was very interested to learn about what made up the religion of Islam. I was actually able to find similarities between Islam and Christianity (which is the religion that I practice), which definitely gave me more appreciation for the religion and the culture. I also noticed that everyone that I met when we visitied the Fanar Cultural Center were all very kind and open to answering any questions us students had about their religion/culture. While a large population of Qatar practices Islam, which can be heard through the constant calls to prayer, there are also churches and other religions that people are allowed to practice freely in the country.
The main lesson that I learned from this faculty-led trip was the importance of perspective. It is inaccurate to judge other people or other countries based on the news or the limited knowledge that you have. Experiencing a different culture, religion, or lifestyle for yourself is the best way to gain more understanding. Visiting Qatar was an extremely enriching experience that I learned so much from. Through meeting locals, visiting local businesses, touring the TAMU Qatar campus, and sightseeing important landmarks found there, I was able to learn so much about the culture and the people in Qatar, an experience that I would trade for no other.
