The meetings at the UCIE Convo Club went relatively smoothly, but there were some challenges. My partner was very open and excited to share aspects of our cultures, but we did face some challenges. Each meeting had its own topic that was supposed to be discuss. Most of the time my partner and I stayed on the topic for the meeting, but sometimes we would venture off into our own conversation. These ventured off conversations were where most of the more intimate topics were talked about. The main challenge my partner had was talking about the the deeper issues or the roots of her challenges. When I was able to get her to open up and discuss more personal issues, I was able to see that family was both a strength and a weakness for her. My partner’s…show more content… In Saudi Arabia the parents have more control and say in their child’s life than in the United States. It is a cultural tradition for the children to take care of the parents in Saudi Arabia. The children are expected to live with their parents until they are married. This is very different from American culture. In the United States, children typically move out when they turn eighteen or soon after. This difference in cultures could have played a role in the challenge that my partner faced. She lacked having anyone to help bare her stress and burdens. Though I was willing to listen and help as much as I could, I would not truly understand what she was going through because our culture differed in this area. In the United States, going off to college to get a better education is looked at as a positive action. In Saudi Arabia, it is allowed, but it also means that the child would be leaving the home. This concept of leaving the home goes against the cultural tradition of the child staying home to take care of the parents. In order for me to understand the challenge my partner was faced with, she would first have to try to explain her entire culture to
