Originally from Pennsylvania, James now calls Saudi Arabia home. He is currently teaching English.
Q + A with James
WHERE YOU ARE FROM IN THE USA? Scranton, Pennsylvania
WHERE YOU CURRENTLY ARE BASED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Medical English training for the Saudi Arabian National Guard
WHAT BROUGHT YOU OVERSEAS? I just really enjoy living in different cultures. I am very interested in ancient history and living abroad gives me a chance to visit many of the places that I always dreamed about going to. I also believe that we get much better benefits in terms of holiday time and health care while working abroad. I feel that in this day and age with the rising tide of nationalism that seems to be spreading around the world, it is extremely important that people from all nations that are able to spend time living in and amongst people from another culture do so in order to foster some sense of understanding and empathy for those people. What we see on the news is never really the way it turns out to be if you just go to a country and meet the people. We need to also learn to separate people from their governments, they do not always have the same beliefs.
DID YOU STUDY ABROAD IN THE PAST (OR PRESENT)? IF SO WHAT PROGRAM AND WHERE? Yes, I studied abroad in Beijing, China. I went through the The Beijing Center (TBC) program.
ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR FUTURE YOUNG AMERICANS? Travel with an open mind and an open heart and the experiences that you have and the bonds that you forge with fellow travelers and friends from around the world will be some of the most valuable things in your life.
