Nathan Zolynsky, Incoming Summer 2019 Student

Nathan Zolynsky

Nathan Zolynsky joined us for the Summer 2019 semester from Central Michigan University, MI, USA. He studies personal finance planning and Spanish, and he stayed in the UAE for around six weeks. Nathan wanted to make the most of his time in a foreign country; for this reason, he went on a gastronomic mission to try as many new foods as he could. He also explored various locations within the UAE and even took a flight to Turkey, and all of those experiences expanded his worldview on this region.

So why did Nathan pick the UAE as his study abroad destination? "When a lot of people study abroad, they go to places like Italy, England, and other places in Europe, and I kind of wanted to be different. I also wanted to take courses that would complete my major [requirements], and AUS was a place I found that was able to offer me a course I needed," he said.

Exploring the UAE

"I've liked it a lot here," Nathan said. "Although, it's hotter than I expected. I knew it was going to be hot, but I didn't quite realize it was going to be this hot. But it's great, and there's lots of things to do in Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other places." Nathan went to many spots in the UAE with IXO: "We went on a day trip to Abu Dhabi, we went to Yas Mall, Qasr al Watan, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the Dubai Mall and the top of Burj Khalifa." Nathan also made some trips independently of IXO: "I've gone places with some [other] study abroad students; we went to the Jumeirah Beach, and I've been to the Dubai Marina and the City Walk. I really liked the Dubai Marina, it was very nice to walk around, seeing the water," he said.

Interior of Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi

Burj Khalifa in Dubai

On a (Food) Mission

During his time in the UAE, Nathan had a mission to try foods that weren't going to be readily available back home. "I wanted to try as many different foods as I could [while I was here], because it's more authentic here, and I think the food is also cheaper than in the USA," he said. "Ordering out and getting something I don't know is almost like Christmas to me, because I kind of know what I'm going to get, but I don't really know, it could be very different. So, the other day, I ordered shish tawook, and that's all it said on the menu on Talabat, and I said OK, I know what that is. But it was around 42 Dhs., so I thought it's more on the expensive side, so it must not just be the chicken. So when it came to me in a large box, it had the chicken, it had fries, hummus, some garlic sauce and bread, so it was a lot more than that so I was really excited," he laughed. "And it was really good. Every time I get something, it's different."

Nathan even keeps track of the foods he's tried on a list. He has his favorites and not-so-favorites: "Of course, shawarma is really good, I've tried the different kinds from different places. Koshari is also really good. I didn't exactly know what it was, but it was recommended to me and I really enjoyed it. Fatteh was also great. I've also tried fūl, but I didn't like it too much. Maybe it's better mashed? I've also had some chicken mandi and some other Indian food like butter chicken, and the biryani has also been really good. And I went to McDonald's and had the McArabia, because I can't have that at home," he said.

Mandi lunch on an IXO outing to Old Dubai

Trip to Istanbul

The diverse foods that Nathan had in the UAE reflect the international nature of the country. Another thing that illustrates this is the ease of travel from the UAE: "Being this far from home has given me the opportunity to also go to other places that are more accessible," Nathan said. "I just got back from Istanbul in Turkey [where I stayed] for just under three days. I was able to see most of the city, which was beautiful. It's very different from Dubai, which is more modern since it's come out in the last 30 years, whereas Istanbul has been around for 1,500 years. Being able to see the [Sultan Ahmed Mosque] and Galata Tower, and try their food as well, it was a really good experience. And also to get out of the heat a little bit; the weather was definitely a lot cooler. I know there's a lot more of Turkey that I haven't explored, so I would definitely go back," he said.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul

Nathan at Galata Tower in Istanbul

Travelling Solo

Nathan experienced solo travel for the first time during his time abroad: "It's been interesting because I made some friends while I was here, but I've mostly been travelling alone, which isn't something I've really done [before]. Whenever my family has been lucky enough to go on vacation, we go as a family, and this has given me an opportunity and forced me to just be with myself and not be hanging out with others all the time. So it's kind of an opportunity for a little introspection, to be able to like being with myself," he said.

Nathan in Istanbul

"But I also realize that I need human interaction as well," Nathan adds. "You can't just sit in your room by yourself all the time. It's nice to talk with other people as well, and I like hearing what other people think about the USA, what they had to say about our government, culture, people, and what they think we are like."

Cultural Shock & Lessons Learned

Nathan faced some cultural shock during his time in the UAE, but it was positive in a way: "I knew this was a diverse country, but at least in AUS, I've been shocked at how many different nationalities there are. Everyone is seemingly from a different place, and in the USA I feel like we're kind of taught - whether it's intentional or not - that the whole Arab world is lumped into one box, when in reality, the different cultures and nationalities are all very distinct," he said.

So does he recommend studying abroad in the Middle East? "I would recommend it, especially if you're from the USA, and you want to get a [broadened] worldview," he said. "Because in the media, we're fed mostly bad things about the Middle East as a whole, and saying 'Middle East' is a very blanket statement; it's a large area of different cultures, not just one Middle Eastern culture. The USA is supposed to be a melting plot, but where I'm from, my hometown and university, is [not very diverse]. So getting to do things and take classes with people who are different from me has been a good experience, so I can now be more comfortable when I'm around other people. Being here has definitely opened my eyes to this part of the world."

Nathan would love to return to the UAE in the future. "I would like to come back in a while, not soon, because I want to see the development. I know how much this country has developed in 30 years, and I want to see where it is in a while. I'll definitely come back in the winter," he laughed.


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Dr. María del Pilar-Blanco Parra, Ph.D., Marine Biologist

Every semester, AUS hosts scholars from various fields to do research at our university. Dr. María del Pilar-Blanco Parra is one of those scholars, and her field of research is one of the most unusual ones we've seen yet. Dr. Parra is a marine biologist and researcher at the University of Quintana Roo in Mexico. During her stay at AUS from May to June, she contributed to research about fish by sharing her experience in the field.

Why AUS? 

Dr. Parra is originally from Colombia, where she obtained her bachelor's in marine biology at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University in Bogotá. She later earned her master's and doctorate from the Institute of Limnology and Marine Sciences at the National University of Mexico. Dr. Parra came to AUS for one month to participate in research on fish led by Dr. Ivonne Bejarano at the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. "We wanted to share our experiences, because I have some experience on this kind of research on fish. So we wanted to sum these two experiences to do it better," Dr. Parra said.

This is Dr. Parra's first time in the Middle East. So why did she choose to come to AUS specifically? "I met Dr. Bejarano years ago, so I just wanted to come here to share with her and learn more about the research that is going on here at AUS," she said. She says the people at AUS were very welcoming and accommodating when she arrived. "It was a really, really good time and I greatly enjoyed it, because from the first moment I arrived at AUS, the people here were really kind and they gave us all the things we needed," she said.

Research on Sharks 

Dr. Parra told us about some of the experience that she brought to the research at AUS. "I did research on one island in Mexico that has a large population of white sharks," she said. "We went there to dive with the white sharks, and it's amazing because people have misunderstandings about sharks; they think it's dangerous to be with a shark, but it's really not. The 'problem' with sharks is that humans sometimes occupy their space, so the sharks fight for their place. When you are [diving] in the ocean, there are no lights, so you can't see if an area is the house of a shark. But they're not an especially aggressive species; they're just like any other wild species."

Why is she so passionate about studying sharks? "Well, sharks are amazing animals," she said. "They have lots of different forms and environments that they live in, but they are also extremely susceptible to fisheries or habitat destruction. The biology of some shark species are similar to mammals, not to fishes, so they live long and are very susceptible to environmental changes." Laughing, she adds, "And also because I like the danger! I have the opportunity to dive with them, and that's amazing."

Studying marine life is not just interesting; it's also practical and useful. "I mainly work with fisheries to understand what amount of fisheries the populations can afford. In this kind of research, we want to know more about the biology of the population to help the government make management plans and things like that," Dr. Parra said.

Exploring the UAE

Although Dr. Parra only stayed in the UAE for one month, she got to experience and see much of what the country has to offer. "We tried to use our free time on the weekends to do all the things we wanted to do," she said. "We went to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and did a safari. My favorite place was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi; it was amazing. And another thing I really enjoyed and liked was the culture. We're from South America, where there aren't many Muslim people, so being inside of this culture was really nice and we learned a lot. I feel like I wish I had maybe two more months here, but we need to go back because I'm here with my husband and kids. My husband is also a researcher and he was working with researchers here too."

Dr. Parra said she didn't experience culture shock when she came here. "Before we arrived we were reading and doing research about the culture, and Dr. Bejarano told me the [do's and don'ts], so we were prepared. When I saw the culture in front me, it wasn't shocking, but just different, and I hoped not to do anything to offend anyone. But people were very kind to us. Even when we went to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, we just had to wear a scarf and that's it. I liked it because I think it's beautiful that they preserve these cultural things, and I learned a lot about how things are done here."

What's Next?

Dr. Parra would love to return to the UAE and the Middle East in the future. "I really like the Middle East, so I would like to go to a different country in this region. I'd really like to go to Jordan; it's on my checklist! But I loved being in the UAE, so we are looking for an opportunity to maybe come back here for a longer time, maybe a year. We were talking with researchers here and trying to maintain this collaboration, so maybe in the future we can come back here and stay for a while."

As we wrap up the interview, Dr. Parra said, "This really was a wonderful experience. I don't have anything bad to say about it all." Even the weather? "Yes," she laughed, "because I live in Mexico, which is also a very hot place." She goes on to say, "I just want to thank everyone here because they made a great experience for me, and I really hope to come back in a year or so. There's a lot of things to do, and I really want to explore more places here."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist