Saturday Diary / A love letter to Pittsburgh
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Malak Shaher, temporary Pittsburgher
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To begin with, I think I should mention that before I came to the United States, I had never heard of Pittsburgh. I had heard of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, but not Pittsburgh. So when I got a journalism fellowship to work at the Post-Gazette, I thought I was unlucky not to go to New York City or Washington, D.C., or another American city well known to foreigners.
I still remember my American friends' reactions when I told them I would be working in Pittsburgh -- not very excited. But they were totally wrong. I would say that Pittsburgh is no less a city than Washington or New York. It is unique, natural and pure American.
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Before I came to Pittsburgh from Yemen, I first spent 10 days in Washington to take part in an orientation program organized by my sponsoring organization, the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships.
Washington is a beautiful city but I could not get used to the Metro. We do not have subways in my home country. I made sure that I was with friends whenever I rode the Metro. I did not like the idea of using it for daily transportation. I like to see the streets and know where the bus is taking me, like the buses I ride in Pittsburgh.
After almost a month in Pittsburgh, I went with friends to visit New York City, or Dream Land as my friends in Yemen call it.
I was exited and at once posted on my Facebook page that I was going to New York on my 25th birthday. My friends wrote back: "Wow, New York! The most beautiful city in the world! You must be very lucky!"
I wondered why none of them was as excited for me to be in Pittsburgh as they were about me going to New York.
Anyway, I arrived in New York before noon, but it did not look like noon. It was extremely cold and cloudy and windy. Even though I was wearing a scarf on my head, I had to buy a wool one from one of the street vendors to keep warm.
First Published July 16, 2011 12:00 am
