different countries, who along with Poland, were countries I had never met people from before. It was an amazing chance to meet people from new cultures to learn about them. This was the most positive discovery I had at the university. -What are some differences in culture between your home countries and Poland? In terms of Western Europe, countries from the Middle East where I spent my time growing up, are very similar when it comes to handling business and life. On the other hand, in the Middle East the people are more similar to people from Eastern Europe. Religion is very important in Poland, in Saudi Arabia they have strict rules to prevent people from doing anything during the prayer time. The laws don’t let you even open a shop during prayer time. In Dubai and Bahrain there is more religious freedom and your prayer time is up to you. -Can you explain some common misconceptions people may have about your culture or your countries? Some of the the first people I met when I moved here, asked me if in Egypt we eat cats because they read something like this on the internet, so I told them if you have a chance to meet people from a foreign country make sure to ask them about their culture and not listen to only what you read on the internet or watch on TV. When people are interested and ask questions because they don’t have much knowledge about middle eastern countries, I like to inform them and explain how life looks like in my countries. -What is your favorite holiday you celebrate at home? One of the best times you can spend at home is Ramadan. In the Middle East it takes on its own amazing atmosphere. We all fast during the day and then when it’s sunset we all eat together. We always say no one is hungry during Ramadan! It is an amazing celebration with my family. Egypt has a lovely and friendly atmosphere and people from all over the Middle East say that it has one of the best Ramadan celebrations. Everyone is singing songs and we are surrounded with the amazing feeling that you are connected to each other. -What are some of your hobbies and interests? My interests involve mostly business and economics. I read articles from various magazines about different business topics. I also love to sing, when I was in Dubai I was in a band that performed at weddings. People really enjoy it and when you finish your performance and people thank you and tell you they will never forget this night, that’s a wonderful feeling. Talked: Patryk TAUTER
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