Mazen is from Saudi Arabia, and studied at ELC Los Angeles for 15 weeks in our Semi-Intensive Plus Course. Mazen has made a ton of new friends from all over the world at ELC Los Angeles. The front office loved when he came in to chat with them because of his positive and friendly personality.
Where were you born and raised? Give us a mental picture of the place(s).
I was born in Saudi Arabia. It is a city on the coast so it is more about the beach resorts. Our beaches are kind of private.
What do you do for fun? What are your hobbies?
I like playing soccer so much. For fun here in LA there is a lot of activities but in my country I was playing soccer all the time.
Tell us about your family, do you have kids? Siblings? Do they live close to you?
I have 25 nieces and nephews and one older nephew who is three years older than me. Between me and my oldest sibling there is 25 years. It is so fun having a lot of siblings but I have some problem to buy presents for all of them.
Do you have a big house at home for your family?
At home we don’t have houses we have buildings. My sisters live with their husbands. In my house the first floor is my brother’s, the second floor is my second brother’s, and then two floors for my mom. The last floor is to sleep and a living room. All my siblings and their kids can come to my house every weekend and they sleep over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Why did you choose to study English in Los Angeles? Did you consider other options?
Well I lived in Virginia for a little bit and I was in a small town and it was so boring. And many people told me about how beautiful Los Angeles was. It’s very cool here. I like it.
What were you most surprised to learn about the US or Los Angeles? Did you experience any culture shock?
The religion is different. I would say when you are 18 you can leave your home in America and in Saudi you don’t leave your home until you get married and also some people stay in their house when they get married.
What do you miss most about your country?
I miss my family the most. The food is not important to me.
What are your top three favorite places in Los Angeles?
The beaches especially Hermosa Beach. The other thing I like is the Nike store in the Grove. I went there and I almost cried because it was so amazing. I also went to Vegas and it was really cool.
