Islam + Islands + Journalism = My Fulbright

I’m in the Maldives as a Fulbright Scholar to help launch a journalism program at the college here. It’s not every day that a country launches its first j-school, and I’m honored to be a part of it.

I chose the Maldives because I wanted something new yet connected to my past. The Maldives is an Islamic (Sunni, to be specific) island nation. Between my familial history in Hawaii, my professional background in the Middle East and the college’s desire to launch a j-program, it seemed like a good fit.

The Republic of the Maldives is a chain of 1,200 coral islands – mostly uninhabited – in the Indian Ocean.

It’s the fantasy paradise that overworked urbanites dream about: Bungalows stand on stilts above the crystal-clear ocean, the marine life is breathtaking and resorts are built on tiny, uncongested islands. (No surprise it's popular with honeymooners.)

And a curious piece of trivia: The Maldives has the lowest high point in the world – just seven feet above sea level.

There are about 350,000 Maldivians, about one-third of whom live on Malé. It’s an island all right, but stands in stark contrast to the tropical inlets around it. (Except for the humidity, of course.)

Malé is about one square mile, making it the most densely populated place in the world. (See photo above.)

As the country's only urban center, one long-time expat called Malé “the Bronx of the Maldives.” In the spring of 2009, I will call this island home.