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Editor’s Note: Hessam Parzivand is a recent LSU grad who grew up in Acadiana, but is now traveling through the Middle East to meet long-lost cousins and discover the region of his ancestors.

It’s amazing how far from America you can be and still feel like you might as well be in America. I started today a bit late and decided to head to Pizza Hut. I ordered myself a supreme pizza. I couldn’t taste any difference in my pizza from one at Pizza Hut back home in Lafayette, though they don’t use pork in the pizza here because Islam sees pork as a meat that should not be eaten (as does Judaism).

The next choice was between two American companies: I could either hang out at The Coffee Beanery, or Starbucks. I chose Starbucks. The only thing that was different in my opinion was the people. Although a good number of the people in Starbucks were Middle-Eastern, it seemed to me like the whole UN was represented at that store. That I could discern, I heard Arabic, Farsi, English and probably Urdu there.

When dinner time rolled around, the choices of restaurants to go out to were extremely familiar. We passed by Chili’s and Applebee’s before I finally blurted that I felt like a burger. This led us to Fuddrucker’s, where my half-pound burger tasted just like home, although I think their idea of medium might be different. When dinner was finished, I got more of a reminder of the choices in front of me, I passed by KFC, Arby’s, McDonald’s Burger King, and Baskin Robbins on my way home. It struck me then. I thought to myself “Where am I again?” Things just aren’t that different here.

Hessam took these pictures within the past several weeks of his Middle East travels. Click here to view the photo gallery.