Temporary Shutdown

Sometimes you just gotta know when to quit.

I've been trying so hard to get my blog up and running these past few months, but it just wasn't working out. Long gaps in between posts and random fillers have weakened the punch i originally intended this blog to have.

And that's when i realized my problem: I don't know what i'm doing.

Which is completely natural. I'm a beginner at this. I don't really get all of the stuff that makes the blogsphere go round. Now, i know that there isn't a set of rules that ensures blogging success. But knowing some of the tricks of the trade certainly helps.

University life has affects on my blogging too. I'm trying to find my way through it with my poor, lost and confused freshman class. But i'm learning. On so many different levels. I come out of every week light years ahead of where i was the week before.

But what's having the most impact on my blogging is this: my lack of vision. Who am i writing to? What am i writing about? Why am i writing? I have answers for all of these questions, but very vague and general ones. Enough to have gotten me writing, but after getting over the excitement that i'm writing, i'm stuck. If i'd built this blog on a better foundation, i wouldn't have had to go through this. But again, this is what being a beginner is all about.

So, due to all i wrote above, i've made a decision. This blog will be temporarily shut down. I'm hoping to start it back up anywhere from a semester to a year from now.

In the meantime, i'll be devoting my time to university and the other personal projects i've had going on other than my blog. My Arabic needs some quality learning that i'll never get unless i give it some quality time. And the same goes for my poetry. I believe i can be good - real good. But with the twenty million things i try to stuff into my schedule, i tend to just skim my talent's surface.

So, as you can tell, i'm trying to cut down on my daily load here. This blog is just one of the many goals i've put on hold. I want to concentrate my efforts on a few major things in my life and get them right. As soon as that's done, i'll be ready, willing and able to move to the next level. Some definite soul-searching will be taking place these next few months as i try to find my place as a Western/Arab/Muslim girl in this world. Pray for me, and wish me luck.

Thanks to all my readers out there. I'll be preparing myself for a whole new round of blogging, and when i come back you'll be impressed. This is gonna be worth the wait. So till then, enjoy the blogsphere!

A New Proposition

To those of you who were wondering:

Yes, i do know that my last post was ridiculous. It's just that it's the only way of reinforcing my presence on this blog for now.

I'm working out a way to blog more effectively. I need to get more substance in this thing. I'm gonna try a new experiment: I'll commit to one post per week, and that post'll be something really special. How about that? I think that's reasonable with my current schedule. I'll try it.

Expect something interesting soon!

Half a Decade Later

It is 5 years to the day since the infamous 9/11 attacks. What's happened since then? A hell of a lot; more than any one person can write up in one post.

In a disgustingly short summary:

• Muslims feel discriminated against.
• Westerners feel threatened.
• Governments are abusing these feelings.

But never fear Muslims, things can only go up when they've hit rock bottom.
And Westerners, lets keep trying to bridge the divide.
Governments, stop obsessing over power and do things right. (lol.. that's jokes.)

Ack, university is taking up wayyy too much of my time. I've gotta figure out a way to organize blogging around it. Bear with me here. Love ya.

Easing Into University

Two weeks at university have already gone by. I can't believe it.

University was the light at the end of high school's dark tunnel these last few years. That i'm finally here and living it is, in all seriousness, a dream come true. I was never a big fan of high school. I had good friends and all, but i hated the system. Especially at the school i was in. No room for real advancement or creativity. Thank god that's over with.

So, university. I'm doing pretty good. I managed to make new friends very quickly, so between them and my old high school friends, my social life is covered. The two major changes now though are that i'm in a co-ed environment, and i don't have to wear a uniform. I grew up in a mixed school in LA, but these last 4 years of high school were basically girl-only years. It's nice to be back in a more natural social atmosphere.

I hated uniform when i was in high school, and i still do. People complain about having to pick out outfits every morning, but that's perfectly okay with me. So it takes about 10 to 20 minutes of extra work. It's worth it. I like expressing myself, and clothing is one way to do that.

Student clubs and stuff all start up next week. I'll be joining the Syrian Culture Club for sure. I can't decide on whether i want to join the university's newspaper or Realms, the creative writing club's publication. I can't do both cuz of the whole time issue. I'm susposed to be studying for 5 courses too, ya kno.

Which brings me to my academic life. My courses are basically all introductory courses since i'm a freshman. They're not too hard, but interesting nonetheless. My favorite course is already my composition course, WRI 101. The professor’s pretty strict on work, but she knows what she's doing. I'm looking to come out of this semester a much better writer than i am now.

Another course that's pretty interesting is my Astronomy course. I had to pick a class for my science requirement, and this one caught my eye. I'm glad it did, because i love it. It's completely different than anything i've done before. It gives science a philosophical twist. Awesome.

Ah! All this and i haven't even said what i'm majoring in. I'm a Mass Communication major, with a Journalism concentration. People thought i should have gone into English literature or something, but i wanna do more than just write in my career. I wanna work with other forms of media too, like TV, film, and radio. So this major should have that all covered. I'm thinking of doing a minor in International Relations, but i can't declare a minor till next semester. So i've got a while to think about it.

And the phone's ringing. My dad's coming to pick me up. (I'm at the university library.) I have to go home and read Chapter 1 of my biology book for tomorrow. (Yes, i'm taking two sciences this semester. Long story.) I'll have practice my "critical reading skills" as i do it. Wish me luck.

Another Side of Saudi

Saudi Arabia isn't known as a great vacation destination. Regardless, it has been mine, every summer, for years. (Family reunions can't happen without the family. And the family's in Saudi.)

When most people first hear "Saudi Arabia", they immediately think "oppression, violence, extremism" and just about every negative adjective that can cross their mind. My American friends, especially, would ask me if i had to stay in tents when i was there and would worry about how i was going to dodge all the car bombs laid out by bloodthirsty terrorists. It was very hard for them to understand how i could possibly have fun there, like i always claimed to.

Saudi Arabia (or Saudi, as its called by many English-speaking Arabs) is not the battle field people imagine it to be. Malls, fast food restaurants, theme parks, and resorts are an essential part of today's Saudi culture. Yes, all the woman go out in black abayas and can't drive, but that's slowly but surely changing. And the thing is, many woman are okay with the way things are right now. The abaya is a sort of cultural costume, like a kimono for the Japanese. And it's really comfortable, actually. Makes life easier. No need to worry about your outfit every time you go out. Not to say that the abaya prevents people from making fashion statements. There are all kinds of beads and designs sown into the black cloth, leaving plenty of room for expressing your personality and individuality.

But before people attack me with comments on how i could dare defend "oppression", let me just say that i'm not. I think its wrong for someone to force people to wear something (or not wear something for that matter). Force itself is wrong, and even with the best of intentions, it never yields very pleasant results. I'm just explaining the point of view of many people in Saudi.

But not allowing women to drive is absolutely ridiculous. It makes no sense religiously, socially, or economically. That's just backward cultural leftovers from an era now long gone. And now there’s a general consensus that women should drive, even in the government. Its just a question of how to introduce it into the culture and make it socially acceptable.

Durrat Al Arus, a tourist village located north of Jeddah, is a live example of change in Saudi. This summer was the first time i went to it. How i managed to be ignorant of this 8 million square meter resort all this time, i have no clue. According to arabnews.com, the village has "conference halls, luxury villas, recreation centers, an equestrian club with a school for teaching equestrian skills, a golf club, a boat and yacht club and gardens". And lets not forget the "1,500 housing units in the area", or the shops and restaurants that line the boardwalkish street on the beach.

All this is impressive, but what really got me was this: the moment i stepped inside, i got to shed not only my abaya, but all of the restrictions associated with Saudi Arabia.

Waves of people swept up and down the street, shockingly multicolored. After the all-black of two weeks, seeing so many women in jeans and skirts was almost foreign. But not all the women chose to uncover. The amount of clothes people had on ranged from all-encasing black to bikinis on the beach. I, like many others, went half way. A jeans skirt and a cute long sleeve shirt, topped by a matching hijab. That's the look i go for anywhere other than Saudi, so it wasn't weird to wear it. What was weird though, was that i was wearing my "outside-Saudi" look in Saudi.

Oh, and who could forget the guys? Okay, they have wayyy more freedom here in regards to dress, so they were in their usual baggy jeans and shirts. They were out in packs, unused to mingling so freely with girls. Although the actual rules about interacting with girls were gone, the social norms they grew up with were hard to break. The guys (and girls) were just able to pole through those norms every once in a while with a quick hi or a pickup line. The concept of innocently talking to someone of the opposite gender doesn't exist. The culture there (which the youth contribute to) doesn't recognize that. Its either sexual or nothing.

Of course, there was music and a live show, which would have been great had the singer been any good. I was praying he would shut up every time i passed him with my friends. God chose to ignore that plea. I guess you can't get them all.

Overall, the trip to Durrat al Arus was fun. I loved being able to go around with my friends in an open atmosphere, chatting and laughing and having fun. But it left me wondering. Why is it that freedom has to equal sexual promiscuity? Youth see one side of the Western model of freedom, and think that's the only way freedom is expressed. Its a shame, because the freedom that's pushing its way through the Middle East could be used for so much more than makeup and endless music channels. Everything is good in moderation. We have countries and a civilization to build here. If we demand the rights and pleasures of freedom, we must be willing to take on freedom's responsibilities as well.

Viva Venezuela!

Hugo Chavez is one of the only world leaders with enough backbone to stand up against injustice. The world needs more of you, Chavez.

...Lebanon...

Watching all the stuff going on in Lebanon really leaves me feeling helpless. I'm at a loss at what to do, but i want to do something! Anything but sit and watch little children die while trembling in shelters. At the moment, the most i can do is pass on the stories...


Information and Links

• Reuters Alertnet
• BBC
• Aljazeera

Pro-Lebanon Campaigns

• Not in Our Name
• Lebanese Business Council launches 'Support Lebanon' campaign
• 'With You Lebanon' Campaign Generates Donations Worth AED 50 million

How To Help

• Send the leb.org Flier
• Donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• Facing the Challenge with the American University of Beirut

Riyadh's American Embassy

The other day my family had to stop by the American embassy in Riyadh for some passport stuff. Being there gave me the weirdest sensation because i felt that here was the meeting of the two ends of the spectrum: America and Saudi Arabia. The two countries that love to hate and can't live with or without each other. I was, physically and metaphorically, smack dab in the middle of that spectrum, with each pole trying to pull me over to its end.

I ended up writing in my journal while waiting for my mom in the car. I thought it might make an interesting read, so here goes nothing:

We’re entering the American Embassy in Riyadh.
For a moment, as we neared the armored cars and checkpoints and soldiers with machine guns, I felt my pulse quicken. It was like a scene in those movies where the happy family is casually talking about the day’s plans and suddenly getting blown to
smithereens. It was a weird feeling, because I consider myself a rational person, and I don’t get randomly scared. But I held my breath as the guard let us through, and the moment passed.
We had to park far from the embassy and Mama had to walk there. On top of that, the road to the embassy wasn’t marked. We had to ask around once we got inside the complex it was located in.
Baba said the American embassy in Jeddah closed down after the attack two years ago.
And so we sit here in the car and wait.

Austria Quicky From Saudi

I'm on my grandpa's dial-up connection at the moment, so i've gotta make this quick. I was sending an email to a friend just now, but it could also kinda qualify for a post about some of my impressions of Austria, so here it is!

at the moment, i'm in saudi arabia. i got here yesterday after a week-long vacation in vienna. it was a very nice experience. i haven't seen an open countryside in ages. (i can't remember the last time i saw even a stretch of farmland. there wasn't anything like that in LA.) so when i boarded a train that took us across austria, i was spellbound. velvet green hills that went on for miles, cotton candy clouds, and a blue sky you could swear was painted on a canvas. the occasional red roofed houses were a delight. they looked like they came straight out of a fairytale with their rainbow colors and big, bright windows. i was in some sort of writer's heaven on that train, gushing out sticky-sweet, emotional descriptions of everything i saw and chugging out snippets of poetry. i "literally" got drunk on the scenery. haha! (let's pretend that was funny...) as you can tell, i'm still a bit hung over from it.

vienna's cobblestoned streets and gothic buildings worked a different kind of magic on me. here, i saw the affect of limitless human potential. vienna is a beautiful city. although it's really touristy, it's managed to keep its original charm and not turn into a mutant plastic metropolis. and i might be seeing more of it than i originally expected. why? it hosts the third largest UN center, after New York and Geneva. and i'm planning to somehow incorporate the UN in my career later on in the future. hey, working for all this humanitarian, good stuff has its perks after all!

Good for me! I managed to write up a post on vacation! But don't get your expectations up too high.. This might just be a fluke. And i'd better get off before people who may be trying to call the house think we're all dead or something. I've forgotten how annoying dial-up is!

Checking In (And Out)

I’m baaaaaaaack!

From Vienna, that is. I’ve been vacationing for over a week, relaxing… you know, all that good stuff. I’m only back in the UAE for one day. Tomorrow, it’s straight to Saudi Arabia for a, you guessed it, family reunion!

The only annoying thing is that i have to pack all my stuff in one day. And help clean the house. And buy last minute presents. And recharge cameras and iPods and all other forms of electrical equipment people take on vacations with them. And finish reading my book to start the next one. And reorganize my closet. And send out the poems i’ve been working on for the last month to the Atlantic Monthly. (Yes, you did read that last sentence correctly.)

So that’s that. I dunno how often i’ll be able to update my blog from now till I get back from Saudi. That is, if i’m able to update it at all. So let’s just say i’m on leave until the 18th of August. I’ll try to post some things up though. But if i don’t, don’t kill me!

Oh, before i forget! Some people were giving me shit for traveling at a time like this. You know, with the whole “war” going on between Lebanon and Israel. Well, if you build your whole life around a cause, and spend all year working for it, regardless of the amount of media attention it gets, you deserve a break once in a while. That way, you can recharge your energy and come back to work even harder.

Even during this “break”, you keep expanding your horizons by learning about other people and cultures so you can form better relations with them and get a blueprint for improving your own society. And on top of all that, you take this as an opportunity to be a sort of “ambassador” for your society, showing the rest of the world that no, not all Muslims or people of Middle Eastern descent are women abusers and suicide bombers.

You see, it’s all about how you approach the idea of a “vacation”. Just because someone thinks long term doesn’t mean they’re ignoring what’s going on this second. We’re working on getting this thing at its root, not randomly hacking off evergrowing branches at the whim of media attention.

So till next time, whenever and wherever that happens to be.

Supergirls

A quick note on the superheroine issue. When Abdelrahman Mohamed gave his covered character, Jana, telekinetic powers, he said is was because "she couldn't run around, jumping and fighting is she was wearing an abaya". Well, look at all the long-caped or mysterious hooded characters in comics. They're covered and they seem to do just fine. Not to mention manga's kimono-clad heroes and villains. And just because a girl is covered doesn't mean she has to wear an abaya. I mean, i'm always going out in jeans and still adhering to the hijabi code of modesty. And look at all those female athletes in Iran. Politics aside, those Iranian girls just wear baggy pants with a long shirt and dive into the game. Hijab doesn't stop them from doing that.

Mohamed is trying to connect to all of his audience, as his creation of Jana shows. And that's great. But not all girls are forced to wear the scarf, Mohamed. In his interview, he divided the girls in today's society into two groups: those "who come from open-minded families who don't have to cover up, who go out and have fun", and those who come from conservative families and "have to cover up and don't do the same things as the other girls". That's a bit too black and white. Lots of girls who are hijabis come from open-minded families. They themselves choose to wear the scarf. (And yes, they still have fun.) There are plenty of instances in which the mother in a certain family is not a hijabi, but the daughter is. Or two sisters from the same family (even twins), one wearing the scarf and the other not. So it really is a matter of choice. Or at least, that's the way it should be. There are girls out there, especially in the Gulf, that are forced to cover, and that's a pity. So thanks is due to Mohamed for addressing their issue.

Oh, one last thing. Mohamed said that he wanted to inspire hijabi girls, so that they could think, "Although I am in the abaya and the shaila, in my mind I can be a superheroine". That's sweet man, but.. "in my mind"? I'm planning to be a lot of things, and not just in my mind. And so are thousands of other hijabi girls. Let's not forget to keep that in mind.

More Than Just Comics

Okay, so Abdelrahman Mohamed's comic, "The Petronians", seems pretty interesting. Innovative even, at first glance. And in many ways, it is. The only thing that's been bothering me about it is that it lacks... originality.

I know, i know, that paragraph totally contradicts itself and the enthusiasm in my last post. I still am enthusiastic about this comic, but... how can i explain this?

Okay, you know when you see a reproduction of a famous painting? Let's take the Mona Lisa as an example here. You still enjoy it and admire it. But the fact that it's a reproduction, a copy of someone else's work, makes it loose some of its value. (Or, in the case of the Mona Lisa, a lot of its value.) Let's say the artist painted a picture of a different woman, like the "Angelina" or something. It would be a different picture, but if he did it with the same talent that Leonardo did his work, it would become a classic in its own right. Both paintings would be a picture of a woman, but each one would be valued for its own reasons.

With this example in mind, wouldn't it be interesting to see something completely different come out of "the UAE's first homegrown superheros"? I mean, do all comics have to rest on the prototypes of Superman and the Fantastic Four? Take Japan as an example: they've got their whole manga thing going on. Manga is, when it boils down to it, a form of what Americans call "the comic book". But at the same time, it's very unique from the traditional American comic. Manga has its own styles, rules, forms, and customs. That's what makes it special. Its originality gives it appeal. And manga, being a Japanese form, is the best medium to present Japanese culture. The same goes for American comics. Since they're created by American minds, they best transmit American culture.

Every artist knows that the detail of each brush stroke, sentence, and note makes a huge impact on a piece of art. What is art, after all, other than an accumulation of details brought into one "entity"? Art lives when created properly. Sentimental, but true. It speaks for its creator, its environment, its circumstances, its culture. Do Arabs need that today or what? Imagine, an Arab form of the comic book to explicitly capture Arab culture. No need to try to squeeze in bits that don't fit or cut loose ends.

"But they're just comics, for heaven's sake!"

Yeah, but look what manga did for Japan. It's a whole industry! Money and national pride. What more could a country want?

And plus, this is just an example of a greater idea, or principle. It's the tip of a philosophical iceberg. I could go on and on... but i'll probably end up making myself dizzy. So enough for now. There's plenty of time to come.

Dubai - The New Gotham?

Over the past year, i've been reading interesting little tidbits about a new comic that's soon to hit the streets. Today's issue of EmiratesToday has finally shed some light on this innovative project.

"The Petronians", created by Abdelrahman Mohamed, are your average UAE residents. They are highschool and university students, busy with studies, friends, and family. But after realizing that they've been biologically modified by a rare form of petroleum, they come together to fight the baddies of the comic, "The Revolutionaries". And this all takes place in "Pearl City" - an alias of Dubai 10 years from now. By that time, all of the projects in the city (like Burj Dubai and the Palm Islands) will have been completed, making it the perfect backdrop for the comic. Interesting, no?

In creating his comic, 21 year old Mohamed was faced with the "problem" of creating heroines that would appeal to all factions of his audience. He first created what he called a "new age" Emirati girl, who wore a tank top instead of the traditional black abaya. In response to feedback from his more conservative audience, he created Jana, a covered Saudi superheroine with telekinetic powers. Doing so allows both sides of his female audience to relate to the comic.

There's more to the whole superheroine issue. Actually, to this whole topic! But i'm too tired to get into that tonight. I'll keep that for the next post. Can't wait to see how this little experiment is gonna turn out.

Saudi Arabia - Waiting for the Kickoff

Saudi Arabia has an inferiority complex. The football team, that is.

After yesterday's embarrassing defeat of 0-4 by Ukraine, it became blindingly clear that the Saudi team just isn't ready for the World Cup. The Saudis manage to play beautifully amongst their Arab and Asian "brethren". But the moment they step out of Asian borders, things just tend to go wrong. Yes, i know, it has to do with experience and talent and all that stuff, but i'm not a sports fanatic, and this is no sport blog. This blog tends to deal more with culture. Something the Saudis seem to have a problem with.

Unlike (for example) their Korean and Japanese counterparts, the Saudis have a rather low level of confidence in themselves when they're outside of their comfort zone. The Koreans and Japanese are proud of their culture and comfortable with their identity. They know who they are, and therefore what they can become. The Saudis, on the other hand, are a bit confused when it comes to cultural identity. Their country is now gradually opening up to the world, and so their values and defining cultural traits are undergoing significant changes. This shifting cultural identity doesn't make the greatest of foundations, but despite its negative aspects, it's part of what all developing nations have to go through.

On top of all that, East Asian culture is more accepted and respected in the West, partly due to the fact that it's more assimilated into Western culture. Saudi Arabian culture (and Arab culture in general) doesn't exactly have that big of a fan base in the international arena. And it's quite obvious what a lack of acceptance and respect (no matter how subtle) can do to a person, much less a nation.

No wonder the Saudi team sucks when they leave Asia. Out there, they're playing with the big boys, which would be wonderful if they didn't feel like they were no more than the big boys' squirmy little brother. Lack of confidence can work wonders.

No, Saudi Arabia won't do well in the World Cup until they figure out just who they are and where they stand in the world. And no international team or fan base will give them the acceptance and respect they're looking for until they're confident enough to win it. (The respect, not the Cup... but hey, i guess if you dream, dream big.) Perhaps some of the changes that'll happen over the next four years'll be big enough to change the "rankings" in not just the world, but also in football.

Lol, small wonder people love this game. It's connected to everything. Freakishly so.

Random Bit of News

Today, i've thrown together a mini-smorgasbord of a post for you guys to check out. Bon appétit!

• Finished reading "Cloud Atlas". Now that was a good read. All about human nature and what civilization can lead us to. Yummy. Now, (as you can see from my "Current Literary Escapade" section in the sidebar) i'm reading Gabriel García Márquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude". I've had my eye on that book for a while. We'll see how it goes.
  
  
• From the BBC: "Palestinian views on travel curbs"
  This here's an article on how Israeli travel restrictions affect the daily lives of Palestinians, particularly in the West bank. Its always interesting to see how large scale politics affect the average joe on the street. Plus, after finally getting my driver's license last week (woohoo!), i can empathize with their complaints (not woohoo).
  
  
• Notyoursoldier.org
  Watch those American kids as they take a stand against military recruiters for the war in Iraq. And some Arabs call America the devil. Pshshshshsh! Lets see how far we can get the average Arab youth away from their "Superstar" shows, let alone start a movement of some social/political worth, before we judge, eh?

My Origins

After my last post, i thought it would be appropriate to mention where i myself am from. After checking around online, i realized that people think that i'm Arab; a slight misconception. This post here is to clear things up.

Since my background is a bit complicated, i've developed two answers to the "origin question". The short version is, plainly: I'm American/Circassian/Syrian. (In no particular order here other than alphabetical.) The long version, is... Well, you might wanna get comfy. This may make an interesting read, especially for history-lovers like me.

Here in Dubai, my mom is what we call a "mix". Her father (my grandpa) is from a little village in Syria, and her mother (my grandma) is a white American (of European descent). They met while my grandpa was studying in the U.S., got married, then moved to Syria, where my mom was born. Since she grew up in Syria, my mom identifies a lot more with Syrian culture, and considers herself Syrian.

My dad is a different story. He's from a rather fascinating people known as the "Circassians" in the West. They're from the Caucasus region in what is now south-western Russia, and the name they give themselves is Adyghe. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Circassians began migrating from their homeland into various parts of the world due to war and persecution by the Russians. With a return to Russia a difficult and unlikely route, much of the Circassian diaspora remains scattered all over the world. My father is from the Circassians of Syria. Culturally, he is more Arab than Circassian, having lived amongst Arabs all his life.

Now, about little old me? I was born in, of all places, Saudi Arabia. After a few years there, i was whisked off to America and the American dream. After a brief spell in Chicago, i finally landed in Los Angeles, the place i now consider my childhood home. There, i became an American, legally and culturally. Those years in LA bound me to America in more ways than most people know.

So now, after years of my parents' hoping and planning, i'm back in the Arab World. The good ol' UAE, to be exact. Around the world in 18 years, eh? I guess all this moving around is what created my love for culture, language, history, and travel. If i follow family tradition, i wonder where my kids are gonna end up? China? Venezuela? You never know. It is, to quote a famous Disneyland ride, "a small world after all".

Obsessing Over Origin

In Arabville (as my friend's American grandparents call the Middle East) nearly every conversation between newly acquainted people starts with "Where are you from?” Arabs take lots of pride in their cultural and familial background, and discussing these issues is a given, especially amongst themselves.

This might look like a weird obsession to an outsider, but to Arabs, it's as natural as eating cheese is to the French. The reason for this is that the Arab World is spread out over a nice little stretch of land, spanning Western Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa. Naturally, the distinctness of "Arab" culture varies throughout the region; each area has its unique traditional dress, cuisine, music, and dialect (let alone political, social, and economic systems). So you see, Arabs have a lot to discuss when it comes to their origins.

To add to this already extensive list of variables, there is the whole issue of living outside the Arab World. What are you exactly when you come from Morocco but have a British passport? You've lived in Britain all your life, and only step foot inside your "home country" during two or three month-long vacations at most. The British would (legally, at least) consider you British. Arabs would immediately classify you as Arab, regardless of how well immersed you are in Arab language or culture. Actually, Arabs get offended if someone clearly of Arab heritage claims to be of any other nationality. "What, we're not good enough for you?" is the general reaction that seems to generate.

An example: At a wedding yesterday (my friends' older sister's) my friends and i were in the elevator with the bride's (Arab) hairdressers. Of course, we were asked where we were from. Although we had all lived in "the West" and had Western nationalities, we replied with straightforward, Arab answers. All except one girl, who said she was from New Zealand. The hairdressers looked at her strangely.

"You don't look like you're from there..."

"Yeah, my parents are from Jordan, but i was born and brought up in New Zealand."

"Oh, so you're Jordanian. How can you be from New Zealand if your parents are from Jordan?" They looked at her, eyebrows raised, before leaving the elevator.

A bit of an unpleasant situation for most Arab kids. On one hand, they don't want to reject the country that gave them sanctuary, an education, and a way of life. On the other, they don't want to betray the culture they've been brought up to think of as "home". Where exactly do we, as both Arabs and Westerners, draw the line?

Or should we even be drawing a line? Maybe blurring the line holds the answer? Having straddled both worlds, we can't be just Arab or Western. We'd be incomplete if we adopted only one culture. Perhaps it's about time that we created our own culture: a mixture of the best of both worlds.

This new culture can be what today's international community really needs. A bridge between East and West, a vantage point all can relate to, a platform for civilizational dialog and understanding.

Hey, not too bad an idea. I'm all for it. Anyone wanna come along for the ride?

Starting Summer

After a week of post-exam relaxation, i'm back to work on my writing. I started dabbling with some poetry a couple days ago, and it's about time i put a fresh post up here. So, for my first "Summer Post"... Here goes nothing!

I know this happened a while ago, but i have to put up the results for the priest-imam friendly match. This picture was posted online, with the following excerpt from Reuters:

"Protestant pastor Roland Herpich (R) and imam Taha hold a trophy after a soccer match to promote friendship and understanding of the religions in Berlin May 6, 2006. A team of Christian priests thrashed a group of imams 12-1 to win Germany's first soccer cup between religious leaders on Saturday, but it was all hugs and smiles after the match to promote tolerance."

According to this article, the players, along with the 100 or so spectators, said "they just wanted to get to know their neighbours without emotionally-charged debates about religious issues or international conflict". Rabbi Walter Rothschild summarized the crowd's outlook on the event, saying that it was "very different, very refreshing and just a very normal way of spending a day".

I mean, how much more normal can a day in which there was were "plenty of goals, unholy swearing and a jersey swap" be for such a religiously and culturally diverse event?

It's things like this that'll end up bringing people of all backgrounds together. Good thing this game is going to become an annual event! So for now, good game priests! And imams, better luck next year!

Be Original

Isn't it funny how the fashion industry is founded on conformity, but always tries to convince people otherwise? People (especially "the youth") constantly talk about freedom, individuality, creativity, and independence, but the basis of the fashion industry completely goes against these values. It's all about following the herd! Talk about double standards.

I found this particular masterpiece (a Levi's ad), while walking through Deira City Center. In the original ad i saw, the words "Be Original" were pasted next to the model. After googling it at home, i discovered that this new advertising campaign is all the rage in both the real and cyber worlds. Sigh.

I mean, for heavens sake, they're telling us all to buy the same pair of jeans to "Be Original"! And we're buying it! Literally.

Football Zealots

Berlin is going to host what i think will be one of the most amusing soccer matches of the year. According to Times Online, Muslim imams and Christian priests will be going head to head in a pre-World Cup friendly match. And the referee will be, you guessed it, a Jewish rabbi.

The match is supposed to be part of a British-sponsored workshop on racism in football. Sounds good to me! But get this, the game should be this Saturday (today i believe), but things are a bit confused because it'll end up clashing with the Jewish Sabbath.

“It’s been difficult to find a rabbi who will referee on the Sabbath,” sighs the
Rev Christopher Jage-Bowler, “but we are trusting in God.”

LOL! Ah, how i laughed when i read that line. You gotta love religion.

On a side note, something i read in that article i linked to above was a bit off. In trying to figure out a day for the game, Friday was ruled out because it was the Muslims' "day of prayer". Very considerate of the officials to think of that, but umm, contradictory to what some Muslims may mistakenly believe, there's no Sabbath-like concept in Islam.

Our "day of prayer" is every day. The only time Muslims have to close down businesses is during the Friday prayer itself, which is usually around an hour long. Any work or play can be done before or after it.

So yeah, just wanted to clear that up. Can't wait for the game! It should be starting sometime now, because of the time difference between the UAE and Germany. I'm rooting for the imams. What'll they be called, The Crescents? The Turbans? The Bushy Beards? Hey, ya never know!