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Keri Kae in the EmiratesFollow me abroad to the U.A.E. for the Fall 2006 semester-- where I am attending the American University of Sharjah! (You can comment on my blog with the login "keriscomments@hotmail.com" and password "commentnow") January 05 KhalasI'm once again late in posting. I guess you're getting used to it, huh?
On December 23, I finished packing my bags, said lots of goodbyes, and boarded the plane. Looking back, I think about all of the friends that I have made, all of the experiences I've had, and I cannot help but feel a strange sense of khalas. Khalas is Arabic for "finished" and the end of my time in the Emirates wasn't exactly full of closure. Between final exams, editing papers for friends, and cramming in quick goodbye phone calls, I find myself feeling like it's over, but not finished.
To my friends back in the Emirates, I will miss you all so much--I already do!! Thank you for everything. Thanks for the Arabic lessons, the Iftars, and even for the times when being American made me uncomfortable. I learned so much from you all, you have no idea.
To you few Tunisians from this summer who see this (Driss, Marwen, Safa...), I miss you! Enchallah, nous parlerons... dis-moi les nouvelles! J'espere que je retounerai a la Tunisie un jour. Vous me manquez-- barsha! =)
And for you all at home, thanks for following me to the Middle East! Your prayers, e-mails, and phone calls were so encouraging. It's hard sometimes when you feel all alone in a foreign; it's harder when you are! You all are such a blessing to me.
As we said in Tunisia, we got dust in our sandals and people in our hearts; while the dust will eventually get shaken out of our shoes, the people will never leave our hearts. Do they know it's Christmas?**Another entry written but not published... written: December 4**
After a nice visit with some friends in Dubai yesterday, I braved Mall of the Emirates for the first time in a long time with a friend from university. Fortunately, we're still a few weeks away from the Dubai Shopping Festival--the forty-five day long celebration of commercialism in the form of sales and special events that sweeps the whole Emirate, finding its embodiement in the Mall fo the Emirates which is home to hundreds of stores and the infamous SkiDubai. (You can find a schedule of events here if you're interested in seeing how we roll over here.) Still, the mall was busy... and starting to look decorated. Now, I know that yesterday was the UAE National Holiday, but there's nothing particularly Emirati about Chirstmas trees, right? I mean, this is the desert after all. No pines or firs here. I had seen "Christmas" lights hung in honor of the National Holiday. At university, they hung lights on the main building in the shape and color of the flag. Is there confusion? Yes, I am confused. I don't think anyone else is though.
As you might recall, I went through my holiday Barbie phase day a few days ago--iTunes playlists, Florida snow, paint, glitter--and since then I've been hypersensitive to Christmas in Arabia. Mixed into the Maroon5 album playing over the loudspeakers at the grocery store were songs like "O Come Let Us Adore Him" and "Silver Bells." Christmas in the desert might be shaping up to be something unique and fun for me this year. Granted, I'll be home for the actual jour de fête, but there's not harm in getting into the mood, is there?
Clash of Civilizations? No, just immersion!**This post was originally written December 16 but never made it to publishing.... Better late than never**
I am getting worse and worse about this aren't I? As the end of my time here quickly approaches, I'm trying to absorb everrything. In seven days, I'll be on a twenty-six hour flight back to the US--well, four flights. The last two weeks have been a bit busy. Between classes and assignments and cramming in time with everyone, I am definitely wearing down a little.
Fortunately, we had two days off of classes for the UAE National holiday a couple of weeks ago and the Sheikh of Sharjah hosted a big shindig to celebrate the Emirati life of old--camels and bedouin life and dancing. Needless to say, the combination afforded me an interesting four day weekend. If you get a chance to look at the pictures, you'll see it was a popular event. I had a wonderful tour guide, my friend Ahmed. Ahmed and I met back at registration (he had spent a year studying in the States before returning to Sharjah) and I was grateful for the explanations. Had he not shown me around, I might have mistaken the little dagger-tossing boys for my high school colorguard. I think the highlight of the event, besides those dancing weapon-chuckers, was my interaction with the Sheikh. Correction: my close encounters with Sheikh Qassimi. More than once, I was trying to capture the sights with my new camera when the Sheikh nearly ran me over on his way to the next display. Certainly I should have known where he was at all times, right? He surely wondered why this little blonde girl kept getting in his way... It happened multiple times! I just never learn!
The other exciting cultural event that I attended last week was a poetry club of sorts. The Iranian Club of Dubai meets weekly to host a poetry night and I needed to attend an event situated around a culture different than my own (not like it was hard to find that sort of thing). Prior to leaving for Dubai, I received a text message from my Persian friend who would be my tour guide and translator--since I speak absolutely no farsi outside of "hello how are you?"--saying that I needed to bring a scarf to cover my hair. I'll be honest, I was excited and nervous at the same time. I've never had to cover before. Well, the experience proved memborable. I tugged at my scarf all night, shocked some friends from university who never expected to see me in a hijab, didn't understand a word, and even had to share a poem with the group! Even though some of the listeners couldn't understand me, it was really a treat to share with them a hymn from home. It was a challenge to recite a poem with the kind of passion that these guys did. I never caught a single word of the Persian but I always knew what I was supposed to feel based on how they said it. What a night! --Check out those hijab pictures.... =) December 04 Weather WimpWhat prompted me to make soup and hot tea for dinner tonight? It wasn't the cold I've been suffering from for the past five days--sneezing, coughing and all. No, it's the cold that we're all now suffering! A quick assessment of the facts might make things a bit more clear for you all:
In Washington, DC, it is currently 38 degrees.
In Orlando, Florida, it is currently 65 degrees.
In Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, it is currently 56 degrees!
I don't know when I became a wimp, but I'm such a loser when it comes to temperature now. I mean, 56 is Christmas weather back in Florida but now even my home is warmer than the deserts of Arabia! Granted, I always knew that desert nights were supposed to be fiercely cold, but I've heard that this is an anomoly. Well, I guess this means it really is winter time. December 03 Combination hookah and coffee makerTristan and I were talking about this e-mail he received that talks about kids who grow up in the Middle East. It's sort of like "You know you're a redneck if..." Number 19 on the list is that you get all of the jokes in Aladdin. I remember watching Aladdin during my freshman year of college and catching a bunch of things I never understood when I was a kid. Now, I've decided to watch it again and see what else I pick up. I promise you it's even funnier--maybe more offensive--when you start to get some of the nuances about the Middle East.
It's pretty funny to me that the princess wears a belly dancing costume around the palace. When you live in a place where people start to stare if a man wears shorts that hit his knees, you realize that the belly dancing princess is not likely. What is more realistic is her complaint that she's never been outside the palace walls. She's far more likely to stay around the house than she is to be dressed like that! Now, the whole pet tiger thing.... not entirely unheard of. In fact, one of my friends here at university had a pet jaguar when she was younger. The black market for exotic animals is crazy--cheetahs and lions are just some of the kinds of animals found in homes in the Emirates.
There are also a lot of "Islamic" themes that come through the film (I put Islamic in quotes because it really has very little to do with the religion apart from using its artifacts for humor). The genie says that he's there to "answer [Aladdin's] midday prayers." Now, in Islam the jinn (where we get the "genie") is definitely not a wish-granting superpowerful blue guy who sounds like Robin Williams. Actually, the jinn are a kind of being found in the Qaran who look just like us and live lives like us, but are invisible to our world. There are good jinn and bad jinn. The bad ones are famous for seducing humans into extramarital affairs or, worse, for possessing the human who makes it angry. I can hear some of you all reading with skepticism about this "jinn," but I tell you honestly I have friends who are quiet afraid of the jinn. I , however, don't make any moral or spiritual judgement on the existence of the jinn.What I do know is that the Bible gives man a being with more authority and power than the jinn in Jesus.
And on the subject of believers of other religions: When Aladdin and Abu touch the forbidden jewels in Cave of Wonders, the large, scary voice of the cave calls them "infidels" and then begins to systematically destroy the cave. I had a conversation with some friends the other day about the whole notion of infidels. According to Ahmed--isn't it great, you all have no idea which Ahmed I'm talking about.... there are so many!--an infidel is someone who does not remain faithful to Allah as revealed in the Qaran. The farther away you stray, the worse you are. So Christians are infidels, but Jews are worse because they didn't even get up to the "prophet Jesus." When I think about what Ahmed told me, I realize that this might be the one thing that the Aladdin guys got right: anything other than a strict adherence to the law of Allah does bring judgement... and the farther you stray, the worse you are. Aladdin and Abu went directly against the giant cave voice (metaphorical for Allah?) and thus, suffered the penalty of their "infidelity" to his law. It's a stretch for sure.
Then there's the opening scene where the merchant tries to sell his wares to the viewer. He offers up his "combination hookah and coffee maker"--which is just about the most hilarious thing I've heard in a while. It's everywhere, shisha and coffee that is. You go to dinner, finish your meal, take some tea or rich Arabian coffee, and then people go out for shisha. This little merchant character is so funny! In Tunis, we walked through the souk everyday to get to the English language club and on our way we would fall into line, look straight ahead and walk with purpose. We knew that if we looked like we might be interested in anything for sale in the souk, we'd be in there forever trying to get away from the merchants. They would shout greetings to us in different languages, never quite sure what our nationality might be. They always pegged me for French, English or German. Abi was Mexican?! Jeshica was Japanese and Chinese... No one ever got that we were American. Needless to say, we eventually made friends with some of the owners and ended up getting great deals on our very own "combination hookah and coffee maker"-like goods.
Some things were just funny: "Wake up and smell the hommos." Or when the genie calls Aladdin the Shah... wrong part of the Middle East. Still, watching Aladdin again was a lot of fun with all of this new cultural intelligence. And while I wonder if there really is a "Cave of Wonders" out there, others know that the real treasures of the desert aren't found in hidden mystical caverns. No, the true richness of this arid paradise is found in the oil fields.
...Until next time! =) December 02 One more thing about Christmas time...I'm looking for loads of simple recipes Christmas treats and I'm looking to you all.... =) Keep in mind that I don't have a microwave and that I've got limited access to the oven (but it is usable). I know it kind of limits all the baking I could do, but I don't necessarily need to make baked goods. Thanks! Florida snow for an Arabian Christmas seasonOn my way home yesterday, we got the first drops of what was to be an Emirati downpour that has lasted all night and into this morning. I mean, I can actually hear the rain on my window and roof. It's funny to because yesterday was December 1st--the start of the Christmas season!!--and I'm getting some good old-fashioned Florida snow! Again, I'm not too fond of the 60-degree weather (I was really enjoying the high 70s/low 80s), but with my Christmas playlist on iTunes, some watercolors, scissors, and tape, I'm in the holiday spirit. The sermon yesterday at church was on Luke chapters 1-2 where the births of John and Jesus are foretold bu Gabriel. Well there's nothing like the announcement of Christ's birth to remind you of what the season's about: the birth of our salvation in human form. Crazy to think sometimes--such a big God becoming such a small, humble human to complete the work He had planned from before time. I'm jumping ahead of myself a bit, right? I mean, I'm only at the Jesus being born part, right? Not really. In fact, without the rest of his life, his death and resurrection, the birth isn't all that important. But all of it together--that's the miracle God gives us. The best Christmas gift ever. So, I return to my decorations, holiday tunes, gift-giving brainstorming, and maybe some hot cocoa--it is 60 degrees after all. lol. November 26 "Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me"Okay, so it has been an entire week since I last posted. I know I said I'd be better about it, but now I've got a lot to tell you all since I waited! =) We could start with: IT'S RAINING! Yes, today Sharjah got its annual precipitation quota--a whole 12.7 cm! Well, if you've looked at the pictures of my campus, you'll notice that AUS has a unique exterior. Not only are all of the buildings massive marble structures, the ground is marble. Yes, areas that would be courtyards on an American campus are in fact fully covered in marble slabs (I wish I were talking about those nice ice cream creations, but I'm not). While the marble gives the already impressive and imposing campus a prestigious feel, the architects made little precautions for when the ground gets wet. My no-traction flip-flops and I had quite a fun trek back to the dorms from my last class of the day. In a semi-waddling and gliding manner, the one that afforded me the least likelihood of falling down, I slowly made my way home for the afternoon. It was a sight, I must say-- but I didn't fall!
Another thing about rain here: It went from a nice, 80 degrees Farenheit to so cold that I was shivering! How bizarre! Rain and cold?! Is it the end of the world and no one told me?? I kept saying how much I wanted it to rain but now that it has I'm taking it back. At least in Florida there are sunshowers. I mean, all this grey is depressing! Can you have Seasonal Affectedness Disorder from one day of no sun? I hope the sun comes back tomorrow! November 19 Turkey Time?!In a brief--and much welcomed--phone call from my mom the other day, she said something that surprised me.... The stores back home are decorating for Christmas. Oh, and it's almost Thanksgiving. Now, I knew it was getting cooler here--yes, we're finally dipping into the high 70s/low 80s--but Thanksgiving?! Christmas?! I mean, it still feels like summer. Actually, that's not entirely true. You see, the temperature drop has actually been significant enough to warrant notice. I went for a walk last night with a friend and we both wore long sleeves yet we were still a bit chilly. I think this is going to be a tough winter for me....
To my friends back at GW, please don't make fun of me when I come back. You have no idea! =) I love you all and keep warm!! There's no place like homeThis is my second Wizard of Oz allusion this semester and it stems from an actual ruby-red-slippers sighting. Let me just say that the fashion trends here just make me want to chuckle sometimes.... =) I witnessed the bright red, glittery ballet flats after having finally lost it in class. Americans hate Arabs class was so frustrating today! We had two presentations and, while neither was particularly ferocious about Americans, they both included some major stereotypes about America and presented only the side of the case that villanized the States and victimized the Arab world.
The first was pretty gentle-- it was about the English Al Jazeera channel that was supposed to go up November 15 (I'm not sure if it happened or not). Examples of American attitudes toward the new channel were selected to show American ignorance and intolerance of Al Jazeera. Granted, I'm not always persuaded by Al Jazeera's news reporting, but I personally think it's a good thing to go on air in America. Americans need to know what is being said about them--even when they don't want to hear it. The second presentation included some pretty generalized--some entirely false--statements. For example, "Most Americans have never even met an Arab." Now, maybe this is the case, but I take issue with it for the following reasons: (1) It can't be empirically tested, not even with a good sample, because the demographic complications for such a survey are massive! (2) Arab-Americans might find this statement a bit odd considering that Arabs have immigrated to the States for decades and live in states that most people would not consider to be "immigrant states," like Nebraska for example. (3) Most Americans who have met Arabs don't even know they just met an Arab! Arab-Americans are--well--normal. Gosh, who'd have thought?!
Well, after the two presentations, we had time for Q&A... Some of the students brought up the symbols of terrorist organizations that include depictions of the Muslim holy book and rifles, saying that these kinds of things probably don't help stereotypes. Then the debate got heated as to whether or not these symbols were appropriate for militias that protect Arab peoples, etc. Then someone mentioned that Americans just don't get Arabs and don't want to. Well, I had had it. I've been in the class now since September and I'm not going away. I clearly have no prejudice against Arabs--in fact, I came here and I love it because of just how much I really like Arabs! I said as much and more today. I hope I wasn't offensive. I just asked the class what the constant talk about American stereotypes is doing to fix the problem. The way I see it, it only exacerbates the divide between East and West. The way that Americans have stereotyped Arabs is surely wrong. And maybe America should ask forgiveness, I don't know, but the conflict wouldn't end there. There is a reverse-stereotype of sorts going on here... Until my class can stop stereotyping my country and the people who live in it, the class won't come any closer to understanding the ideology and thought processes of the conflict. Saying that Americans don't know Arabs is pretty absurd.
One of the presentations given in class about a month ago analyzed the amount of information that each side produces about the other. The presentation included internet search engines, university library card catalogs, and published journals. The results: America is mass-producing information about the Middle East while the Arab world has contributed far smaller amounts of knowledge about the States. I guess I'm just trying to figure out when my class will stop thinking in reactions and realize that they aren't facing the fact that they're doing the same thing to my country that they have accused me of all semester. I even made a joke about how everybody looks at me whenever something about America comes up... at least they laughed a little bit. |
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