orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: July 2009
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
Wednesday, July 8, 2009. God she is so annoying," said Um Tareq. Why don't you just tell her not to come, you are sleeping? I've told her daughter-in-law to not let her come this early.". Why don't you tell her? It got to the point where I had to leave for work, but Um Ra'id wasn't budging. "I have to get going.". I could tell her you are sleeping.". It doesn't matter, she'll come in. If only she had come later in the day, you could tell her I wasn't here, but now it's too early for me to be gone".
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: July 2008
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
Tuesday, July 29, 2008. Capoeira and Crazy Globalization. I've been going to Capoeira. Class for two weeks now, and it is amazing. I can actually touch my toes now! Class is held 4 days a week, 2 at Theatro. A theatre near suq. And 2 in a room behind Nadi. Damascus' most expensive health club). In addition to the NYU Ph. D I hear is floating around the city and another dude I graduated with. The instructor is an Algerian guy named Mousa. Who were surprised that an Algerian would be bad at Arabic. "Th...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: August 2008
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Sunday, August 31, 2008. Born in the U.S.A. How to broach a topic like this, littered with landmines? And at the same time, I'm glad I was born a woman in America. Just the fact that I'm here in Syria, a woman living by herself, is something. Most weekends I hang out with my guy friends more than girls because a lot of the girls have to be home at 8 or 9, or if lucky, 10. Thursday, August 28, 2008. Damascus Can Be A Tiny Place. He said, which is exactly how you want people to identify you when trying to ...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: June 2009
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
Wednesday, June 17, 2009. I got Um Tareq to dance, which had been my goal. I even got her niece to dance, who was introduced to me as able to put my dancing to shame. But she said, no, I'm not going to dance, there's this cleric who said it's haram. How can dancing with a bunch of ladies be haram? But the videographer might accidently catch me on the camera and that would be haram. But she loosened up and did, as predicted, put me to shame. I was invited to another wedding in July. Just Another Angry Bla...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: January 2009
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Sham while temporally crippled is interesting. For one, I had never noticed how many stairs are required to get to most things. But the lack of accesability is tempored somewhat by how helpful people are. The pity in passerbys' eyes is getting a bit annoying. I mean, I ain't walking all that badly - I'm down to once crutch. But people passing by will stare, turn their heads around, with this look that just screams, "Ya haram! So if I was ugly it would be alright.". I was tryi...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: Shami Wedding
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2009/06/shami-wedding.html
Wednesday, June 17, 2009. I got Um Tareq to dance, which had been my goal. I even got her niece to dance, who was introduced to me as able to put my dancing to shame. But she said, no, I'm not going to dance, there's this cleric who said it's haram. How can dancing with a bunch of ladies be haram? But the videographer might accidently catch me on the camera and that would be haram. But she loosened up and did, as predicted, put me to shame. I was invited to another wedding in July. December 17, 2009 at 9...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: December 2008
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html
Sunday, December 28, 2008. Why is the blockade of Gaza and military incursions always compared to the damn rockets? As if they are morally equivalent? As if they are anywhere on the same scale? The New York Times. Describes the bombing as "retaliation for rocket fire from the area". That makes it sound somewhat similar! In fact, it's as if the Israelis are only. For this horrible barrage of rockets. Yup, sounds about equivalent. Wednesday, December 24, 2008. I'm sick of seeing articles or hearing events ...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: Old and Unfashionable
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2009/04/old-and-unfashionable.html
Thursday, April 16, 2009. Thanks to Youtube, I can share my love of Arab pop stars with anyone foolish enough to humor me. "Wait! This Nancy Ajram video is awesome! Where are you going? I roped my 12 year old L.A. born and raised cousin into sitting through one of these sessions. In return, she got to show me the music her generation likes these days. It's not Hannah Montana, to my surprise, but some other Disney with a name that escapes me but reminded me of a latte. (Levi Mochiato? This is exactly why ...
orientalista.blogspot.com
Orientalista: Interreligious Dating
http://orientalista.blogspot.com/2009/04/interreligious-dating.html
Saturday, April 18, 2009. We were on a double date of sorts, walking around the Bab Touma neighborhood outside the old city and enjoying the Good Friday festivities. I slept through last week's Western Easter, though I could hear the merrymaking and bands. Where are we going now? She looked at me quizzically. When she hung up I apologized, telling her the boys had sent me over so her mom though she was hanging with girls. Oh, she doesn't care that if there's boys, just that we're all Christian.". We were...
