Tag: culture

Stop victimization

Given current events, you might think this is a subjective piece, for or against one side of the unfolding conflict. But this is actually a plea for objectivity. I was driving to work today and shocked at the language the journalists were using on the radio news. As long as countries consider themselves victims and others the enemy, this language promotes entrenched conflict. If you want to stop being taken advantage of, this oppositional, or as cultural theory says, binary opposition (two bipolar perspectives) then this language must stop.

Before we can see a solution to this conflict – the same one that causes people to throw up their hands and say, "it’ll never end or change" – we have to change the language we use. Everyone. Politicians, the media, everyday citizens.

Then we’ll pull aside this smokescreen of conflict to deal with real problems.

Like where does the money go that’s donated to these ‘victims"? And how can a democractially elected government take action that is so harmful to its people? Or where is the boundary between defense and aggression?

Your thoughts? What can we do to see a different pattern of behavior in the occupied territory?

All in all, a scary way to start 2009.
 

Creating a National Day

The 4th of July is really about beer and barbque these days. More so than flag waving, although this might not have been the way that the celebration of colonial independence from England started, and US flag bikinis certainly not what the founding fathers or Betty Ross imagined for the stars and stripes.

Having not been there, or in the hundred odd years since, its really hard to say.

But I am here in Qatar for the second annual assumption of Shekih Jassim: December 18th, Qatari national day. This is a rare opportunity to view nationalization in the making. The previous Qatari National day, Sept 3rd, marked the end of British rule in Qatar. No longer a ‘protectorate’, Qatar became its own soverign.

Apparently a few people felt that this gave undue attention to the British. And so now its observed on the day that the reign of the current ruling family began.

Last year, the first year that this was introduced, there was little more a public holiday. This year, the difference is palpable. There are flags hanging from nearly every  major building in the country, the maroon zigzag interrupting an otherwise white surface.

People have flags on their cars, flag lapel pins and there are a host of activities for the week including an airshow and camel and horse live displays.

The entreprenurial South Asians are on the side streets and roundabouts selling flags in all shapes and sizes to the passersby.

It’s nice to see Qataris get excited about something that isn’t commerical and to celebrate their heritage. Hopefully for them the flag will continue to be something to stand under and not behind.

That happens…

Back from a relaxing week in Goa. About the worst thing that happened in this week after the terror attacks in Mumbai was the theft of my flip flops outside of the Francis Xavier chapel. I was shocked – having been born in India and visited many Hindu temples, this has never happened to me before.

When we arrived at the church doorway and there was the familiar sight of scattered slippers, none of us knew quite what to do. My friends were suspicious of this idea immediately. Who takes shoes off at a church? Hindus who are taught from the minute they can stand that feet are dirty. In removing their shoes, those that had come to admire the church had given it the first sign of respect they knew of.

But my friends, spotting some other violators, opted to keep theirs on. My husband and I, by Asian default, meekly took ours off. He placed his shiny white Nikes (bought during our last vacation in Hawaii) in clear sight and hovered protectively over them.

My on summer sale Aerosoles, bought for an afternoon’s relief while tramping through the shopping district of New York, were not so lucky.

I felt funny about the theft – no reaction – even though everyone else was angry and wanting me to get riled up. Luckily one of our friends had an extra pair of flip flops which I put on for the rest of the afternoon.

Having full knowledge of the dozens of shoes in my closet and the hallway and downstairs by the door and these being neither my favorite nor sentimental, I couldn’t get riled up about the shoes.

And looking around at the poverty, I couldn’t blame someone for taking them.

I hope they serve their wearer well.

According to my sister and brother-in-law and Indian co-worker, this is not an unknown occurance, as I related the tale. They each in turn said, "Yes, that happens." 

Apparently this was just the first time I had worn a pair of shoes worthy of stealing.