"hello... hello.... oh it's Zainab. i thought it was Ayesha aunty."

who would've thought Kyrgz music would be so cool? pause. wait a second. let's define cool here.

in music terms, i'm afraid that my "cool" usually translates into "folksy" for everyone else. folksy music is awesome because to me it is music in its truest form. i suppose all music is expression, and perhaps on a scale of depth folk music is pretty shallow and apparent - especially when compared to the more mystical electronica (should that be spelled with a "k"?). but isn't part of the goal of making music to connect with people? i'm not sure. i'm no musician. but i do know that fiddle and banjo type sounds just feel like life!

so as i was listening to a sampling of central asian music today, and enjoying most of it (save some of the really high-pitched tracks), i very quickly fell in love with the upbeat folksy style of kyrgz music. very cool.

enlightenment is the friction

longing for the shade of the tree of enlightenment,
we find sitting under the tree less romantic

the roots jut into the backside
leaning against the trunk, the marching ants quickly divert their route across the shoulders
the acorns of enlightenment crack on the head
at times the sun pierces through the branches and blind

enlightenment is not passive;
not mere osmosis of a spiritual locale
sufis seek the sweetness of faith through the itch of the wool
gibran says pain breaks the shell of our understanding

enlightenment is the friction
the constant wearing away
the annoyance of chiseling
slowly revealing the masterpiece

Translations are like the under-side of the carpet.

Understandings of Time

A Chinese official was talking to a friend of my bosses and says, "Yea we'd like to get an aircraft carrier."
The other guys says, "Oh yea? When are you thinking about doing that."
The Chinese official says, "Sometime in the short term. Ya know, by 2050."

2050? Short term!? I thought this was a really intersting perspective on how an ancient civilization understands time. It's certainly outside of my capacity.

Balancing Bilingualism

English language instruction is nothing new for the Middle East, especially in the fields of science and technology within higher education. As underfunded and highly bureaucratic Ministries of Education have failed to keep public schools up to par, upper classes have turned to private and English language education. And the overhaul of English both in the classroom and on the internet is creating distinctive a language-based class system within these societies.

The division is visible even driving along the roads, where advertisements for high-end furniture and clothing stores are in English, while those for basic consumer products remain in Arabic. (The bilingual adverts for McDonalds, Burger King and KFC cater to all audiences.)

The parallel societies are further exposed by dual ministerial and political websites offering both English and Arabic options; or in the case of 7iber.com, a youth blog in Jordan, a complete fusion of the two. Queen Rania’s YouTube page however, caters to English-speaking audiences and lacks any trace of Arabic.

Syria and Algeria have taken strong opposition to this trend, pushing Arabization policies to make knowledge available for those outside “colonial elite” circles. But for Syria in particular, this policy has resulted in a reliance on their Jordanian neighbor to translate English material into Arabic, which has been piecemeal at best.

In parts of the region, the situation has become one where many students have no first language at all; fluent in written English and colloquial spoken Arabic.

United Arab Emirates