Say It Ain’t So
“A pair of pants designed to look like jeans – but feel like pajamas – is now on sale.The aptly named PajamaJeans are made of a mixture of cotton and spandex with a gray jersey lining to provide a snug and relaxed fix, complete with pockets and rivets to give the illusion of trendy denim.”*
When I’m back in the State for the summer, extreme casualness is something that has always goaded me. I’ve blogged about that before so I’ll make my point quickly:
1. Generally and broadly speaking, Americans like to be comfortable in their clothes.
2. Generally and broadly speaking, Arabs tend to dress-up and put quite a bit of effort into their appearance, even if just running errands.
3. While negative things like vanity and pride can be attached to that, the effort Middle Easterners put into their appearance is something I appreciate.
4. I should clarify though; I think that what’s inside is much more important than the outward (but the outward can reflect…).
5. There are stylish, tasteful Americans.
6. PajamaJeans are awful.
7. PajamaJeans are a horrible idea. I understand that a lot of people are tight financially or very busy but, seriously, take the money you’d spend buying PajamaJeans and purchase real jeans, or pants, or anything. It takes less than a minute to change from your PJ bottoms to real clothes.
8. If your schedule is so packed that you have to jump out of bed, go to work or take care of your kids (or both), perform other daily tasks, and then go back to bed without ever changing, well…then you may want to reevaluate: a lot of things.
9. I understand the desire for comfort, but there are comfortable jeans out there.
10. PajamaJeans for little kids would be one thing, but they’re making them for grown women. Responsible mature women. I don’t know about you, but PajamaJeans do not connote “adult” to me.
You can read the article that inspired this post here.
*http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2010/02/06/2010-02-06_pajamas_in_her_jeans.html
Filed under: Arabs, Art and Design, Links, Middle East, Syria, TCK | Leave a Comment
Mohannad Orabi
“Mohannad Orabi’s whimsical self portraits exemplify what has made Syrian art so successful over the last sixty years. Born in Damascus in 1977, Orabi graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 2000. Noteworthy among a dynamic generation of talented Syrian artists, he has exhibited frequently at home and abroad in venues across the region, and has participated in collective shows and festivals in North America, Europe and Asia, including Art Palm Beach, Miami International Art Fair, SCOPE Art Fair (Basel) and Art Hong Kong. Recently hiscanvases were highlighted in solo exhibitions at Ayyam Damascus and Dubai and were part of the gallery’s popular exhibition “Shabab Uprising,” which offered a groundbreaking showcase of Syria’s new wave of contemporary painting. The artist’s work is housed in private collections across the globe.”
“The emerging artist is as much an individual as he is a continuation of international artistic trends, capturing the underlining dichotomy of Arab society while striving to reach new frontiers in aesthetic representation. With highly stylized characters that emanate with a particular carefree innocence, his portraits are at once reflective of his fascination with one’s childhood experiences as they are investigations into the human spirit. Reproducing variations on robust male and female figures, Orabi’s compositions present his subjects in different scenarios, each one presenting variations on human emotions and interactions. Whether adorned in traditional Syrian garb or in contemporary clothing, his protagonists reflect the continued sense of joie de vivre that has defined modern Arab culture. Despite what underlining tension might exist between his subjects and the stark background of his compositions—often executed in flat color fields that stand as glaring contradictions to his lighthearted figures, which are rendered with bold patterns and sporadic lines— the artist strives to create a harmonious balance between their oversized bodies and their surroundings. In essence, the exaggerated proportions of their features (bulky heads, hollowed almond-shaped eyes and full figures) accentuate their larger-than-life presence, one that seems to float above the weighty concerns of the world.”*
I love the deceptively-cute-darkness of these paintings. To see more of Orabi’s work go to: http://www.ayyamgallery.com/#/artists/mohannad-orabi/.
Filed under: Arabs, Art and Design, Links, Syria | Leave a Comment
Fabric Designer John Robshaw
I searched “Syria” in House Beautiful’s website. Found this article and thought it was interesting. Here it is:
From: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/john-robshaw-bed?click=main_sr
John Robshaw: Why I Love My Bed
Fabric designer John Robshaw shares his love of decorative sheets, bold colors, and found objects from the Middle East and Asia.
By Dan Shaw
YOUR BEDROOM LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A PAUL BOWLES NOVEL — MORE TANGIER THAN RURAL CONNECTICUT.
I’m a big fan of his. The Sheltering Sky is one of my favorite books. I also love his cut-to-the-bone travel stories. His characters drift around Morocco, getting in trouble.
YOU TRAVEL SO MUCH IN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST. DO YOU FEEL LIKE ONE OF HIS CHARACTERS?
Well, I don’t have the drug or alcohol addictions. And I like to stay in one place for a while and get involved. I lived in India and Asia for a year. I’ve hung around in teahouses in Syria, wasting time and writing postcards. I would love to live in Morocco if I could run my business from there.
IS THAT WHY YOU PACKED SO MUCH INTO THIS ROOM?
I like to have references and objects that are memories of my travels, to create a sense of the history of different cultures.
WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR WANDERLUST?
In high school, I met this German kid who invited me to travel around Europe for a summer in a Volkswagen. I was a 16-year-old from Buffalo — I don’t remember why my parents let me go — but visiting France and Italy made a big impression on me. I spent my junior year of college in Rome, and we’d go over to Greece and Istanbul, which made me aware of the East and got me interested in Persian design and architecture.
WHAT PLACE IS FIRING YOUR IMAGINATION NOW?
Aleppo, in Syria, is fantastic because of all the old Moorish houses. A lot of French artists and writers are going there — it’s, like, the new Morocco.
A FRIEND WHO SLEEPS ON YOUR SHEETS CONSIDERS THEM A LUXURIOUS VERSION OF BATIK INDIAN BEDSPREADS FROM THE 1970S.
We all grew up with fun, cheap Indian textiles. What I do is another take on that history. We do it properly, use the old techniques and hand-embroidery. Our textiles pass through many pairs of hands, so there’s lots of good energy in them.
HOW DID YOU KEEP THIS ROOM FROM BEING TOO HIPPIE-DIPPY?
Well, it is kind of a semi-hippie crash pad. You can call it that, and I wouldn’t be insulted. I have friends who think I’m ‘too ethnic.’
THE WHITE MATELASSE BLANKET ISN’T ETHNIC.
It’s the plainest thing we make. I’m trying to cut our prints with some basic solid colors. Some people don’t like to mix things as crazily as we do.
DO YOU HAVE AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE SET OF SHEETS?
No, I’m always happy to put new prints on my bed. I keep changing because I’m easily bored visually.
IS AN ALL-WHITE BED YOUR NIGHTMARE?
The all-white bed is my competition…..
Filed under: Art and Design, Links, Middle East, Syria, Travel | Leave a Comment
One thing I like to do when I’m in the States for the summer is going to a grocery store. A Middle Eastern grocery store run by Arabs. I went into one last summer and, it was, um, emotional as far as grocery stores go. The cucumbers looked like real cucumbers, the smell of the spices, Arabic writing on products, the brands…There was even a group at one table (it was also a restaurant) and they were speaking Arabic. And it was wonderful. I wanted to hug everybody in the place. Which, calm down, it’s ok, I didn’t. I’m not a touchy-feely person and most of the people there were men so…
Filed under: About Me, Arabic, Arabs, Middle East, TCK, Travel | Leave a Comment
Picture Of The Week
From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwinton/9117195/in/set-32395/
A coffee shop/restaurant in Damascus, Syria.
Filed under: Photographs, Syria | Leave a Comment
It’s About Time
To borrow the Arabic phrase and translate it literally, Air New Zealand, you have made my face white. While that doesn’t sound positive, it means that “you have made me proud”:
From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jan/27/air-transport-newzealand-seats-economy
When it comes to a long-haul flight to New Zealand, the thought of 24 hours in an up-right economy seat is enough to make anyone shudder. But economy-class passengers will soon have the chance to lie flat like their envied fellow travellers in business and first. Air New Zealand has unveiled plans to introduce “beds” in economy class, in what it is calling the first major improvement in economy class travel comfort in 20 years.
Developed in-house by the airline’s designers and engineers, the 22 “Skycouches” will take up the first 11 rows in the economy cabin of the carrier’s new Boeing 777-300 planes, and will be formed out of three economy seats abreast that fold out to create a lie-flat space (complete with full size pillows) stretching right up to the seats in front. The increased space could also provide a valuable play and sleep area for those travelling with small children. For two adults travelling, purchasing the Skycouch will be based on buying two seats at standard prices with the third seat at approximately half price. Full airfare details will be announced when it goes on sale in late April.
“For those who choose, the days of sitting in economy and yearning to lie down and sleep are gone,” Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe told reporters. “The dream is now a reality, one that you can even share with a travelling companion – just keep your clothes on, thanks.” The first routes to offer travellers the Skycouch will be between Auckland and Los Angeles from December 2010 and Auckland and London from April 2011. All other services will feature the seats by around 2012. The airline’s Premium Economy Cabin will also be getting an upgrade and will feature “Spaceseats,” set two abreast (it is currently three abreast) and designed so that the centre aisle seats can angle together to allow couples to dine at a shared table.
______________________________
It’s still expensive, and the seats aren’t in the entire cabin, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.
Filed under: Links, TCK, Travel | Leave a Comment
Recommended
I just found this blog through another blog. It’s pictures of different billboards in Beirut (there are many) and it’s hilarious. Check it out at: http://beirutdriveby.blogspot.com/. Aaaah…I love Lebanon.
This one: http://shezsheinbeirutandeverywhere.blogspot.com/ is also great pictures of people and fashion in Beirut.
Enjoy,
Filed under: Arabic, Arabs, Art and Design, Links, Middle East, Photographs | 2 Comments
Sea Waves
Concert in the Opera House of Damascus
Conducted by Missak Baghbudarian, composed and performed by Maias Alyamani with the Syrian National Symphonic Orchestra:
I think I like “Longa Nehawand“, a piece I posted some months back, more, but this is still gorgeous, especially around 2:19.
Filed under: Arabs, Music and Lyrics, Syria | Leave a Comment
Picture Of The Week
From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syrialooks/40059826/
The photographer wrote:
“This picture is from Mar Elian Church where had been discovered beautiful wall paintings and mosaic in the 1970’s during renovations. It also contains Arab and Greek scripts dating back to the twelfth century AD and even as far back as the sixth century.”
Filed under: Photographs, Syria | Leave a Comment
Books=Happiness
Next time I’m in Damascus I hope to check this place out. I love books so it makes me very happy to read about this place.
Turning the Page Again
By Dalia Haidar
Photos Fadi al-Hamwi
From: http://www.syria-today.com/index.php/culture/5283-turning-the-page-again
Hidden in a backstreet in Damascus’s trendy Shaalan neighbourhood, Etana Books is an unexpected sight amid all the cheap shoe shops and trendy fashion labels.Young people are relaxing on the large leather sofas and browsing through the books displayed on the shelves. Upstairs those seeking a quieter atmosphere are working at the desks in the reading room.
“Etana is Syria’s first private library,” Maen Abdulsalam, the library’s founder, said. “We sell books, but we also offer readers a place to come and browse through our collection and study. People can make themselves at home here: they can have a coffee, read, relax…”
For a monthly fee of SYP 750 (USD 16.50), Etana members can browse through the library’s collection of Arabic and translated foreign fiction, non-fiction and children’s books and spend the day reading or studying in the reading room.To some, the idea of opening a new library at a time when the number of Arab and Syrian readers is rapidly decreasing may sound strange.
Abdulsalam, however, does not think so. “I don’t agree with the theory that people don’t read,” he said. “If you make books available, people will read more.”….
Syrian intellectuals, on the other hand, say the number of people who read regularly in Syria has fallen to such depths that the country now has a full-blown ‘reading crisis’ on its hands.In an attempt to highlight the problem of the decreasing number of readers, Samar Haddad, the owner of Atlas publishing house in Damascus, organised a two-day conference in Damascus last month, inviting writers and critics from across the Arab world and beyond to identify the root of Syria’s reading problem.
“For the past two years, people have been commenting on this reading crisis and giving their personal view of the situation,” Khalid el-Ekhtiar, a journalist and the conference press representative, said. “But this conference is the first attempt at formally addressing this issue.”
Haddad, who took over her father’s bookshop 20 years ago and has worked in the publishing business ever since, says she has seen book sales plummet over the last few years.
“We used to sell between 200 and 300 books a month,” she said. “Today, we barely sell 50 books a year.”
In her eyes it is part of a broader cultural phenomenon. “It is not just about the fact that fewer people read, which is usually excused by the rising price of books,” she said. “It is a real cultural crisis.”
In order to get a clearer picture of reading habits in Syria, Haddad conducted a survey among 1,000 Syrians, targeting educated people from different social environments.
“We knew that people weren’t reading as they used to, but when you see the numbers it is shocking,” Ekhtiar said. “It makes you realise how serious the problem is.”
The survey found that 32 percent of the interviewees never read, while 54.5 percent said they had read between one and five books over the past year. Among those who did not read, 74.4 percent said they did not have enough time to read, while over 40 percent said they do not like reading. Thirty-three percent do not read because, they said, they do not have enough income to buy books…..Among the readers the majority of those who had read more than five books last year had chosen fiction, with scientific and non-fiction books coming in second and third place respectively. Political, historical and religious books came in at the bottom of the list…..
Mazen Arafe, director of cultural activities at the Al-Assad Library and organiser of the annual Damascus International Book Fair, said that while the term ‘crisis’ is perhaps exaggerated, people are reading less than 20 or 30 years ago. He ascribes this decrease to political and social factors.
“At the time, cultural life was very much connected to political and social trends and reading was seen as an activity that contributed to self-development,” he said. “It was seen as a way of exploring the world.”
Arafe argues that the trend towards less reading can be linked to a feeling of disappointment in the region at the power of cultural movements to influence political and social injustices. He said this led the general public to abandon social and political publications in favour of light reading. Arafe is one of many Arab intellectuals who relate the changes on the region’s cultural scene to political events in the 20th century. Saker Abu al-Fakher, a Palestinian writer and intellectual, believes the 1967 defeat in the Arab-Israeli war was a turning point in the region’s intellectual life, heralding a period of lively social and cultural debate.
“The 1967 defeat initiated a period of more lively cultural debate and criticism as the generation born during the 1948 Palestinian Nakba sought to change the political realities in a bid to retrieve Arab dignity,” he said during his conference presentation.
The 1973 war on the other hand did nothing to further develop the cultural debate in the Arab world as many did not perceive it as a full victory for the Arabs, according to Abu al-Fakher. “Since then people have retreated from political and social debate and returned to reading fiction and romances.”
The advent of the internet also plays a role according to Abu al-Fakher, not only reshaping the way we access information, but also restructuring family relations and creating a rift between ‘old-fashioned’ parents and ‘new-style’ children.
“The reading crisis is in some ways also linked to changes in the way knowledge is transferred,” Abu al-Fakher said. “In the past the older generation passed down its knowledge to the younger generation. But today parents no longer know more than their children. On the contrary, in many domains, children are teaching their parents.”….
Amal Kneizeh, head of the Maktabeh Al-Aela (The Family Library), one of the oldest libraries in Damascus, believes the tradition of reading will never really fade away.
“Computers and the internet will not replace reading forever,” she said. “Those who really love reading will start missing the feeling of holding a book in their hands. They will miss that intimacy.”
With this in mind, Kneizeh wants to renovate her old-fashioned library to suit modern tastes. This is very much what Etana Books has sought to do as well, according to Abdulsalam.
“The Syrian library system no longer appeals to Syrian youth,” he said. “The way it presents books makes it look like they are marketing a product, not a book. Books should be perceived as a set of ideas, not as a product that you buy and walk out with.”
Filed under: Arabs | Leave a Comment
-
Recent Comments
Bill Panama on Amreeka Vita Panama on ‘ello! Beirut Drive-by Shoo… on Recommended shezshe on Recommended jonny_manjiro on Picture Of The Week
