Merry Christmas
Merry (or Happy) Christmas (early)! I’m going to take a break from blogging for about a week or so. Hope you have a great Christmas,
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Denizen
I saw this link on another TCK’s blog (thanks “makinsense”!): http://www.denizen-mag.com/. I’ve been quite busy lately but I hope to sit down soon and really read through the articles.
“Denizen is an online magazine dedicated to Third Culture Kids, also known as TCKs.
What is this about?
Third Culture Kids are the citizens of the future. We possess the globalized views and diverse experiences that are necessary in a ever-shrinking world. We will be the leaders of tomorrow, and will help others navigate this globalized society.
Unfortunately, we also struggle with identity, relationships, visas and careers in our unique TCK way. Denizen’s journalists and artists will help us muddle through these challenges by fostering a virtual TCK community.
TCKs are rarely citizens of the places they live. Instead, they are denizens, people who are “admitted rights to residence,” people who become inhabitants after “regularly frequenting a place.” We’re hoping that Denizen will become your online home, one that you’ll regularly frequent to share your unique TCK experience with others who simply ‘get it.’ “
-From http://www.denizen-mag.com/?page_id=2
Filed under: Links, TCK | 2 Comments
Picture Of The Week
From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazy_jenius/2274232091/
Something must have been changed in the WordPress format because I can’t get my text to go where I want it to. So for now, it’ll be a little different. Sorry.
In the Old City, Damascus, Syria.
Filed under: Art and Design, Photographs, Syria | Leave a Comment
Marukawa
I was in the store last night, spending about 5 minutes trying to decide which type of gum I wanted, when I saw the gum. When I was little, my brother, my Syrian friend and I used to eat this gum and we loved it. I haven’t seen it in stores for a long time, so when I found it, I bought it just for nostalgia’s sake. The box says it’s made in Nagoya, Japan. So before I even knew I had a thing for Japan, I had a thing for Japan. 
And just in case you’re dying to have some, you can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Marukawa-Seven-Pack-Bubble-Sampler/dp/B0002PCESE.
Filed under: Links, Syria, TCK | Leave a Comment
Got this list from another blog. I edited it a bit for length and some of it, I think, applies specifically more to the Gulf than the Middle East as a whole. Here tis:
You expect the confirmation on your airline ticket to read “insha’allah“
You don’t expect to eat dinner before 10:30 p.m.
You need a sweater when it’s 80 degrees outside
Your idea of housework is leaving a list for the maid
You believe that speed limits are only advisory
You have no problem with tractors driving 40kph on the highway
You get excited and spread the news when “Oreo” cookies show up at the grocery store
You know which end of a shawarma to unwrap first
You think that the further you inch into the middle of an intersection, the faster the light will turn green
You consider it normal for the same section of the road to be dug up three times by contractors in the space of a few weeks
You understand that the true definition of a nanosecond is the time interval between the light turning green and the guy behind you honking his horn
You think that all gas stations are made of marble
You can receive every TV station crystal clear except the local one
You make left turns from the far right lane without a second thought
You expect gold for every birthday
You think Pepsi begins with a “B”
You think that a box of kleenex belongs on every dinner table
You understand that when someone says “Bukra (tomorrow), Insha’Allah” to you it really means “Sometime during this calendar year”…if you’re lucky!
Filed under: Arabs, Middle East, Syria, TCK, Travel | Leave a Comment
Another Article
This is from: http://www.fw-magazine.com and is actually written by my old violin teacher:
Everybody Dance Now by Elsy Melkonian.
A new generation of Syrian ballerinas, and professional dancers, is emerging. They are venturing into a job, not just a hobby, that requires talent, dedication, patience, and an encouraging society….
Pulsating beats, high held arms, rotated elbows, slow leaps, bodies striding and spinning; these dazzling movements and well-trained bodies amaze the Syrian spectators who wait eagerly to see Syrian ballet dancers perform to fully-booked theatres. FW: paid a visit to the Higher Institute of Expressive Dance in Damascus to meet their instructors and learn about the development of their students.
A ballet dancer can perform the difficult steps only after many years of hard training, usually starting at the age of 8 -10, since, as ballet instructor Loodmilla Gagayina explains, the process of gradual body shaping starts during childhood. Classes begin with exercises at the “barre,” a wooden rod attached to a wall at about waist level, that helps students focus on developing good dancing habits and endurance, without worrying about their balance.
Gagayina adds that to become an ideal dancer, students should be endowed with certain desirable characteristics that confirm their ability. “A ballet dancer must have long arms and legs, a long neck and a comparatively short torso with a slim and a healthy body. Dancers cannot change their body proportions; however, they can develop their most desirable physical features by proper training, in addition to some mental characteristics, mostly the feeling for rhythm and an understanding of music.”
The Ballet Music School of Damascus was founded in 1963, using the Sulhi al-Wadi Music Institute as its location, until it was joined with The Higher Institute of Expressive Dance in 1998, when they got their own location. “The early stages of any educational institution is extremely difficult and highly challenging,” says Motaz Malatialy, head of the expressive dance department. “As a graduate of The Czech Ballet Conservatory myself, I felt the necessity of importing the curricula and the educational plans and programs alike from former Soviet countries because of their well recognized experience in the field of classical ballet.”
Dancers’ muscular tension and meditative series of movements seemingly ignore the laws of gravity as they float into the air. This displays the dancer’s ability to mask the technical challenges in reaction to the accompanying music. “We were trying to link the practical approach with the theoretical one, by introducing subjects of history, lighting, music appreciation, and several important academic studies to student in order to develop their skills in accordance with practical training,” says Malatialy.
On the other hand, students and graduates of the Dance Institute seem to be inclined to learn and perform the modern types of dance rather than classical ballet. Choreographer Alaa Kreimid thinks that modern dance, like pop and jazz, seem to attract Syrian audiences more than ballet. “As a choreographer, I feel that young dancers have a better understanding of melodies with up beats because they raise larger public interest, especially in Syria. We could feel it by the audiences’ strong applause at the end of every musical piece.”
An important element that ornaments the dancer’s technique and showcases the beauty of his or her well-trained body is the clothes. Jazz, Salsa, Tango, ballet, etc…
Each of these genres has special costumes that add a unique flavor to the whole performance. “At early stages clothing designers in Syria, especially for ballet, were Russians because they had enough expertise in sewing the “tutu.” Luckily, we started to have Syrian tailors who could design the appropriate clothes, not only for ballet but for every kind of dance,” says Malatialy.
The number of students enrolled at the ballet school is increasing annually. With Syria’s modern art scene still developing, however, parents worry their children will not have a safe and secure future. They encourage their children to view dancing as a hobby or a fitness program rather than a career. Yara Eid, a graduate of the program, believes that if parents had a better understanding of ballet, they eventually would have a higher appreciation of their dancers. “My parents encouraged me to choose dance as a profession because they believe in my talent and ability. Dance is not something detestable; therefore it should be free from social restrictions that underestimate every work of art.”
However, the shortage of qualified teachers and financial support appear to be major factors that decrease the motivation of these young dancers who dream of having a national ballet group. “We are short of the financial support but this doesn’t mean that our performance should be limited,” says Eid. “Thankfully, we have several private groups like “Inana” that offer venues for serious performances, besides lots of private dance schools and institutions that offer job opportunities for graduates as dancers and as choreographers.”
Those who are seeking to specialize in classical ballet are still struggling to find a place for themselves in Syria. Their only choice is to continue higher education in a European country. Dancing in general, and ballet in particular, is not less in value than any other type of art because there has always been a sublime message to be driven to the audience. By continuing to support the shows and performances, and encouraging those of our children with talent, Syrian dancers can prove their impact on the world of dance.
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Coeur de Pirate
I heard Coeur de Pirate aka Beatrice Martin’s music about a month ago and I love, love, love, love it. Someone on YouTube did gorgeous animation for Coeur de Pirate’s song ” Francis”:
What do you think?
Filed under: Music and Lyrics, Smile | 1 Comment
I’m Too Saksay For My Saksay
Saksay is one of my favorite deserts. Ever. It’s cold, delicious, and nostalgic. It’s also the source for a lot of silly jokes. Like a great friend of mine used to sing: “I’m to saksay for my saksay”. When I was younger my mom often made it whenever we’d have parties with our Syrian friends. Here’s the recipe (may not be the best recipe out there but):
You’re going to need 1/2 cup o’ sugar (fine), 3 T cocoa, 2 beaten eggs, 200 g. of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pack of plain, kind of sweet cookies.
Beat the eggs and mix with the vanilla and then add the sugar and cocoa. Melt the butter and mix it with the other goodness. Roll all of it on to wax paper and form it into a cylindrical-like-shape. Freeze till it’s solid. Slice it and serve. Note: Yes, there’s raw eggs. If you get salmonella, it’s not my fault. Egg’s fault. Enjoy,
Filed under: Arabic, Arabs, Family, Misc., Syria | 2 Comments
Chaufage Squatting
It’s so cold! Brrrrrr! I was just telling my mom earlier today that if I was in the Donner Party, I’d be the first to go.
Speaking of family and freezing weather brings me to “chaufage squatting”. Chaufages are radiators and are what some people use to heat their houses in Syria. (I think it might come from the French word “chaufferette” but I could be wrong on that.) They do a good job of heating up the house but it can still be cold because it’s not exactly dirt-cheap to run them, so they’re not on all the time. So my family “chaufage squats”. Basically you squat by, or I should say very next to, the radiator for a bit to warm up. Just make sure that zero skin is exposed…
This kitten, while isn’t doing it exactly right, has the idea:
Filed under: About Me, Family, Middle East, Misc., Photographs, Syria, TCK | 1 Comment
Picture Of The Week
From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/damascus_shamsouri/2236968821/
This old picture was taken up in Qassyoon, the mountain overlooking Damascus, in, I’m assuming a cafe. I love that the narghiles (or sheeshas, or hookahs or whatever you call them) are covered in snow.
Filed under: Photographs, Syria | Leave a Comment
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