Friday, February 16, 2007
Foreign Culture
I find it amazing how different our society is from the society Tony Horowitz writes about. From carrying around “jambiyas” to chewing qat daily, it seems completely foreign to me. Qat is used so naturally and socially, “We must get to know each other, he said, we must chew qat” It is used to become acquainted with new people. This seems incredible in comparison to how unspoken drugs are in our culture. And the jambiyas are extremely natural as well. I understand that they are for protection and to remember their past but it still seems strange to always carry a sharp dagger at all times. It interests me just how different their culture could be. The differences portrayed in “The Road to 9/11” documentary also struck me as outstanding. I found it incredible how they almost became a westernized civilization and then went completely in reverse and almost undid all the changes they had made. I never knew so much about their history; it is really very interesting to me. - AB
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2 comments:
While I agree that generally, the Middle East and the United States are very different, I have to think that in some places, we are similar. In the Middle East, Qat is used naturally and socially, which you say is very different to our culture. Qat is a drug that relaxes people and gets them high. When I first read about Qat, the first thing that came to mind was pot. Pot is a drug that relaxes people and gets them high, and it is also used in social situations. As rb said, Qat is very relatable to alcohol, which is definitely a social stimulant. As for the "jambiyas", or the large knives that the men carry, how is that different from the guns and knives that gang members often carry around. I personally know several people who are in a gang, who have a gun, and who think that they need to carry it around for protection, which seems to be a parallel to the jambiyas that the Yemenis men carry. gr
I disagree with some of what you said. Qat is completely natural there; here pot is looked down upon, ITS ILLEGAL! And Alcohol is a depressant, not a hallucinogenic and/or stimulant. Qat is a very different drug from the substances we have in America. Also, Qat is not used for covering up their problems there as rb said. No where in the book does it say this, I feel that it is simply used for social gatherings. Also they say it has no negative effects in the book, unlike drugs and alcohol in the US. And what you said about gang members I also feel is off. I personally don't know any gang members, so I can't relate to you completely in that sense. But everyone carries jambiyas their, not just the gangs. So I see where you're coming from but I feel that you’re slightly off. -AB
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