Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I don't think we (in the USA especially) can really grasp the  
cultural differences - and cultural extremes - around the world, and  
tend to judge others based on our limited view and experience . I  
know this is part of being a nation, a culture - and just as we can't  
understand others, they can't really understand us. But one thing  
that has seriously impressed me in all these travels is the depth of  
some of these older, more geographically isolated cultures.

Mostly we're not all that different, but some of the differences just  
don't translate well.

A few years ago I read Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger - and it  
entirely changed my view of the Arab people. I used to view the  
'giving' as some sort of 'buying, or bribing'. All the gifts and  
dinners and prizes and wonderful things given to the foreigners when  
they came to rides in the UAE - I used to think they were sort of  
buying our (western) approval. But I think now that I had it totally  
wrong. The 'giving' thing is very deeply ingrained in their culture,  
the bedouin would literally give the shirt off their back to another  
friend. The bestowing of gifts on one another, and especially guests,  
was very special, and sacred. not to curry favor, but to show honor  
and respect. There are a lot of things over here that I view  
differently now, with more tolerance - and try hard not to impose my  
western judgement on their culture.

anyway, the book is a very good read, about the UAE during the 1930's  
and 40's - when it was still composed of rival bedouin tribes, it  
mentions the al maktoums, and al nahyans, the yemenis, the omanis,  
the vast desert of the 'empty quarter' (where the bab al shams and  
endurance city are)... it's very interesting. ... and it was not all  
that long ago really.

some interesting reading while that cold nor'easter blows up the  
eastern seaboard...

Steph

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