Re: Awards Ceremony

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

Here, here Heidi and welcome home!!!!

Teddy

CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Teddy, Steve, and others are correct about the "booing" at the awards
> ceremony.  In the Middle East, this is the "polite" way of the locals showing
> support for their favorites and countrymen.  No slur intended.  It is no
> different than the South Americans putting on such a screaming show in support
> of their own horses at the vet-in--more similar to our own customs, but still
> not something our country did.  It is sad that these customs were not
> discussed in advance among the westerners not familiar with that part of the
> world so that all would know what to expect.  Behavior that constitutes good
> manners is not necessarily universal, and to take offense at what happened at
> the awards ceremony in Dubai is merely letting one's ignorance of other
> cultures show.  I was seated just about in the rafters of the stadium, right
> next to a whole section of "locals"--they were truly having a good time, and
> not the least bit hostile.  During all of this, one local who was obviously a
> maintenance man for the stadium was making sure that I had a comfortable chair
> (those of us in the upper row were on a bench) and sharing nuts, other snacks,
> and Coca Cola.  All in all, I found the UAE to be a very friendly country,
> albeit with many cultural twists that constantly made me aware that I was not
> at home.  I would love to go back if I am ever fortunate enough to have the
> opportunity.  I think the most disappointing part of my trip was the behavior
> of a few individual Americans that so obviously labeled them as the inevitable
> "ugly Americans"--fortunately these individuals were in the definite minority,
> and as a whole, things went very well.
> 
> Will share more experiences in later posts--hard to sum it all up at once.
> 
> Heidi