The Other Arabia

paigham

``I wonder how you pass each day in ``dwarf`` Lahore as it appears from the air when compared to any modern city of sky scrapers?``


...i manage...

semipreciousme:
It is far from sterile...believe me, the clubs are real happening places and I know people who party hard every night. And no one seems to sleep...and this is a verdict of a hardcore Mumbaiite.

Yes, the piece was a breather for me too :)

ana:
Great idea...though we might quibble about who joins in --your friends are not all my friends;) -- but, but...the possibility of something closer to you is more likely in the nazdeek ka future...

Just curious folks:
If a female interactor seemed to agree with a male writer, who may not be extremely `popular` on Chowk, would there be insinuations about what is happening, and a grand discussion about polyandry and perhaps male bondage?? Log kahaan-kahaan ki sochte hai...we Indians should give them a contract for building imaginary `bridges`, and they can keep the kickbacks...

#54 by Paigham on April 20, 2003 10:26pm PT
``....... legally muslims can do everything from Hijab to mosques to madarsah or rel;igious school to Halal meat even after 9-11 .``

I am not just talking about legal matters. But in general attitude..in day today life, Indians have been and still are less racial, believe it or not. I have discussed with many Hindus as well as whites..and there is a big big difference.

If Hindus ever behaved untoward recently, firstly..they were only the fundamentalsit uneducated ones and they too were provoked by some other action(like burning the train)..even though it ws not justified.

In western countries?? There was one sept 11...and even though there was one Bali (Indonesia) incident where Aussies were killed along with Indonesian Hindus,..yet there was a sudden hatred for muslims, although a basic mockery and dislike for hijab etc existed even before these incidents. Everyday the muslim women would be spit at..or their hijab pulled...
But normal Hindus/muslims and other Indians don`t mock at any particular dress/food etc.

Looking at these retaliating western countries, all one can conclude is that if they had the kind of history we have had with all the mughal invasions, conversions, destructions(temples etc)..they would have been less tolerant.

But I still prefer our India to be secular.

OK, Question Time . . . please ji?

a) This Habibi song is the same as the previous DiDi song?

b) What`s the menu like in an Iraqi eatery?

c) What`s the going dowry rate for Arab men lately, any ideas? (The men give the dowry, you know that, don`t you?)

d) No oil wells in Dubai, or are there some new ones?

Also, there is an old shippie joke about tents in Egypt or Arbia and feeling naked in them but this is a family website, right?

sadna, FV, AA (Amir Ansari) etc:

Following link gives various names for various veggies of snake gourd family (Trichosanthes):

http://gmr.landfood.unimelb.edu.au/Plantnames/Sorting/Tri%63hosanthes.html

Found this link searching Google with words: snake gourd gujarati name.

Seems like it is related to Parwal but is not Parwal. At another site a photo of snake gourd shows a curvy veggie with stripes making it look like a serpent. Even though I am from India I have never eaten this veggie. I have eaten Parwal. My favourite is Stuffed Parwal. A recipe of Bharvan Karela (Stuffed Karela) which is cooked in similar way: http://www.bawarchi.com/contribution/contrib2829.html

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...great writing, farzana...even though you make it sound interesting, dubai still sounds too sterile for my taste...but a good breather from your usual...:)

Ferzoo,
finally, I read this! enjoyed this travelogue! i think we should have a mini Chowk reunion in Dubai!!! ;-) hangama hi hangama.
lovely descriptions....i`ve only been within the Dubai airport en route to PK or back to the US, but from what Dawood says, Dubai appears to be a transit lounge in itself.
lve. ana

re: studebaker

{Muslims have better things to do than waste there time on some insignificant non muslim RSAxenna`s debauchery . }

...between going to a public stoning and cleaning off the camel, the arab has free time to chase beer drinkers around...shattap juice peelay...haha

#39 by stuka on April 19, 2003 6:53am PT
Farzana: Any idea what the rules are for getting a transit visa?

Visa to the Emirates is the Cross to carry for only those individuals that are unfortunate to hold passports from the third world countries. If you hold passports from European, American or Australian continents you are given the visa on arrival.

#47 by Studebaker on April 19, 2003 11:24pm PT

#37 by m_souza on April 19, 2003 6:53am PT
Are you sure you are not trying to wriggle out of suggesting something more than ``aunty ``

Hmm…aren’t you getting ideas??? I don’t want to wriggle out of the suggestions I made(of ‘being in love head over heels’)..and then a compromising situation of making a woman an ‘aunty of the kids’…people can be good friends too..as long as one is happy..

I know most of the Indian Muslims don’t practice polygamy, but nothing extremely wrong in polygamy too (under dire circumstances)..I mean if a guy has a wife and is in love with a second woman too, then marrying the second one is better than keeping her as a ‘rakhail’(mistress).with the love-lorn second woman remaining ‘aajeevan kuwaari’(unmarried )…..
So not an impossible idea …but of course if both the wives can live together peacefully.

+No I don’t think non-Muslims are Devilish but you can relate to your own experience in Aussies and how you feel among majority white. +

I realize what you want to say. But I don’t feel horrible amongst majority whites. If I did, then I would not be here.
Indians are a respected lot here, reputed to be well behaved and they maintain this impression by deliberate efforts, by staying away from trouble. I have had every good job opportunities here.
And yet, I understand your point…..as any untoward incident by minority Indians would be quickly noticed by Aussies..so we have to have a realization (not fear) that we have some duties too..not just being a minority but also being a resident of a country.

And I suppose I feel the same amongst majority white Aussies as any Indian Muslim feels in Australia, owing to same skin color/descent/language. I am a minority in Aust but it is not my native land, not a place of my ancestors so I am not in love with it but do not hate it too. Because if I ever hate any country just because I hate its majority..then I would rather walk out of that country and prefer not to live there, rather than abusing it all the time staying there.

Muslims/non-muslims are not stopped from wearing anything of their choice in India. But ask the Muslims of Australia how they are treated for hijabs etc..and in general too the stereotyped comments they have about muslims.. I listen to it on the talk-radio day after day.

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