![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) manhattanmods |
[Mar. 6th, 2029|07:11 pm] |
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Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control, but to educate and ( liberate. ) |
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| Facebook (is, like, 26 years old in 2029) |
[May. 24th, 2028|07:21 pm] |
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| فيديو |
[May. 20th, 2020|12:38 am] |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] أربعة عشرة |
[Aug. 10th, 2010|03:35 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
10 August 2029
Ramadan begins at sundown today. It has not been easy since I first came to America, but I'm sure the upcoming raids will not make it any easier this year. Not to mention these Skype interruptions. I am afraid I'm past the point of being sad, and I am really just starting to get angry.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] ثلاثة عشر |
[Jul. 25th, 2010|09:05 am] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
25 July 2029
I have been very busy lately, trying to get a head start on my thesis. Unfortunately, with no real place to call my own, and limited academic resources for a project on Arabic and British literature, it has not been easy. I worry about NYU's new deal with the BAL, because I can only see it limiting my resources even further. I do want to hope, however, that it will offer some financial help that might ensure that I can even finish my degree.
Friday was Egypt's national day, Revolution Day. It is the anniversary of the 1952 Revolution, when a group of young army officers in the Free Officers Movement led by Muhammad Naguib, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Abdel Hakim Amer and Anwar Al Sadat unseated the last ruling monarchy of Egypt. I forgot, until today.
Olive Blossom
سلام |
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| Video Post [as "Olive Blossom"] اثنا عشر |
[Jul. 2nd, 2010|01:05 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
2 July 2029
[Video opens with a clip of the morning call to prayer, a shaky bit of footage, clearly taken some years ago, as an afterthought, from some rooftop in Cairo. The clip then fades into an acoustic version of "Enta Omri," a melody made famous by the Egyptian legend Umm Kulthum. This version is of a slowed tempo, sung by a softer voice to the accompaniment of a simple guitar. The visual is of the guitar, played by the hands of a faceless singer, which is intercut with still photographs of Egypt and Cairo, such as the following:]
[As the song ends, the final image is of the Egyptian flag, before the video fades to black.] |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] أحد عشر |
[Jun. 20th, 2010|08:23 am] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
20 June 2029
I want to talk about football, or soccer, as my host country would say. I am glad to see some soccer spirit in the streets of New York, even if the circumstances that may have brought it about are less than desirable, but I have not been able to catch as many matches as I would have liked. Thank God the iHolo always keeps me up to date. Of course, I am rooting for my Pharaohs, but part of me does wonder what will happen if the U.S. takes it. Would a U.S. win be the wedge in the cracked doorway, which might eventually persuade the government to open up travel and trade between America and the rest of the world again? Or would it only stand as proof that the United States does not need to open her doors because the land of the "free" is a winner no matter what? I am conflicted, though it would be nice to be in the country of the champion team, if only to reap the rewards of victory celebrations.
That said, who are you really rooting for? My heart belongs to King Mido II. |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] عشرة |
[Jun. 3rd, 2010|01:19 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
3 June 2029
For the past two years I have been a graduate student at NYU. Before that, the reason I am in America, I came to New York as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. As part of my placement, I was assigned to teach beginning and intermediate Arabic language classes for one year at New York University. I loved teaching, I miss it. I would consider putting out an ad for Arabic lessons today, if I thought there would be much response (not that I do not still consider entertaining this idea anyway). Education, and especially of language, is important to me because I think education builds bridges and that language is one of the most fundamental aspects of a culture and one of the most important parts of understanding another culture, or even another person (we all speak our own personalized languages, don't we?). My students felt the same way, and they were always very excited to learn. Since then, I have had nothing but the greatest love for NYU as an establishment. When I realized I would not be returning to Cairo anytime soon, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the university's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and although this was not my first choice (the American University in Beirut has a Faculty of Arts and Science that is every literary nerd's dream), NYU has long proven itself more than dedicated to the study of languages and literature.
Am I afraid that the latest budget issue will hit departments like mine harder than things like medical? Of course. Am I also worried that, because I am not an American citizen, that my enrollment will be somehow forfeit? I do not think that, in today's world, that fear is so irrational. I am a foreigner, a graduate student, and a student of the humanities. If this were Ancient Rome, I would call that nothing short of a death sentence. But what I am most fearful of is that the integrity of the university itself will be called into question. Students, like the ones I taught three years ago, will they still be as excited to learn languages and will they even be given the opportunity? I do not know, but I do know that it is important we make it clear how much the humanities still mean to us--even in a city of such rapidly fading cultural awareness and tolerance as this sometimes seems to have become.
Maybe private language classes, or small group lessons is not such a bad idea either. It is not out of place to mention, also, how unfortunate it is that the NYPL has cut the option of free English classes. So what might be most effective is a discussion group built around the idea of free exchange. The people who need the classes are more than likely the ones who cannot afford to pay for them, and when they do not speak English well enough they cannot find jobs, despite being forced to live here, or they will be accused of terrorism, or something equally ludicrous. It is a vicious cycle, one that could be easily resolved with a little understanding. But, of course, that is probably asking for too much, isn't it?
Olive Blossom
سلام
P.S. Where do all the affordable guitars hide in this town? |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] تسعة |
[May. 21st, 2010|09:41 am] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
21 May 2029
"In May of every year, Egypt is gripped by exam fever. The exam that matters more than all the others puts together is the General Certificate of Secondary Education: the Thanawiyya 'Ama. Your performance in this exam, taken at the age of seventeen, determines which college and which university you get into. And therefore it is very likely to determine the whole course of your future life and status in this world." - Ahdaf Soueif, In the Eye of the Sun
And in May 2029 America, university students are gripped only with the fear that their education will be pulled out from under them at any moment. I am, at least, happy to say that - thanks to God - several of my books are back in my hands after this past weekend's raids, and that - by the will of God - I have been offered a couch or two to sleep on. It is by the will of my uncle that I will never starve!
It is sad to hear of this major loss of funding for NYU, especially in the month of May, and while I know that what money is left probably will be - and probably should be, I admit - used to benefit American students, I hope that I will be able to finish, when I am so close to completing my MA. Perhaps getting a head-start on my thesis this summer will be in my best interest. I am writing on Victorian and Arabic fiction; how long do you think I will continue to have access to such un-American texts?
In Friendship,
Olive Blossom
سلام |
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| Voice Post [personal blog] ثمانية |
[May. 15th, 2010|11:29 pm] |
In Arabic we have a saying: Doqq el-baab qabil ma todkhol. ...Knock on the door before entering.
Lath-thaalim yowm methel daqq eth-thowm... |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] ستة |
[May. 8th, 2010|12:12 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
8 May 2029
The American refugee situation fills me with terrible sadness. I do not know what it is like to be a refugee, or to have my home blown up or my family taken from me, but I do know what it is like to be forced to live in a place that is not your home. With the growing number of refugees from Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas, I must agree with the voices of many who suggest that foreigners are taking up too much space. Space better used for American citizens. I do not argue with this. But please remember that if I could get out of your streets and your apartment buildings and off of your American soil, I would happily do so.
To the gentleman on the subway: I am sorry that I was sitting and you had to stand, but spitting on me will not send me home any more quickly.
سلام |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] خمسة |
[Apr. 26th, 2010|12:46 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
26 April 2029
Although I have been here almost five years, I still cannot get used to the cold weather. April is a tease, and I am ready for the steadier warmth of late May. Until then, I remain buried snugly under my blanket with a warm cup of sahlab clutched tightly between my palms. I have had to forego the coconut and raisins, and the sahlab powder we use at home is not so easy to find (even for my uncle, who owns a restaurant), but cornstarch works just as well:
( Recipe )
Stay cozy,
Olive Blossom
سلام |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] أربعة |
[Apr. 22nd, 2010|10:12 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
22 April 2029
I do not know what Najafi thinks he is doing by suddenly aligning Iran with the Arabs; Iran has always been rather cautious and even secretive in their policy toward the conflict. Furthermore, when has blatantly and irrationally maligning Israel ever solved any global issues? My grandfather devoted the better part of his life to the Palestinian cause, but I can guarantee you that, even after losing his parents and brothers to war and being chased from his homeland, he would not blame Israel, without reason, for the situation in America today.
In Friendship,
Olive Blossom
سلام |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] ثلاثة |
[Mar. 30th, 2010|02:11 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
30 March 2029
In Giza, for a small price (so small, as they will insist) they let you walk all around the Great Pyramids, and even climb up a short ways along the stone slope. Once, and only once, I went on this excursion this with my father when I was twelve. I remember the place was swarming with tourists in tank tops and shorts, their knees and shoulders all pink from the sun and their eyes squinting as they gaped at the crumbling stone peak of the Last Great Wonder. I have never worn hijab,--my mother grew up without head coverings and consequently never required as much from me--but even so, I can still remember the oppressive heat of that morning through my long sleeves and the skirt that reached the heel of my sandal.
For an extra fee (just a small price more, and worth every piastre, they will assure you) they will even let you hunch over your knees and waddle down the steep slope into the heart of the pyramid. I can still remember this, too, the air thick with the sweat of tourists and the breaths of a thousand strangers, and heavy with the smell of antiquity. The Egyptian Museum smells this way, too: old, tired, overstuffed and ill-repaired, and crumbling under the thousands of fingertips which have sought to feel the cool stones and fraying cloths, dying from the millions of camera flashes that have observed, interpreted, and stripped it bare of its once proud meaning.
Egypt is a museum. Perhaps we should have a Great Roller-Coaster built onto the pyramids that runs up the Nile into the Valley of the Kings. The cultural and historical thrill ride of your life. For a small price, only, worth every piastre.
Theme Park In Cincinnati Highlights Challenges Facing Foreign Nationals
In friendship,
Olive Blossom
سلام |
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| Blog Post [as "Olive Blossom"] واحد |
[Mar. 15th, 2010|01:29 pm] |
New York Burning: Girl Blog from America
15 March 2029
As many of you know, the "girl" behind this blog is one of the many young faces who grace the New York University campus several times a week. I have lived the quiet life of the good student for almost two years now, and for most of that time I have run into very few almost no problems with the university's policies, even in light of the current political climate and the fact of my place of birth (of which, no secret has ever been made). But today I found myself biting my tongue against my own opinions.
A professor of mine (whose area of specialty will remain undisclosed) has suddenly refused to teach translated texts, despite the fact that we read Márquez just last month. His excuse is that because of the interference of a translator there can be no valid way to read a novel in its translated form. Yes, I agree with him to some extent. There is no such thing as a "true translation," there are only interpretations, and so on, but does that mean we should just forget about Dostoyevsky because we do not read Russian, or Dante because we do not read Italian? What about Homer? I do believe learning a language can only enhance our understanding of a text, in either its original or translated form, and that language is a critical part of understanding culture, but I do not like the idea of cutting ourselves off from literature just because we cannot experience it precisely the way it was written.
I am interested in your opinions, reader. After all, what is thought without open discussion?
In friendship,
Olive Blossom
أريد أن أكتب هذا في اللغة العربية لأنني لا أريد أن أنسى جمال الحروف والصوت من الكلمات. حيث هي لغة جدي؟
أين هي فلسطين؟ أين هي كلمات جدتي؟ أين تذهب النيل أين شجرة التين تنمو؟ الغناء بالنسبة لي مع صوت أم كلثوم. تتحدث معي في الكلمات. الرقص. التنفس. يخبر. حب. |
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