This Weird Sense Of Longing…
Today and on my way to the mini-market around the corner, I passed by a couple, the guy was speaking Jordanian accent, I had this stupid smile Arabs have when they meet someone from their region abroad.
Luckily they walked right behind me most of the way, so I got to hear that accent I miss so much, and wished I’d follow them wherever they’re going just so I can hear more and more.
When each of us went separate directions, I couldn’t help thinking of this weird way we, Arabs, react when we meet each other abroad. It doesn’t matter if we’re from the same country or not, it doesn’t matter if we speak the same accent or not, the simple fact of both parties speaking the same language makes it feel as if they’re both as close as neighbours.
I recall how I used to do the same thing in Germany, I was the only Arab in my class in university, and other Arab students were few blocks away. It was really funny how I’d be walking and focused on something and then a simple “Marhaba”, i.e. hello, someone is saying on the phone, or a sweet “Salam”, i.e. hi, some are exchanging, would be enough to make me stop and pathetically stare at them in this weird way as if to say: hey, I’m Arab too!
I mean what’s the big deal? ok we’re all Arabs, so? then what? they’re different people, with different personalities, belonging to different cultural backgrounds and different mentalities, a shared language isn’t enough to create a healthy relationship!
But well, I couldn’t help it, the longer I stayed in Germany, the weirder it felt to come across an Arab. And now that I think of it, the stupid smiles aren’t the worst part, the worst part was when I’d enter a small shop, and when I’m paying, I speak in German, and then an Arab family waits behind me, the owner starts greeting the family in Arabic, so I don’t only smile at them all stupidly but even switch to Arabic just like that, just to show off my language… God! how embarrassing! they must’ve looked at me as a lonely freak!
Anyway, when an Arab is in a different Arab country, like yours truly, this weird reaction is somehow edited automatically. Let me explain: you no longer get all mad about meeting an Arab, since you’re in an Arab country which is fully populated by Arabs, you’ll have those instinct detectors of people from your region. So if you’re from the Middle East and happen to live in North Africa you’ll start detecting Middle Eastern people. And if you’re still within the same region, you’ll start looking for people from your own country, and so on…
So now that I’m living in Tunisia, my heart starts beating like crazy when I hear someone speaking any Middle Eastern dialect. I feel like holding a huge flag reading: Hey guys I’m from the Middle East too!
I remember when I first came to Tunisia, and just next to the building I used to live in, there was this musical band consisting of Lebanese students who practiced every afternoon. They used to play songs for Fairooz and Abdelhaleem (2 legendary Arab singers), leaving the doors and windows open so the whole neighbourhood used to hear them. So whenever I felt lonely and homesick, I’d just go for a quick walk in the neighbourhood in order to listen to them clearly and get this Middle Eastern atmosphere.
Ah! I’m really homesick these days, and I’m missing the most insignificant things I used to do back home… but well, life goes on, and one has to find a way to create their own back-home-atmosphere, and mine is cooking Middle Eastern food as often as I can 😉
🙂 Touching.
Amman eshta2atlek, Eman!
We missed you so much, really 🙂
I know exactly what you are talking about, Eman.
This feeling of belonging is very important and there is nothing to be embarassed of when showing off your colors :-)!
Middle eastern food is yammy and a great way to keep close to home. With Abu Zayd, we tried someting fun a couple of days ago, a cross-receipe: Kafteji with suma’ (you know the spice used in Msakhen). It turned out great 🙂
I hope my countrymen and women are treating you right 🙂
Conversation overheard between a Russian mother and her daughter a few years ago at Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet:
“Mommy, are those two men behind us Americans?”
“Yes, dear.”
“But Mommy, they’re speaking English!”
“Yes. It’s sad, dear–they have no language of their own.”
🙂
🙂
Dearest Eman,delicate plants are hard to uproot and transplant… 🙂
Lol. You miss that accent? You should hear me speaking though; I’m a Palestinian-Jordanian too, but I live in Jordan. 🙂
I get that same goofy grin when I meet an Arab in a non-Arab country… but their reaction is especially confused, because I’m a pale ajnabiyeh!
Hi Eman… I used to do that initially back in the States but stopped because I got weird stares and realized (in a harsh wake up type of call way) that just because someone speaks your language, does not mean that they are friendly…
والله يا ايمان الكل بعاني من ضريبة الغربة. مهما Øقق نجاØات ومهما Øاول يعوض. بنتلاقي اشياء بسيطة بتجلب سعاده لا توصÙ..
اذكر مره كنت ÙÙŠ عمّان بعد انقطاع سنين.. كنت اسوق سيارة والدي ÙÙŠ اØد اØياء عمان القديمة.. بسمع اغاني عربية.. وصلت عند تقاطع ٠وطيت الصوت Ùˆ اذا انا اسمع اصوات من الخارج بتØكي بالعربي طبعا. لكنني دهشت للØظهو واعدت النظر مرتين قبل ما اتذكر اني ÙÙŠ عمان…
الانسان دائما بØÙ† لاصله مهما ابتعد عنه
Roba, thanks dear. ana meshta2a la Amman and ahel Amman, believe me…
Hopefully soon enough I’ll come to visit.
Nader, I miss you all so much wallah ya Nader. Thanks for dropping by.
UmZayd, of course your countrymen and women are treating me right, Tunisians are nice people and I love them. I hope you’re not feeling so lonely.
I loved the kiftaji with suma’, I ADORE both, and if it were up to me I’d add suma’ to every little thing, but my husband isn’t much friends with this particular spice 😉 But will try your cross-recipe for sure, sounds yummy!
Jimbo, lol, very nice one there! Thanks for putting a smile on my face.
Oranginaaa, thanks for the beautiful words my friend, you’re such a sweet tender person yourself and I love it when I hear your news from MMM, and know that you let nothing defeat you and doing all well abroad. Hope you’ll always be that strong and happy inshallah.
Diana, lol, I know it sounds weird, but when you’re away for a long time, and know that the possibility of ever living back where you used to, is almost not there, then you’ll miss not only the accent but everything you used to take for granted when you were living there… I’d love to hear your accent, each person have their own touch on the accent that makes it really special 🙂
Rebecca, what can I say other than we are lucky to have you. I mean to have this grin towards Arabs, menas you consider yourself one of us, this is a very warm feeling no one can ever force or buy, and we’re glad to have this feeling from you.
Sleeplessjojo, lol, I know what you mean, and this is what I think of everytime I throw a smile to some Arab I don’t know. But one can’t really help this urge to identify one’s self and show off. It’s really this strangely amazing way of communication!! thanks for the comment 🙂
Quwaider, I’m so happy with your comment. Believe me what happened to you, happens to me sometimes when I’m visiting Amman. As you perfectly said:
الانسان دائما بØÙ† لاصله مهما ابتعد عنه
I hope you’ll be a happy person even if you were away from your real home…
Salam dear,
That’s really touching, I may not feel what you do feel; but I can tell that it’s really hard enough to be living away from your country & your loved ones…
BTW, you’re just like my aunt (mum’s sis.), she’s a Palestinian-Jordanian, born in Kuwait & married to a Tunisian, she’s currently in (safaqes/Tunisia) & her name is “Ghada”. You might meet her one time inshallah. 🙂
Diana, thanks for the lovely comment dear.
I’d really to meet your aunt one day. You never know, maybe soon I’ll be writing how I met a nice “Ghada” by accident 🙂 The world is too small.