Elly had put it very clear and correctly her understanding of the complicated relations between the Orientlists and "their subjects"
I tell you a real experience : a Dutch young student of Arabic language who came to Egypt to speak the language and learn in practice about the life and couture of the land .. he met some young poor Egyptians who are living in the slums of Emababa and studying in the university .. the took him to their homes and introduced him to their families and their life. He stayed with them . eat their food and learned to speak fluently. Returned back to Holland , got his master degree and wrote a best seller book in Dutch by the title: " good husbands in Egypt beat their wives twice a day " returned to Cairo as a correspondent of a wide spread news paper , lived in the tower in Boulaq looking over the Nile ..he is hiding his wickedness and opportunism in pretending generosity opening his flat for his ex Egyptians friend exposing them to his western colleges as his " subject"
Thy never know what he wrote about their fathers and mothers
He is consider here in Holland an expert in middle -east life and politics and have a weekly program in the TV!!
I Understand quite well your reluctant ( and PERSEPHONE) to be taken for grunted as " orientlists " and you and her and others prefer to do silly jobs far from your studies and leaving opportunists as the one I mentioned take over
That is also part of the problems of orientlists
Raouf
I think I am too stupid and uneducated in such matters to follow the train of thought here, but I thought I'd contribute my impressions of Orientals, just to clear my name in case anyone thinks I'm a Orientalist (spitting noise).
ReplyDelete1. They are very good at the violin.
2. They ride bicycles a lot.
3. They also play the tabla really well.
4. The communicate with the "language of the eyes."
5. They are extremely sensual people, prone to emotional, passionate responses.
6. Sometimes, they wear towels on their heads.
7. Other times, they want baksheesh and will generally try to rip you off whenever they can.
These are just a few of my observations, but obviously, since I'm an expert, I've got more material where that came from.
P.S. Someone just told me that points 1 and 2 refer to REAL Orientals - you know, the ones that eat rice. Whatever! Details!
Remember the good old days, Persephone, when we Western travellers would voyage to the Orient to indulge in all sorts of sensual pursuits - partaking of the hubbly bubbly in the company of a sweet-faced young Arab boy. Now we hear they lock you up and torture you for that sort of behaviour, thanks to a nice mix of Napoleonic code and Victorian disgust at sexuality ;)
ReplyDeletenot so n funny girls !
ReplyDeleteinspite of your attempts to avoid your destiny as oreanalists you still are with less sence of huomer raouf
excuse my english because i am not westrenest
raouf
Elly, shall we gang up on Raouf?
ReplyDeleteIf
ReplyDeleteIf you are a scared Arabism ( is there any yet been invented?) then Am safe
If you are scared from being arab-orientail-westren then am safer
If you pretend not to care about being orientlist then tell me what you are now?
ARE you a ex Arabic student? , an EX euro -orientlist (and thy are the worst sort)
Or you are happy doing nothing of what you had learned ( e'efely khasmek ya sharouta mathalan ?
Raouf