Tuesday, September 16, 2008

And Stuff Like This ....

Thank Allah the weather has changed !!! Even if it only last for 24 hours it is better than what we have experienced the past three days . All day before yesterday the wind blew out of the north in gusts bringing no relief from the horrible humidity and heat we have had to endure, and endure is the operative word here , with oppressive overcast cloudy skies . How wind can come straight off the Mediterranean Sea and still be hot I don't know but it was . Late, night before last , it rained briefly ushering in , for this North African nation , a fall like coolness that was so welcomed yesterday !

I have heard from my family in Houston . All are ok . Thank you to all of you that have asked after them . Most have electricity and water again , but some are not too sure when they will be able to return to work due to damage done to buildings they work in caused by Hurricane Ike .

I watched this news story on one of the American news channels late one night . I later found it on CNN web sight . It is about Mexico gifting China a replica of the Mexico City Angel statue to place on the Great Wall Of China . Sorta hit my satirical funny bone later ... thinking how Bush wants to build a wall between the US and Mexico to keep out the Mexicans and here they were standing on a wall so big that it can be seen all the way from space .You can watch the video here of the Mexican mariachi band celebrating the placement of the statue on the Great Wall of China .

This Ramadan there is much talk of the Arabic Ramadan soap operas that several of the Arabic channels are offering their viewers . The pro's and con's for these shows are raging all across the blogasphere with much controversy . Personally I have my own favorite show , so you see , I am in favor of these shows as they are only offered during Ramadan .As with any other form of entertainment , like internet surfing , you must know when it is time to enjoy your self and when it is time to get a life .

My favorite show we watch each night (making Moe translate anything I might miss) is Bab AL Hara . It is about a old town in 1929 Syria .Much like the British soap opera East Enders , it is centered around a neighborhood and it's residences .There is something for everyone ; murder , intrigue against the French colonial government , gun running , romance , neighborhood fights ,deaths , weddings ,family problems that people are still facing today such as spousal abuse , drug addiction , and divorce .

The characters are all strong even the women , which I like because they are not wusses ! The men show tender sides which most Arab men try to hide but are known to have now and then , lol .And like I said before , there are many relevant issues featured , that are you still have in this modern life . The show is so popular that it is in Wikpedia , the on line free encyclopedia .Click the link above to see it's page .

Now , having talked about Ramadan TV , I thought it worth mentioning a new religious ruling out of the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia by Sheik Saleh Al Lihedan . He issued a fatwa ( a relgious decree ) stating that it is OK to KILL the owners of satellite TV networks that have programs with IMMORAL content . This could be something as innocent as two adolescents holding hands or married couples kissing good bye as they go to work . I am taking a bold step here by assuming that HE isn't in favor of any the Ramadan soap operas .

I thought I would add the Saturday Night Live spoof featuring Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler playing Hilary Clinton for your laugh of the day , because this video is really medicine for the soul . It is well worth the time it takes to download it to watch . Enjoy !



5 comments:

Rose Bud said...

Hi, that's insane about killing the network owners??? Anyway, loved the video of Hillary and Palin. Very close to the truth. Glad to hear your having a good Ramadan.

Unknown said...

I just came across your site. Great stuff! I am writing to you because I am launching a website that will be populated with cross-cultural information about every country in the world. We will be looking to the web community to help do this with all the information being available for free. I was wondering if you and/or members from your community may be able to help us out with the Libya pages. We would love your input. Let me know if you would be open to this and I'll send along a brief questionnaire.

Here is a link to the site: http://www.culturecrossing.net/


Thank you for your time!


Best,

Michael Landers
Director - Culture Crossing
Email: michael@culturecrossing.net
www.culturecrossing.net

Khalid said...

Thank God that Rosebud and her family are safe and well.

You watch Bab al Hara?!!, so you don’t only understand Libyan dialect you also understand Syrian Arabic, how amazing!..

I don’t understand why the sheikh didn’t tell people just to turn off the immoral stuff ?!!! Does anyone force them to watch? Do their TV sets not have off buttons?

on the edge said...

I have to admit that I understand a little more Libyan than Syrian but have always like the sound of the Middle Eastern Arabic more than the less sing song Libyan . I was also exposed to Lebanese / Syrian first so that might have something to do with it too . LOL !

I wondered about the OFF Button on the TV's too. I really don't understand extreme anything when it comes to religion and hate it when it is shoved down your throat .

Serena said...

Great video...please keep us laughing!