Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Cultural Capital (of Crap)

Before I start sounding like everything about this place is just fantastic...allow me a very brief rant in which I will tel you all the things about this place that are terrible:

1)The weather. Today, I had to abort a walking mission because I was afraid I would die of heatstroke
2)The ogling. I am really really really tired of being stared at. Seriously. It's ebough to make a lass go out and buy an abaya.
3)The language barrier. Which language? Pick a language: Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Togalog, just to name a few. It is a bit much.
4)The traffic. If you haven't done some serious 3rd world driving, this is not the place to start. It is a nightmare, a nonstop nightmare of epic proportions.
5)The prevailing attitude towards Western women. People keep asking if I am Russian. I am not sure, but I think that means they think I am a prostitute. Mind you, I am dressed VERY conservatively.
6)The attitude surrounding alcohol. I mean, for crying out loud, I need a beer just to deal with issues 1-5!!!

Okay, I will stop now, because I could go on all day. I am in Sharjah (which I'm pretty sure is Arabic for "shitty") the UAE cultural capital. I hate to say it (but really, I LOVE to say it) but if this is the cultural capital, this place is severely screwed.

You heard it from me first. I'd post pictures, but I am at a cafe...all it is is a bunch of ostentatious architecture surrounded by poverty, heat, sand, and endless construction, anyway. I'm sure your mind can fill in the blanks....

3 comments:

ruminations said...

I can't figure out if you really like or hate the place.
When are you returning home ?

amycue said...

I seriously love reading about your adventures. In your next life I vote that you write a book - it would be a bestseller.

Kathy Hernandez said...

I agree you could write a book or two, but I'd prefer it to happen within this lifetime, so I can get to read them.
Unfortunately, the good always comes along with the bad, and in the end, one must determine which list is longer, and rate a place. I grew up with ogling construction workers, and I hated it as well. Never thought of covering myself up with an abaya, but I sure wished I could be invisible as I made my way around Mexico City.