The Syrian "Cultural Conscious"

Today, in a tutorial lesson on modern Arab literature that I had at the institute, I read and discussed a short story with one of my professors. The story was by Zakaria Tamer, the almost cult-status, self-made Syrian author. It was a great lesson. These are the things that get me excited--learning how people think here (I call it "cultural conscious")--through conversations or a novel, or a TV series, of which, by the way, Syria is famous for across the Arab world.

On this note, "Cultural Conscious" is really interesting to me. I guess it can be described as collective knowledge that a person from a particular country/culture shares with others from that culture. Take Americans for example, if you are talking about something and mention, "Lions and tigers and... "  almost any American would finish the sentence with, "and bears oh my!" which is of course from the Wizard of Oz, and is one of our most famous films. So too here in Syria, there are jokes, and old TV ads, and songs, and books, and authors and poets and lines of poetry that are known by all. Last summer I was at an argeelah-coffee shop with friends and they were reciting poetry out loud. I had memorized a few lines from Mutanabbi's "Al-Huma" and started reciting, when one guy, getting really excited, jumped in and finished the rest of the poem by heart. Apparently it was (and is?) required to memorize (along with a great number of other poems) in 9th grade for every Syrian in public school.

After the class I did some clothes-shopping in Abu Romaneh/Shalan, as we are officially in the midst of "sale-season" here in Syria. I still feel a bit intimidated shopping here alone--I know that after I say just a few words to the shop keeper, it will become clear that I'm not Syrian. Which then leads to, "You're not Syrian are you?" And I try to joke saying "no is it that obvious?!" Which makes me feel self-conscious. However, I was pleased today when I entered a shop and asked to look at their "pajamas" (which, interestingly, means here, sweats or sporty clothes) and after listening the sales girl said, "Oh! I thought you were a foreigner at first!" To which I smiled and said "I am."

I'm off to study. And then, hopefully-- if I can escape the temptation of sitting up and chatting with the girls--off to an early night's sleep.