Monday, September 20, 2010

Back to Life ... Back to Reality!

If you don't know the 1980's song, you should educate yourself. It's Back to Life, by Soul II Soul. Hilarious music video. Anyway, .... Eid is over, Ramadhan is over, summer holidays are over, monsoon is almost over (sigh), and we're back to reality! Time to wake up and realize that the world doesn't wait for Oman to wake up from its extended nap and catch up. There are things to be done, projects that need to be completed, exams to be passed, and money to be made!
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Despite the fact that I worked all summer, I still felt like I'd pushed the snooze button on my life. I feel like I havent't been productive since .... early June? The only big thing I've done is attend two weddings. Yes .. that's about it.
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When I came back to work, the first thing I heard as I walked into the building was smooch..smooch..smooch. Loud kissing sounds. It took me a few moments to realize it was just your standard back-to-work-after-Eid greeting among men. I realize this must be the case all over the Middle East, but in Salalah they don't actually plant lips on the cheek. They just smack their cheeks against each other and make loud kissing sounds with their mouths. It's disgusting. They make pretend kissing sounds six or seven times while continuing to smack the cheeks. It's just ... ugh. I find it odd that this is the norm in a male-dominated society where manliness, muscles and moustaches are man's greatest virtues. What do you think?

7 comments:

  1. National day of Smooch was last Saturday.

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  2. I get squirmy when I see guys smooch like that here, but I'm from a society where straight dudes just don't display public affection to one another like that. It took me a while to get used to it and I'm still not - it's just different for me.

    I also think it's weird for dudes to call each other 'habibi' too.

    I just can't imagine sitting in a football stadium and seeing two strappin' fellas with their beers embrace, give the smooshy smooch sound and then be like, 'Yo habibi. 'sup?'

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  3. I saw Soul II Soul perform that live in concert in England in 1989, and they were fantastic. Pity they broke up. I guess they didn't follow their own advice to 'Keep on Movin. Don't stop'.

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  4. Doesn't bug me so long as there is no smooch sounds lol.

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  5. Hahahaha. I know, its strange for people who have grown up without seeing grown men doing that. I grew up seeing that but not to that extent. You get the big hugs, big pats on the back. And yes, I do remember the song. sf

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  6. I don't think it's 'disgusting' because I've been seeing it my whole life.. But I'm still against it, so I don't do it myself with my friends, just a handshake is fine (even though 'just' a handshake gave me a flu this week) unless if they started it of course I can't turn them back..

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  7. Hi
    LOL .... I know for some its worried ... However; I don’t know why some think that .. I think when we all travel to different countries we will see different way of saying hi .... When i was in USA and playing football i saw guys or coach hitting on his players butt !!! I think was like Okayyyy to me :D ... however, this is okay to them ... In South America in Argentina the guys also kiss like the way in Salalah cheek by cheek ... What i Hate when guy use his moth to kiss the cheek of a guy awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that’s not good at all for me :D
    Anyways my point every one and every place in this world men and women have their way of saying hi… more important they don’t overdo it :)

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