There may be a part III, just so everyone knows :). I'm waiting for more information from a few people that will help me prepare you better.
PART II: US!
Again, as we are in a conservative society, we must also be aware of how we behave, dress, etc. This will be mainly addressed to women, but men can learn something from it too.
In the Middle East, many people (men) have the perception of American women being "loose" and "easy," if you catch my drift. Because of this, American women can often be a target of inappropriate touching or grabbing, can be approached, etc. if they aren't careful. Additionally, because we are in a conservative society, at many religious sites, and just in public in general, it is important to be careful with the way you dress so as not to appear disrespectful.
So, guidelines!
1) Shorts are not a good idea for women, especially not short shorts. It will be warm, to be sure, but you should try to not wear shorts in some areas of Israel, especially the more religious areas, like Jerusalem. Capris are fine, as are jeans in general, but shorter shorts and skirts should be avoided.
2) You should try not to show any cleavage. This will probably not be a problem for most of you ladies, but try to stick to polos and shirts with higher necklines.
3) Also with shirts, be careful about sleeves. In more conservative areas of the country and at many religious sites, it is inappropriate for women to expose their arms past their elbows. Try to wear long sleeve or 3/4 sleeves when going to religious sites. Generally you shouldn't worry too much about sleeve length. Just bring something to put over your arms if you find you are too exposed for the place, like a scarf, another shirt, or a jacket. It may be a good idea to have a longer sleeve (3/4 or full) basic white shirt to put under your polos, t-shirts, etc.
4) Your heads must be covered in many religious places, especially Jewish and Muslim sites. Maybe bring a scarf to place over your head when we will be visiting such places.
5) Avoid eye contact with random local men. Keep to your own business and try not to look at them if you can. Looking at them, staring, or making eye contact may indicate to them that you are "interested."
This advice, as usual, is somewhat flexible based on the place you're in. I am told that in Tel Aviv and Jaffa it is a very different story, because it is such a modern and Western place. Women in Tel Aviv essentially dress just like women in America.
Now, what do men need to be aware of?
Not nearly as much. In some places it may be a good idea to stick to crew neck shirts and in general it may be a good idea to have shorts that cover the knees. Other than that, there may be a few places where you should stick to jeans or long pants, especially religious sites and more conservative areas. There are also places where you need to cover your heads (hence your yamulkes). I believe you are expected to cover your head in Mosques and Muslim sites as well, but I am not sure.
ARABIC LESSON!
Colors!
Colors are divided into masculine and feminine genders, so the word changes based on the gender of the noun.
The basic words are masculine:
White - Abiadu
Black - Asuadu
Red - Achmaru
Green - Achdaru
Yellow - Asfaru
Blue - Azuracu
BUT, genders change!
Yesterday, we learned to say "car," "sayartun." "Car" is a feminine noun in Arabic. So the color would change:
If I were to say: "The green car" I would say "Al sayartu hadra'u." Notice how the color changes with the gender.
Similarly:
The black car: "Al sayaratu safra'u"
The red car: "Al sayaratu hamra'u"
etc.
Colors will also change with the number of an item. Remember, yesterday we learned the word for "bicycle" is "darajjatu." This is also a feminine noun in Arabic.
The white bike: "Al darajjatu baida'u"
Two white bikes: "Al darajjateni baidawen"
Three or more white bikes: "Al darajjAtu baida'u"
28 April, 2010
27 April, 2010
Women, Part I
As you know, we are entering a conservative and religious society when we travel to Israel. As a result, women have a very different role than they do in America. Traditional and parochial views dominate in regards to women, especially in the more conservative and Arab areas.
There will be two parts to this section: Their women, and Our women.
Part I: Their Women
In Israel, women are at once subordinate and respected. It is a strange combination that comes from the long religious and cultural history of the region. So there are a few things to keep in mind. Most of these apply to the more conservative side of things, and you never know what sort of host family you will get, so just be aware of these in case you need to refer to them. Also, all of these apply to you if you are female or male, but tenfold more if you are male. These also are primarily applicable to Arab area and culture. The Jewish side of things tends to be a little more Western and relaxed about women. This is not to say, however, that you should ignore this when in Jewish Israeli homes or in social situations with Jewish people.
1) It is expected that men will stand when a woman enters the room. This applies especially at dinner. Rule of thumb: If they stand, you stand.
2) Frequently, women will not eat in the same room as men, or be in the company of men in social situations, like at dinner or in a conversation with a host family. Don't be surprised if this happens in your host homes, and try not to ask questions about it.
3) It is generally not a good idea, just to be safe, to ask about the women in the family. If the women are missing (in the other room eating, etc.), try not to bring it up in conversation. If they bring it up, then feel free to discuss it, but when choosing topics of conversation, discuss other things and try not to ask about the women in the family.
4) If you see a woman in your host home after she has been missing please don't stare at her or touch her in any way, especially if you are a man. This is bad joo-joo, and could cause an incident. Try to avoid eye contact with women UNLESS you are formally meeting them or conversing with them. If conversing, keep your eye contact!
5) Any time you meet a woman, wait for her to offer her hand to you, and then shake her hand (RIGHT HAND). Don't ever touch a woman, especially if you are a man, if they do not offer their hand, etc. first.
Of course, these are not hard and fast rules. Know that the culture is very varied in Israel, and many people may be more western and liberal with gender roles while others may be much more traditional and conservative. Take things on a case-by-case basis and be respectful.
ARABIC LESSON OF THE DAY!
So, last time we learned how to say different types of food and drink.
Now, other various nouns.
Transportation:
Car - Sayaratun
Bike - Darajjatun
Now, in Arabic, they have a split plural. What this means is that there are different words for different numbers of an item. For example:
The word for ONE car: Sayaratun
The word for TWO cars: Sayarateni
The word for THREE OR MORE cars: Sayaraten
Another:
The word for ONE bike: Darajjatun
The word for TWO bikes: Darajjateni
The word for THREE OR MORE bikes: DarajjAtu (emphasis falls on the big A instead of the second syllable)
PETS:
Dog: Kelbun
Cat: Koetatun
Fish: Samakatun
Can anyone figure out how you would pluralize the word for "Dog"?
...
...
...
ONE: Kelbun
TWO: Kelbeni
THREE +: Kelben
If you were to say to an Arabic family with two dogs, "You have two dogs," you would say "Ledeiki kelbeni." The word for two is different from the split plural form of nouns, but when describing two of a certain item, you revert to the split plural. So, two cars would be: "Sayarateni."
There will be two parts to this section: Their women, and Our women.
Part I: Their Women
In Israel, women are at once subordinate and respected. It is a strange combination that comes from the long religious and cultural history of the region. So there are a few things to keep in mind. Most of these apply to the more conservative side of things, and you never know what sort of host family you will get, so just be aware of these in case you need to refer to them. Also, all of these apply to you if you are female or male, but tenfold more if you are male. These also are primarily applicable to Arab area and culture. The Jewish side of things tends to be a little more Western and relaxed about women. This is not to say, however, that you should ignore this when in Jewish Israeli homes or in social situations with Jewish people.
1) It is expected that men will stand when a woman enters the room. This applies especially at dinner. Rule of thumb: If they stand, you stand.
2) Frequently, women will not eat in the same room as men, or be in the company of men in social situations, like at dinner or in a conversation with a host family. Don't be surprised if this happens in your host homes, and try not to ask questions about it.
3) It is generally not a good idea, just to be safe, to ask about the women in the family. If the women are missing (in the other room eating, etc.), try not to bring it up in conversation. If they bring it up, then feel free to discuss it, but when choosing topics of conversation, discuss other things and try not to ask about the women in the family.
4) If you see a woman in your host home after she has been missing please don't stare at her or touch her in any way, especially if you are a man. This is bad joo-joo, and could cause an incident. Try to avoid eye contact with women UNLESS you are formally meeting them or conversing with them. If conversing, keep your eye contact!
5) Any time you meet a woman, wait for her to offer her hand to you, and then shake her hand (RIGHT HAND). Don't ever touch a woman, especially if you are a man, if they do not offer their hand, etc. first.
Of course, these are not hard and fast rules. Know that the culture is very varied in Israel, and many people may be more western and liberal with gender roles while others may be much more traditional and conservative. Take things on a case-by-case basis and be respectful.
ARABIC LESSON OF THE DAY!
So, last time we learned how to say different types of food and drink.
Now, other various nouns.
Transportation:
Car - Sayaratun
Bike - Darajjatun
Now, in Arabic, they have a split plural. What this means is that there are different words for different numbers of an item. For example:
The word for ONE car: Sayaratun
The word for TWO cars: Sayarateni
The word for THREE OR MORE cars: Sayaraten
Another:
The word for ONE bike: Darajjatun
The word for TWO bikes: Darajjateni
The word for THREE OR MORE bikes: DarajjAtu (emphasis falls on the big A instead of the second syllable)
PETS:
Dog: Kelbun
Cat: Koetatun
Fish: Samakatun
Can anyone figure out how you would pluralize the word for "Dog"?
...
...
...
ONE: Kelbun
TWO: Kelbeni
THREE +: Kelben
If you were to say to an Arabic family with two dogs, "You have two dogs," you would say "Ledeiki kelbeni." The word for two is different from the split plural form of nouns, but when describing two of a certain item, you revert to the split plural. So, two cars would be: "Sayarateni."
24 April, 2010
Social Situations
Indeed, with host families and other events, we will be put in situations where we will socialize with local people. There are many things that may be different about meeting people, conversing with people, etc. when in Israel. So here are things to be aware of:
1) When meeting people for the first time, it is customary to shake hands (RIGHT hands). However, if you are a man meeting a woman, it is not advisable to shake her hand unless she offers her hand to you first. Do not be surprised if your hosts want to hug you and kiss your cheeks, and return the hug and kiss or you may appear rude.
2) In Israel, flowers are a very appropriate gift to provide to your host families. When thinking about gifts, it may be a good idea to purchase some flowers for your host family before meeting up with them, in addition to other gifts you might bring them. Make sure you give and take gifts with your RIGHT hand.
3) When you meet your host family, please try not to refuse an offering of a beverage. Most people will offer you tea, and a very few will offer coffee. If you must refuse, please be very grateful and explain your reasons in an apologetic and gracious manner. This is very important because it is considered very rude to refuse a beverage when you are someone's guest.
4) Be aware that in Israel, there is no such concept as "personal space." They tend to be a very touchy people and also close talkers (think Seinfeld). This will come into play in a couple of ways. First, when people talk to you and have conversations with you, they may move in very close to your face. It is considered very inappropriate and offensive to back away when someone gets close to you, regardless of how bad their breath smells or how uncomfortable you feel with someone in your "bubble." Don't back away. Also, in public places you will probably be touched, grabbed, and bumped quite a bit, especially on buses or in busy streets. Try not to get offended by this, and also try to keep valuables in a place where they will difficult to grab. Another thing to be aware of is that Israelis tend to be loud and blunt when in conversation. Try not to get offended if they say something that may be "taboo" in your culture.
5) Eye contact is very important in Israel. When listening, maintain eye contact! This is very important. Looking away indicates that you are not interested in what they have to say to you.
Language Lessons of the Day!
In Israel, there are three official languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and English.
Another appropriate and common greeting in Arabic: Salaam! Which means "Peace!"
The Arabic verb "to drink" is "asharabu." If you are talking about a female, it is "t'asharabu." So, if you were to say "The woman drinks," the phrase would read "al moratu t'asharabu." For men, the verb becomes "y'asharabu." To say "the man drinks," you would say, "al radjulu y'asharabu."
So, what might you drink?
Water: "Ma'an"
Milk: "Halibun"
Coffee: "Cahoatun"
The Arabic verb "to eat" is "akulu." Again, you add a "t" for female and a "y" for male: "t'akulu" or "y'akulu." If I were to say, "the girl eats," the phrase would read, "al bintu t'akulu." To say "the boy eats," I would say, "Al welladu y'akulu."
What might you eat?
Bread: "Hobzun"
Egg: "Baidatun"
Rice: "Arruzen"
Apple: "Tufeahatun"
1) When meeting people for the first time, it is customary to shake hands (RIGHT hands). However, if you are a man meeting a woman, it is not advisable to shake her hand unless she offers her hand to you first. Do not be surprised if your hosts want to hug you and kiss your cheeks, and return the hug and kiss or you may appear rude.
2) In Israel, flowers are a very appropriate gift to provide to your host families. When thinking about gifts, it may be a good idea to purchase some flowers for your host family before meeting up with them, in addition to other gifts you might bring them. Make sure you give and take gifts with your RIGHT hand.
3) When you meet your host family, please try not to refuse an offering of a beverage. Most people will offer you tea, and a very few will offer coffee. If you must refuse, please be very grateful and explain your reasons in an apologetic and gracious manner. This is very important because it is considered very rude to refuse a beverage when you are someone's guest.
4) Be aware that in Israel, there is no such concept as "personal space." They tend to be a very touchy people and also close talkers (think Seinfeld). This will come into play in a couple of ways. First, when people talk to you and have conversations with you, they may move in very close to your face. It is considered very inappropriate and offensive to back away when someone gets close to you, regardless of how bad their breath smells or how uncomfortable you feel with someone in your "bubble." Don't back away. Also, in public places you will probably be touched, grabbed, and bumped quite a bit, especially on buses or in busy streets. Try not to get offended by this, and also try to keep valuables in a place where they will difficult to grab. Another thing to be aware of is that Israelis tend to be loud and blunt when in conversation. Try not to get offended if they say something that may be "taboo" in your culture.
5) Eye contact is very important in Israel. When listening, maintain eye contact! This is very important. Looking away indicates that you are not interested in what they have to say to you.
Language Lessons of the Day!
In Israel, there are three official languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and English.
Another appropriate and common greeting in Arabic: Salaam! Which means "Peace!"
The Arabic verb "to drink" is "asharabu." If you are talking about a female, it is "t'asharabu." So, if you were to say "The woman drinks," the phrase would read "al moratu t'asharabu." For men, the verb becomes "y'asharabu." To say "the man drinks," you would say, "al radjulu y'asharabu."
So, what might you drink?
Water: "Ma'an"
Milk: "Halibun"
Coffee: "Cahoatun"
The Arabic verb "to eat" is "akulu." Again, you add a "t" for female and a "y" for male: "t'akulu" or "y'akulu." If I were to say, "the girl eats," the phrase would read, "al bintu t'akulu." To say "the boy eats," I would say, "Al welladu y'akulu."
What might you eat?
Bread: "Hobzun"
Egg: "Baidatun"
Rice: "Arruzen"
Apple: "Tufeahatun"
22 April, 2010
Feet!
Yes, feet! What could be more ridiculous than a discussion of feet? Who even notices feet or what you're doing with them?
Well, the people in Israel do. This is probably going to be the most difficult thing to grasp and be consistently mindful of for most of us Singers on our trip. In everyday life, our feet are just our feet! We cross our legs, stand on the sides of our feet, etc. without a second thought. But in Middle-Eastern cultures, things are a bit different. Granted, Israel is a very Westernized nation - the most westernized in the Middle East, and most places will be a bit more lax on certain cultural norms. But there are places where you must be careful what you do with your feet, especially in Arab areas.
The basic rule is: Never show the bottom of your feet or shoes. Ever. This is considered one of the most disrespectful things you can do in Arab culture. It symbolizes to them that you feel they are below you, like the dirt you walk on. Thus you must be very mindful of what you do with your feet.
1) Don't cross your legs. Try to remain seated with both feet firmly planted on the ground.
2) If you are asked to remove your shoes, place them on their sides with the soles facing towards each other.
3) When bending down to pick something up, make sure your feet are still flat on the ground.
4) Don't let your feet pivot about from the side to the bottom. I do this all the time and must learn to get rid of this habit.
Of course, these rules are mostly going to apply in homes in which you stay. Again, Israel is very Westernized, and many people are not quite as uptight about such things, so I am not trying to scare anyone, but instead make you mindful of these customs so as not to cause an international incident.
Could anyone figure out how to pronounce the last two Arabic words?? My guess is very few of you. So let's learn some pronunciation!
Arabic is read from right to left, as is Hebrew and other Aramaic languages. Arabic's symbols can represent any number of sounds, which makes the language difficult to read if you don't understand it. Addtionally, a single sound has multiple symbols based on where it appears in a word.
- Marhaben!, meaning "Hello!"
Let's dissect the symbols.
مـ is the beginning of the word. This indicates the consonant "m." You'll notice there is a slash over the top of the word. What this means is you will say a bright "a" sound after you say the "m". So, you have, "ma-" so far.
ـر You will notice that this symbol is connected to the "m." This is the "r" sound. Also notice that there is no vowel connected to the "r". This makes the "r" separate from the next consonant and also indicates there is no vowel. Sometimes you will see a small "o" over the character if there is no vowel. The "r" will be flipped or rolled - no American r's, So, we now have "mar-".
حـ Now we have the "h" sound. Notice again the slash above the "h," indicating another bright "a" vowel. We now have "marha-"
ـبـ The next symbol indicates a "b" consonant. This character is very common, and also can indicate "t". It is all based on where the dot or dots are in the character. If you see one dot below, as you do here, the character is "b." If you see two dots above the character, it is "t."
ـﺎ is the final character and has different contextual IPA equivalents. In this case, it is a final sound between a schwa and an open "e" sound, as indicated by the double slash. The slash above the character can mean "e" or "a" depending on the word. Additionally, the double slash will put an "n" sound at the end of the word.
Thus, "Marhaben!"
Each character is different depending on where it is placed in the word. For example, a "b" sound at the beginning of a word looks like this: بـ while a "b" sound at the end will look like this: ـب
I hope you've enjoyed your daily culture/Arabic lesson.
Hebrew lesson of the day!
Hello - Shalom!
Goodbye - er... Shalom!
Well, the people in Israel do. This is probably going to be the most difficult thing to grasp and be consistently mindful of for most of us Singers on our trip. In everyday life, our feet are just our feet! We cross our legs, stand on the sides of our feet, etc. without a second thought. But in Middle-Eastern cultures, things are a bit different. Granted, Israel is a very Westernized nation - the most westernized in the Middle East, and most places will be a bit more lax on certain cultural norms. But there are places where you must be careful what you do with your feet, especially in Arab areas.
The basic rule is: Never show the bottom of your feet or shoes. Ever. This is considered one of the most disrespectful things you can do in Arab culture. It symbolizes to them that you feel they are below you, like the dirt you walk on. Thus you must be very mindful of what you do with your feet.
1) Don't cross your legs. Try to remain seated with both feet firmly planted on the ground.
2) If you are asked to remove your shoes, place them on their sides with the soles facing towards each other.
3) When bending down to pick something up, make sure your feet are still flat on the ground.
4) Don't let your feet pivot about from the side to the bottom. I do this all the time and must learn to get rid of this habit.
Of course, these rules are mostly going to apply in homes in which you stay. Again, Israel is very Westernized, and many people are not quite as uptight about such things, so I am not trying to scare anyone, but instead make you mindful of these customs so as not to cause an international incident.
Could anyone figure out how to pronounce the last two Arabic words?? My guess is very few of you. So let's learn some pronunciation!
Arabic is read from right to left, as is Hebrew and other Aramaic languages. Arabic's symbols can represent any number of sounds, which makes the language difficult to read if you don't understand it. Addtionally, a single sound has multiple symbols based on where it appears in a word.
- Marhaben!, meaning "Hello!"Let's dissect the symbols.
مـ is the beginning of the word. This indicates the consonant "m." You'll notice there is a slash over the top of the word. What this means is you will say a bright "a" sound after you say the "m". So, you have, "ma-" so far.
ـر You will notice that this symbol is connected to the "m." This is the "r" sound. Also notice that there is no vowel connected to the "r". This makes the "r" separate from the next consonant and also indicates there is no vowel. Sometimes you will see a small "o" over the character if there is no vowel. The "r" will be flipped or rolled - no American r's, So, we now have "mar-".
حـ Now we have the "h" sound. Notice again the slash above the "h," indicating another bright "a" vowel. We now have "marha-"
ـبـ The next symbol indicates a "b" consonant. This character is very common, and also can indicate "t". It is all based on where the dot or dots are in the character. If you see one dot below, as you do here, the character is "b." If you see two dots above the character, it is "t."
ـﺎ is the final character and has different contextual IPA equivalents. In this case, it is a final sound between a schwa and an open "e" sound, as indicated by the double slash. The slash above the character can mean "e" or "a" depending on the word. Additionally, the double slash will put an "n" sound at the end of the word.
Thus, "Marhaben!"
Each character is different depending on where it is placed in the word. For example, a "b" sound at the beginning of a word looks like this: بـ while a "b" sound at the end will look like this: ـب
I hope you've enjoyed your daily culture/Arabic lesson.
Hebrew lesson of the day!
Hello - Shalom!
Goodbye - er... Shalom!
21 April, 2010
The Left Hand
For the next few weeks leading up to the tour, I will be posting cultural and social things about Israel that any traveler should be aware of, especially when staying in Israeli or Palestinean homes.
LESSON 1: The left hand.
We will frequently be staying in Palestinean (Arab) areas during the tour. In Arab cultures, the left hand is considered "dirty" (Guess why). Therefore, these rules of thumb apply:
1: It is important to not eat with your left hand. If you need two hands, like when eating a sandwich, then that's fine, but never eat with just your left hand. When taking food from a communal plate, take it with your right hand!
2: Don't ever shake left hands. Keep your left hand away from contact with people.
3: Always give and receive gifts with the right hand.
So, Lesson 1 complete! Watch out for tomorrow's installment!
Arabic Lesson of the day:
Hello - "Marhaben"
Goodbye - "Waderan"
LESSON 1: The left hand.
We will frequently be staying in Palestinean (Arab) areas during the tour. In Arab cultures, the left hand is considered "dirty" (Guess why). Therefore, these rules of thumb apply:
1: It is important to not eat with your left hand. If you need two hands, like when eating a sandwich, then that's fine, but never eat with just your left hand. When taking food from a communal plate, take it with your right hand!
2: Don't ever shake left hands. Keep your left hand away from contact with people.
3: Always give and receive gifts with the right hand.
So, Lesson 1 complete! Watch out for tomorrow's installment!
Arabic Lesson of the day:
Hello - "Marhaben"
Goodbye - "Waderan"
17 April, 2010
Israel!
Good evening, and nice to talk to you all again! The blog has been idle for nearly a year now but it is time to update it because we are going to Israel! We have been invited to perform at the Abu Gosh Choral Festival in Israel this May. This means that we will be traveling to Israel from May 16-30 to participate in the festival and tour the country.
As before, this blog will be a way for family and friends of the University Singers to track us on our trip. I will be posting (hopefully) daily updates with photos so everyone can see where we are, what we saw, where we sang, and what we are up to. I hope this will provide a way for everyone to stay updated the same way it did last year. As of tomorrow, the trip is four weeks away! Exciting!
As before, this blog will be a way for family and friends of the University Singers to track us on our trip. I will be posting (hopefully) daily updates with photos so everyone can see where we are, what we saw, where we sang, and what we are up to. I hope this will provide a way for everyone to stay updated the same way it did last year. As of tomorrow, the trip is four weeks away! Exciting!
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