Global Village Finds

Moroccan rope belts in blush, gold, and silver 

Moroccan kaftans

Office lipsticks in shades 12, 16, & 22

I also got dress slips from the Saudi village. They look like something my grandmother would wear, but I think they're perfect for sheer dresses/jalabeyas. Sorry but no pictures!

I love global village foods. Shrimps from Papa Junior (Thai village), traditional ice cream & belela balbalooki (Syrian village), and karak - few of my must-haves every time I visit.

I hope I would find the time to go again sometime soon! 

Assertiveness

I am currently reading a book on assertiveness. I find it hard to be assertive in some situations, and I thought this book would help me understand it more.


However.


Thinking about my intercultural communication studies, is assertiveness a universal skill (like leadership) or is it more a western construct? Is westernization one of the causes of my desire to be more assertive?

It is a very hard question.


Silence means different things to many people. Can assertiveness mean many things too?

In the book, there is an outline of assertiveness, aggressiveness, passivity, and passive aggressiveness, with a set of behaviors that go with the lot.

In some Asian cultures, silence is marker of strength. So does being assertive in that setting will lead to people seeing you as "weak"?

Is assertiveness a sign of strength in some cultures, but weakness in others?

What is the case of assertiveness in the UAE?

That's a LOT to think about.Hopefully, after completing that book I will have a clearer pictures and be able to answer those questions better.

What do you think? 

Dynamic Tower

This is proposed to tower to be built in Dubai designed by architecht David Fisher. Each floor will rotate independently.

How cool is that?!

LOVEMARKS: Arab Countries

I am currently reading Kevin Robert's book "Lovemarks: The future beyond brands". It was a special gift from my uncle among other books by Kevin Roberts.

I think I'll be posting ideas and thoughts on what I read here on the blog every once in a while.

Here's what I found interesting from the first chapter:

"In the Middle East I learned lessons that have been invaluable to me about how to connect with consumers, and how to do it in a place where mass marketing was in its infancy.

I learned to love the poeple. In Arab countries yoy make friends for life. The people were genuine, emotional, family-focused, hospitable. They understood their traditions and the past, and they really understood that they had a completely different future. It was very exciting. There was little resistance to the new because they didn't have much of a present. They had a past and they had a future."

This made my think of what's happening in the Arab world. I think you can substitute the words "Arab countries" with a  specific name of any other Arab country and that thought would be just as true.

Thinking about the UAE I find that it applies perfectly. We know our history, we understand our traditions, we know that the future will be a lot different than that, but what about our present? I don't think that we don't have a present. I think where we are right now the lines between the past, present, and future are blurred. I am not what my grandmother was, I am not what my (future) children will be, but I am the bridge in between.





What do you think?