Hello Graduates and Bloggers,
To those of you who don’t already know, I am graduating from OSU this semester and I’m really excited. After graduation I am planning on returning home to Kuwait and trying like the rest of you to find a job and to establish myself in the work field. So I wanted to share with you some of the things I am planning on doing when I return to Kuwait.
This one is for the ladies.
I thought today that I would talk about shopping in Kuwait and Shopping in America. The reason behind this choice is the fact that I was just in OKC, shopping with one of my friends, and I thought that this would be a very interesting topic to discuss.
Dear Bloggers,
As the end of our semester gets closer, I get closer to having to say my final goodbyes. I’m graduating in May this year and after the ceremony I’ll be packing my things and going home. (So if anyone knows any good international shipping companies, please let me know.)
Recently, I’ve been thinking of all the things I’m going to miss about being a student and all the things that I will miss about living in the USA. The freedom that people have here and that a lot of people take for granted is really something to be cherished. Even though Kuwait is a relatively liberal country and citizens have the freedom to dress as they please and say what they want, they are still not completely free. We in Kuwait live in a society bound by traditions and moral judgments. People in Kuwait care more about traditions and what ought to be done and how a person ought to behave according to cultural norms, more than religion or personal freedom. It’s an interesting topic and one that I’m sure can be discussed at great lengths. But what I want to do is leave the space open for discussion. I want to know what your opinions are as Americans of the topic that I’m talking about. Let me make my self more clear. How much do you think traditions and moral values influence society and the way we behave in it, whether here in the U.S. or in other countries? I would be more than happy to answer any questions and to hear your comments about the issue. So please do share.
Dalal
Aloha,
I wanted to give you guys a taste of different types of Arabic music that are out there right now. I mean there are 21 different Arab countries in the world and they all have their own type of Arabic music. The language may be similar but the culture is not and there are slight variances between each country.
The songs here are from different Arab countries and some are older Arabic songs or what we call classics. I know you won’t understand the language, but I hope that you will still enjoy the tunes. If you really get stuck on a song and are dyeing to know what they are saying, just post a comment with the name of the song that you like and I will be more than happy to explain it to you.
1-Egyptian Songs. 
This song is one of the classics. It’s an oldie but really popular to this day.
Artist: Abdulhaleem Hafth Song: Ala Ad elshooa. (It means: As much as I miss you.)
These next songs are also by Egyptian artists, but they are more modern.
Artist: Amro Diab Song:Leily-nahary. (This title means: Night or Day)
Artist: Haytham Shaker. Song:Khaleek Ganby. (This title means: Stay by my side)
2- Lebanon.
This young lady is very popular and this song has true Lebanese rhythms and lyrics as well.
Artist: Nancy Ajram Song:Loon Oyoonak. (The title means: the color of your eyes.)
This also is a Lebanese singer; she is older and represent one of the greatest classic singers of their time.
Artist: Fayrooz. Song:Fayeq ya hawa. (I can’t translate that one, it’s too hard.)
3- United Arab Emirates. 
The Arabian Gulf countries, which are Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all share a very close history and culture, so music from these countries pretty much sounds the same, except for some little differences.
Artist: Hussein AlJasemy Song:Resalah. (which means Letter.)
4- Kuwait. 
This is a Kuwaiti group. They are made up of two girls and two guys and they are graduates of the Music institute in Kuwait.
Artist: Guitara Song: Ya ghaly. (It means: Oh precious one. I think.)
5- Algeria. 
This is a type of music called rye- like the bread- it is very popular in north African countries like Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. It’s kind of like the reggae music of the Arab world.
Artist: Shab Khalid Song: Ya ghaly.
6- Tunisia. 
This guy was on a reality show called Star Academy. It’s a talent search show where wanna-be singers audition to get the chance to live in a house together and get personalized music and dancing lessons from professionals, then perform on stage in-front of judges. All of this for the final prize of being named the Star Academy graduate. It’s a fun show. The show’s idea was taken from another British reality show. This guy was on it and he did not win, but he has a huge fan base and he is very popular.
Artist: Ahmed ElShereef. Song:Sahran Maak Ellaila. . (It means staying up with you tonight.)
Enjoy them with Love.
Dear Bloggers,
Those of you who have been reading my blogs-I hope all of you have been- might have noticed that my last two entries were about the gloomy topic of war and politics. So to make up for that this blog is going to cover the fascinating topic of music.
Arabic music is very very different than English music. We use different instruments, different tones in singing, different rhythms and different melodies. I wish I could explain more to you about the technical aspects of the music, but I’m not an expert and I do not want to mislead you. I will try to explain some of the instruments to you guys and also what the current trends are in the Arab music world. I will also try to explain some of the lyrics of a few songs that I chose for you guys to listen to. (Look for the page titled: Lyrics.)
The most basic and most widely used instrument in Arabic music is called the Oud. Oud This is what it looks like and it is played this way too, while the person is sitting down. It would be very difficult to play it standing up, and if you wanted to stand up while playing it, you would probably want to bend your knee.
This instrument functions like a base guitar I guess in English music and it sounds beautiful. There are many Arabic songs that are solely played using the Oud such as this one, Watan Omri. It is a song by one of my favorite Kuwaiti singers His name is Abdullah AlRuwaished. The song title means Home of my life.
Another distinctive instrument, which is heard in almost all Arabic songs, is the Dumbek.
This is a drum sort of like a bongo drum but it is held on the player’s thigh and played side ways instead of right side up. This is what it sounds like played alone. This is the music that belly dancers use when they are performing in Arab countries. If the belly dancer is really good, she will be able to follow the speed of the drum through her whole dance.
A third instrument is called Doff. 
This is a tambourine I guess, and is usually just played in the background. Arabic music also uses a lot of other types of instruments and piano’s. It just depends on what type of Arabic music the artist is trying to create.
Current trends in Arabic music are going towards creating more Western sounding tunes and sexier music. Music from the old days focused on the ability of the singer to carry a note and how well written the song and the music were. Singers in the past used to have concerts that would last for hours, and the songs were up to 15minutes long. Today songs are over before you can even enjoy them, and they are too influenced by English music, which I personally think does not mix well with Arabic.
I have uploaded some songs from my personal collection for you guys to enjoy, you can judge for your selves whether the music is too western sounding or not and then hopefully vote on it in my poll. Have fun and see ya soon.
Dalal
Hey Kids,
I hope every one is doing well in spite of this gloomy weather. Today in an attempt to cheer those of you who are upset with the weather up, I want to talk about something that may or may not make you appreciate the United States a little more. Unpredictability.
What I love most about being a student in the U.S. is that there is no specific routine to follow. My life here is unpredictable. I wake up in the morning and even though I have my whole day planned, and I make appointments and schedule meetings, I still don’t know where the day will take me. Anything can happen here. You start the day with an objective in mind but then everything can turn around, especially when you are a college student. Don’t you think?
In Kuwait, the daily routine really sucks the life out of you. You can’t just wake up and go out and not know what you are going to do. Everything is pre-planned, arranged in advance and if you cancel your plans or don’t show up it’s a big no no that reflects back on the way you were brought up. Now nobody wants other people to talk about there mother do they? I didn’t think so. So we have to adhere to these rules and be proper and stick to the plans. Where as here in America, people are more easy going.
Another thing also that is part of daily routines that is really boring is the way the day is structured in Kuwait. I wake up get dressed and have breakfast, read the papers, watch TV, go online, watch more TV, then Lunch. After lunch my parents take a siesta, always it’s a must and part of many Kuwaiti people’s lives. Long, long siestas. After that we wake up, have tea and dessert or fruit then we watch more TV. If we are going to go out it would be planned from the night before ha-ha. If we are not going out, then we will just stay at home and do nothing until dinner time after which we go to bed. Doesn’t that routine suck. Yeah.
I ‘m really going to miss my life here in the U.S. and its unpredictable nature. I keep thinking of how my new life will be after college especially as graduation is nearing. Wish me luck guys as I wish it to all of you.
Love
Dalal
Bloggers,
Life has been hectic. That is the least I can say about how busy I have been. But don’t worry I return full of energy and ideas for things to talk about.
As I have mentioned before, I am graduating this semester and moving on from college life on to bigger and better things. I hope! I’m sure a lot of people here are graduating too and share m y concerns and fears of what the future might hold for us. One of these many concerns is the mission we have to endure of trying to find a decent job. I was actually talking to my parents about this today.
In America it is very important not only to be well connected, it is also equally important to be well rounded and experienced to get a good job. In Kuwait all you really need is a really good connection to hook you up with the job. I have friends who have had to wait up to a year before they found a job. Many reasons might be attributed to this problem. In Kuwait a lot of jobs are taken over by foreigners quite frankly because they work harder and accept less money for the work that they do. Kuwaitis are spoiled. Yes I’m ashamed to say it but we are. We want desk jobs and jobs that we can leave all day, yet still get paid for. That is not to say that there aren’t any hard workers in my country. It ‘s just that the ambition and the drive are different. People there grow up with so many privileges that they really don’t yearn for anything more as they grow up. We have a funny proverb in Kuwait that we use to describe the differences between things: Not all of your fingers are the same. What this means is that even though a general amount of the population might think the same way, there are a selected few who are different. They represent the hope that someday our country will be able to rely on its own citizens to work and build the country.
I personally can’t wait to go back home and start being a participant and producing member of my society. I will try to remember you all when I’m rich and famous. J/K. See ya soon.
Dalal
Salaam People,
That means Peace by the way in Arabic.
I hope that al of you are doing well. It’s Thursday night people, party time, drinking time, and drunken time. Thursday nights here are the big event nights. They are the nights when people go out and party, hang out with friends and experience the pleasures of alcohol. Basically here in the USA, the main activity for most college students on weekends is going to the bars. Other than that what is there to do right?
In Kuwait, drinking alcohol is against our religion, which is Islam. It is forbidden for us to consume alcohol, sell alcohol, make alcohol, and the like. Some other Arab countries such as Egypt, our neighbor the United Arab Emirates, and Oman all allow hotels to sell alcohol and some even have drinking lounges or clubs. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia do not allow alcohol in the country at all. So we don’t have clubs, we don’t have bars, and we don’t have liquor stores. Alcohol is still smuggled into the country and sometimes allowed to be brought in secretively through foreign embassies in Kuwait for the workers there or for American soldiers, who by the way are everywhere in Kuwait.
So what do we do then on weekends? Our week ends start on Wednesday and end on Friday, which is our day of Sabbath. Wednesday night is a big night for us. We dress up always when we go out, and I mean dress up. Girls are always wearing full make up, high heels, and big pieces of Jewelry. Guys will be in funky jeans that are designer, Italian shoes, or if they really want to dress up, they would wear our traditional outfit.
Now for the action.
Places and Faces.
People in Kuwait love to gossip. They go out just to sit in cafes and restaurants and look at people and talk about people. What they are wearing, whom they are with and things like that. Girls hit the malls to find guys or to shop. Guys hit cafes where they can enjoy Hookah’s and coffee. Restaurants are always overbooked, and the movie theaters are always full. Sometimes people will just do what we call cruising. That’s when you get in your car with a bunch of your friends and drive 30 mph on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Easier to check out people at that speed. Thursdays and Fridays are usually family oriented activities. For example, my family and spend every Thursday having lunch with all of my aunts and their families at my grandfather’s house. A lot of other families also get together with other family members such as uncles and aunts on these days also.
Another favorite past time on weekends is going to the family beach house. Most families in Kuwait own beach houses where they go to spend weekends and days off and holidays. I hear that teenagers have wild parties there too because they usually go there before their parents or sometimes without any parental supervision.
Typically this is what we do on weekends in Kuwait and how we do it.
Maybe someday one of you will be able to experience these activities with me. This is an open invitation to come and visit. All you need is your ticket and some spending money. Seriously.
Dalal
Greetings and Best wishes to you all,
It’s February. Valentine’s Day is nearing, and love, as they say, is in the air. Another thing that is also just around the block is of course wedding season. I wanted to talk to you guys about weddings in Kuwait and weddings here in America. I heard from some of my American friends that they are so busy being invited to weddings and attending lunches and bridal showers and the like. Sounds like a lot of fun huh? I wouldn’t know because I have never attended an American wedding before, I have however; been to many Kuwaiti weddings. Let’s just say it’s a world of difference.
First of all the whole wedding process is different. Here people meet, they are in relationships for a while before they decide to get married. At least that’s the story most of the time! In Kuwait by virtue of religious beliefs, men and women are not supposed to engage in relationships out side of business or educational situations. This means that we are not supposed to have boyfriends and boys are not supposed to have girlfriends. So how do we meet and get to know each other, you might ask? We don’t! Or at least we are not supposed to! Am I confusing you yet? No? Good. Girls and guys who are in college or even younger will meet in restaurants, malls, and other public places. They will exchange numbers, and call each other. Go out on dates and hang out. All of that happens in Kuwait, but it happens secretively, without parents knowing about it and without talking about it publicly because it is against out religion.
If things go well and the two lovebirds decide to get married, then technically the man is supposed to ask for the girl’s hand in marriage from her father.
The wedding:
I said before that I have been to lots of Kuwaiti weddings. They are fun and filled with gossip. What a surprise! Weddings in Kuwait take place at night, usually after 9 or 10 p.m., which is the first difference between American weddings and Kuwaiti ones. Another one is that women and men attend two different weddings. Again due to religious beliefs that call for the separation of men and women in sittings and social gatherings. So there are essentially two weddings.
Weddings are like a competition. Families compete to throw the best wedding, to show off the best bride dress, to reserve the biggest room, who can get the best and most expensive entertainer. Families in Kuwait invite these famous Arabic singers from Lebanon and Egypt and they fly them over and pay for their hotels and pay them about $300,000 just to sing in the wedding. Yeah it’s crazy. But all the guests have fun and eat the expensive food, and when the couple ends up divorcing in a year, hey you can always say you were at their wedding.
Dalal
Hello Fellow Bloggers,
Yes I am back and this is your long awaited blog entry by none other than moi. I apologize for the delay. I was just trying to save the best for last. So with no further delay, let’s start.
This past week was one busy week in my life. It was filled with activities and events. Most notable was the infamous OSU career fair, which I attended on Thursday February 2, 2006. It was a very fun event and only my second career fair ever. I enjoyed it a lot even though, I must admit, there weren’t any good job opportunities for journalism majors at the fair. Nonetheless, it was a very valuable experience and something that I would not have a chance of doing at home because it does not exist.
The career fair was one of the many examples of the things that people in the Middle East envy in American life. The whole process is so organized and professional. It makes you feel that you really are important in this society and that your four or five years of college are really going to payoff. This is not to say that the fair will guarantee you a job in a short time, but it will sure help facilitate your contacts and make your search easier. We don’t really have career fairs in Kuwait. We have book fairs, electronic fairs, make up fairs… etc, but not career fairs. Job-hunting is usually a matter of whom you know and what they can do for you. I know that many of my close friends who graduated from college in Kuwait had to wait for about six months to a whole year before they got the job that they wanted or any job at all. This applies to both men and women, but for women it is even more difficult.
Women in Kuwait make up about 35% of the work force. They are really hard workers and they make great business women. Yet it seems that getting a career and being successful is not as important as looking good or getting married, which makes it really hard for us girls to get a head. Women in the United States are encouraged more than anything else to start their careers and secure their futures before they decide to settle down and start their families. In Kuwait it’s much more important to be married at like age 18. Thank God I was never raised in a family where such priorities exist. That’s why I am here in America getting my degree and getting to know all of you good people.
So in conclusion, I wish that the people in Kuwait and other Arab countries would learn more from the U.S. and other Western countries than just pop culture and fashion. I wish that they would learn that self determination and success are more important in the end.
FYI: A preview of my next blog was mentioned in this one. Can you tell what it was?
Dalal