Posts Tagged ‘relationships’
Sex becomes a less taboo subject among some Arabs
Sex has always been pretty much a taboo subject in the Arab world. It’s simply something that wasn’t discussed openly. Now, though, the first cracks are appearing in that wall of silence, and one of the individuals who is shedding light on the subject, interestingly enough, is a 45-year-old Emirati woman who quotes the Koran and doesn’t go [...]
Dating cultures around the world
Romance is universal. But the road to romance? Well, that’s a different story. Terry Ward of World Hum took a look at the dating cultures of five other countries in a fun story called Around the World in Five Dates. A sampling: Japan: The Japanese place great importance on saving face. In the nebulous world [...]
Korean bathhouses are now a social scene
Bathhouses have long been popular in many countries. The Finnish sauna, Turkish hamam and Japanese onsen are all deeply ingrained in their respective cultures. But in South Korea nowadays, the public bath (the jjimjilbang) has undergone a contemporary renovation and provides all manner of social interaction, according to this NY Times story. Calling the jjimjilbang a bathhouse hardly [...]
Saudi gender relations: the female view
Yesterday, I had a post about gender relations in Saudi Arabia and the remarkable lengths that the society goes to in order to maintain separation between males and females of different families. I linked to a story in the International Herald Tribune in which young men were interviewed about their interactions with women. Today, we cover [...]
Saudi gender relations: the male view
It’s easy in the West for us to express shock or dismay at the state of gender relations in some Arab countries (the veiling of women, the separation of the sexes, etc.), and particularly in a very conservative culture such as Saudi Arabia’s. However, it’s also easy for us to forget that many people in those [...]
Teaching romance in Singapore
Yes, teaching romance. The Singaporean government, you see, is concerned about a low birth rate. Singapore has a rate of just 1.24 per woman of child-bearing age, while 2.5 is considered a normal rate just to maintain a population. Aggravating the situation, in the view of the government, is that the rate among highly educated women is [...]
Valentine’s Day…in Saudi Arabia
Today is Valentine’s Day. Red roses, cards and romantic messages exchanged between loved ones. Well, unless you’re in Saudi Arabia, according to this report. Saudi Arabia has asked florists and gift shops to remove all red items until after Valentine’s Day, calling the celebration of such a holiday a sin, local media reported Monday. “As Muslims [...]
The marriage of children
When asked about her engagement party this summer, little Sunam glanced blankly at her family, then fiddled with her gold-sequined engagement outfit, a speechless response not out of shyness, but because she does not yet talk much. Sunam is 3. The toddler was engaged to her 7-year-old cousin Nieem in June, in a match made by [...]
A Kashmiri wedding
Ever wondered how wedding celebrations differ among cultures? The Washington Post has a colorful report from a Kashmiri wedding in India. Somehow, the wedding procession — in theory, groom first, then his father, followed by close relatives and friends — makes it to the Cardoba Hotel, where lights strung around bushes and gates make the [...]
Richard Gere and public affection in India don’t mix
Well, just when reports indicate that public affection is becoming more common in India, now there is word that an arrest warrant has been issued for the actor Richard Gere because of a public kiss. Really. Seems that Gere went a bit overboard during a charity event and planted some kisses on the cheek of the Indian [...]
Differing ideals of beauty
As one travels around the world, it becomes obvious that different cultures have varying ideals of beauty. A recent Associated Press article touches on this subject, focusing on the West African nation of Mauritania, where some families force feed their daughters because obesity is considered a sign of beauty and wealth. Mey Mint struggles to carry [...]
Indian weddings
Indian weddings are often lavish affairs involving large extended families. When these take place in North America, they can be an interesting blend of cultures and of contemporary and traditional elements. The Arizona Daily Star yesterday ran an interesting, in-depth article on such a wedding that involved families in both Arizona and India. Flowing silk, georgette [...]
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