Task no.4 Hanadi & Salina

Comment

Comment by Salina Abaza on September 25, 2008 at 9:55am

Sometimes we just know very well that the XY we believe in is not real, does not exist, or does not make sense, or simply, does not matter. Yet we always make the choice of surrendering to this particular believe in XY regardless of XY's reality. It's just more relaxing to not doubt.

This was what came into my mind while walking with Karim in the old city, which I have to pretend that it's the touristic place while deep inside I keep questioning, what is so touristic about it? why do you walk there and see those blondies with this empty look in their eyes, wandering around the city, what makes them look so lame? what makes this fabric or this fake statue or that rotten cafe attractive to them!?

it's almost time, and it's good enough there will be Jazz today after a long day of work, a beer would be suitable now to synchronize with Hanadi and with my own mind. I sat with Karim and my boyfriend, and the three felt extremely awkward! Something about this year made the Jazz in the Citadel extremely funny and unsuitable! what's the connection! hey what's the connection between us and Jazz? If there was no beer becuase it's a religious zone, why would there be Jazz!
We started discussing the reduced "civilization" that reached us from the "west", half imported second-handed kind of civilization that leavs you with a spiral confusion of the real you in between all there brackets of "ours" and "theirs". Why do we know Elington's Caravan? and if we know it, why can't we fully recognize and practice this knowledge?

Even Sprite now as a sick alternative of beer is not in place.
How come we have Sprite and CocaCola and won't have a "Syrian Modern Art Museum".

Comment by Hanadi Traifeh on September 24, 2008 at 10:22pm

Monday, August 25, 2008
7 pm Cardiff time / 9 pm Damascus time

I was at home drinking green tea and enjoying the sunshine outside my window. It was one of the very few days in the last few months in which we got a smile from the sun.
I don’t usually like the sun. I am a ‘rain person’ who enjoys the sound of rain drops every time they drop. I don’t get bored at all from listening to them. I like to get wet while walking outside and smell the rain smell around me.

That day when the sun was there it was just a strange feeling that I enjoyed it. Maybe because it reminded me with Syria, the place where the sun is very golden, bright and prove its presence strongly. Or maybe because it reminded me with my sisters and a specific memory that occupied my mind at that time. But I was also thinking of Salina, she said that she would be seeing a friend after work. Is she still with him / her? What they are talking about? Oh it is not my business! What’s she drinking now? Is she thinking of me or she just forgot about me and about having a drink with me?!

After few days, I knew that Salina was in a concert and the only thing to drink was Coke / Pepsi! Obviously, the whole atmosphere of ‘Salina having a drink’ was totally different to mine.

Light / night
Cold / hot
Calm / noise
Empty / crowd
Alone / accompanied