"You know the bible is just like the koran" mumbled the pasty faced, rather tall, hippie lady as she tried to pass off her literature just outside the venue. It seemed that though she was quite demure she still had an agenda with a passion to turn those hate filled Muslims. And what better place but the annual middle eastern festival in Garden Grove, California.
The hippy chick was not the only one there with an agenda. Also in attendance were recruiters from the FBI and CIA. In large blowup enclosures with phrases on the side like "Secret Missions Start Here" and "Your Future is Our Future" but most important was "If you don't speak another language don't bother". I have to think that if I was a young fit arab man I could make some serious bucks spying on my countrymen. It's a wonder there was not a line of folks at these booths, not there wasn't a lot of countrymen to witness the start of the betrayal.
There was a good selection of food including kebob, falafel, and the best humus I have ever tasted. It was interesting to see the large quantities of hookah's. A hookah is a special pipe for smoking flavored tobacco. One booth had dozens of flavors including key lime, blackberry, and spice. Did you know that Salma Hayek is half Lebanonese? Well you can imagine there were a number of her sisters there as well. For how the Muslim faith is protrayed as very conservative there was a lot of skin showing and one booth that was all about sexy music videos.
My Cambodian wife when faced with the looks are stares of the various festival-goers said "I feel out of place/unwelcome". I told her "welcome to my world". It seems that there are few places that I go which make me feel welcome and with the exception of a couple people who I gave money to when I made purchases the rest didn't seem to want me around.
I couldn't help but notice that there was a number of attractive young girls (late teen early twenties) who were draped in Palestinian flags or had those checkered bandanas ala Yassar Arafat tied around their heads. I understand pride in hertitage and "country first" but given the fact that most of the time I see someone with this garb on it's in a terrorist message on Al Jazerra I wonder what message is being sent. I didn't ask these ladies as not to offend, after all I was an outsider in their territory but it makes think that either al Qaida or Hezbola is recruiting more effectively than the FBI or CIA or these head dresses mean something else.
It could be that the reason we did not feel welcome at the festival is because it is a place where Middle Eastern folks can be comfortable with each other and not have to feel they have to present a different persona as they perhaps do outside the confines of this grassy area. I like experiencing other cultures I just hope that these cultures under King Obama will be more open to welcoming me. Maybe if I wear an Obama 2008 badge on as I walk around town others will hug me more?
Nah.
No comments:
Post a Comment