Sunday, November 14, 2004
Have you befriended any locals, or do you have to keep a distance from them?
I don't have to keep my distance, but it just works out that I do. Some of the Soldiers smoke and joke (Army talk for chit chat) with them but, as you know, I'm not one for chit chat. Even though I'm a self proclaimed Hajji lover, I'm more curious about their culture and what makes them tick, like some sort of geek anthropologist, though I haven't tried putting a measuring tape around anyone's head.
I'm conscious of this attitude, so I don't stand there and go through a list of questions. In some ways I think they appreciate interest in their country, but with my personality, I think it would put them off, like I was looking at them as specimens rather than people.
One thing that's embarrassing is misjudging a particular Iraqi's ability to speak English. I try to feel them out, so I don't insult them, but really, I don't think they care; they aren't sensitive people, for the most part. One guy who runs a shop on the FOB would give very terse responses to questions during transactions, and I assumed he didn't know English very well. So I'd speak slowly with accompanying gestures. But when I had cause to have a conversation with him, I found him fluent in English. I complimented him on his American accent I asked him where he learned such good English. He said at university. I asked him what he studied. He said he was an English teacher.
I've concluded that he doesn't talk much because he just doesn't care. We are not a curiosity for him and he has no need to practice his English or impress us. I think, too, he'd rather be teaching English than selling candy.
I don't have to keep my distance, but it just works out that I do. Some of the Soldiers smoke and joke (Army talk for chit chat) with them but, as you know, I'm not one for chit chat. Even though I'm a self proclaimed Hajji lover, I'm more curious about their culture and what makes them tick, like some sort of geek anthropologist, though I haven't tried putting a measuring tape around anyone's head.
I'm conscious of this attitude, so I don't stand there and go through a list of questions. In some ways I think they appreciate interest in their country, but with my personality, I think it would put them off, like I was looking at them as specimens rather than people.
One thing that's embarrassing is misjudging a particular Iraqi's ability to speak English. I try to feel them out, so I don't insult them, but really, I don't think they care; they aren't sensitive people, for the most part. One guy who runs a shop on the FOB would give very terse responses to questions during transactions, and I assumed he didn't know English very well. So I'd speak slowly with accompanying gestures. But when I had cause to have a conversation with him, I found him fluent in English. I complimented him on his American accent I asked him where he learned such good English. He said at university. I asked him what he studied. He said he was an English teacher.
I've concluded that he doesn't talk much because he just doesn't care. We are not a curiosity for him and he has no need to practice his English or impress us. I think, too, he'd rather be teaching English than selling candy.
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