Dibba, United Arab Emirates
The relations between the Near and the Middle East, the so-called Arab countries, and the West are not the best. Everybody knows that as propaganda on all sides runs at full throttle. Of course, this is not the place for a political discussion, but it can be the place to give proof about culture cohesions and mutual comprehension instead of hostility, coldness and preconceptions. And here we go! Enjoy this clip of 2 distinct cultures united in playing domino.
In the 80ies I spent some time in Fujairah, UAE, therefore I payed a visit to the small Emirate in December after my stay in Bahrain. The place has changed tremendously and lost lots of its provincial scariness I have experienced back then. Philipp, my camera guy and I drove along the coastline of the Arabic Sea (Indian Ocean) to Dibba – the border town to Oman and the Street of Hormuz – a small village that doesn’t see many foreigners. On our way we went for a coffee into a typical Arabic coffee shop, a place for men to talk, gossip, drink coffee, tea and smoke the shisha.
The video shows the friendliness, hospitality and openness of the guys. No fear of contact disturbed our interaction. With my basic a Arabic the doors were quickly open and they invited me to play Domino with them. Since my childhood I hadn’t played anymore. I even won a game with my partner who was very particular about the fact that we had to win. It was really fun to play with the boys. I felt comfortable and relaxed.
By the way, we didn’t have to pay for the coffee. We enjoyed the hospitality the Arabs are also famous for. There is not only this endless monologue of violence that covers the Arabic East.
