Nuremberg Tour 9
Guyana can trace a long peaceful history back to the Forbes Burnham era, a true dictatorship, but benign. Real democracy arrived with his death in 1985. For several years after, there was a crime wave and election tensions. Since then, it's been peaceful all the way.
Canada can trace its tradition to the legendary Pierre Trudeau. He turned it from a branch plant into its own identity.
Both Canada and Guyana share the ability to absorb newcomers in undemanding fashion. Unlike some other cultures, you don't have to amputate your previous identity to join in.
Canada is perfectly at ease with the concept that you can be Canadian, Guyanese and Israeli, all at the same time.
As for Guyanese, they are even more laid back and tolerant. They don't feel as if they have to change your religion, your politics or any of your philosophical opinions. But the paradox is that they do. Since you are so relaxed and unthreatened, you examine their opinions at leisure and end up adopting a lot of them.
As I read various books, examine my own thinking, I estimate I am 65% Guyanese, 25% Canadian and 10% Israeli.
I laugh with the sheer irony when I see people like my father portrayed in books. He was so uptight, so completely against Guyanese culture. Yet even he adopted a number of the Guyanese attitudes.
So that is how it works, I muse. Undemanding places absorb you slowly. Uptight places cause you to cling hard to past identity.
I decide I will, as a tribute to Forbes Burnham, set a historical novel in his era in Guyana. I start the slow process of sifting archives. There is a wealth of information. With time and patience, I have everything I need.
I finish explaining all this about Ariel to Farzana. She leans back in her chair, blows a smoke ring, "and you my friend are nuts. So caught up in all that good girl upbringing in Guyana. So much of that East Indian prudishness in you. Just have not adjusted to Canadian ways."
"How so?"
"It's a modern age, don't be so bloody old-fashioned. Next time, wear something ravishing and drag him into the sack."
"He ah"
"Nonsense, the woman is entitled to make the first move."
"I'd prefer not to. If it flops, lose the friendship."
She groans, rolls her eyes.
This inflames me, "you were born in Canada, right?"
"Yes."
"Lived in Canada all your life, right?"
"Yes."
"Only been out of Canada on short vacations and German tours, right?"
"Yes."
"Only been to Afghanistan once, three weeks when you were a teenager, right?"
"Yes."
"Your parents mostly socialized with whites and East Indians, tended to avoid other Afghans, right?"
"Yes."
"You yourself very much do the same thing, right?"
"Yes."
"This horrendous nightmare you carry around, it has nothing to do with you the person, you weren't within thousands of miles. It's relatives, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you my friend are so thoroughly westernized you have zero concept of sub-culture."
She raises her hands in mock protest.
"The Canadian Jew is bad enough as being sexist. Most white Canadians would consider them very old-fashioned, right?"
"Ye-es."
"Well I have news for you, the Israeli is further behind on that road. So don't you, as a complete and utter westerner, have the arrogance to tell me, an Israeli, how to deal with a fellow Israeli."
She looks at me quizzically, then bursts into laughter.
This annoys me, "and what is so funny?"
"You are undoubtedly right. It's just, well, I've never had the experience of a German-looking white call herself minority and me mainstream. It does get to be pretty twisted logic."
I nod, start to see her humor.
"That being said, little one, run for your life."
"How so?"
"My friend, you are into optimism, prefer writing on the more benign and pleasant times and places, right?"
I'm starting to catch on, I nod.
"Ariel walks too much on the dark side. Anyone who obsesses over much on that epoch goes insane, often suicides. I refer to scholars like Primo Levy. Just too much contradiction. I would bet you $100 that within five years, Ariel is dead, by his own hand."
I gasp.
"You know it is true. So, keep him at a distance. Sex if you like, but avoid emotional involvement."
We cheerfully exit the coffee house. Our argument is now a thing of the past. Guess that means we have a good level of friendship."
Canada can trace its tradition to the legendary Pierre Trudeau. He turned it from a branch plant into its own identity.
Both Canada and Guyana share the ability to absorb newcomers in undemanding fashion. Unlike some other cultures, you don't have to amputate your previous identity to join in.
Canada is perfectly at ease with the concept that you can be Canadian, Guyanese and Israeli, all at the same time.
As for Guyanese, they are even more laid back and tolerant. They don't feel as if they have to change your religion, your politics or any of your philosophical opinions. But the paradox is that they do. Since you are so relaxed and unthreatened, you examine their opinions at leisure and end up adopting a lot of them.
As I read various books, examine my own thinking, I estimate I am 65% Guyanese, 25% Canadian and 10% Israeli.
I laugh with the sheer irony when I see people like my father portrayed in books. He was so uptight, so completely against Guyanese culture. Yet even he adopted a number of the Guyanese attitudes.
So that is how it works, I muse. Undemanding places absorb you slowly. Uptight places cause you to cling hard to past identity.
I decide I will, as a tribute to Forbes Burnham, set a historical novel in his era in Guyana. I start the slow process of sifting archives. There is a wealth of information. With time and patience, I have everything I need.
I finish explaining all this about Ariel to Farzana. She leans back in her chair, blows a smoke ring, "and you my friend are nuts. So caught up in all that good girl upbringing in Guyana. So much of that East Indian prudishness in you. Just have not adjusted to Canadian ways."
"How so?"
"It's a modern age, don't be so bloody old-fashioned. Next time, wear something ravishing and drag him into the sack."
"He ah"
"Nonsense, the woman is entitled to make the first move."
"I'd prefer not to. If it flops, lose the friendship."
She groans, rolls her eyes.
This inflames me, "you were born in Canada, right?"
"Yes."
"Lived in Canada all your life, right?"
"Yes."
"Only been out of Canada on short vacations and German tours, right?"
"Yes."
"Only been to Afghanistan once, three weeks when you were a teenager, right?"
"Yes."
"Your parents mostly socialized with whites and East Indians, tended to avoid other Afghans, right?"
"Yes."
"You yourself very much do the same thing, right?"
"Yes."
"This horrendous nightmare you carry around, it has nothing to do with you the person, you weren't within thousands of miles. It's relatives, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you my friend are so thoroughly westernized you have zero concept of sub-culture."
She raises her hands in mock protest.
"The Canadian Jew is bad enough as being sexist. Most white Canadians would consider them very old-fashioned, right?"
"Ye-es."
"Well I have news for you, the Israeli is further behind on that road. So don't you, as a complete and utter westerner, have the arrogance to tell me, an Israeli, how to deal with a fellow Israeli."
She looks at me quizzically, then bursts into laughter.
This annoys me, "and what is so funny?"
"You are undoubtedly right. It's just, well, I've never had the experience of a German-looking white call herself minority and me mainstream. It does get to be pretty twisted logic."
I nod, start to see her humor.
"That being said, little one, run for your life."
"How so?"
"My friend, you are into optimism, prefer writing on the more benign and pleasant times and places, right?"
I'm starting to catch on, I nod.
"Ariel walks too much on the dark side. Anyone who obsesses over much on that epoch goes insane, often suicides. I refer to scholars like Primo Levy. Just too much contradiction. I would bet you $100 that within five years, Ariel is dead, by his own hand."
I gasp.
"You know it is true. So, keep him at a distance. Sex if you like, but avoid emotional involvement."
We cheerfully exit the coffee house. Our argument is now a thing of the past. Guess that means we have a good level of friendship."
posted by afghangirlscifi @ 12:01 PM
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