Sunday, February
24, 2008
BBC news-online has once again featured a Connecting
Cultures journey - click on the following link to
see the 2008 images
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7247342.stm
To view the 2007 coverage, click on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/6358821.stm
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Around 5 p.m. we arrived at the camp and took some
wonderful photographs in the sunset. Some of the
girls were on the camels while the others were on
the sand dunes. While we were waiting to enter our
tents, Mr. Mark told us to enter his tent because
he had a surprise for us. When we entered the tent
Lisa, Meredith and Mr. Mark told us that we had
to make a funny video of this trip as memorabilia.
After that we got out of the tent and started planning
for the video. Hafren was the one who wrote our
ideas and one of the ideas was to sing our national
anthem at the same time, whilst maintaining its
comprehensibility.
We then sat around a table and enjoyed each others
company. It was our last night together under the
twilight and we wanted to enjoy each others company
to the maximum.
Our guide Jabir and the other guides showed us at
the bonfire how to make bedouin bread. The fresh
cooked bread was then served with honey. It was
amazing! Dinner followed. Despite the lack of resources,
we always had a variety of food to eat. It was these
generous gestures from strangers that made our journey
even the more delightful.
We then sat around the bonfire again sharing stories
and wishing the night would never end. It was then
that Noor stood up and gave the sweetest speech;
thanking everyone for the lovely experience we all
shared together in the last couple of nights. She
then passed around beautiful silver gifts as tokens
to remember her by. It was truly a touching moment
with a few of the girls quickly wiping their tears
away. We then continued through the night, some
girls entertaining us, with their mesmerizing voice,
in beautiful songs. At the end, a few girls decided
to brave it out and sleep outside by the fire.
We woke up and had our warm breakfast then we had
final game. Following the lessons we learnt, through
effective communication we were able to complete
the task effectively. This was the greatest reward
on our last day. We then started our bumpy walk
back to the camp where it all started.
Noor, Widad and Alia, Oman
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday we stayed at a Bedouin camp, where we got
the opportunity to share food, dance and singing
with our hosts. We were all tired after three days
full of impressions and exchange, but still wanted
to stay up to have time to feel the Bedouin’s
hospitality. The different food that some of us
are used to eating at home got its first victims,
so we all had an early night.
Sunday started for the first time on time. As it
was our last full day in the desert everyone wanted
to get the most out of it. We came to discuss very
important and interesting questions, like what causes
misunderstandings between our cultures and how to
avoid them. As most of the time it is unbelievable
that we agree on most on the issues. But even though
the game we played in the afternoon sun didn’t
work out at first as we wished. We realize how difficult
it is to actually get all our thoughts into action.
It showed us that our ambitious talk doesn’t
automatically lead to the desired goal. Communication
seems so normal to us, that we never question it.
However, in the end we did a good job and are a
step further. Learning is a process and needs time
to settle.
After lunch and a little nap we moved on towards
the camp we are going to stay at night. Under the
unique sky full of stars we get a little closer
back to the real world and its problems.
Susi Teutsch
AUSTRIA
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
This day was our third, but for us it does not feel
like merely any day for it held some of our happiest
moments. We had a wonderful time and had a fantastic
night. Maybe the desert was barren and the sky black
but the earth was sparkling like happy gold. We
danced together on the notes of love and friendship
this night. For us, this was the best experience
we could have had – we forgot sadness and
remembered joy; we forgot about hate and remembered
love; we forgot about pain and remembered hope.
This was how we spent our evening and it will remain
as such within us.
We will remember what all these wonderful people,
the Bedouin crew and all the girls, have done from
acceptance, songs and food. We were even able to
sleep this night due to our joy. We both sat, Noor,
Widad, Fatima and Mona joined us. We gathered around
the campfire but the true fire was inside us, aglow
with love – we spoke too of love, that’s
why we felt warm not cold; we felt safe not fearful.
A new glorious day dawned, it was too filled with
love and security. These will remain the fondest
days and nights of our lives and we will remember
you, the most beautiful people we had the opportunity
to get to know. And we will always remain grateful
to you, Mark.
Bushra and Ola Shebli
JORDAN
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Saturday, February 09, 2008
Day 3
On the night of the 8th we all gathered we all gathered
round the warmth of the fire in the pitch dark of
the desert night, following the connecting cultures
logo, discussing each of our cultures, and contributing
by adding comments and questions by others.
Initially each of us froze in panic at the thought
of giving a 10 minute presentation about the country
which we represent. An hour later, we weren’t
even half way through. Each group was eager to share
their bit of the world with the rest.
It was our turn to talk of our heritage and the
nation which we represent. To the delights of others,
we began by singing with pride our Saudi national
anthem. Following this we discussed various aspects
of our country with our group and welcomed the many
question others had that were addressed to our country.
The cultural exchange of the 17 girls lasted through
the late hours of the night. With the great insight
with which we gained, we lost track of time and
it seemed that the shimmering stars were calling
us to bed.
Upon the morning of the 9th we were given the objective
to think of three misconceptions of our culture
during the day’s trekking and camel ride.
Again, we were surprised by the amount of reflection
that resulted in more than just three misconceptions.
As all the representatives were gathered under some
shade after the trekking we managed to collaborate
many ideas, of which some had overlapped across
countries.
With the knowledge we have gained and our endless
discussions we desire to share and learn more, wishing
this was not ending in a just a few days.
Fatema Abuidrees and Mona Mughram,
Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia.
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Saturday, February 09, 2008
Day 3
On the evening of the second day, whilst sitting
round the camp fire, our next activity was to talk
about our country and cultures for five minutes
to the rest of the group. A few worried faces suggested
that five minutes would be difficult to fill. However,
one hour later, we had covered just two out of our
ten countries. And having so much more to learn
from each other, we carried on talking late into
the night.
We woke up after a slightly warmer and comfortable
night and began our trek once again either on foot
or camel, whilst either just chatting to one another
or discussing the cultural issue we had been given
earlier in the morning. After a few more toilet
stops behind the sand dunes (or as Aisha referred
to as the ‘rest-dunes’ instead of ‘rest-rooms’)
we arrived at a beautiful lunch spot. With a well
needed shade set up by the Bedu, we played an enjoyable
but terribly frustrating game where we had to pass
as many tennis balls as possible from one area to
another with a set of complicated and restricting
rules applying! After looking at how we had organized
ourselves, the game left us pondering: what is leadership?
We discussed this along with our main discussion
for the day: what misunderstanding do different
cultures experience and why?
After lunch, we picked up our bags (and those who
were lucky enough hopped on their camel) and set
off for the last stretch to our campsite, where
we are looking forward to an exciting evening and
the end of another extremely cultural day!
Corinne Timmis,
UK
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Saturday, February 09, 2008
Day 3
Everyone still alive and enjoying another excellent
day of desert debate and travel. Currently singing
around fire at a bedouin camp. Today we have debated
how we feel our respective cultures are misunderstood,
and the aim of tomorrow is to identify where this
misunderstanding originates, and what we can do
to reduce misunderstanding and radicalisation of
society. More news tomorrow night.
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Friday, February 08, 2008
Day 2
Against a background of sand, tents and camels I
have a moment to rethink the first day in the dessert.
Thousand Nights or in Arabic: Alf Leila, was the
place where we woke up and shared the first beautiful
moment of the trip; watching the sun come up behind
the dunes. That’s all we needed to quickly
forget the night, where the temperature declined
to 0, we were freezing. The fact that we are all
strong women is proven; we survived the test! I
can’t wait for the other challenges that are
ahead of us.
A good breakfast, keeping our diaries up to date
and packing; the only things standing in our way,
let’s begin this amazing trip! Parallel to
these activities, the eight camels that will be
our transport for the coming days arrived. All fired
up and ready to go eight of us got on the camels
where the other half of the group followed by foot
along with two cars containing everything we will
need during our stay in the middle of nowhere.
At four a clock we arrived at our camp where everything
was already arranged to receive us. At what time
we arrived actually doesn’t matter. That’s
one of the first lessons we learned; in the dessert
time plays no role. What a great contrast with our
normal lives where time plays an enormous role.
Rethinking this first day I’m seated next
to one of the tents. The perfect moment to make
one mental picture after the other. In no way can
you catch this scenery in a photograph. I’m
thankful for being one of the seventeen girls that’s
part of this trip. The group is formed by ambitious,
multi-talented and divers - in the broadest sense
of the word – women. Using different tasks
helps us share our experiences, perceptions and
knowledge. We all view the world in a different
way, sharing this views with each other hopefully
will make us more aware of the fact that we are
all just a little part of mankind. History has proven
that focusing on the differences will only make
us move away from each other and constantly misunderstand
each other. Being in the dessert with a multicultural
group of women we are far away from the internet,
mobile phones and television. Now that we are away
from everything that could possibly destract us,
we can finally focus on each other. In the end communication
forms the base for cultures to connect.
Rachida Abdellaoui,
Morocco-
Netherlands
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Friday, February 08, 2008
Day 2
After a zero degree night, a walk up the golden
dune was the perfect start to the day. After breakfast,
we formed a circle where the team gathered for a
bonding exercise. Seventeen girls from eight countries
gave a personal definition of what they believed
culture meant. Meanings ranged from culture being
a unique tradition experienced by a society which
could be carried along through different times and
areas. Although culture is a main factor of conflicts
between nations, we all agreed that it should also
be an instrument to understand others and improve
on.
A forty minute camel ride was the next program on
the agenda. The relaxing ride through the glamorous
sceneries and bright blue skies gave the poetic
setting to reflect upon nature’s beauty as
well as the five most important things which affects
our life today.
Stopping for a short break under the shade of a
lonely tree, the most important game of the day
took place. We were divided into two teams where
the main objective was to record the fastest time
for the “connecting cultures” group.
This was to take place in four rounds and tallying
each groups time. Strategies and competitive planning
submersed both teams, which de-focused(?) us from
the goal of the game. Instead of aiming to better
our overall time, we focused on beating the other
team.
Discussions followed our activity where we all agreed
that in today’s world, nations and societies
focus on a narrow sphere of bettering themselves
rather than the world at large.
Following lunch, we set out through the Wahiba desert
and towards our camp.
Rifaa Al-Harthy:
Oman
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Thursday, February 07, 2008
The 2008 Connecting Cultures girls desert journey
is due to begin tomorrow, February 7th, until February
12th here in Oman. We will send you daily progress
reports via our Inmarsat connection starting tomorrow.
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Thursday, February 07, 2008
All the group arrived safely in Muscat last night
and this morning. We are now sitting around the
fire in the centre of the Sharqiya Sands, listening
to Arabic music and enjoying a spectacular night
sky. The day has been spent travelling from Muscat
to Ibra, and then into the sands where we arrived
late afternoon. On arrival the young people took
part in various teambuilding activities in an effort
to discover more about each other. They have been
asked to consider what the word ‘Culture’
means to them during the course of this evening,
and the plan for tomorrow is to develop what they
come up with and identify the key ingredients essential
for intercultural debate. The camels will arrive
mid morning, and we will head off deeper into the
sands just before lunch.
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Monday, January 07, 2008
The first press conference to launch Connecting
Cultures 2008 will be held at 10.30 at the Grand
Hyatt hotel in Muscat on Monday January 7th. Present
will be the secretary general of the Oman National
Commission along with representatives from the European
Union and Connecting Cultures partners DHL and MHD/Land
Rover.
