Well, I know it's been awhile so here comes the word vomit
While teaching at Deux Rives, I have met a huge Muslim population. The neighborhood is mostly Muslim and so are most of my students. A few weeks ago was one of the huge Muslim holidays. All the students were very happy to leave classes early to spend time in the mosque with their family, neighbors and friends. I continued to teach those days, but the kids who DID show up had no desire to pay attention. Needless to say they were more than happy to leave early.
And so was I! The second I walked out the door, I could smell all the fantastic dinners families were making. I really wish I could've stayed there for dinner. But, getting to know so many Muslims has been a fantastic learning experience for me. In Rushville, out of all 8,000 people, there are no Muslims and at DePauw--where they claim to be diverse--there are probably two. In France, Muslims make up a pretty good part of the population. And I find their culture very interesting.
One thing I find quite interesting is that like everyone in France, they greet everyone by touching them. The men always shake hands, but not in the firm American way. It's more like a hand touch. And I've observed that the closer they are, the longer this handshake lasts. They hold a very high respect for others and as a result I have felt more welcomed in this neighborhood than in any other part of Nantes.
I haven't really noticed any strong differences between French culture and French-Muslim culture, but I have noticed subtle differences in their quiet and patient gestures and their incredible ability to not let things bother them. When Deux Rives was broken into during vacation, a computer, a laptop and two hundred fifty euros was stolen and the door had been broken. The strongest emotion anyone displayed was disappointment and sadness for the person who needed to do that. No anger or fear or any sense of loss--just disappointment. That, I find absolutely incredible and I admire them for that.
No comments:
Post a Comment