Far more interesting than my banal witterings is my sister Jenny's weblog, which aside form having a cool name, also includes the texts from her univeristy radio programs about life in the Middle East, e.g.

...as I came to know more Syrians, a common, wildly romantic streak became evident. This romance is embedded in Arab culture, going back before the time of Islam to the ancient Arabic love poetry, which many modern Syrians, including taxi drivers, shopkeepers and students, know off by heart. This beautiful and passionate writing may be described in two parts according to the Cornell Library:
a) a fleeting glimpse of the beloved's face on a deserted campsite, allowing one just enough time to compare her eyes to those of a cow; followed by
b) a hair-raising ride on one's camel with one's tribe to try to forget how beautiful she is.