Before coming to the Middle East, I traveled for a couple weeks in Madrid and Vienna. I’m not so certain that doing so was a good mix as the pleasant cocktail of experiences that I had jostle now that I am in the midst of this culture’s restrictive flavor. Less than a thousand miles away, life is rife with opportunities. Here, at the very least politically, I don’t see a hopeful way for these people; the corruption and harassment that any business must face is frustrating at the least and the apathy that I’ve encountered concerning their state is regrettable. The unemployment rate makes the States look like a workers utopia. The one connection that I can make here is that, wherever you go, people love to hate their government.
Still, there is so much rugged beauty, the mountains that surround this prosperous city fairly preen and it’s a delight to see the sheep scattered on the hillsides. Yet, trash is thrown out on the street and mix openly with the chemicals that people use to clean their front walks which then flow into their rotting creeks and poison the land. The children roam the streets in their mini packs and even though they beat each other severely, I rarely see any alone. It’s a real delight to walk home from the school to witness the community in the late afternoon and early evenings. There aren’t ANY play grounds for the children so the streets sufice (note: they don’t have driving lanes so the motto is move it or lose it) and make their empty demolition lots their roost. So many people are incredibly rich but there seems to be little investment in their community outside of the gated homes. On the upside, people generally are socially industrious and their table is generous to say the least. I sometimes wonder how their tables don’t audibly groan under the weight. Their hospitality is a reprimand to Western standards and the neighbor is expected to be Generous! Generous! Generous! To show less than abundant hospitality is shameful. I have taken note and I cannot help but compare this to ancient Israel, Abraham’s relations and attitudes. In any case, I visited such a home a few nights ago and met an art teacher for elementary students. I have learned that her display of artwork was very rare as the people tend to not invest in artistic development which, when you think about it, should not come as a surprise really since art is a very liberating venture. In a religion and culture that dismisses the aspirations of individuals, especially those who do not readily conform to a standardized testing, the forms of beauty and art are not cultivated. This is a harsh note that rattles the Viennese culture that I adored prior to my current post. In beautiful Vienna, I swam in the fresh Danube, went to the opera Madame Butterfly and learned about Gustav Klimpt, an Austrian symbolist painter and his influence across the continent (I believe one of his paintings broke the record, selling for a cool $135 million). As a brief snapshot,Klimpt was a young artist when he and his two brothers the “Company of Artists", were commissioned to paint murals in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The Ringstraße museum was commissioned by the Emperor in an ostentatious display for the Habsburgs' astounding art collection. Few royals could compare to the conservation of their nation’s art and Vienna is a jewel of creative talent in its manifest forms. I enjoyed the story of how the young men and their employment as unestablished talents who took on Vienna and then Klimpt, the world. Even now I find it fascinating how much Klimpt was actually able to contribute to Egyptian archeology today through his Egyptian symbolism.
So, yes, I miss Vienna. But I am not wrong to be here either. Maybe I will discover a new treasure in these people. One might note that at the very least, the people are my pleasure and I’m forming good relationships with my students so the unfortunate aspects that I witness here are mitigated with love.And that can't be so bad, n'est pas?
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