2. Additional Readings
• Polite but Thirsty
~Yaping Tang
Friends and Strangers
~Margaret K. Nydell
A Coward
~Premchand
• The Blind Men and the Elephant
A Hindu Fable
~John Godfrey Saxe
Humor
3. Group Members:
Abhinav Das Shrestha
Sandeep Kundaliya
Samrat Lamichhane
Sandhya Tandukar
Ankita Sarawagi(Editor)
Ashitosh Dhakal
Deepak Poudel
Yogita Bajracharya
15. About the author
A cross-cultural trainer
Teacher of Arabic
Written several books on the Arabic
language
Lectured on Arab culture
16. CONCEPT
According to Arabians
Someone whose company one enjoys
Personalized
According to Westerner
Someone whose company is enjoyed
Someone who can be asked for help if necessary
17. DIFFERENCE IN EXPECTATION
Leads to misunderstanding
Feeling of being let down
Arabians feels westerner cannot be “true friend”.
18. RECIPROCAL FAVORS
For Arabs
One can never openly refuse friends request
Oral promise has equal values as action
Expects loyalty from friends
For Westerner
No matter about one replys for friend request
Actions are more valued than words
19. INTRODUCTION
For Arabs
Give more information about themselves
Determines social status and connection in first meet
For Westerners
Tend to confine personal information
Share only generalities
20. VISITING PATTERNS
For Arabs
Frequent meeting
No space for privacy
Form of entertainment
For westerners
Keep acquaintances at a distance
Plead for privacy
33. Dear Keshav
I was terribly upset when I heard about the rude and callous way
your father treated mine. Perhaps he’s threatened you too, in
which case I wait anxiously to hear what your decision is. I’m
ready to undergo any kind of hardship with you. I’m aware of
father’s wealth but all I need is your love to content me. Come
tonight and have dinner with us. My mother and father are both
eager to meet you.
I’m caught up in the dream of when the two of us will be joined
by that bond that cannot be broken, that remains strong no
matter how great the difficulties.
Your Prema
Dear Keshav
I was terribly upset when I heard about the rude and callous way
your father treated mine. Perhaps he’s threatened you too, in
which case I wait anxiously to hear what your decision is. I’m
ready to undergo any kind of hardship with you. I’m aware of
father’s wealth but all I need is your love to content me. Come
tonight and have dinner with us. My mother and father are both
eager to meet you.
I’m caught up in the dream of when the two of us will be joined
by that bond that cannot be broken, that remains strong no
matter how great the difficulties.
Your Prema
34. I'm in a terrible quandary about how to answer you. I’ve
been desperate trying to figure out what to do and I’ve
come to the conclusion that for the present it would be
impossible for me to go against my father’s orders. Don’t
think I’m a coward. I’m not being selfish either. But I don’t
have the strength to get over the obstacle facing me.
Forget what I told you before. At that time I had no idea
of how hard it was going to be.
Keshav
40. Introduction to the poet
John Godfrey Saxe (June 2, 1816-1887).
American Poet
Best known for writing humorous verse and lectures
41. Missing stanza
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
42. Explanation of the poem
Six blind men go to see the elephant
Each of them approach the elephant one by one
The first man finds the elephant very much like a
wall
The second finds the elephant very much like a
spear
The third thinks it is like a snake
The fourth thinks the elephant is like a tree
The fifth thinks the elephant is like a fan
The sixth thinks the elephant is like a rope
44. Moral of the poem
We shouldn’t consider only one aspect of the truth
Things are not always what we think they are
Different people have different perceptions
No one can attain perfect knowledge
We should not consider our point of view only
We should learn all aspects and bring them together
