About

When I married a Syrian I was so excited.  Even as a child I was fascinated by all things cultural and inter-cultural, and at my wedding I imagined a life of dual culturality – of having two languages and two homes and two societies.  My fantasy came comletely true in that we’ve always shuttled back and forth and I’ve learned a good bit of Arabic, but the result was not a comfy dovetailing of cultures.  On the contrary,  I became a perpetual stranger.  I don’t fit into Syrian culture and I no longer fit into American culture, either.  I’m culturally homeless.

I am not your typical expat.  I’m not waxing nostaltic for home and looking down my nose at all things Syrian, nor am I an angry American, eagerly soaking up all things exotic.  I belong to a small in-between group of American Muslims – hybrid types – who maintain a sort of detachment from both cultures, appreciating the good and bemoaning the bad of each.  I am married and have six kids, five of whom are here in Syria.  I teach second grade during the day and university level ESL classes in the evening, and in between I write (find my book, “Sophia’s Journal”, at http://www.muslimwriterspublishing.com or http://www.amazon.com .)

So that’s what you’ll find on these pages.  Observations of a cultural misfit, dreams of an idealistic Muslim, complaints about realities that needn’t be and ideas for world peace – or at least for survival til tomorrow.