Dubai Consumer Mirror: Not-so-impressive Arabs

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Not-so-impressive Arabs

If you visit Harrod's in London without dropping by the Chocolate Bar on the 2nd floor, your visit is considered incomplete. Yesterday, the Mrs and I indulged on a mouth watering ‘Chocolate Fondant for 2’. It is simply to die for.

While everyone there was sitting quietly enjoying their chocolate fix, there was a bunch of guys sitting at the bar. They were Arab. They were laughing obnoxiously loud and acting as if they are sitting in some Shisha joint on the outskirts of Riyadh, getting high on shoe polish while watching a local soccer match.

Luckily, and half way through our feast, those guys paid and left. Another group of “Shabab” came in and took their place. The minute they sat down, they started hitting on a bunch of Arab girls that happened to be sitting next to them. They were so annoying to the point the girls changed their seat to another table far away.

Of course, everyone else in the place noticed what was going on. Seriously, why do we Arabs behave that way? There were Birts, Americans and some Europeans customers sitting there. No one was laughing loud and obnoxiously and no one was bothering anyone else. Except the Arabs…

Seriously, why? Why couldn't they just keep their vulgarity back home and enjoy their vacation like everyone else? What a shame...

Do you think I am generalizing or being too harsh?

16 Comments:

You might be generalizing, but you definitely are not too harsh!

A lot of Arabs in London though, as it seems!

By Yazan, at July 17, 2008 at 10:28 AM
LOOOL

First off shame on you for not posting photos of the chocolate. You know I would commit atrocities for it :D

Second, it seems when anyone leaves their home town they leave the manners behind and think they can get away with indecencies in another country.

You've seen them people you spoke of when they come here.

By KJ, at July 17, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Arabs!

By Unknown, at July 17, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Don't beat yourself up too much, my old son. You just noticed them because they're Arab - there are more than enough loud, obnoxious gits around who aren't Arab!!!

(Me, for example!)

:)

By Alexander, at July 17, 2008 at 12:08 PM
manners? oh i wish that was true. ive seen saudi's in many countries and not all of them BUT ome of them ae really like monkeys' Thats why i call them sa3adneh :P .N all of them but SOME of them, like 70%

By Anonymous, at July 17, 2008 at 12:18 PM
You're DEFINITELY not being too harsh- I have to deal with that kind of sakhafa all year long and yes some Arabs are obnoxious and without meaning to cause offense it is more often than not the khaleejis.
On a brighter note- I will definitely have to pop into harrods to check this chocolate out :D

By Anonymous, at July 17, 2008 at 8:22 PM
Yazan - London is PACKED with Arabs.

KJ - photos coming to a blog near you soon

RnD - long time no see ... sho, are you back?

Alex - lol .. yeah right :)

Anon - i hate to say it, but in a way that is true. But again, I guess in relative terms, GCCians are the ones that can afford to come here, so you see many shapes and forms. People with class and sadly, meny without any - they just have money to blow.

Arabista - the place is really nice. I don't know where do you live, but if you are anywhere close to Kuwait, there is a knock-off of the place there. Almost as good. It also carries the same name: Chocolate Bar. There are a couple of branches. Try the one in Marina Crecent.

By moryarti, at July 17, 2008 at 9:54 PM
I agree with kj, I wanted pictures of the chocolate.

By Anonymous, at July 17, 2008 at 10:44 PM
oh Mory.. you cracked me up... big time..
i think Arabs act like this because we're so culturally messed up and obsessed with the other sex.

if we were a bit more open about all things sexual.. and lost some of the stupid taboos we have (which are arab related not islam related).. then we might actually feel less of the need to act like jerks as soon as we leave the sand behind.

By BuJ, at July 18, 2008 at 12:34 PM
habibi, why have word verification AND comment moderation? hmmm

By BuJ, at July 18, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Buj .. you are correct - i'll remove word varification.

By moryarti, at July 18, 2008 at 9:49 PM
You are not harsh at all . Im Arab and i have noticed that too, they even talk in Arabic and want the whole world to hear them , as if they seek attention . I cringe with embarrassment when i see something like that . Sometimes when i am with a Loud Arab and i whisper and advise them to tone the volume down , they get surprised and they wonder Loudly whats wrong ? Manners are very difficult to teach , especially that those people are raised in a very noisy atmosphre back home .

By Anonymous, at July 19, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Oh I just remembered sth... when I was in Sharm El Shiekh, we met this very nice lady in her thirties, very sweet and fun, she was Saudi, and I only found out after 4 days on the beach... now.. her FAMILY on the other hand was a bunch of loud obnoxious filthy di**heads... she kept apologizing about their behavior... they practically spared no girl (or guy) of their stupid idea of having fun... this what happens when Money meets Ignorance...

By Unknown, at July 21, 2008 at 10:41 AM
forget about the arabs, where are the pictures of the chocolate?

By Hiro Creama, at July 21, 2008 at 4:51 PM
I think you might be a tad too harsh, moriarti. But then again, you might have a point about people acting in an outrageous manner outside their home countries. I live in Europe, and I am saddened to say that I noticed that only a minority of the Arab community is civilised (I am an Arab). On the other hand, it's not really a purely 'arab' problem, other immigrants here are simply shameful - an embaressment to humanity in general. It seems that nations export their worst produce to foreign countries. We just notice the Arabs because we are arabs too.

By Anonymous, at July 23, 2008 at 2:09 AM
actually....... i dont mind their loud tone and jolly flirtatiousness. I think they just know how to enjoy the moment. Something alot of londoners dont get the chance to do due to such busy lives, and hectic environment. Keep it up arabs. (p.S they are so cute!!!!)

By Anonymous, at September 2, 2008 at 7:45 PM