The language dilemma

Written by

Maya Zankoul

in

The latest post on BeirutSpring blog reminded me of a [very sweet] message I received by email from a reader.

It read:

“Dear Maya,

I drew something about *your blog*, I hope you like it even though it’s a criticism 😀 I spent a lot of time on it… It’s not good enough, but I tossed the coin 😉 Maya, please read this: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/02/28/101744.html“

And had the below illustration attached:

To answer you, Rocky  [and to all of you asking the same question] 🙂

Thanks again to all who participated yesterday to the celebrations! 🙂 Tomorrow I’ll be “officially” announcing the winners!

Until then, here’s Kevin Shield’s Ikebana from the soundtrack of Lost in Translation 😛 . Have a beautiful day 🙂

10 Ikebana – Kevin Shields

Comments

29 responses to “The language dilemma”

  1. Bilal Avatar
    Bilal

    Stick to English, I know that we live in an Arabic speaking region, but I feel that you can easily express yourself in English. That doesn’t kill the idea that you can add a section to your blog dedicated for Arabic topics, but I think the main one should stick to English.

    Reply
  2. Rita Kamel Avatar
    Rita Kamel

    I will still love your blog even if it was in an alien language! 😀 Keep up!
    Maybe someone should take in charge the translation of the same cartoons in other languages 😀
    Calling on all the translators out there!

    Reply
  3. Lara the sis Avatar
    Lara the sis

    Keep writing in english since you’re blog is reaching non arabic countries. You can make a version in Lebanese, for those who are more confortable in Arabic.
    (Lebanese will look more natural than fos7a)

    Reply
  4. Dayana Avatar
    Dayana

    Yes did anyone ask for a translator :P?

    Reply
  5. Wadad Avatar
    Wadad

    Whether be it English or Arabic or any other we will still be your fans and follow your blog posts everyday. But the idea of writing the comics in more than 1 language seems nice . OMG I missed the competition :@ *ugh* . Keep up the good work, and we’re waiting for other “Babies” (books or whatever you come up with) 🙂

    Reply
  6. wael Avatar
    wael

    Maya! I want your babies

    Reply
  7. darine Avatar
    darine

    Maybe you can find a volunteer to translate your posts to arabic like Grance Dore did (she writes in french and then Tim Sullivan tranlsates them to english on a seperate Blog Page), why not Rocky himself?

    Reply
  8. Rocky Avatar
    Rocky

    Hey Maya!!!
    I’m so happy to see this 🙂

    Guys do you like my illustration?

    Reply
  9. Krikor Ohannessian Avatar
    Krikor Ohannessian

    English English English
    3xEnglish

    Reply
  10. Rocky Avatar
    Rocky

    Some people missed the point from my illustration I guess. Notice that I included my sister. Yes guys we are adults and we have good English skills. I personally study in an English university. But what about teens and young people? Those need to see and understand the ‘values’ and ‘problems’ Maya post here, so luckily they avoid them in their lives.

    Reply
  11. Thierry Avatar
    Thierry

    Don’t complain, she could do it in french !!!!
    Keep writing in english, s’il te plait….

    Et bravo à Rocky !

    Reply
    1. Rocky Avatar
      Rocky

      Danke 😀

      Reply
  12. Haytham Khouja Avatar
    Haytham Khouja

    *hands Maya a rocket launcher* …. finish him!

    Reply
  13. Rahaf Avatar
    Rahaf

    Arabic- Arabic and again Arabic; it is our mother language and even there are not much arabic readers, there will be one day.
    It is a fight and also we had to rich the internet with arabic content and we have to be proud of our language and about who we are. Maybe you can add from time to time english- french articles.

    That is my opinion;

    Thank you

    Reply
  14. Rahaf Avatar
    Rahaf

    By the way I wrote the comment without knowing what was written in the picture as it was still dowloading. After reading it: I agree with picture 100%% . We have to do something about the Arabic content on the Net, we have.

    Reply
  15. Haytham Khouja Avatar
    Haytham Khouja

    on a more serious note…i’m proud that Lebanon is polyglot and that most Lebanese can articulate in several languages… the entire world envies us. Us, the fluent in English, Arabic and French.

    Reading an Italian menu in Arabic is torture, i’ve seen it in Saudi Arabia… its gut-busting.

    Lebanon is far from resembling Arabic countries culturally and educationally, i don’t see the point in addressing their issues or targeting the rest of this God forsaken dung loving dumphole (the Arab world)

    Reply
    1. it's mE!! ooOOH!! Avatar
      it’s mE!! ooOOH!!

      How can you say that! You, yourself, are an Arab. At least be proud of our past!

      Reply
  16. nathalie Avatar
    nathalie

    That’s something to feel, and Maya feels she can write in English… English makes writing more vivid, emotional and interesting and you can easily be brief and to the point…

    Reply
  17. Washi Avatar
    Washi

    Maya, please please keep blogging in English so non-Arabs like me in faraway South Africa can keep reading your posts!!! Thanks/Shukran/Merci/Dankie 🙂

    Reply
  18. Ahmad Ghanem Avatar
    Ahmad Ghanem

    I suggest to use the “appropriate” language depending on the post itself. Some posts in Arabic and others in English.
    Just a thought…

    Reply
    1. Rocky Avatar
      Rocky

      Good offer Ahmad 🙂

      Reply
  19. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    Maya dont think about converting ur blog to arabic.. u can have them both if u have time/volunteer!! Since Your blog is not only limited to arab countries so dont ruin that chance of growth.

    Reply
  20. nathalie Avatar
    nathalie

    yes yes keep it in English, i already invited my friends from china to know more about Lebanon…

    Reply
  21. Maik Avatar
    Maik

    I am german and this is literally the only arab website I’m reading on a regular basis. We all have to learn more about each other. I like this small anchor to be connected with the arab world. Maybe there will be more to discover in the future. If Maya would post in arab language I could/would not read it. Please keep it up!

    Reply
  22. Ahmad Osman Avatar
    Ahmad Osman

    Just blog in Esperanto, dear ; )

    No, really now. God knows that I am very staunch on Arabic as a language (at the end of the day, it is the language of Mahmoud Darwiche, Ghada Al Samman, and Badr Shaaker Al Sayyaab, to count a few), and that I personally conduct much of my intellectual life in it, but

    Let’s face it, your blog caters to a strongly urbanised Arab audience, and comes from it. We are those who grew up in foreign schools or at least universities, those who read in English or French but not in Arabic (though God knows we can, and I do), and who watch, I don’t know, Grey’s Anatomy (did I spell that right?). We are those 10% who are not representative of the Arab community, and who are not essentially better or worse than it.

    My point is this: your blog cannot and must not pretend to be something that it is not, and this is a shame, and a loss to the Arabic language, but there is nothing that you can do about it.

    A volunteer translator? Why not, if you fell upon a good one who could translate it to Lebanese (not Fous7a, please), but do not overwork yourself over catering to us Arabs and Frenchies and Phoenicians.

    Reply
  23. w43L Avatar
    w43L

    I would say give it a shot, a little Arabic wont hurt anyone every once in a while and I’m sure your creativity can come up with something funny,smart and Arabic (:

    Reply
  24. Daniela Avatar
    Daniela

    Maya please keep the english in some posts, as you said some of your visitors are not arabic and maybe they understand in a really basic level the english. I´m from venezuela and I´m really pleased with this charming blog 😀

    Reply
  25. Alexander Swift Avatar
    Alexander Swift

    On the language issue, I’m torn.

    For English: I’m an American who, despite having grown up in Saudi Arabia, has the misfortune not to understand Arabic. This English-speaking blog includes me as a reader; if it were exclusively in Arabic, it wouldn’t.

    For Arabic: Voices in English are easily listened to; voices in Arabic, especially female voices, struggle to be heard. Bloggers in the Middle East are changing this, but the process is slow, difficult, and even dangerous. To blog in Arabic, even in part in Arabic, reaches people who perhaps most need connection.

    In the end, it comes down to YOUR identity (or, I suspect, identities) and YOUR goals for this blog. While Arabic can whisper “although English can afford to be more generous, no one needs you more than I”, you are under no obligation … except to yourself and your craft, which, be assured, readers delight to partake in.

    Reply
  26. Babel bubble | Somethingology

    […] in Lebanon, we often chose to express ourselves in English because we tend to think international. Blogger Maya Zankoul explains it in her post :”The Language Dilemma”: we want to address the whole world, not just our […]

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