Review: Whatever You Say, The Middle East Is Interesting
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2012
Desert SongEither I'm getting into Narendra Simone's head or he is getting into mine because I had a chance to review his "1001 Arabian Nightmares" and I found it to be an absolute scream. The thing about the area, Simone notes between the lines, is that once you are there you have to suspend your state of belief in anything amounting to anything you knew and then learn to live with a new atmosphere. Here's a place where folks cruise along in their huge SUVs and honk you out of the way with their headcoverings flapping out the windows covering everything to the rear, a cellphone pressed to that ear and a rearview aimed just so the driver can see himself. Or, how about a place where you can buy alcohol (the UAE, according to this book) and drink, just don't try having a normal conversation about it. And, then there's the one I liked about the guy driving with his wife at a slow 105 trying to change lanes where he nicks an even-slower driving policeman who is doing about 100. Well, the wife puts on her "I told you so look," as the rather large uniformed officer straightens himself out, after stopping the Westerner. They exchange proper greetings -- probably surprising the policeman -- have a discussion about veering and they are both off, with no more said? Huh? Having now read several of Simone's books -- he is really establishing an excellent reputation, I couldn't help but chuckle at the 41 chapters of "nightmares" that are just some weirdly wonderful stories. Simone is at least that, a great story-teller