The other day I mentioned a friend, a nurse, who in 1983 helped the sick and wounded at field hospitals during the fighting in Lebanon’s Chouf Mountains.
Her name is Irene. Here is a true story about her, from December 1983:
AMERICAN SARCASM MISSES MARK
WITH LEBANESE SENSE OF HUMORThe Lebanese have kept a sense of humor during their grim civil war. But during her hospital work in Lebanon this year, nurse Irene B. found that the Lebanese do not laugh at American sarcasm.
The ironic tone seemed to lose something in translation.
When a Lebanese assistant had dressed a patient’s wound with too many bandages, Irene gibed, "Do you think that needs any more gauze?"
Taking the question literally, the assistant politely replied, "No, I believe this amount is sufficient."
* * * On a car ride, Irene’s driver stopped for a stop sign, but seemed to be waiting endlessly to pull back into traffic. Poking fun at the driver’s hesitation, Irene commented, "It’s an awfully long light."
The puzzled driver looked around and responded, "But Irene, there is no light here."
Nevertheless, the Lebanese were just as apt to catch the American visitor with their own startling wit.
* * * Irene met a Lebanese Druze who wanted to know why such U.S. television shows as "Dallas" and "Dynasty" frequently portray Americans involved in premarital sex, an unspeakable crime in Lebanon.
"Do you Americans believe it is right to sleep with just anybody?" the young man asked.
"No," Irene answered, adding with jest, "I believe that before you go to bed with a man, you should at least know his name."
The young man thought for a moment. Then he smiled, stretched out his hand, and said, "Hello, my name is Walid."
Just for the record, that young man was not Walid Jumblatt, the Lebanese Druze leader, but Jumblatt was a major actor then, and this year he has re-emerged from the chaos to lead again.
Will Lebanon laugh again? After all the conflict, you have to wonder if the Lebanese have any humor left. I hope so. I believe so. But they deserve so much more to laugh about.
Frank Warner
"Humor: Lebanese man: Do American women have sex with anyone?"
Apparently, unequivocally, a yes! And at a very young age too!
Posted by: Red Star | February 28, 2005 at 03:56 PM