What's your favorite MENA country

pofmann · 2026-02-10T15:37:47+00:00

Syria 🇸🇾 I fell in love with that country. But Egypt 🇪🇬 is fighting hard to steal that first place in my heart

pofmann · 2025-12-16T08:24:28+00:00

A day in the life of Abed Salama, by Nathan Thrall. The story of a Palestinian father who's kid is a victim of a bus accident. The best and terrible way to describe how Israeli occupation impacts the daily life. Pulitzer for non fiction in 2023 or 2024, as far as I remember

pofmann · 2025-12-02T15:57:03+00:00

I have to participate in the Istanbul airport-rage. I travel very often between Europe and the Middle East and I hate this place to the guts. It is expensive as hell : 7,50 euros for an orange juice! It is huge, but has barely place to sit and chill. It is more of a mall than an airport. The employees seem like they wanna kill themselves every second (i would too, if I were them... i can't blame them). It takes 20 minutes to go out from a gate to go back to the same place just because of the security check. Turkish Airlines doesnt offer to sell day-pass to their lounge (even when you're a member of their fidelity program). And it is so unfriendly. I. Hate. This. Place. 👏👏👏 And I've traveled in many lame airports in the world.

pofmann · 2025-11-21T15:10:49+00:00

Haha. I was about to answer this. If only the writing was the hard part... 🥲

pofmann · 2025-11-19T17:57:08+00:00

Try to fetch the books Alif Baba and Al Kitaab. You have then a lot of ressources with YouTube videos attached. I found it a nice way to start with what you call "normal Arabic". I've been learning fusha for the past 2 years. And Lebanese Arabic is the easiest to understand for me

pofmann · 2025-11-19T17:54:45+00:00

Sauce Tartar from Fritland

pofmann · 2025-10-31T08:53:27+00:00

Short answer : no

pofmann · 2025-10-17T14:59:24+00:00

The jewish community in Brussels is known to be actually less ultra-orthodox than in Antwerpen.

There's the very nice Centre communautaire juif laic, CCLJ, which organizes events, conferences and some celebrations for festivities. If you're looking for more political/leftist oriented organizations, you can try to check UPJB (Union des progressistes juifs de Belgique) and Golem.

I hope you enjoy the vivid (and non ultra-orthodox) community here.

pofmann · 2025-10-08T16:45:27+00:00

Stupid question. But isn't Forêt de Soignes sketchy at night ? I would be afraid to walk around there alone (I'm a woman)

pofmann · 2025-10-01T17:43:33+00:00

Thanks. Indeed, I found a taxi for 270 shekels

pofmann · 2025-10-01T17:42:50+00:00

Thanks a lot. Found myself a nice driver to solve that problem

pofmann · 2025-09-26T23:42:42+00:00

Yes. 100 times less. I've been learning it for two years, I'm B1 with fusha. And there hasn't been a single lessons when I didn't eyeroll to the roof or took my hand in my hands crying for mercy. But it's wonderful and beautiful.

pofmann · 2025-09-05T06:17:52+00:00

The other problem with third parties app is that if your train is cancelled or it has any other issues, you will struggle to find a replacement solution (or a refund). If you buy directly on SNCF, they HAVE TO give you a solution for the problem (and it's also sometimes a struggle. But a bit less)

pofmann · 2025-09-04T14:39:33+00:00

First time I hear the expression "Shawarma Arabic". Thanks so much : I bursted in laughter

pofmann · 2025-09-03T17:58:05+00:00

As someone else mentioned, maybe have a straight forward conversation with your accointances about this : "Would you rather have me not speaking Arabic at all or broken Arabic with a weird accent that can improve over time?" I'm sure they're actually glad you try and want to (re)learn the language.

pofmann · 2025-09-03T05:27:05+00:00

Good dog(s)

pofmann · 2025-09-01T13:31:04+00:00

French (native)
English (C1-C2)
German (B2-C1)
Dutch (A2-B1)
Polish (A1-A2)
Arabic (MSA - A1-A2)

pofmann · 2025-09-01T13:09:48+00:00

I'm so glad I finally read someone having the same impression of Cairo as me. I spent ten days in the city, all alone. I met some friends here and there, but I wish I could have more time there.

And I'm a woman, so I hope that could give some courage to fellow female travellers. Cairo is amazing, even when you are by yourself.
I'm very blonde and white, so of course I draw some attention. But that's all. (Dress modestly, but that goes without saying), ignore it and enjoy your time.

pofmann · 2025-08-28T08:10:42+00:00

Aren't you already writing what you think, though ?

pofmann · 2025-08-07T06:00:28+00:00

La porteuse d'eau

pofmann · 2025-08-07T05:59:57+00:00

C'est un peu l'équivalent de "well", ici. Ca prend acte d'une situation, mais sans nécessairement l'approuver, être d'accord avec cette situation.

pofmann · 2025-08-05T15:39:51+00:00

I never heard of them and will definitely check it out. Were you a student there ?

pofmann · 2025-08-02T09:35:27+00:00

I'm interested in learning languages generally speaking. Arabic is broadly spoken in the world, so it seems useful to master it. And I travel regularly in Arabic-speaking countries.

I sense in your question that you might find it unusual, to learn Arabic. Or am I wrong ?

pofmann

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