tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post47321984294276528..comments2024-03-22T10:56:23.359+02:00Comments on Land and People: Sunday's poem: "Your sorrow" by Abdel Rahman al AbnoudiRami Zuraykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644937988631864952noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-27959669044389801332007-12-18T02:17:00.000+02:002007-12-18T02:17:00.000+02:00perhaps someone should take it upon themselves to ...perhaps someone should take it upon themselves to make the next scientific breakthrough, identifying and isolating the 'zankha.' this will be well received in the Arab world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-7102204105543584122007-12-17T16:46:00.000+02:002007-12-17T16:46:00.000+02:00what about 'stale' mainly used with old bread but ...what about 'stale' mainly used with old bread but it can also mean sour, old, musty, fusty ...<BR/><BR/>it doesn't work with fish and meat though (can somebody explain why chicken is not meat in Arabic?)<BR/><BR/>also dear Lebanese arabists, do not think your language is the only one with un-translatable words in it. Ask an Englishman to describe rain, trying to translate his answer will soon find you out of your depths.<BR/><BR/>Similarly, concerning the sensitivity of the Lebanese palate, it's sensitive to some things but not to others, salt is one thing that is used rather too abundantly for my (European) taste.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-51462619184354112007-12-17T16:41:00.000+02:002007-12-17T16:41:00.000+02:00c'est moi qui a écrit le dernier commentaire?loubn...c'est moi qui a écrit le dernier commentaire?<BR/><BR/>loubnaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-57049856467938283712007-12-17T16:38:00.000+02:002007-12-17T16:38:00.000+02:00ali, laich always istazgood rami, you are a poete,...ali, <BR/><BR/>laich always istaz<BR/><BR/>good rami, you are a poete, trilingual, i am in france and i am incapable of translating arabic peomeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-58413402946736465662007-12-17T15:55:00.000+02:002007-12-17T15:55:00.000+02:00ps, i have a non-arabic friend and he told me ther...ps, i have a non-arabic friend and he told me there is a term they use in english called 'wet dog smell.' but this only applies to the smell and he claims it never translates into something one can taste.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-32781104209583163902007-12-17T15:51:00.000+02:002007-12-17T15:51:00.000+02:00thank you for your response. this sheds some ligh...thank you for your response. this sheds some light on the subject.<BR/><BR/>aliAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-14199991236407199472007-12-17T10:57:00.000+02:002007-12-17T10:57:00.000+02:00Hmmm interesting question. But first, lets use the...Hmmm interesting question. But first, lets use the right words. It is zankha, not zanakha. zanakha is when people act silly and their actions are like zankha: they ruin the mood. <BR/><BR/>I can fully sympathize with you, especially about fish and chicken which is not prepared well. I also find that zankha taste appears in food after a microwave is used for defrosting or cooking or heating. But the worst is the mixture of egg and water: the glasses used for drinking will smell of zankha for a long time. The way to get rid of it is a few drops of chlorox in the cleaning water. I also noticed that if you leave the glasses and plates for long enough after washing them, even without chlorox, the zankha disappears indicating that it is a volatile compound. <BR/><BR/>I also share the same experience with you: many people I have met in Europe or in the US do not seem to be able to smell it. There are people in Lebanon who are more sensitive to it than others. I personally find the smell so intolerable that I cannot eat eggs or fish and drink water from the same glass twice, as it will have been "contaminated" the first time. This is where the ibriq (jug) comes in very handy. And yes, i have not found a name for it in english. We looked for one many years ago, and then dropped it.Rami Zuraykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14644937988631864952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163876234969175446.post-38045023196656470632007-12-16T17:49:00.000+02:002007-12-16T17:49:00.000+02:00istaz, i have a question, off the subject of poetr...istaz, i have a question, off the subject of poetry. perhaps you may know the answer. in arabic we have a term, 'zanakha' which would describe a taste that foods acquire when they are hot and exposed to cold. man, cant tell you how many a meals have been ruined by this insiduous phenomenon. i thought it only happens to hot foods and meat chicken fish (the other day i ordered tabbouli from restaurant and it was afflicted with it). anyway, the question is, what is this concept called in english? my non arabic friends have no idea what i am talking about and cliam they have never experienced it before. am i missing something? we could sit down to the same dinner which has been compromised by the menacing zanakha and i taste and they dont. they think i'm nuts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com