The more things are different . . .

. . . the more they are the same.I walked out of my apartment building today and immediately knew something was different.  It was the light.  And the air, it hadn't cooled as it usually does by morning.  Then I realized that it was overcast.  Not just cloudy, it was overcast.  Maybe not just like Oregon, but after 27 days in country, finally there was a cloud in the sky.  While the clouds started breaking by 9 am, they were still around when I came home from work, which is when I took this cloud photograph.  Like those guys at the radio station in the Malibu rum commercial, here there's always "Sunshine!"  Except for today.

So I started thinking about other things around here that are different, but aren't.  Of course Coke is Coke anywhere in the world, even if the can doesn't say Coke.  (Ok, I'll confess, you would recognize and be able to read the other side of the can.).  But you have to admit, if you approached a cooler full of these, you know what you'd be buying.  And it tastes exactly the same.

And in case anyone thinks I'm playing favorites in the cola wars, I'm not.   I, like my dad, favor that other cola beverage.  So in the interest of equality, I grabbed a can of . . . can you guess?

And yes, Pepsi tastes the same too.  It's interesting how many signs I recognize as we drive around the city going from one place to another though I can't read a bit of the sign.  Well, other than a product name or a trademarked symbol.  I can say that that the Arabic script lends itself to graphic design.  Here's the side label of the Pepsi can:

I guess you can't read it very well, but I think it's quite beautiful.  Time and time again I find the calligraphy simply stunning.

Fortunately, most products written in Arabic have some indication of what the product is, whether it is in English, French or some other language(s).

And since I'm in an Arabic-speaking country, you can imagine what is on the flip-side of my business card.  I wish I could post both sides of the card for you, but the security officer in the back of my head is telling me that it's not such a good idea.  So I'll leave it to your imagination.  Sorry!