Belgian student ‘adores’ Arabic (18/10/2005)

Belgian student ‘adores’ Arabic

By Bonnie James WHEN Belgian national Katrien Vanpee left Qatar two decades ago as a six-year-old, she was too young to think life would bring her back to the country where she spent three memorable years of her childhood. The little girl has returned as a young lady fluent in Arabic and eager to learn more about the language she describes as the most beautiful she has heard so far. “Purely phonetically speaking, I adore Arabic,” Vanpee, who is currently taking four courses at the Arabic Language Department of the University of Qatar (QU) with native Arabic speakers, told Gulf Times in an interview. A self-confessed lover of languages in general, she has taken a year-off from pursuing a second Master’s in Arab Studies at Georgetown University in the US. Coming to QU last month on a scholarship it offered, Vanpee passed out of all the levels of the Arabic Programme for Non-Native Speakers and was transferred to the Arabic Language Department. “The courses I am enrolled in are Contemporary Literature in the Gulf; Modern Arabic Poetry; Linguistic Skills; and Metre and Rhyme, all focusing on the Arabic language and literature like me,” she explained. Vanpee believes her childhood years in Qatar, when her father worked here, may have been the first trigger of her interest in the Middle East, and she has a special bond with Qatar. “Apart from my fascination for Arabic, I am deeply attracted by the Middle Eastern, especially the Khaliji (Gulf) culture, I love its food and music, and the sun,” said the youngster who admits to a ‘weak spot’ for camels and deserts. “I am interested in the politics, economics, and the ‘big issues’ of the Middle East, and also its problems,” observed Vanpee who is intrigued by the region’s culture and describes it as ‘imperfect but beautiful as any culture.’ She has returned to Qatar for nine months after studying Arabic for five years; at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, in Venice, Tunis, Cairo and at Georgetown. Vanpee, who has Qatari girls as her classmates at QU, rates them as great friends. “They are the sweetest girls; very open and intelligent, and very hospitable. Several of them have invited me over to their houses, where I have had unique ‘insider’ experiences,” she said. Since speaking Arabic is no problem at all for her, Vanpee gather lots of information and insights into Qatari culture from such house visits. “This comes in addition to the warm company they offer me,” she pointed out. Upon completion of her year at QU, she hopes to return to Georgetown, where she still needs to finish one more year in the Master’s programme. “I have already handed in my application to start a PhD in Arabic Literature and Linguistics at Georgetown and hope intensely that I will get accepted,” said Vanpee who is looking forward to be able to commence both the PhD and finish her Master’s next year. The young lady sees the Gulf as the region to focus her future research and career, which is to have Arabic, the language which she wants to study, teach and write on, at the core.