What is an Arab?

I make a big fuss out of tea, therefore I'm Arabic?!

Let's take a step back...I remember back in uni, I joined the Arab Student Association. In their intro, they said that they would organize traditional Arabic things like going out to have shisha and play cards. I sat there and thought "well if you don't do both, are you a REAL Arab?"

How is one an Arab?
Is it by being born in an Arabic country - didn't do that one
Is it speaking the language? - it can't be, otherwise I'd be English/French
Is it loving meat - ahhh meat
Is it living with your parents till u get married - Italians & Indians do that too
Is it by being hospitable and generous - humanity makes anyone kind & true
Is it talking with your hands, laughing out loud, having an obscene number of relatives, and regularly knocking on wood to rid yourself of the "evil eye"? - helloooo Greeks!

The really cool thing about the influence of globalization and being a modern Arab, is that you could be none of the above. In fact, you could be punctual, not a big fan of tea nor coffee, have a soft voice, don't eat red meat, and prefer small weddings. Arabs don't all look like the people you may see on the news, not EVERY Arab man has a mustache, a big nose, and dark thick hair.

What really makes one an Arab, is that there is a huge love & patriotism for a place that you probably have never seen, or have simply visited on holidays. Well....that, and taking huge offense when someone utters the single word "mother" to you.

Being an Arab completely takes over. You could be born here, lived there, is half giraffe, but as soon as an Arab background is in the picture, u feel it, and it's loud and clear. It's a feeling that binds you the way guys are bound by an unspoken bro-code. You might not know exactly what makes you an Arab, versus any Mediterranean person for instance, but you definitely feel it.