Funny...

Funny

August 30

In this unrelated photo:  

my first attempt to make samosoas with sambosa leaves from Saudi Arabia...quite delicious!  In the foreground: a local fruit that is like a lechee

I saw an advert at the clinic the other day that struck me funny.  I presumed it to be for a plastic surgery practice, but not one I'd want to submit my body to. On the left side it pictured what should have been the "before" photo which was a nice, firm, flat female abdomen.  In the "After" pic there was a flabby, lumpy, tummy more like my own.  As I was wondering who would PAY to have the rolly polly look, Emily reminded me that they read Right to Left here:)

In England & Germany, we constantly lamented how early the malls closed and the impossibility of getting any shopping done after dinner.  Now that we're in a country where shopping is the main source of amusement, stores are open till midnight.  On Thursday, Robert & I went out around 8pm to get things for the house after we had finished unpacking.  At IKEA, we stopped at the diwanea (a large tent used for entertaining with cushions low on the ground for sitting) where Arabic coffee and sweets were being served.  After a snack, we scooped up everything from trash cans to full length mirrors and headed home around 12.  The traffic was crazy; we waited to nudge out into the mystery lanes (not sure how many there are, which is fast/slow, etc) for the ride home.  A truck in a hurry tore past us on the right hand shoulder. Funny, what a contrast it is to life in Europe.

The road in front of the Avenues Mall divides the old from the new.  The mall sprawls over many blocks with it's wave shaped roof and Rodeo Drive-ish palm lined, fountain dotted exterior and equally grand interior.  The humor is in the contrast on the other side of the road. Smaller shops are huddled together and groups of white clad men cluster inside and out.  Cars park 3-4 deep on any semi-flat surface available.  Piles of trash lean against tired & crumbling buildings and rubbish lays like snow drifts wherever it's been blown.

I'm looking for beauty and appreciating this culture but sometimes things just hit me weird. The other night when I was wakened by the call to prayer, it sounded to me like the Imam was gagging on a tongue depressor.  MY BAD, I know!

Try as we may, keeping to the Ramadan rules is so tough. Who'd think I'd have to tell my "dying of thirst" son to "go duck behind that truck and sneak a drink of water?" At the Friday market we noticed people buying cold water bottles and several had them open, so we thought maybe the fast was lifted on the Holy days.  Just as Emily was about to take a drink, Molly noticed the water bottles were being used to pour over their parched heads--not for quenching thirst! Later, while grocery shopping I forgot and asked to taste olives at the deli counter.  The first guy let me, but when I asked to taste some cheese, the assistant looked reluctant and tipped me off!  Embarrassed, I hurried away.

Funny how homesick one can get when there is no phone service to call home on.  I miss hearing the voice of family and friends.  I miss the hugs and warmth & prayers of my home group.  I miss being with people who know me & love me anyway!