Keeping food and water in the house is harder now during RamaDaan.
Food - for starters, the people bringing the fresh supplies are coming in whenever they want anyway all year round, but at least by 11 am. Now that it's RamaDaan, there's no real "commitment" so it's really hit or miss for fruits/veggies and meats.
Right now, there's no sense trying to shop before 2 pm due to this reason, HOWEVER, 1pm is when most of the middle class here....or the upper class servants...go out out to grocery shop for their night of eating! oh dear!
What a packed store! zaHma! Crowded!! KETIIR! too much people (literal translation) Also what happens is, people are SOOOO hungry at this point (they haven't eaten since like 5 am) that "their eyes are bigger than their stomachs" so they are making larger purchases - demand is up, supply...maintained all year round - eek!
Water - deman is up due to heat, supply ..... maintained all year round - EEK!
"my guys" - there are 4 specific men at the store I use (Seoudi's) it's sorta like saying Saudi only it's See-owe-dee said quickly) Seoudi's guys see me coming and they **know** I'm going to tip big, so today while I had 3 carts full (blushing BUT THEY ARE DINKY CARTS! AND THEY FINALLY HAD EVERYTHING I NEEDED EXCEPT.....chic broth which I'll make myself) so I stocked up (even Doritos!!)
So they see me coming, they load my stuff onto the belt...they tell me they're out of water!! 2 guys volunteer to go find it for me ;) They checked 2 stores - one store had a box of bottled water I need and the other one had the dispenser size (praise be to God!) - one in each store - sorry....my neighbors...I took the last of it for the day! oopsie!
Anyway, so 3 guys bring my stuff on bikes today instead of the typical 2 and when I gave them the double tip (due to RamaDaan), they remind me I tipped them double last week...I told them I'll tip them double every week for RamaDaan...the 2 younger ones were hootin - what a riot!
Today in the store, this has happened a few times actually....a guy who didn't know me was at the deli counter, in Arabic, he tells this other guy to translate...that guy tells him I speak Arabic and I respond positively in Arabic....then I get 10 questions from the locals ;) (well maybe just a bunch of looks and 3 questions, but it is still funny)
Then while I'm at the meat counter I was thinking about what it'll be like to stand in Meijer where no one will answer their phone will processing your meat then touch your meat.....and where there will be a large supply of food all the time and everything will be clean...where more than one cart fits down an aisle.....and where...
I will wait in line politely or take a number....
not push ahead and shout out
I WANT BLAH BLAH BLAH
in Arabic
LOLOLOLOLOL
I'm polite about it, but I've been told by expats, that I'm officially a local even at the grocery store ;) Except I use manners, I say please and I let old ladies go first and people w/ small orders, etc.......it's not that Egyptians lack manners, it's that they don't recognize personal boundaries..."if you're not going, I am" kind of mentality and it's not "rude" truly - BUT I remember BEING offended for quite some time....now here I am!
Ok so I'm standing at the meat counter thinking this when I hear the guys processing the cuts we all want...chatting about some Americans...I know it's not me cuz they know I can understand...then I realize...there's gotta be some white people behind me dressed inappropriately...
I slowly turned and looked them up and down...I definitely have become a local! I gave my look of disapproval - then I blushed and turned back when I realized what I did! OH DEAR!
LOLOL!
They spoke to me in English, I pretended I didn't understand...I didn't want to ruin my good reputation at the store!
MWAH HA HA HA! my evil laugh..I think the heat got to me ;)
Oh and look at these ADORABLE local pears THEY ARE SOOOOO SWEET AND JUICY!
Thanks for reading! Off to sweat, I mean off to church. 106 at 4:45 pm. My 3rd shower will be at 6:30 tonight while I wait for my pizza delivery!
3 comments:
You know its funny (actually sad) that even though things and people there seem to be dirty and you cringe at the handling of food...I bet there are still less food-born illnesses there than in our mass-produced country.
I giggled when I read how you reacted to seeing the inappropriateness of the Americans!!! I could see you shaking your head and saying 'Hussies'! LOL
When you get home I'd like to come with you on your first several shopping trips to watch (and laugh at) you offending everyone around you by standing too close!! It took us a while to stop doing that when we got back to the states!
Well Miss Wendy it didn't take you long at all to aclimate to your surroundings did it! Laughed out loud at your disapproving look to the Americans...tsk, tsk. tsk...lol! ;)
And YES the pear is adorable! :)
I love it....you've made it as a local now! I would have loved to of been there seeing you shake your head at the Americans behind you. I'm so proud of all that you've accomplished in such a short time living there! You won't know what to do with yourself when you come back to the states. :)
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