Grace and Good Humor

I am sitting here shaking my head and chuckling...what else can you do? So often I meet people who have "carpenter rage" as well as road rage and every other kind of rage...where grace and good humor have just left the door.....

now imagine being in a 3rd world country and not speaking the language......I am thankful for the grace and good humor God not only gave to me but to most of the Egyptians who come across my path.....

you simply MUST hear this story.....here goes....

Someone was at home all day because we were told a plumber would come sometime yesterday or today as well as an electrician. The electrician hasn't shown yet, it's 8:03 pm.

At 7:00 tonight, Rob left to get fitted for a new uniform so that he and Anas will match. My understanding is that up to this pt, Anas has been wearing a nice suit and Rob has been wearing his Net Jets uniform. So Anas picks Rob up at 7 pm...side tracked..first you must know that Anas lives 30 min drive away on freeways where they drive 60 kmph - ok that's like...what....35 mph? The traffic was so horrendous due to it being near a Muslim worship time...it took him 2.5 HRS!!!???

Grace and good humor!!

So...at 7:25 tonight, my doorbell rings. You must know we have wonderful doormen downstairs, they watch out for me big time - the doorbell rings....the sun sets around 5:30 here, it's pitch dark out by 6 pm...so it's night here...truly night time......first..you cannot open my door w/o a key from either side...

I can't find the key! HA HA HA! I don't know how to say "one minute please" in Arabic, so I say "yes yes yes" over and over sweetly very loudly in Arabic :-) hoping to relay that yes, I hear them, yes, I'm here, yes I'm coming....

I wrap in my wrap since I'm in my Egyptian cotton pj's :-) and open the door to find 3 men standing there smiling sweetly, they always hold my eyes or my feet in view, I love how they're not so openly disgusting as too many American men!

anywho - the night watchman speaks a bit of English but understands a lot. I see 2 men with pvc pipes and a tool kit, they raise the items and smile and I "get it" and open the door, step back, they enter...

anyone see this as HILARIOUS?!

So along the way, i need to tell them that the main bath toilet is leaking into the vent.

Back up....the bathrooms are vented into the building. Anyone keeping up w/ that? NOT outside..into the building...which..in this case is probably good since it didn't puddle on the floor...but rather down the vent pipe - ha ha ha!

So....I can't convey my need at all, and he will not follow me "to the bedroom area" I have found this w/ the curtain guy too - they see the bedrooms...they are like LACH! LACH! (lah w/ a gutteral sound at the end) meaning no VERY adamently no.....sigh...

I call Rob...ask to speak w/ Anas..tell him my dilema..

"put the man on the phone"

they yack....

I get the phone...

the man goes....

he uses a kitchen towel to clean the sewage, replaces it to the holding spot as neatly as it was removed...takes my kitchen scouring pad and cleans the area...gets some pipes.....wipes his bare hand in it, smells it, yells out something....another guy helps....

phone back to him....phone back to me.....I have to wait one hour then turn this one thing to the left until it stops!

IS ANYONE ELSE JUST LAUGHING HYSERICALLY?

as an American, this seems ludicrous....but...I'm not laughing at them..just...the situation I found myself in and the means with which this all happens..is...hilarious! They were so gracious and giggling with me, no impatience or annoyance, no hint of it in their eyes..just gracious.....

if only Americans could be like this to new residents in America!

Anywho - in the end, one man says "basket" very slowly and meticulously. and points to the old pipes. I point to the garbage and say 'yes' in Arabic, he says no in Arabic, I feel confused and say "I do not understand" in Arabic....he points to himself...points to the door...and I get it..he wants something to take out the garbage in...a BAG not a basket :)

I point to my phone, point to him, give him a pen and paper...he says "no English" in Arabic of course and I said "Arabic, Anas" said in Arabic and he says "aaaah ha! yes"

we all laugh......

I just think from the stuff I read of expats, these situations sent people into tirades on their blogs..me....

grace and good humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if it wasn't for MY lack of language....it wouldn't be this way.....if it wasn't for their good humor and grace, nothing would've gotten fixed, ya know?

I just love these things that happen to me!

Recently we took a taxi as a family to the birthday party and Rob wanted to do the talking......driver knew ZIPO Ingleezee (English) Lach Ingleezee....so Rob says "Maadi' and the guy looks VERY confused and says Maadi Feen? and Rob says WHAT?! and the taxi driver smiles nicely waiting..and I said...

rob - WE'RE IN MAADI! where in Maadi? We both laughed!!!! And then in arabic, I used one hand, said one cross street in Arabic, used another to make a cross and said the cross street in Arabic and he said in Arabic back, I understand.....then we're driving over a bridge and I said it in Arabic, Joshua repeats...Rob tried but it came out all American and we all laughed together except Jasmine who said "what's the big deal?" which made us ALL laugh more...

grace and good humor......helps us to enjoy our silly situations!

well the clorox is calling me - my ocd is acting up...must go clean ;)

I hope you enjoyed this a bit!!! For those who were bored or confused.....

lehmohwhacezeh!

I'm sorry!! ;)

and yes, even in English, I now have an accent! ha ha! Most Egyptians understand English better when said in their dialect..........I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY AS THEY DO! ;) I understand English better when said in MY dialect too! ha!

Truthfully, I am so thankful for running water...for a landlord that sends capable, courteous men immediately....for doormen who watch me go to a Christian church even while they are on their rugs praying...and still treat me with respect and grace! But truthfully also....this is SOOOO funny to me!!