Friday, September 25, 2009

Unknown visitors in the Eid!!!

No longer had I seen one batch of visitors off, than a car stood in front of my house, and 2 couples were heading towards my door. They couldn’t see me standing behind the window, trying to figure out who are these people.

The bell rang and I politely headed towards the door and let them in with a big smile. The taller woman was carrying a big bag and she placed it on the table proudly. I was still wondering who those people are, I haven’t seen them before. They seated themselves comfortably and one of the men was about to light his cigarette when he looked at me suspiciously and asked: this is the house of Um Mohammad isn’t it???

I smiled with relief and said: I am afraid no it’s the house of Um Iyad.

They all stood up at the same time and the man put the cigarette back in its bag and said: in a very embarrassing tone we are so sorry, but you will have to keep the present.

I said No No held the present in my hand to give it to him, while suddenly the tall woman snatched it from my hand and went out of the door as fast as she could.

I laughed as they left, but was wondering what was in the bag that the man wanted me to keep, while the woman thought I shouldn’t.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Coffee for the Eid

Decided to buy coffee for the Eid before the end of Ramadan so as to avoid the traffic and the long lines at the coffee shop, the shop was almost empty when I ordered a kilo of Turkish coffee and half a kilo of Sada coffee.

While my order was being prepared a man stood behind me and started to shout; where is my Sada coffee?? I have been asked to wait at the other side of the shop and all clients who came after me had their coffee ready while I am still waiting??

I looked at him sarcastically having in mind the add at the Egyptian tv, (Sebni be7ali al dunia siam). The young man behind the coffee grinder handed him a bag of coffee that was given to him from one of his colleagues from the other side of the shop.

The angry man touched the bag and said its not hot its old, this must be from the day before he shouted, and returned the bag back to the young man, meanwhile my Sada coffee was ready and I saw it in the young man‘s hand who was trying to explain that Sada coffee doesn’t come out hot, he looked at the angry man and gave him my bag, and handed me the bag that was refused by the angry man.

For few seconds I thought of shouting or refusing to take that bag.

I looked angrily at the young man and said: well that is the coffee that the angry man refused to take???? The young man looked at me with no expression whatsoever, realizing that I was too weak to protest; I took the bag and left the shop

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Red meat boycott sad ending!

I regret to say that I have ended red meat boycott which I obeyed for one month according to the consumer protection society, not because I missed the meat, but because I couldn't explain to my mother that although we can afford to buy the meat, we have had to follow the society's demands to protect the poor people from the greedy merchants.
I ate the meat, it was tasteless, not because it wasn’t cooked well , but I was ashamed because I broke the boycott. I apologize to the people  I stood with for one month and to the consumer society, but I couldn’t say No to my old mother

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Amsterdam

This summer our destination was The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark ,I will post few pics of my favorite places and will write some comments about the trip .