We all have to meet with Language Partners so we can be assured of speaking Arabic at least four hours a week. I met with mine for the first time today, and he was very happy to meet me.
A little too happy.
In fact, he was so happy that he said we can be best friends, like brothers. He then said that we could be like one person.
One person.
We went to a cafe to talk, and he told me to call him anytime that I'm free, that we're not just language partners, but friends, and we don't need only four hours a week. After the cafe, we walked along the beach and he wanted to walk arm-in-arm. I told him that that's strange to me and we don't do that in my country. Wanting to get away, I told him that I was heading back to the school to meet a friend in order to catch a ride home.
We went back and I thought I gave him the slip, but a while later I ran into him again. Turns out his mom works at the school, so he was still with her. My friend was still with his language partner, so I had to try and escape. Thinking quickly, I asked if anyone had seen my friend, and we all started looking. That split us up and I got away.
On a side note, best taxi ride to school and back EVER today. To get there, the driver went crazy down back streets and all sorts of unheard of ways, so we got there really fast and he didn't argue about the price with us. On the way back, we got the taxi in the middle of the road. Another driver yelled at our driver for stopping in the middle of the road and sped off. We caught up to him at a light and the two drivers commenced screaming at each other, all the while I'm sitting in the middle of them (in the front seat). It was kind of uncomfortable. The rest of the way home we chatted our driver up, and my buddy was willing to pay a little more so that we didn't have to fight with him. Fight might not have been the word that he used, though.
Egypt is hilarious fun sometimes.
Tommy, Tommy, Ding-dongy...
ReplyDeleteLook, if you have someone that is willing to be your best friend after just meeting you, then you owe it to yourself, America, and Egyptians everywhere to be that man's best friend. And if that means that you walk down the street arm-in-arm, then so be it.
We sent you to Egypt to learn the culture so get used to holding men's hands.
Go on. Don't dilly dally.
I never agree with Abinadi, but I do today. Get on with the friend making, Tommy.
ReplyDeleteyou passed up an egyptian dude? are you crazy? what if he wanted to kiss you?!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I couldn't stop laughing at that one paragraph you wrote: "One person." It's so true.
ReplyDeleteOh and speaking of taxis fighting, I was walking in 'Izbit Sa'd this evening and saw this taxi driver get out of his car and walk up to the passenger door. He proceeded to yell at his passenger and ask him to get out. It was so crazy! Well, they yelled at each other for a little bit as I started at them then the driver returned to his seat and drove off. I'm guessing that it must have been a pretty awkward drive after that.