Fuzzy Blankets

No matter how many years we live here, we will remain visitors and learners in this foreign land that will become our home, not fixing people, but walking with them, seeing what they DO have not just what they do not.  One way we feel we can walk alongside them is to respect them enough to learn their language.  Not only is it necessary for every day life, but it shows we enjoy their culture and their language and THEM enough to take the time and effort to communicate well. 

That being said, it is not easy!  We are starting to realize that even after being immersed in the language and studying full time, we will probably not be fluent after two years.  It is a difficult language.  It is still exciting though when we can start to understand even a little.  This past weekend my friend, Grace, wanted to take me to the market to get a blanket for our bed.  She was adamant that we get a warm blanket for the coming winter (in case you are wondering, winter in Arabic is 'esshitta'…no kidding).  

Grace does not speak English so I knew an outing together would be a fun challenge!  Before we left she told me that when we were in the store I should not speak because she wanted to get the best price for us and thought they would charge me too much because I am a foreigner.   We took the ‘ladies only’ car on the metro and several ladies on the train had an opinion about where we should go to buy the best and least expensive blankets.  Everyone was so animated and talking all at once that it was a little hard for me to follow.  One thing they all agreed on though was that I should not open my mouth.  One lady actually suggested I wrap my scarf around my head like a hijab and wear sunglasses so they couldn’t tell I wasn’t from around here.  We took a rickety old bus from the metro station to the market and made our way through the dark, twisty paths full of various shops in search of the blanket store.  There were stalls of kitchen supplies, scarves, fireworks, clothing, toys, sheesha pipes, incense sticks, tea, jewelry and pretty much everything ever made in China. Many of the shop keepers stood on boxes shouting to people as they passed by in hopes they would buy something from their stalls.  The place was so crowded that Grace had to hold my hand to make sure I didn’t get lost in the sea of people (which I was happy about because there were more than a few ladies dressed in flowing black abayas and matching hijabs like hers!).  We chatted and laughed and munched cobs of corn roasted by the road.  I only understood about 10% of what was being said, but I enjoyed myself 100% of the time!  After visiting several blanket stalls I purchased a fairly inexpensive, very warm and, by my taste, ugly blanket.  It actually didn’t seem so bad after I had seen so many (think roadside blanket stand type), but when I brought it home I realized, yes, it was ugly.  It doesn’t matter though.  When I look at that plush burgundy blanket and watch the girls making ‘snow angels’ on it, I will recall the wonderful outing I had with my friend, experiencing life together.