Carolina CP3

It is currently 3:34am and I have only just now returned home from an evening with CIES students, that for me started at 3:00pm. I am so physically and mentally exhausted, yet so awake and refreshed I couldn't possibly sleep.

I picked Eun Sung up at 3:00pm for tutoring--but that is another blog post completely! I spent two and a half hours with her, then later went to Aladdin's to meet all of the CIES and TEFL students. Having everyone together and speaking in Arabic and English was amazing. Everyone talked over everyone else and was yelling and clapping and passing around different hookahs. The atmosphere was wonderful, matching the company. I sat next to Dori (sp) who is from Kuwait and talked with him after Muhammad got in a huge fight and walked out of the restaurant. Dori was almost like my informant for the evening--most of the men around me were speaking Arabic and Dori's Englishwas extremely good so he was translating and explaining for me. He said that the fight was no big deal--with Arab men, one minute they will be yelling at one another and the next they will be hugging. I asked if the fight would turn into punching, he scoffed and said, "They are men. They don't handle it so childishly." I was shocked. Most "men" in America don't seem to have the

same standards...

After a completely wonderful evening at Aladdin's conversing with so many different CIES students and learning more about the Arab culture, I went with Jordan to drop off Adel and Metib. The original plan was to take the both home,but they needed to go to Wal-Mart and insisted we drop them there and they would take a taxi home. At this point it was 11:30pm and Jordan and I insisted we drive them to Wal-Mart and I explained that I would love picking out stuff for Metib's brand new apartment. On the drive there I made a list, asking Metib what he already had and what he didn't. Luckily, Adel speaks much better than Metib and helped be my translator. However at one point when they were both speaking in the backseat I turned around and scolded, "In English!!" and they laughed and then struggled through finishing their conversation in their new foreign language.

With our list in tow we entered Wal-Mart at 12:00

pm and took about an hour explaining what sheets are, comforters, mattress pads, toothbrush holders, trash cans, plates, glasses, can openers, dish rags, pretty much every imaginable object you wouldneed for an apartment. Turns out, Metib is pretty picky in taste. He didn't want just any bedspread, he wanted the purple flower Bed-In-A-Bag. I tried to buy things separately and he said he only wanted the Bed-In-A-Bag.

When it came

to shower curtains I pointed at every one until he said yes. What did we end up with? A bright blue one with dolphins on it. It. Is. Awesome.

We went to get food after buying all the essential home items, and man was that frustrating. He wanted "chicken" fo

r the microwave and sent me off to find it. We then had to buy detergent for the dishwasher and washing machine. His taste was less picky here as he didn't care what smell detergent he got. We got him a huge gallon of milk, which he insisted on, and coincidentally doesn't fit in his fridge! After asking if he needed shampoo we made one quick dash over to explain razors, shaving cream, and "man" soap versus "unisex" soap--the Dial For Men confused him very much.

Taking him back to his apartment--which remember he has never been to before so this was an adventure all it's own finding it amongst about twenty apartment buildings--we climbed three flights of stairs and unpacked in his room, after Metib thought he lost his key already. We washed dishes, put groceries in the fridge, put toilet paper on the roll, hung hangers and finally made the bed--only to find Metib's understanding of a "twin" bed is in actuality a double bed. So, back to Wal-Mart we went! Now 2:00am, we drag our tired bodies back into Wal-Mart to pick out a new comforter--which took about 20 minutes. While checking out, the woman ringing us up happens to be from Egypt and speak Arabic and explains to Metib whether to press Debit or Credit and talked to both Adel and him

for a while. Though I was so tired, I was so amazed at the odds of our cashier, at 2:45am, being a woman who used to be a surgeon in Egypt and now works the night shift at Wal-Mart.

We drove back to Metib's and put his new door mat in front of his door (which I made him get--it says "Welcome Friends" and him and Adel smiled after they sounded the words out and could read it). We finally made his bed, laid out the rug I got to cover the stains on the room's carpet, and put the shower rings in the dolphin curtain. I made Metib stand out in the living room while I made his bed and finally revealed it to him. His face lit up like it hadn't all night. It was so amazing to take this small, drab apartment and make it cozy for him. He seemed to really feel at home and comfortable finally.

I was so, so excited I could do this for him and would not change my night for anything. This was honestly one of the best nights I have had in such a long time--possibly ever. The conversation, cultural blending, and sharing with one another was indescribable. By the end of the night, Metib who can barely say more than Hello, told me, "Thank you very much for this, Carolina" and that was more than reward enoug

h for the evening--as if I even needed one.