TI promised that I would blog about Eid al-Adha. But I thought you needed to know how we arrived to the point of being invited to something so important in the Arabic culture.
We live in a four villa compound (Gated Community in the U.S.). When we first moved in, there was only one other family living in the compound. As we were moving in, another family was looking for a villa. Initially, they looked at the compound next to us. Then, the daughters pulled up in front of our compound and asked me to "come...come." That is the common way to ask people to come here. The daughters asked me if there was a villa available in our compound and I told them there were two. They asked me to show them. I told them that the guard keeper could show them the villa. The girls looked at it and fell in love just like I did when I first saw it. They told me that it was more than the budget but when, "our father sees it, he will get it for us." Of course, the first thing I thought was that they were rich Emirates and their father was going to pay for the expensive villa for his "spoiled little rich girls." Boy was I wrong.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the next night, our doorbell rang. It was the girls from the previous night with their parents and other siblings. We met everyone and hit it off immediately. We discovered that the family of 10, yes, I said 10, were living in an apartment in downtown Abu Dhabi but it was too small for them. They really liked the villa but it was approximately $10,000 over the father's allotted budget. He didn't think his employer would increase his budget that much. We really wanted them to move in but we didn't think we would ever see them again.
Several more families looked at the place afterward but we didn't like any of them as much as we liked this family.
A couple of weeks later, we thought we heard furniture moving and voices from next door until around 3 am. Also, one of our bedrooms and my bathroom began to smell like smoke. We decided we were going to confront them but we didn't see anyone. Finally, one day, we saw a young man and his friend. We thought he was smoking when the parents weren't around so we didn't say anything to him. We decided to wait until we saw the parents. We just knew it was one of those families that we didn't like. Then, one day James came home and said, "It IS Muhammad!" I asked if Nadia was there? James nodded his head. I ran over to see her. Mind you, she can't speak English and I can't speak Arabic. But we spoke friendship. James came over later and we stayed over until around midnight. Instant friends. From that point forward, we have shared meals, conversation and fun.
One night, they were on the roof patio barbecuing. Muhammad's brother and family were in town from Al Ain. Muhammad sent his son to our house and told us that we had to come to dinner and to be ready in 10 minutes because dinner would be served in 10 minutes. Of course, we went. Muhammad invited us to have dinner with his closest brother. We knew it was an honor. When we got there, we sat on traditional Arabic cushions and ate with our hands. We had Sharawama and many other Arabic foods that I can't name.
At this point, it had been about two weeks since they had moved in. But they hadn't been to see us. I find out that Nadia didn't have a gift to bring so she refused to visit. I told her that she was my gift and to come anyway. Well, I knew she wouldn't because Arabic culture requires you bring a gift the first time you visit someone. So you know, we did not bring a gift the first time because we were caught so off guard but we brought a box of local chocolates the next time we visited.
A few days later, around 10 pm, our doorbell rings. I was just about to go to bed. Guess who? It's Nadia and Muhammad!!!! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? She has a gift? I get out of my jammies and rush downstairs to greet my neighbors. We sat and talked for a few minutes. James got up and made coffee and started cooking chicken for them. After a few sips of coffee and while the chicken was still cooking, I showed Nadia around our villa. She saw pictures of our children and grandchildren, looked in all the rooms, etc. We went back downstairs with the fellas and laughed and talked. We learned from the night of the barbecue that Muhammad's brother owns a furniture factory. That night we asked him if he could repair the legs of my dining room table. He said he would check them out before he left. Well, everyone got busy and that never happened.
Well, during our conversation with Muhammad and Nadia, Muhammad asked why our dining room table wasn't set up. We explained the situation to him. We told Muhammad that one day we would go to Al Ain and take the table to his brother. Muhammad said or just take it on Sunday. I was confused, I thought I misunderstood because of the language barrier. So, I let it ride. Then James asked Muhammad how many vehicles does he need to take his family to Al Ain. Muhammad said, "Two and we can take your table legs." I thought, "Ah...I did misunderstand him. He said that HE will take our table legs on Sunday." But as the conversation continued, I kept hearing bits and pieces of us going with them on Sunday. Again, with the language barrier, I wasn't sure I understood correctly. So...straight forward Kimmie had to ask, "So, Muhammad, let me get this straight. Did you just invite us to Eid at your brother's in Al Ain on Sunday?" Muhammad: "But of course! Ya, ya, ya. You are going." (In a thick Jordanian accent.)
As for the gift, yes Nadia brought a gift. She brought six drinking glasses and the most beautiful gold "Rolex" watch for me. I cried. Because it was exactly like the one I saw on her wrist several days before and told her that I really liked. That is the ultimate compliment. It doesn't get much better than that.
That, my friends, is how we were invited to Eid_al-Adha
We live in a four villa compound (Gated Community in the U.S.). When we first moved in, there was only one other family living in the compound. As we were moving in, another family was looking for a villa. Initially, they looked at the compound next to us. Then, the daughters pulled up in front of our compound and asked me to "come...come." That is the common way to ask people to come here. The daughters asked me if there was a villa available in our compound and I told them there were two. They asked me to show them. I told them that the guard keeper could show them the villa. The girls looked at it and fell in love just like I did when I first saw it. They told me that it was more than the budget but when, "our father sees it, he will get it for us." Of course, the first thing I thought was that they were rich Emirates and their father was going to pay for the expensive villa for his "spoiled little rich girls." Boy was I wrong.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the next night, our doorbell rang. It was the girls from the previous night with their parents and other siblings. We met everyone and hit it off immediately. We discovered that the family of 10, yes, I said 10, were living in an apartment in downtown Abu Dhabi but it was too small for them. They really liked the villa but it was approximately $10,000 over the father's allotted budget. He didn't think his employer would increase his budget that much. We really wanted them to move in but we didn't think we would ever see them again.
Several more families looked at the place afterward but we didn't like any of them as much as we liked this family.
A couple of weeks later, we thought we heard furniture moving and voices from next door until around 3 am. Also, one of our bedrooms and my bathroom began to smell like smoke. We decided we were going to confront them but we didn't see anyone. Finally, one day, we saw a young man and his friend. We thought he was smoking when the parents weren't around so we didn't say anything to him. We decided to wait until we saw the parents. We just knew it was one of those families that we didn't like. Then, one day James came home and said, "It IS Muhammad!" I asked if Nadia was there? James nodded his head. I ran over to see her. Mind you, she can't speak English and I can't speak Arabic. But we spoke friendship. James came over later and we stayed over until around midnight. Instant friends. From that point forward, we have shared meals, conversation and fun.
One night, they were on the roof patio barbecuing. Muhammad's brother and family were in town from Al Ain. Muhammad sent his son to our house and told us that we had to come to dinner and to be ready in 10 minutes because dinner would be served in 10 minutes. Of course, we went. Muhammad invited us to have dinner with his closest brother. We knew it was an honor. When we got there, we sat on traditional Arabic cushions and ate with our hands. We had Sharawama and many other Arabic foods that I can't name.
At this point, it had been about two weeks since they had moved in. But they hadn't been to see us. I find out that Nadia didn't have a gift to bring so she refused to visit. I told her that she was my gift and to come anyway. Well, I knew she wouldn't because Arabic culture requires you bring a gift the first time you visit someone. So you know, we did not bring a gift the first time because we were caught so off guard but we brought a box of local chocolates the next time we visited.
A few days later, around 10 pm, our doorbell rings. I was just about to go to bed. Guess who? It's Nadia and Muhammad!!!! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? She has a gift? I get out of my jammies and rush downstairs to greet my neighbors. We sat and talked for a few minutes. James got up and made coffee and started cooking chicken for them. After a few sips of coffee and while the chicken was still cooking, I showed Nadia around our villa. She saw pictures of our children and grandchildren, looked in all the rooms, etc. We went back downstairs with the fellas and laughed and talked. We learned from the night of the barbecue that Muhammad's brother owns a furniture factory. That night we asked him if he could repair the legs of my dining room table. He said he would check them out before he left. Well, everyone got busy and that never happened.
Well, during our conversation with Muhammad and Nadia, Muhammad asked why our dining room table wasn't set up. We explained the situation to him. We told Muhammad that one day we would go to Al Ain and take the table to his brother. Muhammad said or just take it on Sunday. I was confused, I thought I misunderstood because of the language barrier. So, I let it ride. Then James asked Muhammad how many vehicles does he need to take his family to Al Ain. Muhammad said, "Two and we can take your table legs." I thought, "Ah...I did misunderstand him. He said that HE will take our table legs on Sunday." But as the conversation continued, I kept hearing bits and pieces of us going with them on Sunday. Again, with the language barrier, I wasn't sure I understood correctly. So...straight forward Kimmie had to ask, "So, Muhammad, let me get this straight. Did you just invite us to Eid at your brother's in Al Ain on Sunday?" Muhammad: "But of course! Ya, ya, ya. You are going." (In a thick Jordanian accent.)
As for the gift, yes Nadia brought a gift. She brought six drinking glasses and the most beautiful gold "Rolex" watch for me. I cried. Because it was exactly like the one I saw on her wrist several days before and told her that I really liked. That is the ultimate compliment. It doesn't get much better than that.That, my friends, is how we were invited to Eid_al-Adha
What a wonderful story of two families meeting for the first time and becoming friends; overcoming cultural and language barriers. Love it! Wish it were that easy everywhere. / MN
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