Since Friday is usually part of the weekend in the Muslim world (as in we have Friday and Saturday off, and the week starts on Sunday), many Arab families have a big family lunch on Friday afternoons. My friend Matt lives with a Jordanian family, and they invited our friend Botta (we will refer to him by his last name since his first name is Matt too) and me over for lunch this Friday. I gladly accepted the offer and secretly couldn’t wait to meet Matt’s host siblings: Ramy, 4 and Lara, 6.
Well, let’s just say it was quite the afternoon. We ate lunch while the kids sat in the other room throwing paper confetti and empty water bottles yelling “happy birthday” to us through the door. Then after lunch when we were all in the family room watching Arabic music videos (a favorite Arab pastime), Ramy and Lara ran around with more energy than the 5 of us combined.
They decided they wanted to go swimming and changed into their bathing suits and pretended to swim around the entire house. Then all of a sudden, they started jumping between the coffee table and the couches and even on top of Botta, Mattand me. It was endearing for about 5 minutes, but then it just got annoying and dangerous.
I somehow managed to capture Ramy (an adorable little Arabchild), and we were playing in my lap until he decided he wanted to jump out ofmy arms and onto Botta who was holding a hot cup of coffee. Well, the coffee went all over Botta and the couch, while Ramy sat there laughing. Enta (you are) naughty, Ramy. Naughty!
Unfortunately, Botta had a date at 5 (he was planning onleaving straight from the house for his date) and now he literally looked like somebody smeared poop all over the front of his jeans. He asked Matt for a change of clothes, but Matt is a good 6 inches taller than Botta, so it looked like he was in hisdad’s sweatpants. Classy outfit for a date.
Then, Lara had a bead kit to make necklaces, which she was really proud of and started to show it to me. She held it up, and apparently it wasn’t closed all theway…because the beads went flying all over the room. So Matt’s host parents, Ramy (who is now somehow naked), Lara, Matt, Botta, and I are on our hands and knees picking up all thebeads. Once they were all back in the box, Ramy picked it up and again, the beads went flying! As if we didn’t learn our lesson the first time! So once again, we were back on the ground picking up all the beads.
Throughout the afternoon, Ramy and I formed quite a bond…aka we are now best friends, and he started crying and his mother picked him up. But then he motioned that he wanted me to console him. Yep, definitely best friend status right there! As we were leaving he gave me alittle kiss and a hug, and right then and there I decided I wanted to take him home with me. But when he started acting up again, I would probably decide to bring him back! I can’t deal withall his energy. My goodness!
Well, let’s just say it was quite the afternoon. We ate lunch while the kids sat in the other room throwing paper confetti and empty water bottles yelling “happy birthday” to us through the door. Then after lunch when we were all in the family room watching Arabic music videos (a favorite Arab pastime), Ramy and Lara ran around with more energy than the 5 of us combined.
They decided they wanted to go swimming and changed into their bathing suits and pretended to swim around the entire house. Then all of a sudden, they started jumping between the coffee table and the couches and even on top of Botta, Mattand me. It was endearing for about 5 minutes, but then it just got annoying and dangerous.
I somehow managed to capture Ramy (an adorable little Arabchild), and we were playing in my lap until he decided he wanted to jump out ofmy arms and onto Botta who was holding a hot cup of coffee. Well, the coffee went all over Botta and the couch, while Ramy sat there laughing. Enta (you are) naughty, Ramy. Naughty!
Unfortunately, Botta had a date at 5 (he was planning onleaving straight from the house for his date) and now he literally looked like somebody smeared poop all over the front of his jeans. He asked Matt for a change of clothes, but Matt is a good 6 inches taller than Botta, so it looked like he was in hisdad’s sweatpants. Classy outfit for a date.
Then, Lara had a bead kit to make necklaces, which she was really proud of and started to show it to me. She held it up, and apparently it wasn’t closed all theway…because the beads went flying all over the room. So Matt’s host parents, Ramy (who is now somehow naked), Lara, Matt, Botta, and I are on our hands and knees picking up all thebeads. Once they were all back in the box, Ramy picked it up and again, the beads went flying! As if we didn’t learn our lesson the first time! So once again, we were back on the ground picking up all the beads.
Throughout the afternoon, Ramy and I formed quite a bond…aka we are now best friends, and he started crying and his mother picked him up. But then he motioned that he wanted me to console him. Yep, definitely best friend status right there! As we were leaving he gave me alittle kiss and a hug, and right then and there I decided I wanted to take him home with me. But when he started acting up again, I would probably decide to bring him back! I can’t deal withall his energy. My goodness!
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