strange encounters of the Arab kind ...

Went grocery shopping ... had a difficult time with the K-man who really does not want to sit in the little chair in the front of the trolley, no, it's much more fun standing up, pointing at everything and going "BA! BA! BAAAA!!!!" at the top of your voice and then promptly throw a tantrum when mommy doesn't want to give you even one of the "BA's", whichever one it was that took your fancy that particular nano-second. Seriously, it could be anything, from hairspray to toilet paper to dog food (actually the dog food is quite the treat at the moment, lol!).

So, after this, I was rather tired and I dug deep for some sense and patience when, as we were leaving, on our way down the escalator (It's a funky angled one, not one with steps. So cool, it works with magnets, where you can park the trolley on it, and it's at such and angle that the trolley doesn't tip and the magnets keep it in place!) I digress, on our way down, at the top of the escalator I find an Arab lady, I always wait for them to go before me, the majority will push in front of you anyway, but this particular lady says "No, no, you have baby, you go first!" <- um, ok WOW I think, that was very nice of her, I say "shukran", standing behind the trolley, trying to keep the boy occupied, well, the next moment, out the corner of my eye, I just see flaring fabrics as nice Arab lady lunges towards Kaydin, grabs his face in both her hands and proceeds to give him big smooches and with exclamations of " HABIBI!!!!, SUCH a beautiful boy, ah hamdullah! may he grow to be big and strong, mashallah!!" Kaydin, being his charming self (quite forgetting at this point to "BA!") just gives her a million dollar smile and a belly-giggle and she starts all over again! By the time we get to the bottom, I say Shukran Habibti for the kind comments and what does mashallah mean? she's very impressed that I ask, and firstly ask me, where we're from, I reply South Africa, she says, oh, ok it's like when you would say "touch wood". Next thing you know, I know that she has three children, the youngest is 11 and I must take her cell number, "cause I must see this beautiful boy again" :) Her name is Feda and please I must call her :)

I've not called her, mainly because I've not been back to that part of town, I did however send her a sms to thank her for the kind words, and so that she can have my number as well :) She hasn't replied, I think she may not be able to read English, though she speaks it really well. Even more interesting, Feda was completely covered, abaya, sheila and a little string that connected the sheila to the cover for her mouth, I could only see her eyes.