Curious in the Middle East - Summer 2008

Arabic! Arabic!

21:25

I keep meeting Arabic speakers here. Yesterday I went to a store and the shopkeepers offered me some tea. I sat down and began to drink it when an Arabic-speaking family walked in and asked the workers where to visit in Istanbul. They asked questions in English, but the communication was very difficult between the family and the workers. So then I said "Maybe I can help" in Arabic. They got so excited and began asking me where to go and how to get there. I didn't have the answers myself, so I translated into English and the conversation slowly began to move forward.

Another time, my friend and I were at a cafe when I heard a Lebanese family next to us speak Arabic. I asked them where they were from in Arabic and they were surpried that I spoke Arabic. It makes me happy when I can use my Arabic. Tomorrow I'll be back in Egypt and I'll get to spend one more day with my Egyptian family. It'll be great!