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Nadia Leigh's Wanderings
Yesterday, I thought I knew all the tricks of the egyptian sweet talkers, but, today, I learned a new one. One of my favorite parts of the arabic language is the unspoken language, the language of hand gestures. Measurements are demonstrated on the arm, you can use your hands and gesture "where are you going" and reply with the hand as well.
They, the sweet talkers, say "have you tried an egyptian yet," "you know arab men have hot blood," "we are big like this (taking the right hand and putting it next to the armpit of the outstrectched left arm as to sugguest how well endowed they are)," " we can go for 10 hours," etc.
Speaking from across the road, with gestures only, a white haired man of 60 years old asked if I was married. I replied "no" and he gestured that he wanted to marry me. I told him he is a hajj (respectful term for an older person) and he said "no, I am strong" and I gestured to sugguest that he is not good, but my gesture apparently had a different meaning. The man sitting next to me burst out laughing because apparently I had guested that he was not strong, but more like spagetti.
Today I saw some workers make a bar of gold. heating it up and then pouring it into a mold. The backstreets and allyways are always an adventure.
I practice arabic with taxi drivers, elevator boys, workers from the fresh juice stands, etc.
I have two weeks left and i'm not exactly sure where the wind will blow me next.
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