I'm starting to realize there is a trend between my language mishaps and food. Luckily this one has a happier ending than the egg episode (which ended up fine, albeit thirty eggs richer)...
Yesterday I woke up to the sound of a rapping on my front door. It was slightly early for my day off, but I thought it could be something important from either my host Grandparents or other YAGM friends. I opened the door to find someone with what appeared to be a screen laying down on the gate in front of my apartment (ok, so honestly, it looked like a silk screening screen, or, for my archaeology friends, a sifter). I was wholly confused. I started to speak in a mixture of Arabic and English to try and figure out what my visitor wanted. I assumed he was there to see my host family (especially since he had that screen). Between the two of us we spoke perfect Arabic and English...unfortunately, neither of us actually understood much the other said. But then, as luck would have it, we began to make sense to each other and he showed that the screen he had was not, in fact, a screen, but a box! A box of delicious sweet bread!!! I bought one and hoped that what I asked him in Arabic was to bring the bread by every Saturday. Unfortunately I was not sure that I had conveyed the verbs and nouns I wanted to and so there was a chance he would either come today, or... not at all.
You see, this week is also a holiday week for my Muslim friends and neighbors: Eid al-Adha, which means "Feast of Sacrifice". It's one of the two biggests feasts of the year (with the other being the Eid after Ramadan). It commemorates Abraham's obedience to God in almost sacrificing his son. During the next few days people will be out in their finest clothes (and from what I've heard, doing lots of shopping...today is like Black Friday in the States). Then families will gather and butcher their finest animal, dividing it into three. One third is kept for the family, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the last third is given to those in need.
So, I was not sure if the sweet bread was just being brought around for Eid al-Adha, in which case, next Saturday would not be filled with more sweet bread. [I realize also that "sweet bread" is not very descriptive, aside from you knowing that it is both sweet and bread. I liken it to an Easter bread (also, so very vague), perhaps with a hint of anise, but in the shape of a cinnamon-less cinnamon roll. Or, if you are familiar with the baked goods at Starbucks (I'm giving away too many of my secrets!) it's very much like their sweet bread (Mallorca Sweet Bread) without the powdered sugar (Miriam, you know what I'm talking about!). Either way, it's delicious! Trust me!]
Yet this morning I heard someone calling out in the street that runs by my apartment and I knew that the sweet bread was back! Today I bought five (I'm thinking ahead, see!) and hopefully have ensured that the bread will be back often.
******
I should also add that this episode feeds into the running joke that is more truth than actual joke: At times when I am very hungry (at breakfast or lunch) and need to buy groceries in order to really eat, there seems to always be someone who brings food to my door. It's an absolutely wonderful thing, the hospitality and generosity of people, especially my host family, to bring down an extra plate of something. Last week, my host family (who live in the levels above my apartment), after finishing harvesting their olives, had a traditional Palestinian dish of pasta and some type of bean, a generous portion of which they sent down my way. Again, this morning, I realized I would have to go get groceries before I could have my breakfast. Then, I hear the man selling sweet bread. Perfect timing :)
Yesterday I woke up to the sound of a rapping on my front door. It was slightly early for my day off, but I thought it could be something important from either my host Grandparents or other YAGM friends. I opened the door to find someone with what appeared to be a screen laying down on the gate in front of my apartment (ok, so honestly, it looked like a silk screening screen, or, for my archaeology friends, a sifter). I was wholly confused. I started to speak in a mixture of Arabic and English to try and figure out what my visitor wanted. I assumed he was there to see my host family (especially since he had that screen). Between the two of us we spoke perfect Arabic and English...unfortunately, neither of us actually understood much the other said. But then, as luck would have it, we began to make sense to each other and he showed that the screen he had was not, in fact, a screen, but a box! A box of delicious sweet bread!!! I bought one and hoped that what I asked him in Arabic was to bring the bread by every Saturday. Unfortunately I was not sure that I had conveyed the verbs and nouns I wanted to and so there was a chance he would either come today, or... not at all.
You see, this week is also a holiday week for my Muslim friends and neighbors: Eid al-Adha, which means "Feast of Sacrifice". It's one of the two biggests feasts of the year (with the other being the Eid after Ramadan). It commemorates Abraham's obedience to God in almost sacrificing his son. During the next few days people will be out in their finest clothes (and from what I've heard, doing lots of shopping...today is like Black Friday in the States). Then families will gather and butcher their finest animal, dividing it into three. One third is kept for the family, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the last third is given to those in need.
So, I was not sure if the sweet bread was just being brought around for Eid al-Adha, in which case, next Saturday would not be filled with more sweet bread. [I realize also that "sweet bread" is not very descriptive, aside from you knowing that it is both sweet and bread. I liken it to an Easter bread (also, so very vague), perhaps with a hint of anise, but in the shape of a cinnamon-less cinnamon roll. Or, if you are familiar with the baked goods at Starbucks (I'm giving away too many of my secrets!) it's very much like their sweet bread (Mallorca Sweet Bread) without the powdered sugar (Miriam, you know what I'm talking about!). Either way, it's delicious! Trust me!]
Yet this morning I heard someone calling out in the street that runs by my apartment and I knew that the sweet bread was back! Today I bought five (I'm thinking ahead, see!) and hopefully have ensured that the bread will be back often.
******
I should also add that this episode feeds into the running joke that is more truth than actual joke: At times when I am very hungry (at breakfast or lunch) and need to buy groceries in order to really eat, there seems to always be someone who brings food to my door. It's an absolutely wonderful thing, the hospitality and generosity of people, especially my host family, to bring down an extra plate of something. Last week, my host family (who live in the levels above my apartment), after finishing harvesting their olives, had a traditional Palestinian dish of pasta and some type of bean, a generous portion of which they sent down my way. Again, this morning, I realized I would have to go get groceries before I could have my breakfast. Then, I hear the man selling sweet bread. Perfect timing :)
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