So yesterday I met Mansour. He's a fellow teacher and a native of Witchita, Kansas. He's half black, half Iranian. He has a friend from college, a Palestinian named, Tamer who has a car.
So Tamer, Mansour and I headed to a Shisha cafe downtown. The young boy in the pic is Tamer's nephew, Hamud.
If you're not familiar with Shisha (also called Hookah) it's flavored tobacco smoked in elaborate pipes.
Anyway, so we went to this cool hidden cafe in downtown Abu Dhabi. I smoked the flavor called double apple, all the while working on my Arabic with Tamer and some of the ladies there. Two great words I learned; Maa Baariff (I don't know) and wasta (connections) as in, "I need some wasta in order to get a good job."
We left the cafe around 4 am and then headed to Tamer's house. Tamer, as customary in Arabic culture offered me some coffee. It tasted like ashtray, but it is important to try a little so as not to offend.
Around 5-something, I was trying to be a good guest and clean up the coffee cups and I took them to the kitchen. So funny when Tamer said.. "don't bother, the maid will do it in the morning." LOL.. yes I'm in a different world here. :)
Then we went back to the hotel and I went to the gym promptly at 6am. I'm working on my fitness here, for real. You won't see me at places like the one below.
Ilaa-al-liqaa(Until Next Time)
-Alona
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