Dancing Camels: A Day in the Life

My eyes popped open as I tried to adjust my eyes to the dark wondering what woke me up.  I paused.  I heard a dog nearby barking his head off.  I waited a moment to let my heart rate slow down a bit and realized that he apparently was in the mood to bark and kept doing so.  Dogs here aren't what you might be imagining…such as someone's dog got loose and is now having a heyday in the neighborhood.  No.  This dog and others like him are "free spirits" that don't belong to anyone and run about at will.  Usually they don't cause too much trouble, but this guy clearly had a point to make and I was in no mood.  It was 3:30 am.  Couldn't he wait until a decent hour to express himself? Obviously not.

I lay there plotting his demise when I guess I drifted back to sleep.  As the sun came up, I had to coerce myself out of bed to prepare for our Arabic lesson which happens in our home.  I splashed water on my face, drank some caffeine and braced myself for another humbling round of this terribly difficult language.  As we were sitting with our language teacher, the electricity went out.  Now small drops of sweat were trickling down my face and I willed myself to stay focused although I was quickly turning into my now-famous "burning ball of fury." (This is only internal.  Outwardly, I have the face of an angel.)  Thankfully, the outage was a short one and soon we had our swamp cooler blowing in some cool air once again.  Woot!

Watching via computer!

Following Arabic, John and I like to rest our brains by eating lunch and watching something on the computer.  We had just settled in when our neighbor stopped by to say something about something in Arabic.  I picked up enough to realize that she was telling me her son was coming home for a visit.  I congratulated her and made a mental note to make a cake for them.

After lunch, John continued the process of changing a date on a plane ticket to a meeting that we have coming up in September.  He started on Saturday and this would now be his fourth attempt in five days.  Each time, the customer service rep would end the conversation by saying, "Now you'll need to confirm this change by calling us back in 24 hours."  He had now done this 3 times…still no confirmation and the prices kept going up.

This time, he had almost reached completion of this task when the rep said, "Now, sir, all you have to do is…" And the power went out.  No kidding.  You could have heard his cry of frustration across the land.  "No way did this just happen!" he said.  I shook my head.  Of course it did.  It's happened to me at least 3 times over the last 2 weeks.  I'll send a note to one of our girls or a friend saying, "I'm ready to SKYPE!" and then immediately the power goes out.  All dressed up and no where to go…

After the disbelief wore off, he poured himself a cold drink and began listening to his Arabic lesson that he had recorded earlier.  So diligent.  I lay there like a lump pondering what the weather conditions in Siberia were like at that same moment.  Lucky babushkas!

Once again, the electricity returned and John started the process of the ticket saga.  I began to spruce up because we had to get ready to teach an English class which goes from 7-10 pm.  (Yes, that IS late.  However, the students just recently requested that we switch to 8-11 pm because it would be better for their schedule. Red Bull, anyone?)  

John teaching in Sudan. No recent ones to post yet. 

We made our way to English class and John took the lead.  If you've ever seen the Michigan J. Frog cartoon, then a comparison must be drawn here.  John is a reserved guy.  He's perfectly content to sit and listen in a group.  (Obviously he married me for my party skills.)  However, once in the classroom…he's a different person.  He is animated, hilarious and captivating.  The students (all adults ranging from 15-40 years old) are laughing, engaging and learning.  I was the lamest one in the room.  

John had just told the students to prepare for the next unit when the electricity went out AGAIN.  The language school is located on the 5th floor of a building with a small room which was now dark and full of sweaty people.  However, the locals are completely used to this and never missed a beat.  An assistant from the front desk came with a battery-operated light and the class proceeded as we all tried to make the best of it.

During a break, I talked one of the girls into coming with me to a store nearby so that I could buy everyone cold drinks.  I thought they at least deserved that being good sports and all.  We sat in the dim light, sipping and learning.  What a resilient group!

After class, Sadik* called and said he was out front waiting for us.  John and I quickly changed into our "wedding gear" and met him at his taxi.  He had invited us to join him and his wife for a dear friend's wedding.  Of course, we agreed.  We love Sadik* and couldn't wait to meet his wife and family.  

He drove us to a local club that was near our apartment.  As I stepped out of the car, a woman with a sweet face pulled me toward her and planted two giant kisses on my cheek.  She hugged me fiercely and did the same to John.  Sadik introduced his wife and we were so moved.  She had just given us a family greeting…in public.  She took my arm and ushered me through the gathering crowd up the stairs to the decorated auditorium.  Lights were draped from the ceiling and chairs had purple satin covers.  A man at the door presented me with a juice box.  I smiled and followed Sadik to a table with his friends.  He introduced us and indicated we should sit.  We did.  

Dancing camel...

It was now around 10:30 pm and we were ready for the long haul.  After all, it was a wedding…in Egypt.  We had waited just a short time when we heard drums.  Sadik told us to follow him outside.  The bride and groom had arrived…already!  They were at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by family and a band.  The bride and groom danced for a while and then was greeted by two men dressed like a camel.  Then the camel began to dance.  Then everyone joined in.

The camel trotted to an exit and the couple made their way up the stairs.  A DJ was in the wings and announced them as they came through the door.  Then the party really started rockin'. The crowd (mostly younger ones) got up and began dancing around them.  The guys even picked up the groom tossing him in the air. This continued for over an hour until finally the couple needed a break.  They took their seats on a red sofa on stage.  Sadik nodded toward us to follow him.  We walked up the stairs to the couple to give them our greetings and congratulations.  They were not the least bit shocked that a stranger was there.  Middle Eastern hospitality is amazing.  Everyone is welcome to events whether they know you or not.  "Y'all come!" so to speak.

We returned to our seats and more dancing ensued.  Sadik's wife pointed to John and Sadik and told them to go dance.  They both laughed and laughed.  No one moved.

At midnight, the disco lights were turned off and the DJ told everyone to leave.  Party was over.  Midnight?!  That's so early!  Sadik told us that it was indeed over.  Clubs in town always end the party at midnight. Sadik and his wife drove us back to our apartment.  We thanked them profusely and they asked if we had a good time.  Yes, yes, we assured them!  

I fell into bed completely spent from the day's events.  I smiled and thanked the Lord for strength to go another day here in a land that can be harsh and unpredictable, but also full of people so kind and gracious.  I had just dozed off when my friend, THE DOG, returned…

Just another day in the life…and it's a good one.

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*Not his real name