After being here about a month we guessed we had acclimated to the heat enough to venture out to the Friday Market after church. Well… we guessed wrong. We drove out to the Friday Market which looks insane from a distance, so many crowded stalls crammed together. It was dusty and so dry. I immediately realized that though I had just eaten and consumed 2 tall glasses of water it was not going to be near enough to keep me going. People claim that the Market is better after Ramadan. Then more stalls come, and they have the more exotic things like the dyed chicks and peacocks. It was still very interesting though, and there were lots of tempting buys. We just kept telling ourselves to explore first, and learn what is reasonable to pay. Dad bought a fantastic shirt that is a big famous Hawaiin brand for around 750 fils, less than 3 dollars! We almost bought Emily an abiyah, but the embroidery would have been too itchy for her. There was a whole range of stuff from used dishdashas to silk flowers, antique knives, and faded children’s beds that sat in the sun too long.
As we walked around we got our hopes up when we saw people selling water. After a closer inspection though we realized that the people who had purchased the water were merely pouring it on themselves rather than actually drinking it. I don’t understand how they can make it through the day sitting in the heat selling their wares. I feel so sorry for them. Whether or not they want to, it is enforced in public. Emily and I began to sting in the heat and felt a bit light headed after walking around for so long. We couldn’t go alone, so dad helped us find the bathrooms where we went into the stalls and took nice long drinks of our water. It may sound disgusting to resort to drinking in bathrooms, but when it’s your only option then it’s what you gotta do.
We had fun exploring, but soon we were just too miserable in the heat to last much longer. So we walked up through the market to the LuLu Grocery Store. This place was huge, and so very packed. There were lots of people making it hard to maneuver and all the carts are a bit wonky, making it a dual effort just to push the cart. I was delighted to find some American cake mixes that I needed as the base for mom’s cake. Pudding for the filling was another story though, nothing was quite similar, and what I found ended up being an epic fail when I tried to make it later. We were happy to find some peanut butter, but they were expensive and in itty bitty jars. The fruits and vegetables section was huge though, food imported from just about everywhere. Because households here normally involve at least one maid and lots of extended family the food is packaged in large quantities. We have to buy our tomatoes in large crates and have difficulty consuming such vast amounts before they go bad. Mom and I decided to try some new food, and ended up buying something similar to a lychee. It was different though, and well, just weird. Emily searched for a while to try and find seedless grapes, but I think that is just about impossible here. Sometimes the bunches will have a couple grapes without seeds, and then a couple grapes with. You never quite know what you’re getting.
The store was packed with people, but Emily and I worked our way towards the soaps and shampoos. We were happy to find some British brands of deodorant, but wriggled our noses and wished that the people surrounding us would use more. Much more.
The cheese counter in this store was huge, so much to choose from. Mom forgot about the fact it was Ramadan and requested to try some of the cheese because there is no other way to know what on earth is good. The man pulled out some cheese, looked at her and said “are you sure madam? Even though it is Ramadan?” Oops! It is so easy to forget here. Mom apologized and we just didn’t get any cheese. Too bad Ramadan affects even our shopping!
We spent a long time in the grocery checking off our list, finding substitutes and other things to try. On the way back home Em and E took turns covering for each other as they bent down and tried to take meager sips of the water. It was a relief to be able to be home inside the AC, drinking lots of water, and eating hummus and bread.
Our neighbor has been sending her maids over a couple times a week with food from their evening Ishtar meal that they have as they break their fast. We have enjoyed the Ramadan sweets, the donuts, lentil soup, mini pizzas, cheese bread… Everything is amazing. Tonight is another night of Girgaen, the Arab’s version of trick or treat. We were told to give cereal sized bowls full of candy to the children that parade around the neighborhood in their traditional clothes. They are so beautiful! When they ring the doorbell they have a cute song that they sing in exchange for candy. I just wish that they would come earlier in the evening rather than their tendencies to come at 11 or later. It’s been sweet for a while, but the phone, doorbell, and our vonage phone all sound alike, so when one rings it’s a race to figure out what we’re supposed to answer.
As we walked around we got our hopes up when we saw people selling water. After a closer inspection though we realized that the people who had purchased the water were merely pouring it on themselves rather than actually drinking it. I don’t understand how they can make it through the day sitting in the heat selling their wares. I feel so sorry for them. Whether or not they want to, it is enforced in public. Emily and I began to sting in the heat and felt a bit light headed after walking around for so long. We couldn’t go alone, so dad helped us find the bathrooms where we went into the stalls and took nice long drinks of our water. It may sound disgusting to resort to drinking in bathrooms, but when it’s your only option then it’s what you gotta do.
We had fun exploring, but soon we were just too miserable in the heat to last much longer. So we walked up through the market to the LuLu Grocery Store. This place was huge, and so very packed. There were lots of people making it hard to maneuver and all the carts are a bit wonky, making it a dual effort just to push the cart. I was delighted to find some American cake mixes that I needed as the base for mom’s cake. Pudding for the filling was another story though, nothing was quite similar, and what I found ended up being an epic fail when I tried to make it later. We were happy to find some peanut butter, but they were expensive and in itty bitty jars. The fruits and vegetables section was huge though, food imported from just about everywhere. Because households here normally involve at least one maid and lots of extended family the food is packaged in large quantities. We have to buy our tomatoes in large crates and have difficulty consuming such vast amounts before they go bad. Mom and I decided to try some new food, and ended up buying something similar to a lychee. It was different though, and well, just weird. Emily searched for a while to try and find seedless grapes, but I think that is just about impossible here. Sometimes the bunches will have a couple grapes without seeds, and then a couple grapes with. You never quite know what you’re getting.
The store was packed with people, but Emily and I worked our way towards the soaps and shampoos. We were happy to find some British brands of deodorant, but wriggled our noses and wished that the people surrounding us would use more. Much more.
The cheese counter in this store was huge, so much to choose from. Mom forgot about the fact it was Ramadan and requested to try some of the cheese because there is no other way to know what on earth is good. The man pulled out some cheese, looked at her and said “are you sure madam? Even though it is Ramadan?” Oops! It is so easy to forget here. Mom apologized and we just didn’t get any cheese. Too bad Ramadan affects even our shopping!
We spent a long time in the grocery checking off our list, finding substitutes and other things to try. On the way back home Em and E took turns covering for each other as they bent down and tried to take meager sips of the water. It was a relief to be able to be home inside the AC, drinking lots of water, and eating hummus and bread.
Our neighbor has been sending her maids over a couple times a week with food from their evening Ishtar meal that they have as they break their fast. We have enjoyed the Ramadan sweets, the donuts, lentil soup, mini pizzas, cheese bread… Everything is amazing. Tonight is another night of Girgaen, the Arab’s version of trick or treat. We were told to give cereal sized bowls full of candy to the children that parade around the neighborhood in their traditional clothes. They are so beautiful! When they ring the doorbell they have a cute song that they sing in exchange for candy. I just wish that they would come earlier in the evening rather than their tendencies to come at 11 or later. It’s been sweet for a while, but the phone, doorbell, and our vonage phone all sound alike, so when one rings it’s a race to figure out what we’re supposed to answer.
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