The Confessions of a Multicultural Muslimah: 3araby?

Monday, February 4, 2008

3araby?

I used my non-existent Arabic today at work.

How marketable is that?

For the past week almost everyday I have been receiving a phone call.

Me: M***** ***** Institute, this is Molly.

Caller: No.

Awkward silence and background noise.

Me again: M***** ***** Institute, this is Molly. (No really, I'm not kidding.)

Caller again: No.

Me: ¿Hello?

Caller: No.

Awkward silence. And I hang up.

Today they took a different route, they called twice. But this time they rounded up enough English to ask "Somali?"

The first time after going through the same routine negation that we had done daily she asked "Somali?" and I answered "No" and hung up.

The second time in I answered in exasperation, "La2, msh Somali." (No, I'm not Somali)

Caller: Mefishe Somali? (There's no Somalis?)

Me: La2, mefishe Somali.

And I hung up. Hopefully this will take care of the problem. I don't like to be informed daily that I am not Molly and I apparently don't work at M***** ***** Institute.

12 comments:

Mona Zenhom said...: HAHAHa, This cracked me up. NO, I disagree. You aren't Molly.HEEHEE; February 4, 2008 at 5:28 PM
UmmLayla said...: LOL!!! Too cute;) incidentaly, mafishe is one of the few words in my very limited Arabi... I know it because every time I asked for a diet coke (coke light, whatever) that was the response I got... "La, mafishe." Must kick diet soda habit before next trip, must kick diet soda habit before next trip...; February 4, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Molly said...: Mona- it was quite exasperating at the time. I spoke in arabic out of desperation and only afterwards got all psyched that my few words actually came in handy. We'll see if she calls back today.

Ummlayla- They didn't have diet coke?? Were you in Cairo? Everywhere I went they had diet. But I must admit that I think it was only diet Bebsy, and I know it because thats the only thing my husband drinks (*gag*). Or actually Bebsy Max.

Which incidentally is odd because the only other sodas were Fanta orange and 7UP which are both coke products.... but the only cola I saw was Bebsy. Random, I know.; February 5, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Adventurous Ammena said...: lol, thats too funny sis :) so what will you do now?; February 5, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Mona Zenhom said...: Yea, Ummlayla, when did you last visit? There Coca Cola Zero and Pepsi Max and Diet both now everywhere, so DRINK ON! Actually I have cut way down on even diet soda cause I read caffine hinders weight loss, and I want to drink more water too.; February 6, 2008 at 6:26 AM
Molly said...: Ammena- Now I will market myself as trilingual in job interviews???? Ha, I'd dig a hole too deep for myself with that one, lol.

Mona/UmmLayla- Yea I forgot about the coke zero, I saw that one a couple of times. But I like bebsy better.

Good luck Mona! I cut out on drinking soda a long time ago, but if didn't work. It seems that eating food is hindering my weight loss. I'm going to have to work on that...; February 6, 2008 at 9:15 AM
UmmLayla said...: Well, it was 5 years ago.... I found Diet in stores, just not at restaurants and stuff. I'm sure things have changed since I was there last;); February 6, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Mina said...: Rofl that was so funny, lol somali huh that was so random of them
by the way i love your posts sis!
very interesting, espically the one where you wanted to beat that woman down at the embassy

Classic:P; March 5, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Molly said...: Thanks hun! Welcome to my blog!

embassy people suck...; March 5, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Mina said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; March 5, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Mina said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; March 5, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Mina said...: Shukran shukran habibti

What else can I say some people are juz plain useless

lol and thats juz saying it in a nice way:); March 5, 2008 at 5:02 PM