Around 1:00 in the afternoon, as I was getting ready to put Sophie down for a nap, Mona called to remind me that the party was at 7:00 pm, but she wanted me to come at 4:00 "because it would be fun." "I'm sorry," I told her, "I can't, Sophie has to have a nap and I have to go to the store." (We hadn't bought presents yet.) "Okay," She said, "But come as soon as you can."
(The girls all dressed up for the party)
Sophie had her nap. We walked down to the local toy store and purchased presents. The girls got all dressed up for the party - they chose their own outfits and accessories.
At 6:30, we rang the doorbell. I was immediately called into the back room to eat dinner with the women. There was a card table set up between the two beds, so that everyone could sit on the beds and reach the table. There were two casserole dishes on the table with rice, a tomato-type sauce, and big chunks of meat and a pile of spoons. Communal eating is not new to me and I've dealt with those demons, so I wasn't bothered in the least. In fact, I was delighted to see that this time, everyone had possession of their own spoon! Yay! Mona called it fatha, and it was one of the best things I have eaten during this trimester. It was so yummy! Sophie really enjoyed it as well, sitting on my lap and sharing my spoon.
After dinner, we all went to the living room area for the party. I'm pretty sure about 20 children showed up. My experience with Egyptian parties is that they mostly involve very loud music and dancing. My friends love to dance. Which is very sad for me because I.can't.dance. They love to pull me into the circle and dance with me, although they cannot contain their giggles at my complete and total ineptitude. I am almost starting to get better, but my friends must have joints in their hips that white people don't have, because I have no idea how they shake it like they do.
Actually, I do. They start as babies. I'm starting at 28. Huge difference, my friends.
I'm good sport though, and allow myself to be pulled into the circle and laughed at. It doesn't even bother me that much. I'm laughing too. You would be as well, if you were there. But your turn would come! No one is exempt from their moment in the circle.
I love to watch my friend RaeAnne dance. She is beautiful and loves to dance. It is funny to me, because if you met any of these women in the street, you could never picture them dancing to loud music the way that they do. Mona wears a hijab (the head covering where you can only see her eyes), RaeAnne a tarha (a typical headscarf). And yet, in the privacy of their home they dance in a beautifully and yes, sensually without a hint of embarrassment or shyness.
After the dancing, a beautiful cake was brought out, happy birthday songs were sung, sparklers were lit, and boxes of cake and treats were past around to all the guests.
By this time, my children have been ready to leave, for about an hour already, but it isn't quite time yet. I understand and empathize with their feelings. Around 20 children are running around making a lot of noise and loud music is blaring. Emily says, "Mommy, it is too loud, I need to go home." And even Savannah, who is quite a busy person herself, is overwhelmed by it. Add to that the fact that everyone is talking very loud and very fast in another language...
I understand. If any of my Egyptian friends were to come to a birthday party in America, they would feel the same way. Our definitions of a "party" are very different. Their children grew up with loud parties, my children didn't. An Egyptian at an American party would sit and wonder when was the party going to start? Why are all the children being made to put tails on a donkey? Why would we do this? And why are they being so greedy to open the gifts in front of the guests?
When we bought presents for our friends Emily was telling me how excited she was to see "the joy and excitement on their faces when they see their presents!" And I had to explain to her that our friends wouldn't open their presents while we were at their home. They view it as rude and a show of greediness. Cultural differences are hard to explain to children sometimes.
Even so, we left early by Egyptian standards, probably around 10:00pm. Sophie and Savannah were desperate for sleep.
I feel honored to be included in events with my friends. I love seeing the home life. The parties. The day-to-day. To learn who they truly are and meet their families and friends. Watch how they interact with people they know and love.
No comments:
Post a Comment