Last week I decided to take a break from tutoring Abdullah, and we both decided we would just go to Aladdin's in Tallahassee and talk about our different cultures. I figured that this would be a good exercise because Abdullah really enjoys talking about his home country and I really enjoy hearing about the Middle East.
Abdullah told me that at home in Kuwait, he practices Judo often. He is very good at the sport, and has actually competed in the Middle Eastern Games on multiple occasions. He showed me pictures of himself and his brothers and they all looked like they had been practicing Judo for years. I asked him if he would teach me some Arabic and he told me why not? And taught me the phrase Salam Alaikum, which is a greeting in Arabic that you would use to greet someone you had not yet met. I found this incredibly interesting.
While we were seated outside of Aladdin's, an Arabic woman that Abdullah must have known came up to the both of us. She looked at Abdullah and then she looked at me and Said Salam Alaikum, and I responded Alaykumu Salam, and then she started to ask me more questions in Arabic. I looked at Abdullah and he laughed and started talking to her. It turns out, she thought that I was Turkish and wanted to invite me to the Muslim culture center! Needless to say, I felt pretty honored.
We finished our conversation by talking about family members and houses. It turns out, Abdullah has 8 brothers and sisters, which is a pretty crazy concept for me (Someone who only has one sister), but I guess it makes for a happier family. Either way, It was a great experience talking about our cultures and sharing the knowledge, and I hope for more of these interactions in the future!
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