It was the day
before the start of Ramadan and it was also a national holiday, so we
decided to invite our friends for a barbecue in the woods. They are
very poor and don’t have a car, so it was the first time they had
been out of the city to visit anywhere beautiful like this.
Our plan was to pick
them up at 1pm, but they called to delay this until 2pm to give them
time to finish preparing some stuffed aubergines and courgettes for
the barbecue.
Cultural difference
Two members of the
family have slight injuries which make it difficult for them to walk
far, so we went to a forest where it is easy to set up a barbecue
next to where you can park your vehicle.
There were several
other groups having barbecues in the same area but this did not
bother our friends because, in their culture, people like to go to
places which are full of other people rather than seeking peace and
quiet, as we would be inclined to do.
Arab negotiating skills
As soon as we got
out of the car, they spotted someone who was offering horse rides to
people and immediately called him over. He said that it would cost £1
per person but our friends demonstrated their amazing negotiating
skills and got him down to 25p per person. They had also brought a
rope and a blanket with them, which they strung up between two trees
to make a swing for the kids.
Too much food
The meat that we
cooked, combined with all the other food that had been brought was
far too much to eat but they really appreciated having some meat to
eat because they normally can’t afford to buy meat very often.
We had a great time
with them, sitting and talking, while our kids had fun, playing in
the woods with their kids and we left at about 6pm. It was a great
experience for our friends, who had never been to a place like this
outside of the city before, and it was also special for us to be able
to bless them and to share in their joy.
