Last night I made my first (but not last) trip to Khan El-Khalili with Rivkah #2 around 6ish. I went with every intention of getting christmas gifts and ended up getting a galabiyya and two scarves for moi. no pictures to post as my camera still has no batteries but soon, I promise.
Anywho, Khan is this huge, open and bustling marketplace where you can get EVERYTHING! Deep breath.
You get out of your extra stinky taxi after struggling to understand your taxi driver's amea (colloq arabic) for anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes, hand him 10 L.E. and make your way into chaos. There are people everywhere, pressing up against you, some smelling like jasmine others like old cheese, some insensitive, some considerate, more curious, all willing to help you try out your heinous arabic, some insisting you can speak english despite the fact that you really want to keep butchering their language. You hear the occasional vendor shout something in french...english...
---"no, no esta bien. puedo bajar el precio. ¿que quieres?"
You turn, squint, shake your head twice. He's masree, a vendor clearly trying to sell his fake papyrus to two europeans. Was that...? Couldnt be...
---"mira, mira eso"
Yes, indeed, that's spanish, if not perfect then (at the very least) conversational. You smile...move aside as some short guy pushes past, his brow furrowed slightly, a cart in tow.
You walk a little more, coming to a narrower street. After getting over the initial hesitation you take it. There are dusty lamps like something out of aladdin (seriously), glass pyramids, nefertiti busts, galabiyya's and scarves.
A young egyptian approaches trying to sell your equally foreign looking companion his scarves, 40 L.E. Really? $7.40 isnt bad but she KNOWs she can get it cheaper. She presses him for 10 L.E.;he refuses; she walks away. You come to another vendor who insists he knows your friends heritage; she is from turkey, right? She blushes and you gag. Turkey?
She says something in french and he insists she is french. She explains that speaking french doesnt necessarily mean she is french...He asks if she has a boyfriend.
The scarf guy appears again. 15 L.E. and no less, he insists. You really want that orange scarf and she really wants the pink one.
-- "Do you have boyfriend?"
Someone pushes past you. You REALLY just want that orange scarf. 15 L.E. kuwayiss. You get the scarves, the vendor still wants to know if your friend has a boyfriend; you quickly walk away.
--- "Brown sugar!"
--- "Hey, sista good price!"
--- "Hey, sista 1 pound shirt!"
--- You from kenya, africa? Where you from girl?
You look at your friend, she looks at you and you laugh. "I look Kenyan!"
She smiles. "And I'm a turk."
You hook arms and walk faster. It's not so much about the buying as it is simple being...being there, being in it, just being.
---"Good price here...good price"
---"Madam, I help you please?"
---"Brown sugar!"
That's got to be the 20th brown sugar you've gotten. You shrug it off but your friend is not as forgiving. She snaps.
--- "ده مش كويس" (that is not okay!)
--- "I'm very sorry."
He holds up his hands, backing away, very clearly apologetic and not expecting the fiery response. She continues to glare.
You keep walking (buy a SUPERFLY GALABIYYA) and circling around you come to the same guy. He's going to do it... he's going to say it and your friend, who is all of 5'2", is probably going to gut him. You cringe as his lips part, everything goes slowly... and then there it is.
--- "White sugar?"
You can't help but laugh; its HILARIOUS. Your friend laughs too but not before telling him that white sugar is also unaccetable.
--- "no sugar? You don't like sugar?"
---"no sugar..." She confirms, unable to hide the smile.
هو ده
