There have been scenes of frazzled nervous, frenzied cleaning, frantic furniture re-arrangements, furious arguments about which condiments go with which type of meat! This has officially been a very entertaining day in our little shared flat and none of it had a wit to do with me.
My roomies have guest staying over for the weekend (we now have an established unspoken rule in the house that guest are welcome). The poor ladies have been at it since last night, I have of course tried to pitch in and continuously asked if my assistance was required but mainly I have entertained myself by getting lost a few times as I went out on a mini-venture, swept a room and did half the bathroom as well as making a fruit salad.
The Egyptian guests are still nowhere to be seen and as I write this the clock is hitting 11.30pm. There is an immaculately laid out table and enough food in the chicken to keep us going for at least a week. All this has made me reflect upon the way a guest should be treated, when should a person cease being a guest and become a intimate friend you can eat pizza straight out of the box with. Should one ever lose their guest status? Or is it a perpetual right?
For me the places I feel the most comfortable and my true self are the homes in which I can walk into the kitchen and make myself a cup of tea or where I am able to wash my cup and no one has a panic attack, they are the places I return to. I am of course aware that there moment in which the whole ceremonial pomp, finest crystal, delicate china and the clothes that can only be worn once are premed and pressed are necessary (so I here) but the true mark of friendship is when you can truly show yourself, eat that which you normally eat, frequent the places you hold dear, when you can laugh without artifice and share of yourself that which is at your core.
Just so you guys know when you visit I will of course invite you to clean presentable flat, I will even cook for you, I will offer you cups of tea but I will show you how I live and take you to the beach and show you my favourite seat , watch the sunset. I will take you to my favourite restaurants and point out humorous things that might have happened along the way we might even visit my new friend the sweet 60year old and buy food from him, If its possible I will arrange for you to attend one of my lesson and introduce you to the teachers at the school. I will feel joy and excitement at your impending arrival rather then stress and strains.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Guest part 1
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5 comments:
nm,
Did they finally come?
I can't wait to become your guest. And I will do the dishes too, maybe even make the dessert.
I wana be your guest now. Will see about arranging a visit to you soon IA. Might stick to the march dates now. Make Dua for me to come see you
Salaams
reading about all these people on their travels gives me the blues i tell ya. Time i check the flights again just to tell my mind something is being done.
Of all my trips to Egypt, am just suprised ive never been to Alex, it never really applead to me. Well we shall see if ur posts can paint a different image of it in my head.
Don't let anyone scare u, keep exploring the city.
Have u learnt any Arabic yet? :) T'wud b v impressive if some of your blog was in the Prophet's (SAW) lingo... alaysa kathalik?
Aya i will most certainly keep you to that, they did indeed arrive with their handsome 20plus son..tut..tut.
ETI am sticking that on my DU'A list, looking forward to it sweety.
Dee nooh try www.imaginative-traveller.com always keeps me smiling.
Anon: thats a little too early especially with only 6 lesson so far but in a few months inshallah. Du'a would be mucho appreciated.
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