Wednesday, November 22, 2006

What not to do when getting food delivered in Cairo

Dial phone number of local Egyptian eatery.

Arab man on phone: Salaam
Stupid trainee called Zine who doesn't know a word of Arabic: Hello? Salaam Can I get some delivery?
Arab man: booga wooga?
Zine: Crap. Do you speak English?
Arab man: No. Booga wooga. Hold on.
Arab man #2: Hullo! Yes?
Zine: Hello! Salaam. I would like to order some delivery please. Can I have a fata? With meat.
Arab man: ok, address!
Zine: ok. 94...Mohie El Din
Arab man: 94? booga wooga? Arabic!
Zine: Erm....94. NINE FOUR.
Arab man:94?
Zine: NINETY FOUR. La Arabiya (No arabic!)
Arab man: ok. address
Zine: 94, Mohie El Din Aboul Ezz...door number 2
Arab man: two?
Zine: Yes, two. one, two? Two.
Arab man: Khamsa (5)?
Zine: No! la Khamsa! not 5! two!
Arab man: ok. ok booga wooga booga wooga.

Click. Man hangs up.

Sit around. Worrying whether food is gonna end up coming. Feel like on the brink of starvation. Someone returns home, so write down how to say 94 and 2 in Arabic.

Re-dial number of shop again:

Zine: Hello. I ordered some Fatah 5 mins ago, and I wanted to give you my address again.
Arab man: Booga wooga, fata? meat or chicken?
Zine: *alarmed* No no! Im not ordering again! I just wanna give you my address again! Its me Zine! I called you 5 mins ago!
Arab man: Booga wooga booga wooga booga wooga stupid foreign girl booga wooga

Click.

Sit on couch. Wonder if food will arrive. Or if two portions of food will arrive. Twiddle thumbs. Door bell rings. Yaaaaaaaay!


The above incident was quite frustrating so when the delivery guy asked me if I wanted more fatah tomorrow, and I said yes, and he asked for my number and gave me his, I thought whoopee! He's just made my life easier, a one-stop-call for fatah at my door. But when I came back into the flat, everyone gave me the biggest bollocking, telling me I should never EVER give a random Egyptian guy my phone number, because apparently they think us foreign girls are an easy lay :S According to Kent, he could even start stalking me, and calling me constantly. I promised never to do it again, but I still think the guy just wanted to make our future transactions a bit easier... :S We shall have to wait and see..


And as a follow up to this entry, please refer to Kent's blog: http://kent.nomadlife.org/2006/11/something-you-probably-shouldnt-do.aspx

1 comment:

kent said...

Hahahahaha...poor Farzina.

I love how you use "Booga wooga" as your inaudible Arabic.