"Al-hamdu lil-Allah"
So, I did something really stupid today...
I have been using my Ipod Shuffle as a flash drive at the local internet cafes, to transport files (such as blog posts) back and forth. I was really paranoid that someday I might forget to unplug the thing when I was done and lose my music and all my important files, not to mention the $100 piece of hardware.
I have been known to lose things before... even big things, like cars. And, getting my digital camera stolen the first week I was here also made an impression.
Anyway, I thought I was being really conscientious and therefore safe, but today I left the Ipod in computer #8 at my favorite internet cafe in downtown Tunis. I realized it about five hours later, panicked briefly, and then caught the train back downtown to get to the internet cafe before it closed for the night.
I'm a regular there, they know me, they would recognize the "flash" as mine, maybe somebody noticed it and tucked it away for me, and there's some small chance that it's not actually gone forever. Slim, but worth a shot.
I got to the cafe, and told the woman in charge that "Indi mushkilah kabiirah." (Literally, "a big problem is upon me.") She said something in French, of which I caught the word "flash," and from her facial expression I could tell it had indeed been found and put aside for me. A wave of relief swept over me and I found that I did in fact, have the words in Arabic to express what I was feeling:
Al-hamdu li-Allah!
This phrase, "Thanks be to God," is used all the time in Tunisian culture, whenever something good happens or someone else tells you something good happened to them. In fact, it's a shortcut for saying that whatever you're talking about turned out well. "How's your health?" "Al-hamdu li-Allah."
I have been using my Ipod Shuffle as a flash drive at the local internet cafes, to transport files (such as blog posts) back and forth. I was really paranoid that someday I might forget to unplug the thing when I was done and lose my music and all my important files, not to mention the $100 piece of hardware.
I have been known to lose things before... even big things, like cars. And, getting my digital camera stolen the first week I was here also made an impression. Anyway, I thought I was being really conscientious and therefore safe, but today I left the Ipod in computer #8 at my favorite internet cafe in downtown Tunis. I realized it about five hours later, panicked briefly, and then caught the train back downtown to get to the internet cafe before it closed for the night.
I'm a regular there, they know me, they would recognize the "flash" as mine, maybe somebody noticed it and tucked it away for me, and there's some small chance that it's not actually gone forever. Slim, but worth a shot.
I got to the cafe, and told the woman in charge that "Indi mushkilah kabiirah." (Literally, "a big problem is upon me.") She said something in French, of which I caught the word "flash," and from her facial expression I could tell it had indeed been found and put aside for me. A wave of relief swept over me and I found that I did in fact, have the words in Arabic to express what I was feeling:
Al-hamdu li-Allah!
This phrase, "Thanks be to God," is used all the time in Tunisian culture, whenever something good happens or someone else tells you something good happened to them. In fact, it's a shortcut for saying that whatever you're talking about turned out well. "How's your health?" "Al-hamdu li-Allah."
posted by Lea at Wednesday, August 10, 2005
6 Comments:
I appologize fir those inconveniance, you know those things that happens anywhere, you may pay attention around you, thevies are focusing in foreigners as they are laways holding a lot of stuff, so ...
By the way I'm living and working some 100 meters next to you, may be you'll took a look at my blog and why not sharing a warm coffee.
Hi... I 'd like to share my experiences with the Ipod mine... Ihad bought it in Germany, and I didnt know a word of GErman. Anyway, I went and formatted the Ipod by mistake as i didnt understand what was going on, making the 199 euro worthless. Got it changed of course, as it was in the warantee period.
Al Hamdullillah that you found it :)
Enjoy your stay in Tunis :)
And, nice blog! Nice photo, too!
Great blog! I enjoyed stumbling across it.
All i will say is you were indeed lucky with the pod! Wherever you can be...this is chance could have happened.
Cheers
Cool
who said that arab people are bad :)
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