We were in a predicament. Our normal
meeting spot at the bookstore had apparently been threatened that day, but we
didn’t know where else to go that Mohammed and Alia would like. Having only
been in America for a little over a month, they have not grown accustomed to
our food yet. So finding a location with something that they would like was
hard. They knew they liked muffins at the bookstore, but I worried they
wouldn’t like their other choices. “Let’s go to that ‘Potbelly’ place!”
Mohammed finally decided. Nervous about their reactions, we soon walked into
the warm restaurant.
Opening up their sandwiches, we began to
talk about the types of food that they would normally cook. Mohammed’s eyes lit
up as he began to talk about the food from his country. He told me that he
normally cooks many rice dishes with shrimp, beef, or chicken with many
different native spices. “Oh so you would love Pei Wei!” I exclaimed, clearly
not understanding. Mohammed laughed as he said that the rice from their country
was nothing like our American rice that gets too sticky for their dishes. But
they were at least glad that I was attempting to help them find somewhere they
could like.
Clearly, I have much to learn about their
culture, so I asked about the places they like to eat at their home in Saudi
Arabia. Alia explained that they lived in an apartment above a lively street,
which included their favorite restaurants. From breakfast places to formal
dinner restaurants, their street had it all. Now being here something she
didn’t understand about our eating customs was the weird timing. She said in
Saudi, they usually wake up late, like around 11 or 12, and then begin their
day. Thus, their dinner didn’t begin until like midnight or later! I laughed a
little because I’m typically in bed by that time. Mohammed explained his
frustration with the early closing times of most American restaurants because
he usually does his best work at late-night restaurants past 12 am.
“That must drive you absolutely bonkers!”
I exclaimed, not even thinking. Both of them looked at me with the most
confused look on their faces. After a few seconds of pure puzzlement from both
sides, I realized I had used a weird phrase without even thinking about it. Obviously,
I then explained that that phrase means that it must frustrate you to the point
of annoyance, to which they both nodded their approval. I guess I don’t even
realize how many of these idioms I use in my every day, or how weird they are.
I began to think of some other weird idioms, like ‘pulling someone’s leg’ or ‘biting
the dust’. It makes me laugh a little to think what most foreigners picture
when they hear these ridiculous phrases that merely mean you are joking or
losing a game.
As a born and raised American, I
obviously take for granted these understood idioms. But as I have now realized,
I need to be more careful whenever I use them around other people who may not
have the same background that I do. If I do that, it will make my conversations
much easier for people who are not familiar with our culture.
On a side note, in case you were
wondering, both Mohammed and Alia loved their sandwiches from Potbelly! They
were also very grateful that they found their first American restaurant at
which they like to eat.
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