Sophia's Peace Work

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

The Cultural Frontier Update (aka. the latest issues with Toilet Paper Man)

I know this is all a little silly (please forgive me) but my Iraqi roomies never cease to amaze me. The following is a recent exchange between myself and a friend in the U.S. named L. about my Iraqi roomie named S. (I went to Zarka a over a month ago when S. voted in the Iraqi Elections)

L. says:
are u there?
Sophia says:
seems that I am ... wait ... let me check...
Sophia says:
yes, I'm here.... So I had a meeting with S. Did I tell you that he moved out of the apartment without any explanation? It's been 3 days and I finally saw him tonight and got the key back from him.
L. says:
yes...in all of this late breaking news I keep forgetting to ask you whats up with him.
Sophia says:
He left because I let a friend who stayed over use his blanket from his bed three days ago. My friend was staying over and S. was away. When he got back the next morning, my friend apologized for using it and S. said, 'No problem.'
L. says:
oh my lordy
Sophia says:
Since he left without any explanation, my other Iraqi roomie and I have been wracking our brains to figure out what was the problem with him.
L. says:
what a princess he is
Sophia says:
My friend was worried that it he caused the problem.
L. says:
I am sorry but I am laughing out loud..he is a princess
Sophia says:
When I finally wrenched it out of S. (and the whole time he seemed to think I should just "KNOW") as to the real reason for his leaving, he said, "I can deal with anything ... it is no problem ... but when you take the blanket off my bed ... "
Sophia says:
And I interrupted him and said, "But it was a cold night and we only had your blanket and my friend even apologized!"
L. says:
i am laughing on the floor now...
Sophia says:
And he replied, "But you didn't."
L. says:
tell him I'll buy him a new blanket. oh lordy lordy lordy
Sophia says:
I stood up, shook his hand and said, "S., you could have borrowed the blanket off my bed any time." And I left.
L. says:
good for you!
Sophia says:
The funny thing is ... I bought that blanket.
L. says:
The whole country needs some therapy
Sophia says:
But I thought that was too petty to bring up.
L. says:
oh my god
Sophia says:
Do you know? He was living with me rent free.
L. says:
I am talking out loud now!!!!!!!
Sophia says:
Some friends of his paid for both his February & March rent because he doesn't have much money.
L. says:
NO!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOW! What a piece of work...
Sophia says:
I suppose I should give him 15 JD back (the total was 25 JD) ... He didn't even stay for 1/2 of March. And I think he took his cousin's place who just returned to Baghdad ... paying good money for a real shit hole. Go figure.

2 Comments:

  • Hi Anna
    It is me Sattar !The main personage in your silly play !!. There is no need to hide my name .
    Tell your website visitors that you didn’t tell me about using this story on your website .
    Tell them that my full name is Sattar Hatim Hasan . My e. mail address is sattarur@yahoo.com
    I would like to tell you that you are SOOOOOOOOO … STUPID !!to think that one could be upset of a piece of toilet paper or a blanket .. Look for some thing deeper than that .
    I know well that you were hiding behind the differences between our cultures . You depended on them as pretext to meet your hunger to proof your self as WHITE WOMAN !!! CHALANGING the CRAZY PEOPLE of the Middle East .! For me , You are NOT the ONLY white woman from America I know !! and you know that well and you know them as well !. So, stop talking about
    Gilver travels !!
    I would like to tell you that I am SO proud of that friend who.paied my rent without waiting for me to ask !!! Feeling that I might be in need for help .Like you when you paid 10 J.D for my medication ….Remember !! I accepted the support in the name of FRIENDSHIP . But , for you it is an INDIAN GIFT !!! . So, YOU say ,he was living with free rent . And you say I bought him the BLANKET.Forgetting what I told already about my readiness to wash your UNDERWEAR !!!! If you
    are sick other day . You didn’t look under your feet to look for the real reason . ALL THE PROBLEM is I found my self I was going fall in your love !! And I was feeling JEALOUS !!
    .That was ALL my … SIN !!! It is so easy to tell that it is Not matter of differences between East and West !! You know as I guess !, Love does NOT believe whether in those differences , in Religion ,in Skin COLOR , and blablabla !
    Tell your friend that I refused to get back the rest of the rent mony . I know well that is o.k in your culture . But I wanted to let you know that is different in MY culture, since we were living as friends . Otherwise , I would ask you to pay me for each time I went out with you to the local market ,helping you on setting up the apartment with furniture .You can figure out how many times we went there and you could take off the money for the rent and the medication .
    Tell your friend ( L )all of that There is no need to buy me a new blanket !!.
    Tell him that your friend _ Sattar _ is romantic , poetic , rain lover and DOES NOT SELL his FRIENDS DOWN THE RIVER !!!! NEVER EVER .!

    Peace
    SATTAR
    Sattarur@yahoo.com
    .

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at March 27, 2005 5:32 PM  

  • Hi Anna
    It is me Sattar !The main personage in your silly play !!. There is no need to hide my name .
    Tell your website visitors that you didn’t tell me about using this story on your website .
    Tell them that my full name is Sattar Hatim Hasan . My e. mail address is sattarur@yahoo.com
    I would like to tell you that you are SOOOOOOOOO … STUPID !!to think that one could be upset of a piece of toilet paper or a blanket .. Look for some thing deeper than that .
    I know well that you were hiding behind the differences between our cultures . You depended on them as pretext to meet your hunger to proof your self as WHITE WOMAN !!! CHALANGING the CRAZY PEOPLE of the Middle East .! For me , You are NOT the ONLY white woman from America I know !! and you know that well and you know them as well !. So, stop talking about
    Gilver travels !!
    I would like to tell you that I am SO proud of that friend who.paied my rent without waiting for me to ask !!! Feeling that I might be in need for help .Like you when you paid 10 J.D for my medication ….Remember !! I accepted the support in the name of FRIENDSHIP . But , for you it is an INDIAN GIFT !!! . So, YOU say ,he was living with free rent . And you say I bought him the BLANKET.Forgetting what I told alrommentsMode=1

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at March 27, 2005 5:32 PM  

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