Danica's First Iftar with the family of the Sheikh!

October 3, 2007
See me in my party dress? I got all dressed up to go to my first and probably only iftar. I was invited by the granddaughter of the sheik. She sent her driver to pick me up! The iftar for men was going on in the courtyard of the family compound when I arrived just at sunset. It looked like at least forty men gathered around a rug covered with food. We drove past the men to another building. I was told that this was the grandmother’s place. The grandmother is a Bedouin and apparently not that happy to be living in the city. Her place, however, was very comfortable. She had a television on in the corner of the living room. The granddaughter told me that her grandmother likes to watch Arabian soap operas and cartoons.
The room was filled with women. All of them were sitting on the rug and the trays of food were spread out all over. My hostess introduced me to her mother, grandmother, sisters, cousins and friends of the family. As soon as the introductions were finished everyone started filling their plates. They had all been fasting since before sunrise. Each woman began the meal with a few dates and a glass of water. I’ve been told that this is done in order to get sugar quickly into your blood.
Someone, I think it was the mother, filled my plate with chicken, fish, rice and vegetables. Fortunately, I didn’t see anything that looked like goat! Really, everything was very good. The women all ate with their fingers. The rice is pretty tricky. It’s almost as difficult as eating with chopsticks. They saw me struggling and gave me a spoon. When I thought I was going to pop at the seams, they brought out the desserts. I didn’t have an opportunity to refuse. I was handed a plate filled with crème brulee and donut balls drenched in syrup. Needless to say, I went home stuffed.
The grandmother and mother didn’t talk to me very much. I’m not sure that they had much English, but after the dinner the young women all stayed to talk with me. They were just like any young women. They asked me questions about clothing and jewelry. One of them told me that she wanted to be a jewelry designer. Another had aspirations to be a photographer.
One of the girls was recently engaged. I asked if it was an arranged marriage. She told me that the young people don’t really do this anymore. The marriages were a necessity for tribal peace and prosperity but those conditions don’t exist anymore. I asked the girls if their husbands would have more than one wife. The young engaged woman said that she would kill her fiancé if he took a second wife. Sounds like they are becoming westernized in this respect. On the other hand, all a man has to do to get divorced is say, ”I divorce you” three times. Easier than Dorothy clicking her heels together!
I wish I could have taken a few pictures, but the women weren’t keen on the idea. It was a wonderful glimpse of genuine Arabian family life. Honestly, it wasn’t all that different from a typical Polite family gathering. The only thing missing was a case of beer!