Disclaimer: I actually stole this idea from a friend. But, now I have some items to post about when I have nothing to say. Today, it's posting a picture of me and listing 15 interesting facts. So here goes nothing.
1) I wrote a play about how frosting makes everything better (with a song included to the tune of Jingle Bells) when I was in 1st grade. I've been writing ever since then.
2) The trend of using "epic" as an adjective to describe literally everything underneath the sun was a huge pet peeve of mine. It was improperly used! I'm glad its usage is dying down.
3) I was detained by the Jordanian police for 12 hours at the Jordan side of the Iraqi border.
4) I've been to seventeen countries, 4 continents, and touched the Mediterranean Sea from seven different countries. Oh.. and have lived in four countries (ranging from 3 months to nineteen years).
5) It wasn't until I was 17 that I realized that "biir" and "wasta" weren't English words, but Arabic ones. Sometimes I can only think of the Arabic word and not the English word, and have to describe the word to people (in English) so they know what I'm talking about.
6) I was 2 weeks old when I first flew on a plane.
7) I don't like eating while I'm driving. I feel lazy for not stopping to sit down and eat.
8) I use to call a gas station a "gation" when I was a young little tot.
9) I despise mushrooms.
10) I'm not quite sure what my real hair color is anymore.
11) I have a slight fear of roller coasters. But the thrill I get from riding them trumps my fear. So I actually love them.
12) 99% of the time, I'm wearing something from Jordan.
13) I've had a pet rabbit, goat, and a squirrel before. (And also the normal pet like dogs and cats)
14) My bedroom once was a closet that only fit a cot bed and a small trunk while I was living in England for 3 weeks. (I was 10 years old and didn't want to share a bedroom with my brother.)
15) I was interviewed by a magazine when I was 9 years old.
So what do biir and wasta mean in Arabic?! I'm so glad you're doing this! I think it's gonna be so much fun! :)
ReplyDeleteBiir is essentially a well. and Wasta is having connections that will help you get something.
ReplyDeleteI think it will be fun. If not for everyone else, at least for me. :)
I remember that frosting song. I think that was one of the Christmases I got to come home.
ReplyDeleteOh, and my college friends used to laugh at me because of some of the words I'd use like "hayk" and "mumkin" and "y9ani." But, they caught on and several of them started using them, too! There are some things that just cannot be said right in English!
I tried to teach your children "hayk"... they didn't catch on very well. ;-) If only they understood how useful it could be!
ReplyDeleteBut, yes, those little Arabic words that are so common in my vocabulary and nobody knows what I'm talking about! My most used ones are "shway shway" and "inshallah" or "yalla". Some of my closer friends that hear me speak those words the most are starting to catch on and use them.