Jenna asked me last week to make her an appointment to have her hair cut. 'Mom, I want it cut to here.' she said, pointing to the top of her ear. I let her beg for a few days just in case she changed her mind. She was insistent so I finally picked up the phone an made her a date with Sheila.
On the way we stopped by the bakery and picked up a tray of freshly baked pastries. That's me, multitasking as usual, combining haircutting and breakfast.
Here's Jenna with her long locks.... the before picture.
It's short! Really short! Just what Jenna wanted.
Afterwards we decided to do a little shopping. What could be a better way to spend your morning? It was still early and the shops were just opening up. We were the only ones in a clothes shop when all of a sudden three women came into the shop. They were talking a mile a minute, all hustle and bustle. They came directly over to where Jenna and I were standing and started pushing and shoving to look at what I was looking at.
Now, I know for a fact that as a rule Libyans like to touch one another. They shake hands and kiss when they meet, but in public, with strangers, they avoid touching as much as possible. I said to Jenna 'These women are not OK.' and I stepped back, immediately looking down at my purse. Of course the zipper was open and my wallet was gone.
I went straight to the front of the store. Stood in front of the door so that no one could exit or enter, and said in a loud voice to the shopkeeper 'One of those women has stolen something from my purse!' The women that had my wallet immediately threw it on a display table and said 'Madam, is this yours? I just found it here.'
I recovered my wallet and checked to make sure nothing else was missing. As soon as I saw that everything was there the women made a run for it. Out the store they went. The shopkeeper was more upset than me I think. Call it sixth sense or whatever, I knew from the moment those women walked into the shop they were up to something.
All this excitement, and all before 11 in the morning! What's the rest of the day going to bring?
On the way we stopped by the bakery and picked up a tray of freshly baked pastries. That's me, multitasking as usual, combining haircutting and breakfast.
Here's Jenna with her long locks.... the before picture.
It's short! Really short! Just what Jenna wanted.Afterwards we decided to do a little shopping. What could be a better way to spend your morning? It was still early and the shops were just opening up. We were the only ones in a clothes shop when all of a sudden three women came into the shop. They were talking a mile a minute, all hustle and bustle. They came directly over to where Jenna and I were standing and started pushing and shoving to look at what I was looking at.
Now, I know for a fact that as a rule Libyans like to touch one another. They shake hands and kiss when they meet, but in public, with strangers, they avoid touching as much as possible. I said to Jenna 'These women are not OK.' and I stepped back, immediately looking down at my purse. Of course the zipper was open and my wallet was gone.
I went straight to the front of the store. Stood in front of the door so that no one could exit or enter, and said in a loud voice to the shopkeeper 'One of those women has stolen something from my purse!' The women that had my wallet immediately threw it on a display table and said 'Madam, is this yours? I just found it here.'
I recovered my wallet and checked to make sure nothing else was missing. As soon as I saw that everything was there the women made a run for it. Out the store they went. The shopkeeper was more upset than me I think. Call it sixth sense or whatever, I knew from the moment those women walked into the shop they were up to something.
All this excitement, and all before 11 in the morning! What's the rest of the day going to bring?
Women in Libya? Pickpockiting?
ReplyDeleteHopefully they were caught..?
Sigh... pickpocketing in Libya is becoming all too common, shoplifting too... sigh... most women get away with it because the shopkeepers are male and afraid that the women will try to turn it all around and scream 'Rape!' or something. They get off and go on to their next victim.
ReplyDeleteYusef, my son, had his pocket picked a few months ago. A guy on the side of the road acting as though he was having car trouble stopped Yusef and asked for help. Yusef, thinking he was doing a good deed for someone got ripped off. He lost his cellphone, but that's not the bad part - the bad thing is that Yusef won't stop to help anyone now.
What's really sad is that Ramadan is the busiest season for thieves.
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ReplyDeleteHi Khadijah,
ReplyDeleteI viewed a blog writing blogspot + khadijah on google and found your page.
My native language is not English and I want to develop writing in English. So I get a blog in wordpress
www.lifewithenglish.wordpress.com
If you visit my page and support me on my study, I will be very glad.
Be sure I will add your page to my blogroll and follow you.
Sincerely,
Khadijah from Istanbul, Turkey
Sorry you and Jeanna had a bad shopping trip . Thank goodness you recovered your wallet .So , this is the Famous Sheila at last ?Jeanna looks so nice with her short hair cut .
ReplyDeleteHi sister Khadija
ReplyDeleteHow are you? hope all's well. I have been away from Libya for 25 years and I remember people used to sell their merchandise on the city sidewalk and they used to go to their prayers and leaving their merchandise un attended and no one would dare to touch it, it's sad to see all those good old days gone and replaced by stench. My question is why the shop owner did not detain the female thief and turned her to the authorities, and why you did not press charges against her. This thief will continue steeling as long as no one would bust her and get her to do time behind bars.
Jenna looks beautiful with short or long hair, but I’m glad she did not shave her hair like Brittany Spears did yesterday.
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ReplyDeleteLove Jenna's new look. Sure do miss Sheila, have yet to find anyone here I would trust to cut my hair. Sorry to hear about your run in with the pick pockets.
ReplyDeleteCool Khadija, tough really tough if I were you I wouldn't tell that woman that she has stollen me even if I Knew that ! I shy to say that.
ReplyDeleteShe looks like a boy!
ReplyDeleteThese thieves! I HATE THEM!
awwww that happened to my cousin but the one's who did it weren't women, no they were girls!! and it wasn't a wallet it was a mobile phone that costed her 400 L.D, and they did it the same way, one girl bumped into her and started to apologize and the other one was reachhing her hand in my cousin's bag... unfortunally they never knew it untill it was too late.
ReplyDeleteBTW i liked you'r daughter's hair cut, and you are super brave to let her cut it to that length, mom wouldn't let touch even an inch of my hair :(
Great remind me not to allow Aieysha to play with Jenna :P She always wants her hair so short. I like it at least to the shoulders. But Jenna does look cute.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me YOU are a very alert and smart woman. For some reason, I can see you beating up one or all three of the women to take back what is yours. Also a very valuable lesson for poor Jenna to experience/witness. Thank God you were there with her and alerted her. Hope you are all doing good.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter looks so cute....and a bit older after her cut which is probably what she wanted...lol....
ReplyDeleteWhat an experience you had...you are sure cool-headed and brave....to have your wits about you like that....seemed you were more pulled together than the shopkeeper.
Gina
Oh that really sucks, try to keep away from dirty places, you can always shop at 1st September street, there is a shop named Modhila where my friend works he is a nice persone to know, anyway I am Wissam Idrissi, real dump when it comes to social relations, 19 years old, a blogger and a real GEEK, the owner of sad-destiny.net/ wisob.org and others ... thanks god I found your blog now I am not alone and can start blogging about my life in Libya proudly and without fear ....
ReplyDeleteSee ya ...