Originally Posted by cavortingcheetah
In all seriousness, for one brief moment of time; Arabia is a wonderful part of the world. I would learn a few words of Arabic; such a courtesy is much appreciated. There are many variants of Arabic but the generic will suffice. I have used Rosetta Stone to good effect. You will probably not easily be able to attain the fluency to distinguish between the niceties of camels and waiters, which is a very funny and useful piece of information. Actually, I think you will find that Arabic has some 500 words for camel, which goes some way to explain the importance of that creature in their culture.
If you go to Cairo, the camel market is held every Friday in the suburb of Bilesh, in the north of the city. I am sure that there is one in Kuwait, worth a visit no doubt, but perhaps an idea to go with a man lest you be caught up in the auction?
Have fun. I am sure that you will.
Well said
Annie if you'd like to learn some useful words in Arabic, pm me and I'll be more than happy to help you. You'll see that the Arabic they speak in The Gulf is different from the one spoken in Jordan, which is different from the one spoken in Lebanon or indeed Egypt. However, some words are incredibly similar and you'll certainly give them a very good impression if you attempt (even if it's not entirely correct) to say a few words in their language. You'll definitely make some good friends and (I speak for Jordanians) you'll see that most of them will go out of their way to help you in whatever you need!!!
Arabia is a truly magical region, you'll love it, it'll be a fantastic experience for you and if you're anything like me, you'll make sure you go back many times!!!
FBW
PS: one thing that will impress you is that Jordan never sleeps....most shops are open at night...and people are more alive than ever and seem not to suffer from the lack of sleep!! (mind you, some of them sleep during the day!
)
As the late Oum Kalthoum (very loved Egyptian singer) said in many of her songs, no point in sleeping, The Night is made for Love!!!!!!