Yes Mart

Here are the girls at our local "Yes Mart" - or corner store, milk bar or 7-11. They often enjoy this very short walk in the mornings or evenings. Actually, the store will happily deliver by bicycle - milk, yoghurt, plastic toys, lollies, some fresh produce or anything really. Often, when in the midst of cooking I quickly need butter or eggs (and I miss my Melbourne neighbours) a phone call is much easier than putting on the obligatory pants and sleeved top or scarf to cover myself. It seems like such an effort especially in the heat just to run into the store to buy milk. Or at least it seems easier. But, when I ordered milk over the telephone and they turned up at the door with detergent last week, I thought I must practise my Arabic just a teeny bit more. Unfortuately, a common problem here is that most of the people we are dealing with don't speak much English or Arabic but mostly likely an Indian dialect or something. So the girls and I often try and speak a little Arabic and find ourselves saying "Shukran" (Thank you) to the local service staff who are equally puzzled.