Over Crowded (Satellite TV)

I still have to write the story about buying enough wine for a month (not enough, by the way) on the last day before Ramaden and will eventually write that story for the eager consumer...but everyday I am crowded. And, the wine story needs more quality time.

As an example of this "crowded"; yesterday was spent from 10:00 until 13:00 proofreading for a new ex-Parisian friend's website translation from French to English. He had already completed it but it was way to frenchified.

Some easy issues were noun adjective order. But in some places he still used French terms and were more difficult to translate; particularly given that my French is K3. The word for Lavatory and basin were still in French and it was in Marble.. I wasn't sure what to say.

I finished just in time to start the next adventure.

So, afterward I spent almost 3-1/2 hours in town driving, with Local Mr. Computer-friend as navigator, between the petit taxis, the Citroëns, Peugeots, Hyundais Mercedes-Benz, baby-mopeds... and the donkey carts with assorted veggies, to get satellite supplies.

We drove to the outdoor market on the other side of town to get all of the pieces needed to install satellite TV for Mom (that's the excuse but its for Leslie and I too) although I am not a big TV fan ..it seems it could be fun, as we be able to get about 1500 worldwide channels. (another type of crowded).

Anyway we went to a really big outdoor market (Dar Bralif) which is a 2 km square souk (outdoor market) The stalls are semi-permanent; the gutter runs between them and is nicely filled with trash and mucky water. There was everything there: new, almost-new, used, and "black". It is super crowded with elbow to elbow people. (and quite fragrant both good and no so good) By the way its cash only here.

Satellite TV is not controlled other than you have to buy a dish and receiver and other misc parts to install it, all about $200.00 and then use you ol' TV or get a new one. There are no monthly fees but you can buy some chips for special channels that are encrypted. With about 50% free I am not too interested, since TV is pretty low on the list for me.

It was a circus. After we got the parts for the system, my friend decided to go (way too quickly) to see about a mini-iPod, and I followed, but he left me in the dust. I finally climbed up on a high-ground area and found him searching the crowd from about 30 meters up the way...he waited. And then I matched his steps, like a shadow.

Later he said in French "faite attention" as we returned to the satellite booth. I walked in his footsteps once again. I suppose that he is way too comfortable in that environment... and I was being way too polite...finally I just bumped in to people with little "pardon" and kept up.

The wonderful thing about Mr. Computer-friend is that if he says he'll arrive at 13:00, he is there at 12:55 and always has a wonderful smile. Although we communicate in mini-Arabic, mini-French and mini-English and lot of hand signals, it is affirming that we are making new friends.

Mr. Computer-friend and I returned to the house to unload. Voila!
After, this day, I settled for one of those "story" reds and spent the evening in the kitchen.

I am writing this the next day and before he will return ....in 10 minutes so I am off....

but then you knew that.
T