Tea Time

No, we are not playing golf. Yesterday was the last day of the month of Ramadan for the Iraqi's.

Today Fawwaz came in and gave Sgt Garrett and I a mini-Twix he had been saving up for just such a day. We thanked him and asked why he gave it to us. He then explained that the next three days are holy days and that Muslims are to share these days with those they are close to. They are to spend more social time with their families and friends and wish them "eid mobaark." When someone wishes you "eid mobaark," it is customary to give them a sweet treat or something like that.

This gave Sgt Garrett and I a mission: We had to make sure we went around and wished everyone "eid mobaark." (No, not for the treats, but because it was showing our hosts that we know about and care about their customs... although the treats were great!)

We went over to the Iraqi LtCol's office and wished him "eid mobaark." He smiled and chided Fawwaz about training us well. Fawwaz laughed and we sat and discussed the season with the LtCol who graciously offered us each a Hostess Tiger-tail and a Pepsi. He later said we were a welcomed and unexpected surprise.

As we went back to the office, Sgt Garrett and I discussed with some of the other Marines this courtesy and suggested that they grab an interpreter and extend similar courtesy to their counter-parts.

Before long, the expected happened. Marines were sitting and having social conversations with Iraqi's and enjoying chi (the Arabic word for Tea).

A little after lunch we were called upstairs to an Iraqi Captain's office. He wanted to extend similar graces to us and have chi with us as well. His office was about 14 feet long and about 10 feet wide. There is a desk and three single beds along the walls. The beds are for sitting, as the custom is to offer seats to guests and this man has a bunch of guests on a regular occasion. Besides, it is harder to steal a bed than a chair and these office spaces seem to play musical chairs a bunch.

Chi... they take about a table-spoon of sugar and pour it into a glass that is a little bigger than a shot glass. It probably holds about 2 ounces of liquid, tops, when empty. Then they pour the very warm tea into the glass and offer it to the senior person in the room first.

In our case, there was a Marine Captain who got the first glass, despite the fact that there was an IP Major sitting in the room (mind you it was an Iraqi man passing out the tea, so he was making the decision as to who was senior...). Then our interpreter Fawwaz was offered tea, then the Iraqi Major and then the Gunny.

Fawwaz explained later that the Captain was seen as senior to the Major because he was an American Officer. Fawwaz was senior to the Iraqi Major because of age (actually grey hair because they did not know the ages of either man). So if you have more grey hair, you get your tea first, got it?

Today was one of those socially productive days that pay of big-time when you least expect it. It was a day of building trust and good faith that months of dialog could never build.

Semper Fi,
m