“Anna!” Zainab’s voice ricocheted off a tiled white wall. She sounded impatient. “Sun is setting higher. Yalah! First you were lost in space and now in time. Let’s get moving to avoid hitting the midday heat.”
Arguing with Zainab or the Dubai summer would be a definite defeat, so I rolled my eyes and complied. Fortunately Zainab didn’t notice my facial emoji. She seemed preoccupied photographing an entire family of three generations: a son, father and grandfather working in the same place all together.
Happens rarely these days! I tend to swop between projects quicker than scrolling through my Facebook feed. By the way, if you are wondering who the mysterious Zainab actually is, go ahead, review her IG credentials here or read part One of “Anna and Zainab in Old Dubai”.
“Anna, yalah,” smiled Zainab pointing at our next destination. Any guesses?
Second stop: Fruit and vegetables market
Deira’s fruit and vegetable market used to share its address with the fish market between Ras Square and Hyatt Regency hotel. At this particular moment (June 12, 2017 at 4pm) fish market is relocating to a new waterfront community.
Walking along endless rows with beautifully ripe fruits, I couldn’t resist the temptation to bargain. Bargaining is a real art in the Middle East, usually mixed with stories and anecdotes shared by all sides of a potential deal: a shopper, a seller and observers.
“Zainab,” I whispered. “Teach me.” Zainab nodded, hid away her inseparable iPhone 7 and confidently walked to a stall. Casually joking half in English (for me), half in Arabic (for better effect) she reached her target in a matter of a few sentences. “Wallah!”
Now it was my chance to shine. Looking as charming as possible I opened with: “Your neighbor offered 2 pineapples for 10 Dirhams” (around $3). Well, you can tell the seller looked unconvinced. The truth was that not only that I didn’t speak with the neighbor, but my LV purse was too small to fit anything bigger than an orange.
I confessed, initiated small talk about the weather and noticed a little crowd of perspective buyers building up behind my shoulders.
“Mashallah, he’ll sell’em all now,” whispered Zainab and we’ve departed.
Just like Alice in Wonderland, who ran after the White Rabbit to escape the boredom of her world, I followed the lady in the black abaya worrying how easy it would be to loose her in a crowd of other ladies.
“Anna, hurry up. Are you day dreaming or is it the heat?” It was at that moment a very elegantly dressed cyclist stopped by the road to straighten a rose attached to his bicycle. Or was I dreaming?
To be continued…
Stalk Zainab or me on Instagram and Facebook
Life at Her Brightest 
Maybe the bicyclist is a florist making a delivery! Not Hamlet looking for Juliet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahah! Perfect! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it
LikeLike
Haha absolutely delightful. Why I hope that jackfruit wielding chap was not threatening to hurl it at you for trying to bargain 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahah!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well written, but something make me itchy to comment, it’s ” yalah” word hhhh, I remembered this while I was living in Dubai for almost four years, but it’s hot there, although its nice country👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Hussein! Winters are absolutely fantastic over here, but summers are too humid to my taste. Happy weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed with you, winters are so fascinating there, but summers are so much tough and humidity is so high too, got breathing problem, I was just using inhaler because of the dust and humidity. And most welcome, Anna!🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person