Shwarmas and the cinema

I am carrying around a huge burden of guilt (well, not really). Anwar is seriously addicted to shwarmas...and it's all my fault, I got him hooked. One of my first nights here I told him I was craving a shwarma (pita sandwhich of lamb, veggies, and tarhina sauce) and he gave me a dirty look but obliged. He took me to a lovely take-out place called "The King" and I had a yummy shwarma as did he. Well, since that night we have been back for his shwarma fix almost every single night. He's even lying about it now...simply saying that he's going to get 'something' to eat. I ask him if it is shwarma and he says no. Well, we somehow end up there anyways and he just laughs hysterically. I guess you can't beat it...it's a delicious and massive sandwhich for about $.75.

Anwar at the cinema

I have to admit, though, while I no longer eat the shwarmas I do enjoy going as its one of my favorite streets in Dahab. It's a back street that runs parallel to the beach, perhaps 1/4-1/2 mile back into the desert. There are no tourists to be found here and there is a lovely mosque where I can watch the men at evening prayer through the open windows. It's all open-air seating as is about 95%of Dahab and very raw (i.e. dirty and rickety and the like). But what fascinates me most is what I like to call the 'impromptu cinema.' Basically, it's about 50 men of varying age...some in the traditional galabaya dress and head covering alongside young men in their eurotrash clothing (which is what all of the young men here wear...shirts that are much too tight and open at the chest and even tighter jeans). Some play backgammon while others smoke sheesha and drink tea. But all eyes are fixed on the ancient television mounted in the corner (the kind where you had to actually walk over to the television to turn the dial that had all of 13 channels). There are nightly showings of American action films either dubbed in Arabic or in English with subtitles. I can't explain it, but it's just the cutest thing to see. But I guess it's nice here to know that when your husband is out with the guys at 2am...it's harmless movie watching and not some of the evil temptations offered to men in America, eh?