The Arab Way

Adel Malik

I considered weaving this story into our Jordan trip blog , but it was such a cool experience I thought I should talk about it separately.
I have a friend that I teach with named Lubna Shahin. She has talked to me on many occasions about the "Arab Way" . How one deals with others who are guests, friends or simply strangers to be made welcome. It's about taking care of someone in the purest sense of the word. At a time when people are nervous traveling in this part of the world we found that the people we met really wanted to take care of you.. In Jordan, we were tutored in the "Arab Way".

Lubna and the Mulvaney Clan

Lubna helped set up our entire trip from our driver to hotels, to visas she was always asking me what else I needed and made sure that it was "no problem". She made sure that we would be met at the airport and she checked in regularly on us to make sure that we were enjoying our trip. IN fact she scolded me once for doing some thing on my because if she had taken care of it, it would have cost much less and she was right!
Lubna was preparing for her brother's wedding later on this year, but took time out of her busy schedule to take our whole family out for dinner, a very fun and memorable experience. She also put us in the hands of a very close friend of hers ... Ali.
Ali took us everywhere. Whenever we had any trouble Ali dealt with it. He found us great hotel deals, bought us lunch so that we would get local rates, made sure we got in and out of Israel without a hitch. Breakfast at the Castle, set up a driver a Wadi Rum, organized our scuba dive... He was basically at our beckon call for two weeks. He drove us all over the country and served as a guide at many locations. We felt like his family the whole time we were there. Ali was Awesome
Our last tutor in the "Arab Way" was, as these things go, a total stranger to us, which made it that more special.
We wanted to go scuba diving while we were in Aqaba and Ali set us up with Adel Malik who manages Sindbad adventure trips out of Aqaba. Adel organized the trip on the glass bottom boat and the dive.
During our dive Lenore felt pain in her ear. In general, Lenore has a hard time equalizing the pressure in her ears when we dive and this time she felt a sharp pain in her ear after only a few minutes. The pain went away immediately but that night she woke up with blood & water on her pillow. So next day we were suppose to go on another cruise with Adel and another dive.
We met with Adel and explained that the kids would go with the boat to Pharaoh Island and that Lenore and I had to go to the hospital. We were concerned that Lenore could develop an infection in her ear, that we would be flying in a couple of days and didn't want to take any chances. Adel looks at us and with any hesitation says "I'll take you to the hospital" .
Adel basically drops everything puts us into his car and drives us up the hill. On the way he calls a neighbor who is an administrator at the hospital. Between the two of them they got us in to see the ear specialist. We walk into the hospital and the place is packed!! I've seen line ups in Doha but nothing like what I saw that day in Aqaba.
Adel walks into the admin and talks to a military officer, "military hospital". Every thing is signed and within minutes we are zipping down the halway, into an office, talking to the nurses and next in line to see the doctor.... woah! Had it not been for Adel we would have been there all day, easy. Badda bing badda bim badda boom .... Lenore gets a clean bill of health and a prescription and we are on our way.
Adel insists on taking us to the pharmacy and then to our hotel. As he dropped us off he then asked us to come to his home that evening.... I was truly shocked! The warmth this man gave off was so genuine and kind... Of course I would go to your home!
That evening we called Adel from our taxi and he gave the driver directions. We met Adel's wife Nadia and their two boys Fawares and Ryan... Walking into their home felt like visiting old friends. Nadia is a teacher as well at AIS (Aqaba International School) and although she speaks 6 languages she mainly teaches art. A very interesting lady, to be sure, from near Sophia in Bulgaria. We spoke a little french and watched their youngest Ryan rip around in a baby walker and Fawares try to outsmart his computer game, it was all quite entertaining.

Fawares and Ryan

We stayed for a couple of hours and ate and chatted and ate some more, laughed at the kids, ate some more... we had a wonderful evening. At the end Adel walked us to the nearest mall, where the cabbies hang out. We shook hands and said goodbye... We were touched by the kindness we were shown. I may never see Adel again but it will be a story that I have told several times already and will tell again and again...
I think I understand the Arab way and I also understand why people in this part of the world are misunderstood... For all the worries in Syria and Lybia, I have yet to feel as safe as I felt while I was in Jordan, where everyone seems to be looking out for you. As-Salaam-Alaikum