About a month ago a strange number called me on my cell, saying he was from the simsar's office and asking me how I was doing. He knew my name, but was a young guy, not the old man that handed me the keys to my apartment three months ago. He asked how I was doing and if he could come over, while I was cagey and refused. His name was Ra'id, and I know of no other Ra'id than my friend over on Rowda. "Why do you want to visit?"
"To see how you are doing."
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Can I come over."
"No. Who are you?"
"I'm Ra'id, from the office."
"I don't need anything from the office."
"Do you like the apartment?"
"Yes."
"Can I visit?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Why do you want to visit?"
"To see how you are. Just to visit."
"I don't know you. No."
"You're on the second floor right?"
After wasting his minutes more, he finally didn't call back when I hung up again.
Strange phone calls from strangers are not uncommon. Often someone will call a wrong number, and if a girl answers, they keep calling back trying to get a date. My friends have confirmed this happens to them all the time, so it doesn't have to do with my foreignness, just my ladyness, but in an attempt to not get me to hang up they always bring it up:
"Allo?" I say
"Marhaba."
"marhabtayn. Who is this?"
Sometimes they say their name, often they just ask for some one who I am not.
"Sorry, wrong number."
"Where are you from?"
After the call has ended, the guy calls back, to let me know that I have a pretty voice and where am I from? Am I a student? I hang up. They call back.
They call back the next day. They call back at 1am. And again the next day. I finally hand the phone to a male friend standing nearby, who bitches them out for me, identifying himself as my khateeb.
Sometimes the guy tries to speak to me in English, producing sentences like: "You voice nice."
Sometimes the English is a bit better, and they try to pass themselves off to me as another foreigner. "I am American too. Why don't we talk?" as if I'm not going to detect the Syrian-accented English or be unable to identify another American. I told him, in Arabic, that I didn't want to talk with him and he was an asshole. "What? I don't understand. Speak English." This was only the second time that particular guy had called back, but I was standing next to a friend, so I handed him the phone. He invoked the man's sister's genitals in a disrespectful manner, but the man just kept repeating, "I don't understand. Speak English. What?"
But at least he didn't call back.
According to some guy friends, some of these calls are not the result of wrong numbers, but bored guys sitting around dialing random numbers until a girl picks up. I don't really know what they are expecting to get out of this: BINGO! Got a girl! I'm sure she'll want to go on a date with a complete stranger who keeps calling her! I mean, maybe there's a glimmer of hope the first time, but after that, really, what are you thinking? That if you call me at 1am I'll be happy, put on some pants, and come over to your parents' house for some lovin?
"To see how you are doing."
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Can I come over."
"No. Who are you?"
"I'm Ra'id, from the office."
"I don't need anything from the office."
"Do you like the apartment?"
"Yes."
"Can I visit?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Why do you want to visit?"
"To see how you are. Just to visit."
"I don't know you. No."
"You're on the second floor right?"
After wasting his minutes more, he finally didn't call back when I hung up again.
Strange phone calls from strangers are not uncommon. Often someone will call a wrong number, and if a girl answers, they keep calling back trying to get a date. My friends have confirmed this happens to them all the time, so it doesn't have to do with my foreignness, just my ladyness, but in an attempt to not get me to hang up they always bring it up:
"Allo?" I say
"Marhaba."
"marhabtayn. Who is this?"
Sometimes they say their name, often they just ask for some one who I am not.
"Sorry, wrong number."
"Where are you from?"
After the call has ended, the guy calls back, to let me know that I have a pretty voice and where am I from? Am I a student? I hang up. They call back.
They call back the next day. They call back at 1am. And again the next day. I finally hand the phone to a male friend standing nearby, who bitches them out for me, identifying himself as my khateeb.
Sometimes the guy tries to speak to me in English, producing sentences like: "You voice nice."
Sometimes the English is a bit better, and they try to pass themselves off to me as another foreigner. "I am American too. Why don't we talk?" as if I'm not going to detect the Syrian-accented English or be unable to identify another American. I told him, in Arabic, that I didn't want to talk with him and he was an asshole. "What? I don't understand. Speak English." This was only the second time that particular guy had called back, but I was standing next to a friend, so I handed him the phone. He invoked the man's sister's genitals in a disrespectful manner, but the man just kept repeating, "I don't understand. Speak English. What?"
But at least he didn't call back.
According to some guy friends, some of these calls are not the result of wrong numbers, but bored guys sitting around dialing random numbers until a girl picks up. I don't really know what they are expecting to get out of this: BINGO! Got a girl! I'm sure she'll want to go on a date with a complete stranger who keeps calling her! I mean, maybe there's a glimmer of hope the first time, but after that, really, what are you thinking? That if you call me at 1am I'll be happy, put on some pants, and come over to your parents' house for some lovin?
2 comments:
It keeps happening because there are rumours - quite persistent rumours - that it works.
There's the myth (and I'm quite sure it's a myth because I've heard it from so many men, but never met 'the' lucky guy) of the man who called a random number, chatted to the woman (invariably a bored housewife), and after a few weeks ended up sleeping with her.
Anyway, until these fantasies are put to bed (sorry for the pun), then the phone calls will keep coming.
this is golden!
sounds much more interesting when noticed and told by an "outsider"
thanks...cheers
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