Stand it the front and by the time the door opens, escalator moves, passport queue or the line forms in the airport we will no longer be in front. Pardon, Pardon, Pardon...universal I am hoping as it is my only way of wishing some people well! Hannah had alittle trouble watching Mom be assertive at first but is beginning now to find her way amongst the other side of line queing(sp). I am jumping ahead on our travel ..I want to tell this story that relates to Egypt even though I havent written about dubai United Emirates yet. We arrive in Alexandria Egypt after a four hour flight on FLYDUBAI. It is totally not in our plans as I missed our plane going to Luxor that left 24 hrs before. I had the wrong day. Needless to say, it was interesting trying to get out of dubai but we did so rather well with a plane ticket from dubai to Alexandria rather than luxor. Once I landed in Alexandria a new world opened again.
As we left the line to come into the small shed for passport control was unmarked as well as one huge mass of humans waiting to que. I guess most of them knew the system...pile, wait for the men to get in the passport boxes and charge like bulls only to wait twice as long right over the next section for the baggage to appear. As we merged, best polite word I can come up with, Hannah was in front of me and I was close behind. Three larger women huddled in a line, moved as one unit negotiating the space with Hannah. Hannah was neck to neck with the front woman who was using her hips and shoulders to nudge hannah to the side , the second women of the pack came in from behind to take the spot over and finish the job with the third woman tight behind for the kill. Hannah and I became tight together at the turn and noticed we needed to literally stick together to take the line of most resistance. My backpack stands as the third person in our group so we were of equal challenge. As we came together for the same spot, my beautiful daughter took heed and let the first women pass and succeed. I felt proud that she resided as she had the grace of her manners as well as the value of thinking of others glowing. The third lady spoke up right before the kill in her native language. I returned the words "we only speak English sorry" and she muffed by. Hannah looked at me and I said we use the word pardon as this is a universal word. I said pardon three times as I finally got the third word out with less persistance in tone. The last women who I then found out was not part of the three pack said Oh, So you only speak English, welcome to my country please go ahead. We were astonished.
