This last Monday, a friend of mine invited me to the farewell meeting of the OU Arabic club. I personally do not speak Arabic nor am I taking an Arabic course but I decided to go as it meant a nice break from Finals. We went over to one of the members houses in Norman and we had a variety of foods together. I had what I was told was foul meddamas and it was actually pretty tasty even though it looked like mushy soup. I really was able to taste the lemon in the dish!
We continued to eat as we talked among ourselves. Most people tried to speak in Arabic for at least a portion of the evening and this was where it got very confusing. My friend attempted to teach me Arabic phrases beforehand so I could say a few things to the other guests but I don’t believe he taught me the proper phrases. He claims otherwise but I very much believe I said something inappropriate (I’ll never know though as I don’t remember how to pronounce the phrase).
The most memorable part of the evening was when the group sang the song “Ghaltana”. It was quite lively and was a good way to round things out. I don’t know if I will join the Arabic club next semester but I am certainly glad I attended.