Me Tarzan, You Undertaker

This one will be a short one. It was just too weird to not comment on. Last night, Shannon and I went to the mall after work. We had some errands to run and figured it would be better to get them all out of the way in one shot. As we were walking around the mall, she had to stop and go shopping in a store I couldn't go in with her. While she was in there, I got a cup of coffee and sat on the bench outside in the mall concourse area.

I was sitting down minding my own business and reading some stuff from my phone when a man in a brown thobe walked up to be. I looked up and around to see if I was accidentally in his way or something. He said some words in Arabic to me, to which I did as any non-Arabic speaker would do. I gave my most polite and apologetic facial expression and shrugged my shoulders. He asked, "Arabic?" and I shook my head no. He asked, "English?" and I said yes. Meanwhile I was still very confused as to what was happening or why I was his chosen companion for conversation.

He tapped his chest in a very "Me Tarzan" kind of way and said "Jonesena." I took this as some sort of introduction, and tapped my own chest like an idiot and said, "Justin" thus completing the awkward misunderstood greeting ritual. As I wondered what sort of name Jonesena was, or if I had misheard him, he extended his hand for a handshake, so naturally I thought, I have now formally met Jonesena and I shook it back and smiled. He then tapped his shoulders and his chest and said "Undertaker." That's when I got it. He had said "John Cena."

Because I was an American, I must have been interested in WWE and other western culture. In addition, there was a big WWE show in Saudi about two weeks ago. This guy was trying to reach out to me and make a connection with the only way he knew how. Either that, or I was formally challenged to a wrestling match with this man. He grunted and walked away, so I'm not sure if that means I have a new friend, or a date for a battle for the Intercontinental Championship Belt.

After Shannon got out from the store, we walked around some more. When we went into another store, and she tried on a few things, another man in a thobe walked up to me and started speaking Arabic. I responded with my same friendly grin and shrug combo and he replied in English. The conversation went as follows.

"Where are you from?"-Kind Stranger
"The United States of America."-the foolish foreigner
"How long have you been here?"-Kind Stranger
"About 8 months. Are you from here"-the foolish foreigner
"Yes. What do you do for work?"-Kind Stranger
"I work at an International School here."-foolish foreigner
"That is very interesting. I would like to get coffee with you some time."-Kind Stranger
"Ummm...okay. I like coffee."-foolish foreigner
"Do you have kids and a wife?"-Kind Stranger
"Yes, she is in the store."-foolish foreigner
"Did you date her before you were married?"-Kind Stranger
"..." (Trying to carefully answer this...) "Yes...?"-foolish foreigner
"That is great. Love is a wonderful thing. I must go. Please call me and we will get coffee sometime. It was nice to meet you."-Kind Stranger

So now, if I survive my wrestling bout, I may have a new friend who wants to get coffee as a part of some sort of cultural exchange. Both people who I spoke with were kind, outgoing, and friendly. I can't remember the last time I had a single one of those types of conversations with a complete stranger. It was interesting and it was a nice bridge to a different group of Saudis.