14.3.09

friday night

We spend the Friday talking. Touching a wide range of topics including religion, South American political systems, war in Africa, our common dislike for the French students in our school, my disgusting banana snack, unemployment rates in Algeria, finding European wives, housing in Paris, Italians, Singapore's history, British colonies, why nobody cleans up the mess in the kitchen, being more well informed about a religion doesn't make one more religious, government regulation vs free markets, the layout of a mosque, the exams in a week, internships, learn a bit of Berber and etc etc. In some Arabic countries, their 5 day work week begins on Saturday and end on Thursday. Their Friday is like our Sunday equivalent. Maybe this explains why Christians go to church on Sundays and Muslims to mosques on Fridays, as the 2 days are their respective days of rest. This lead me to question the functioning of the financial and trading centers in these countries as global markets operates from Monday to Friday. His matter-of-fact answer : and so this is how we lose 4 days every week.

I just found out that there is a Spanish word to describe "sitting around the table talking after a meal" which was just what we were doing. We are a curious mix if you ask me. Imagine an Algerian, an Argentinean and a Singaporean having a conversation in French. With my poor french, I was proud to be able to hold my own. It was really an eye opener as you see how much insight they can bring to you about Africa and South America. They have so much to offer. Throw in a German, a Canadian, an Australian and an Eskimo and we will have represented all 7 continents. I'm going to miss those guys when the leave at the end of the month.

i feel small in a world so big and with so much to offer.

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