Words of Wisdom...

So, I have been given lots of "words of wisdom" from those around me. Arabs love to give advice. Before I was pregnant, I got all kinds of advice about fertility issues. It is very unusual for someone to have been married for 5 years with no children. To have a baby in your first year of marriage is a great blessing here. So, many wondered why we did not have children, including taxi drivers! I had a taxi driver tell me to make my husband eat an apple and a spoonful of honey every day and that would make him "strong". Or others would give me names of fertility doctors that they had used...Anyways, it is nice to be out of that phase of advice, however now we are on to a new set of advice. Advice about pregnancy...

I came home from the gym one day and had a big bottle of water in my hand. My landlord looked at me very seriously and told me to, "Be careful, Sara, do not drink too much water. Too much water is not good for the baby."

They believe that eating all different kinds of food can be dangerous during pregnancy. For example, ginger can cause a miscarriage. I mistakenly offered gingerale to my language helper one day. She is about a month behind me in her pregnancy and has had terrible morning sickness. So, I thought I would help...instead I just made her very worried about me. She asked me how much ginger I had been drinking and wanted me to call my doctor to make sure I was going to be ok.

This is a great one for pregnant ladies...They also think that if a woman does not eat something that she is craving and touches her body, then her child will have a birth mark there. So, every time I think that french fries would be yummy, I ask Allen if he really wants Ben to have a birth mark in the shape of a french fry! Just kidding...

Those are some random cultural thoughts for you today!