Tricky Translation

 Growing up in a small town, I didn't really experience anything or anyone outside of the people I went to school with or met through sports. That being said, I haven't seen a lot of different cultures and I definitely haven't met many people from outside of the U.S. (if I've even met any) So that kind of kept me simple-minded and really clueless actually. Thanks to the military, I have gotten to broaden my knowledge of culture and religion from different countries. I learned a funny/hard lesson today about customs and culture. I have met a few Australian soldiers here who are the coolest and most fun people to hang out with, and they have been trying to help me learn basic Iraqi phrases. They told me that "habibi" means "my friend" in Iraqi, so I figured I would dedicate my whole Wednesday to practicing the phrase, "shookran, habibi" under the impression that I was saying "thank you, my friend". After having called everyone habibi all day long and getting weird looks, I decided to try it one last time at the bazaar today. I was paying for my food and I said "shookran, habibi" and I smiled really big (I was proud of myself) and the man at the counter looked at me like I had just told him I like to eat worms for a living. I was really confused so I asked him if I had gotten the translation wrong. He was so startled and he almost yelled at me that, YES, I was completely wrong with my translation and that habibi actually meant.... wait for it...... MY LOVE!!!! I had walked around the entire day calling every Iraqi on post my love. I was mortified. He told me that if an Iraqi man ever called a female habibi, they could get shot!! I was so shocked!! Needless to say, habibi is no longer a term I practice and I have not said it since. So, with that story told, I want to point out the need to study each others' cultures and customs. Even if you think you will never leave the state you live in, it is so interesting to see the different ways we all express ourselves and the different meanings behind everything we say. It is really a cool thing to look in to. I have learned so much in the short time that I have been here, and I am clearly going to need to study up some more. The exciting part is I get 5 more months to master the Iraqi language. -sarcasm-   But I hope this made some of you laugh, or made some of you want to study more on different cultures around the world, because there is a TON. Thank you for continuing to read my blogs!! You guys are seriously appreciated! I also have some amazing photos I have taken with my GoPro that I will be posting at some point, so keep a look out for my posts!!