Haircut at Fawzi’s Saloon, a Ramadan Tradition

A year ago tomorrow (is that a phrase?), I wrote about my desperate need to find a local saloon.  Not for a beer, which would be haraam (forbidden) normally, but especially during Ramadan, but rather for a haircut.  As I explained a year ago you’ll find saloons all over Amman – a strange sight in [...]

Arabic Language Correction

In my last post I gave the Arabic compliment and response you use when somebody gets a hair cut, but I was only half right. I copied the wrong response from my notes.  So here’s the correction.
When someone get’s a haircut you say to them:
نّيماً or “na3iiman” which literally means “Grace”
the response is always, اللّه [...]

Successful Ramadan Trip to the Saloon

A little while ago I posted about my desperate need for a Saloon this Ramadan.  Not for a pint, as you might suspect, but for a haircut.  Huh? A haircut at a saloon?  Yes, well, in fact this is the common (and amusing) misspelling and mispronunciation of “salon” in Arabic. You can find many saloons [...]

Looking for a Ramadan Special at the Local Saloon

Ramadan Kareem! This is one of the traditional greetings exchanged during the Muslim holy month of fasting.
The response is: Allahu Akram! (Arabic speakers or people in the know, please correct me if I am wrong about that). Somebody explained to me that the greeting means “Ramadan is generous” or maybe “Have a generous Ramadan.” [...]