Encounter 2: Emirates Post

I was going back home from the university, when I saw two Pashtuns sitting on the road's grass, immediately I asked my father to stop so that I can interview and film them, but he said: "If you want to meet Pattanis, I know just the best place". And he took me to the area between the Emirates Post and Madinat Zayed Center. It was about 3:30 PM & the area was full of Pashtun workers...

My father told them about my project, and just when I was turning on the camera, I found my self surrounded with about 30 Pashtun, who were looking curiously.
I was overwhelmed; I didn't know where to start, and who to ask first, so I directed the questions to everyone:
-“where are you from, khan?!” “Since when you’ve been in the UAE?”… & those questions…
>>>I don’t know what happened to me, I prepared good questions, but in that moment I forgot them :(
Most of them were from Parichinar, few from Peshawer…Most has been in the UAE for more than 10 years… Their complains were about the housing conditions, increasing rental prices, & overall products...

And while they were complaining, a guy entered the crowd, and interrupted them all...

"! أنا بعد يريد صورة" He said...

"شو في مشكلة؟" ...so i explained to him!

"أنا مافي مشكلة...أنا شغل زين..كفيل زين..راتب زين"

"أنا في شغل في شركة أرباب مال أنا فلسطيني...واجد زين"

"اوكي الحين أنا في شغل..باي باي"

And he left...!

Then, among the guys, I saw an interesting Pashtun...

He had a style..a look..
He was brown, tall, wearing a red tupi (hat) decorated with golden threads, putting one hand on his friend’s arm, and swinging a bead with his other hand...

I pointed the camera at him, and asked:
-"Khan, what’s your name?”
- “Saddam Hussein”
-“Saddam Hussein!” =O
-“Aiwa, Saddam Hussein” (smiling)

-"Saddam, What you're wearing in your head?!"

-"This (pointing to it)?! This is tobi"& he laughed...

I asked Saddam more question…and many times the other men would explain or translate the questions to him. After few questions, one guy said something and the other started laughing, Saddam laughed and blushed…
I assume that the guys noticed that I’ve been focusing on Saddam, and that I liked him …so I guess they were teasing him about it…
Honestly, I did liked Saddam lol and I wanted to interview him more, and focus on him, but sadly, he didn’t not know Arabic well =(

So, I walked around looking for new faces to interview...And then an old Pashtun man called me:
"تعال...أنا يريد خبرّ إنتَ..."
He looked at the camera’s lens and said:

"شغل مافي..إيجار في غالي..أكل في غالي..كل شي في غالي..كفيل مافي زين..مافي سوي مساعده..انا شو يسوي؟ "

& as soon as he said those words; the quiet one’s start talking...& everyone was nodding their heads (up & down)..

They thought I was coming to ask about their living conditions and offer help...
I don’t know why they always assume that…that I’m here to help them…
I felt bad...I couldn't walk away with out giving them something...not after all those complains…so I gave them hope... :SI said: “Inshalla…I'll do what I can to help…We are all Muslims and we should help each other…” "sah, sah, haza kalam mazbout" The old man said…
I waved my hand, and they waved back smiling…

I know this is not a human rights project, but I should do something to help them...I told them I’ll try…so at least I'll try…