When traveling there are few things worse than getting stuck in an airport for an extended period of time. My trip was from Chicago to Athens via Istanbul. The leg from Chicago to Istanbul we sat on the tarmac for 90 minutes for a reason that was never explained to us. I just knew I was going to miss my connection. Well, that left me with 12 hours to kill in the Istanbul airport with 3 meal vouchers. Istanbul was different than any airport I’ve ever experienced. Usually, no matter where I am, English is a very common language. That was not the case in Istanbul. Other than direct interactions with me, I heard no one speaking English with one exception—my new friend Mossa and his little brother. I was typing on my laptop, writing blog entries, and just killing time. Across the charging station from me I heard that American accent and had to ask where they were from. Moussa, who is 8 years old said they live in the UAE. I was impressed that a couple of UAE kids spoke English with no accent. Then I got the whole story. They are Palestinians born in Alabama and now live in Dubai. Their parents were laughing as I was coaxing the story out of Mossa. Mom and Dad apologized for them interrupting my work. No, it was the best half hour I had all day.
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