Little black tables

We moved into our new office months ago and my office is still not finished. Okay, so I’m picky (so says my ENFJ personality description). The enormous wood tables that the company gave me just aren’t going to cut it for me. I want something different. I even had my office sofa made because I hate the heavy “traditional” stuff that they have here. The tables that they gave me are so heavy that even the farraj can't move them.

So, my search for the 3 Perfect Tables continues. Alls I want is Ikea-style cheap tables in black. Why is it so hard? (Ikea doesn’t have what I am looking for and besides – they’ve pissed me off, so I am boycotting them now).

I have been EVERYWHERE: The One, IDesign, Mahdi Habib, Home Store, Home Center, Center Point, Ali Abdulwahab, everywhere in Dhajeej – even Souq Irani and the used furniture market. I have to try Midas’ office furniture place and Safat Al-Ghanim next. I have a little moral problem going to Safat Al-Ghanim, but they have nice stuff.

I have seen every range of truly tacky furniture there possibly could be. I love it that when I say “plain” (“sada” in Arabic), the Egyptian salesmen show me carved things and things with flowers and things with inlays of various types. I guess “plain” has different meanings to different people. I would hate to see what some of these peoples’ homes look like. EEEK.

The most overpriced crap was found at Ali Abdulwahab. OMG! Who SHOPS there??? They have quite obviously copied everything that Midas had on offer – only it has been made by the subcontractor to the subcontractor of someyoungguy in Taiwan. Cheap and really really expensive. It is also tacky. It is like they are trying to be someone they’re not. “Mutton dressed as lamb.” Dudes – what were ya thinking? Stick to what you know.

The good thing was that none of the sales people anywhere we went stuck to my ass. Well, with the exception of one person in Mahdi Habib. You know the type of sales person: the kind that follows you around like they are some kind of loose appendage on your body; so close that you can feel their breath on the back of your neck; any closer and you want to ask them to pull your hair and talk dirty in your ear… you know who I’m talking about. Why do they do that?

The Romanian and I have a system with people like this: we freak them out. We’ll feel one closing in, and on the count of 3, do an about-face in the opposite direction really fast. Several times, I’ve come close to actually knocking them over.

We were someplace recently where the Filipinas were glued to our asses (I nervously twitch – even thinking about it). I can’t remember where. I think they must be trained to do that. I get so close to just saying, “Phuck OFF!” but they probably would take it as some kind of a come-on.

Oh, okay… back to my coffee table/side table story. So alls I want is basic black, not expensive, tables. Why is simple so hard?

If you see these tables - please - help a sistah out and let me know!

One cool thing I have discovered during my travels is Souq Irani. Well, I can’t say “discovered” because I “re-discovered” it. I think the last time I was out there was maybe 7 years ago. They have all kinds of stuff – and some really incredible teak wood items as well as Indian linens/pillow covers, etc. If you want directions, just write to me, but it is across the street from the Friday Market animal section (that I refuse ever ever to go to).

Our office manager’s son gave her a fish. He’s one of those Thai blue fish – really pretty. I call him “Nemo”. Anyways, poor little Nemo has been kept in the same plastic container that they bought him in; so when I was at Souq Irani, I found a big glass fishbowl and some rocks and now he has a new home. The only problem is, they are feeding him like crazy and I think he’s going to blow up and die before he ever has the chance to really appreciate his surroundings.

Bu Merdas just called me, “Hi baby….” Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Yummy. He wanted to make sure that I’m okay in this dust that we’re having. He’s just dreamy.