Yarra Supermarket

[Winged Isis]

Explain to me how someone can charge 10LE for something that is clearly marked 5LE. Do they point a gun at you and demand extra?

And my husband never got anyone fired at Alfa Market. I have no clue what you are talking about.

I thought that you had once posted that someone got fired after your husband went back to complain that he overcharged you, but if you do not remember, then I am, of course, wrong.

You remembered correctly, B. it was in the "Metro(again)" post, which I have just finished reading. It was at a supermarket near their home in Cairo.


PostPosted: Tue 03 Aug, 2010 4:18 am Post subject:
Jayway wrote:
Hey BENNU , I love your spelling - -bisquits- - You have been watching the Mafia Panda ad for Foxes Bisquits ! Smile Razz Very Happy


"I do not know any other way of spelingl it Confused except cremekiks, no I have not heard of Foxes or Mafia Panda. I thought it was spelled: bisquits Confused ..."

That's how my husband pronounces it, like the French do. Probably a hangover from the times they were in power. He often calls trousers "pantalons" as well.

[Quinonostante]

We were seriously ripped off at Yara on our first night....even charged us for the csrrier bags.

Second visit for some Tuna we took Natalie (DesertRose) who can read arabic numbers and you could see their smiles disappear when she began reading the shelf prices aloud.

[chiddy]

We were seriously ripped off at Yara on our first night....even charged us for the csrrier bags.

Second visit for some Tuna we took Natalie (DesertRose) who can read arabic numbers and you could see their smiles disappear when she began reading the shelf prices aloud.

buy yourself a cheap watch with arabic numerals

[LivinginLuxor]

Just goes to prove that the first thing a (possibly) gullible visitor should learn is the Arabic numerals!

[BENNU]

Just goes to prove that the first thing a (possibly) gullible visitor should learn is the Arabic numerals!

The packet of biscuits that I tried to buy were clearly marked five in Arabic on the shelf, but that ice cold, stubborn woman refused to sell it at that price! She, too, was embarrassed, which just made her more mean!

[FABlux]

Maybe somebody who knows the owner should tell him about this thread. When we had problems with the furniture place and no amount of complaints worked, a thread on here had the owner on the phone asking us to remove it & promising the world (well delivery anyway)

[Quinonostante]

Just goes to prove that the first thing a (possibly) gullible visitor should learn is the Arabic numerals!

Definitely....

Especially if you haven't visited for a couple of years and cannot measure how much prices may have gone up since you were last shopping.

[Jayway]

I did try, I practised them. But when I looked in the shop the squiggles were just squiggles - -

[BENNU]

Maybe somebody who knows the owner should tell him about this thread. When we had problems with the furniture place and no amount of complaints worked, a thread on here had the owner on the phone asking us to remove it & promising the world (well delivery anyway)

I have been looking for the owner every time I have passed, hoping to be able to write a succes story, but I haven't seen him.

[Bullet Magnet]

I did try, I practised them. But when I looked in the shop the squiggles were just squiggles - -

It's pretty straightforward Jane,

Our number system comes form the Islamic number system, and if you look carefully, 1 and 9 are the same, 2 and 3 are the same but rotated through 90 degrees and a bit more of a tail on the end. 4 is a three the wrong way around...
6 is confusing as it looks like 7, and zero ( seff) is represented by a dot.

0 - . Seff
1 - ١ Wahed
2 - ٢ Et nin
3 - ٣ Talata
4 - ٤ Arrba
5 - ٥ humsa
6 - ٦ Setta
7 - ٧ sabah
8 - ٨ Tamania
9 - ٩ Tessa


And the numbers read the same way round as ours do..

Simples..

[Horus]

Simples my arse!
It makes as much sense as my version below

O looks like, er ............ a punctuation mark = .
1 looks like, back slash symbol on your keyboard = \
2 looks like, the lettter 'Y' = Y
3 looks like, the same letter 'Y' with a squiggle on top that looks like a letter 'w'
4 looks like, a Greek letter 'E'
5 looks like, a letter 'O'
6 looks like, the number '7'
7 looks like, the letter 'V'
8 looks like, an upside down letter 'V'
9 looks like, er ............ a number 9

Your Arabic numeral explanation was as enlightening as your pyramid theories Z

[LivinginLuxor]

I thought it was quite excellent Horus, and the same information is given at the back of the Luxor Times. But I can't understand why we use 'arabic' numerals, after the demise of Roman numerals - when only 2 look the same - 1 and 9. Maybe it has something to do with the useful concept of zero!

[Horus]

and the same information is given at the back of the Luxor Times.

Probably the reason that no one can understand them
When someone says "number three looks like a three, but rotated through 90 degrees, oh and it also has a squiggle on the end"
Er, so you mean it looks nothing like a number three then?

[Bullet Magnet]

Islamic scientists were very clever, thank god they came along ! imagine trying to do long division with Roman Numerals !!!
They introduced zero and the decimal point. clever buggers


Look again at 2 and 3, it does make sense. ( easier to understand with larger characters)
If you can associate the obvious ones, then its less to learn ??

Mind you , I am a crap teacher, I just try to be helpful..

Maybe I can get a job with the Luxor times..

[FABlux]

Horus I think 4 looks like a rotated 3 not 3

I do remember 7 though because seVen up & then inverted its 8

[Bullet Magnet]

Horus I think 4 looks like a rotated 3 not 3


I did say that, but he missed it ... He also lacks imagination too

I do remember 7 though because seVen up & then inverted its 8

Great way of remembering 7.. You too can have a job with the Luxor Times alongside me

[Goddess]

But then just to confuse it more - sometimes the two when handwritten, comes out looking like a little r but without the stick.

[Winged Isis]

I did try, I practised them. But when I looked in the shop the squiggles were just squiggles - -

Have a list with you when travelling around and practise translating licence plates. You learn to be quick, before the vehicle moves off. That's how I improved. Worked for my tour group clients.

[BENNU]

To an open minded person Zeitgeist's explanation will be very helpful! Never thought of the 90 degrees, but it is very clear to me. SeVen in Danish is sYV, that is how I remember it. I learned it from a clock on a platform in Cairo, and have sometimes memorised it while I was waiting for the metro. Someone told me that he learned it from a pizza menu on his first day in Egypt!

[Lisak]

Buy an Egyptian watch with the arabic numerals on......extremely handy.