Growing up with an Arab dad means you are prone to bear witness to some hilarious moments and behaviors that are truly baffling. Beyond their quirky sense of humor, their penchant to argue about almost anything and their unconventional ways of showing love, Arab dads also have this uncanny belief that they can do everything, literally everything better than the rest of humankind…you will never need a technician, plumber or professional if you have an Arab dad around. So for a good laugh and to celebrate these awesome humans, we’ve put together the types of scenarios where Arab dads can do it better.
TV Is Broken? I Can Fix That!
Look, if it were up to all the Arab dads out there, plumbers, electricians, TV repairmen and the like would probably be erased from existence. Why would you need any of them when you’ve got your dad? Let’s be honest, your dad will make things worse…but it will make for some fine free entertainment. The simplest example is if your is TV broke down, for hours, your dad will be seated either in front of a static or black screen and will be pressing random buttons on the remote thinking it will magically fix everything. Way later, out of frustration, he’ll probably start flailing his arms and arguing with the TV itself.
GPS Says Turn Right, Baba Turns Left
Beyond thinking they can fix everything imaginable, there is something else you should know about Arab dads. Their biggest enemy is probably the GPS; they don’t trust it, they don’t like it and they will never listen to it, even when ninety percent of the time it is right. Instead, you will get in the car and begin your journey to let’s say the mall and on the way, the GPS will say “at the roundabout, take the 2nd exit”, your dad will take the 3rd exit then the GPS will say “turn right”, he’ll instead take a left. If you decide to argue, he’ll hush you and say “trust me, I know the way” but believe me, you are lost my friend.
Thinks He Belongs In The Director’s Chair
I want you to imagine a scenario. You are entering a living room and you find your dad watching a movie so you decide to join him. You’re thinking, this is a fun bonding experience and the film is pretty great until you reach a pinnacle scene with the most shocking plot-twist like the one from Sandra Nashaat’s “Private Alexandria”. Thing is, your dad won’t be as impressed and is likely to say, “I saw that ending coming from a mile away! I could’ve written a way better plot than that!” In mere seconds he would have managed to shun the entire film and deem the director, entire cast and crew as obsolete.
Arab Baba Vs. Social Media
There is this classic image when picturing any Arab dad using their phone. His index finger will attempt to scroll through the screen while his other three fingers will be jutted up towards the ceiling. His eyeglasses will probably be resting on his nose but he will still squint from the glare of the screen. Watching him type up a message on Whatsapp will truly test your patience but when it comes to Instagram, it’s a whole other ball game especially if he insists to post a story and ends up accidently sharing the most unflattering, blurry close up of his nose.
Convinced They Are A Walking Calculator
An important piece of advice is that you should never, under any circumstance attempt to consult an expert in finance or an accountant to handle your expenses, not when you have a walking calculator at home, your loving baba. To him, accountants are obsolete and you can rest assured that your baba will make you the most detailed, comprehensive spreadsheet that will have you set for the entire year. Just bear in mind that you will probably have to endure his judgement of your spending habits and he will manage to make you re-think some of your life choices.
Believe To Be Two Steps Ahead of Mother Nature
Arab dads are really something because they do not just believe that they are above all human beings in mastery and skill but even above mother nature herself. It doesn’t matter the weather, even if it is scorching hot outside, your dad will insist that you take a jacket with you. Sometimes, they will even insist that you do not leave the house without wearing said jacket. At times, they will be right but most of the time, you will just need to nod your head, wear the jacket and go about your day.
All these quirks may be annoying and frustrating at times and trust us when we say that we haven’t even scratched the surface but they make up for special encounters and memories. There will never be enough articles or lists to describe the unique force of nature of Arab dads… but we will never stop celebrating them and all their hilarious wonder.