Movie Stahhh . . .

These pictures are about 6 months old. Yes--6 months. This blog has been 6 months in the making because it's taken about this long for us to realize that what happened to Nic that day is not an unusual occurrence here in the Middle East.

We took the kids and my dad to see the Gulf and the kids played on the beach. A co-worker and friend of Todd's (Arfan) was also with us. Arfan was raised I believe in California so he's pretty American as well. While the kids were playing, a group of young men (I would estimate in their 20's) saw Nic and asked Todd and Arfan if they could get their picture taken with her. OK. Grown men wanting a picture of themselves with a strange 3 year old is downright creepy. Apparently though it is only creepy to us Americans. Todd said no, they couldn't take the picture. They went away disappointed.

A little while later--same day same beach--a larger group of young men with cameras and camera phones saw Nic and just started snapping pictures as though all the adults surrounding her were invisible. These grown men were picking her up and kissing her on her cheek while others were snapping photos. Then they'd pass her off to the next man and start snapping more pictures. All of us sat in stunned silence. I think Nic was in shock because she wasn't smiling for the pictures but she wasn't crying or trying to get away either. We finally got over the surprise of the event and Todd went and told them that was enough pictures and took her away.

The 3rd picture down is a picture Todd took--same day same beach--of 2 men trying to be a little more subtle in trying to get a picture of themselves with Nic. One would hold the camera phone and direct the other where to stand so that both he and Nic would show up in the picture. Nic didn't realize what they were doing so she kept trying to move around them. They kept getting in her way. So they'd adjust the shot to keep her in the photo. It was hilarious to watch.

This has continued over the last 6 months. A day or two later after these photos were taken we were touring the Kuwait towers. We came around a corner and a large group of tourists--all adults--saw her and were enthralled. They asked if they could take a picture and this time we consented. So one person would hold her and all the others would gather round while a picture was taken. Then another wanted to hold her and they'd all readjust with a new photographer and take another picture. After several pictures were taken, Todd stepped in and told them that was enough.

A couple of other instances--we took the kids to KFC for dinner one night. We were outside letting the kids play on the KFC playland and Nic had to go to the bathroom. Petey was walking her back inside when a group saw her and they all pulled out their camera phones and starting snapping photos. They set her up in the middle of their table like a little princess and kept taking pictures. Fortunately she still made it in time to the bathroom.

We were in Egypt and two different times a group (again all adults) saw her and gathered around her and wanted pictures of her. Usually they don't just want a picture of her, they want a picture of themselves with her.

A member of our branch once told us that in certain countries it's good luck to have your picture taken with someone with fair hair. I have no idea if that's true but it sounds plausible to me after what Nic has experienced. And we have no idea what countries these photographers/tourists come from other than they look Middle Eastern. We've learned to just accept it. I can't count the number of times people have just come up to her and run their fingers through her hair or at least patted her head. The other kids have come to accept the fact that when we're in public, Nic gets all the attention. I'm sure that will change as she grows older but I guess Middle Easterners have an affinity for young children with blond hair.