b-suhuulah

Audio with Theyab's pronunciation

Hassan needs to do paperwork. He goes to the Ministry of Information
and approaches the reception desk.
"Excuse me, who do ana as'aal about filing these papers?
The receptionist looks carefully the cleanly-shaven Hassan.
"Please go to that desk over there," she says, pointing to the
other side of the room.
Hassan wanders over and approaches the clerk.
"May I ask you su'aal?" he begins, showing the clerk his papers. The clerk
takes one look at the papers, then steals a glance at Hassan's flip-flops,
his board shorts.
"Second floor."
Hassan sighs, grabs his folder and makes his way to the elevators.
The second floor is filled with people running around and a gaggle of women
showing each other their nail polish. Hassan approaches them.
"Excuse me, can you help?"
The women stop chatting and grimace at Hassan's t-shirt. Pink Floyd.
"No paperwork is done in this building. You have to travel across Kuwait
to another building."
"What other building?" Hasan exclaims.
The women shrug and turn back to their conversation.

Now Hassan goes home and does his homework. He puts on his dishdasha,
grows a beard and returns a week later to the Ministry of Information.
He approaches the ground floor reception desk.
"Excuse me," he says, "mit'akidiin this building isn't the right place to file
these papers?"
The receptionist gives him a big smile. "Yes, it's the correct building, sir -
you can do your paperwork here b-suhuulah. If you don't mind, I'll take
your papers and have them ready in five minutes. Please have a seat."
Hassan slaps his forehead in exasperation.

انا اسأل	ana as’aal	I ask
سؤال	su’aal	A question
متأكدين	mit’akidiin?	Are you sure? (to a group; asking the Ministry as a whole)
شلون	shlawn	How
الحكومة	al-Hukuumah	The government
تاخذ	taakhidh	Takes
فلوس	filuus	Money
من	min	From
الناس	an-naas	The people