Arabs don’t like to say "I don’t know"… We are ready to do anything we can in order to find an answer to any problem we might have, from fixing an electronic device, to curing a sickness, to revealing unexpected uses of household items.
Arabs simply have a remedy for anything and everything, and while some of these remedies might sound ridiculous or odd, they actually do work sometimes! Here are some of them:
1. On and off
Arabs perfected the art of fixing any device that has a button by turning the switch button off and then on. While this is a common practice all around the world, Arabs made it their own by waiting around 10 seconds before switching the button on again! The best thing about this practice is the triumphant look on an Arab’s face when the device starts working again after applying this complicated technique.
2. Kammoun
Kammoun or cumin is every Arab mom’s favorite remedy for anything going on in the belly area! She will make you inhale it, chew it, drink it on its own or mixed with lemon and salt to cure your stomach ache, your constipation, your food poisoning and why not your blocked nose or itchy skin?!
3. The vaseline effect
Next to the kammoun jar, you’ll see a Vaseline jar to cure all the other problems that kammoun cannot fix! Be prepared to be rubbed with vaseline or even Vicks by your mama or teta to treat anything from headaches to sore muscles. But the vaseline effect is not limited to human use... Arabs also use it to polish cars’ leather, shine shoes and stop doors from squeaking.
4. The battery operation
If you are an Arab then you must have seen your dad doing this at least once in your life: taking the remote control’s batteries out, rubbing them very well, then placing them back inside the device. Arabs usually resort to this highly dangerous and extremely sophisticated operation when any device that runs on batteries decides to stop functioning. We don’t advise you to try this at home!
5. Sweat sweat sweat!
Sweating is not always a bad thing when you're an Arab. According to our tetas and mamas, covering our bodies with layers upon layers of wool blankets until we are swimming in a pool of our own sweat is the perfect remedy for many illnesses such as flu, stomach pain, and even high fever. Many doctors argue against this weird method but that won’t stop Arabs from sweating… I mean swearing by it!