Are you Indian or Muslim?

[Dog barking. Lady looks this way.]
Lady: Are you Indian or Muslim?
1: Indians are Muslims. [smile]
2: Pakistan.
Lady: Oh okay. You live here?
1: No just walking.
Lady: Don’t mind the dog barking. He’s like a little shaitan.
[laugh]
Lady: You understand shaitan?
1: Yes of course.
Lady: He just barks at people. I never let him loose.
1: Will he bite?
Lady: Yes. That’s why I never leave him alone.
1: How old is he?
Lady: 9.
1: Wow. He looks so cute, and young.
2: Where are you from? Iraq?
Lady: Yes. How did you know?
1: Some people think I’m from Iraq too.
Lady: We also have a parrot.
1: I used to have a parrot as well. An African Grey.
Lady: Oh that is the same one we have.
2: We bought it when we moved into our home.
1: I read a book on parrots as a boy and feel in love with the story of how the author took an African Grey home. So I vowed that I would buy an African Grey when I moved into my home.
Lady: My bird tells the dog to be quiet. He also says: what’s up bro.
[laugh]
1: So you speak Arabic?
Lady: Fluent. But we speak Assyrian.
1: How do you say Iqra in Assyrian?
Lady: Qarian. It’s a bit different.
1: So it’s only the Christians that speak Assyrian?
Lady: Yes.
2: There’s many Christians in Iraq?
Lady: Many.
1: Even now?
Lady: I don’t know. I’ve been here 46 years.
2: Wow.
Lady: Yeah yeah. My kids have grown up here.
1: Do they speak Assyrian?
Lady: I speak to them but they speak back in English.
1: Oh. It would have been good to learn Arabic. It’s an International language.
Lady: Maybe yeah.
1: Well we have to get back soon for iftar.
Lady: Oh you know Arabic?
1: I’m from Iraq remember? [smile]
Lady: You are?
1: Just kidding. But we have to break fast, Ramadan.
Lady: Sure sure.
2: It was nice meeting you.
Lady: You as well. Take care.
[1 waves and says Ma’Salamah to the little dog.]