How a man becomes a man

I once travelled from Beirut to Toronto, and we stopped over in Frankfurt. Next to me was a guy who looked quite cheerful. His name was Eyad, a Lebanese car mechanic married to a German woman. He was returning to Frankfurt. I asked him about the difference in habits between living in Lebanon and Germany. He laughed and said:

"The Arab mind is bizarre."

He invited his mother to Germany to spend a few weeks with his family. He and his wife both work, and their 11-year-old son goes to school.

"As you know, everybody cares for himself in Germany! After the first few days, my mother asked me, 'Why are you not telling your wife to bring you food, water, and coffee? If you are mellow, that is your problem, but your son must build his personality! What about his future? Seeing you strong and commanding your wife, he will become a strong man!’"