the fort

The boys in my neighborhood have been working on this fort for weeks now, and I have been eagerly watching their progress. This thing is awesome. It started out with just the wooden frame, but now it's got everything. I want to hang out there. Seriously. They found a book of fabric samples which they took apart and nailed to the walls for covering/decoration. They put carpeting on the ground with cushions and wooden chairs for their sitting enjoyment, thin screens on the ceiling to block the sun, a bulletin board on the outside to post their important announcements, a wooden platform for shoes so the carpet doesn't get dirty, and of course, the necessary framed picture of the king prominently displayed on the wall. The best part is that the whole thing is covered with Christmas lights, so it's lit up every night. Every evening I walk by to see what progress has been made or what the boys are up to. Usually they are just chilling inside, playing chess or carems or just hanging out. It's funny because it's quite typical for older Arab men to sit outside on the street smoking shisha and playing dominoes. This is like the kids version. :)