Tea, arghileh, and whiskey

After about a week in the South Hebron Hills, I was able to visit one of my favorite families in the area. After being served tea, the following dialogue ensued: 

"Sam, how many times did you have tea in the 4 months you were home?"

"Well, if you mean black tea with sugar...zero."

The family, in unison, let out various expressions of shock. "What! That's unbelievable," the mother exclaimed. "And how many times did you smoke arghileh (hookah) when you were in the States?"

"Not once."

Then the father of the family, the man who always lectures me about religion and often quotes 45-minute sections of the Koran, spoke loudly over the clamor of his family's questions, "Yeah and how many times did you drink whiskey? Wait, don't even answer, we know you drank whiskey every day."