you know what's amazing to me, though, is that while these people wait in line for hours for sugar to make their chiya and selroti and other sweets for tihaar, they do it with such grace and dignity. they do it with peace. even if people complain, it is generally in a light-hearted, joking manner. meanwhile, you have @ssh#les in america that fly off the handle because the car in front of them didn't go the very second the light turned green. or because the person on line in front of them at the express checkout in the supermarket has 11 items instead of 10. yes, it's unfortunate that people wait in lines this long for sugar (like waiting in line for hours for bread in communist russia!), but at least they do it with grace and dignity. and the joy it brings them once they are able to celebrate tihaar with their families makes it worth the wait, i think.