Beat the Carpet and Pray

It was the 80's and I had started working a new job on 48th Street in the "diamond district" in Manhattan. It was a small firm that sold semi-precious gem stones. It was run by two young Persian guys and they employed about 10 Asian girls who sorted the stones. It was my first week there and I was finding it very interesting. One day there was a knock at the door (which was always kept locked) and all the Asian girls jumped out of their seats and fell to the floor on their knees and began to beat the carpet with their hands. My mouth fell open I could not imagine what they were doing. Were they praying? Then the door opened and a man with a vacuum came in and began to vacuum the rug. I realized what they had been beating the rug to "pop-up" any gem stones that might have fallen to the floor so they would not be vacuumed up!