I'm Not Convinced....

Today on the way home from school I saw a sign giving the temperature here. It said 41 degrees Celsius. I did a quick conversion (on my ipod, not in my head...sorry, I'm not that good at math) and discovered that it would equate to over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not convinced that is quite accurate though, because while it is hot, and by hot I mean for sure in the 90's, it doesn't feel like it's 105 degrees. Even in the sun. Audrey, maybe you could tell me how hot it is here... :)

I'm supposed to be studying...

I should be studying right now, but I thought I might have more motivation if I included you all in a quick lesson on Arabic. :)
First the basics...Arabic is read from right to left, and so when you open a book, you would start with the spine on the right and turn the pages to the right. Check it out in the picture of my text book and notebooks.

Anyway, we've been starting with the alphabet and learning all the sounds. I must say my untrained ear is having a hard time distinguishing between  ح and ھ. They both are a "ha" sound, but the first one is deeper, more from the throat, and the second is light, like a hahaha sound. Anyway, those aren't the only sounds I'm having trouble with, but that is an example. 


Another helpful hint when trying to read Arabic... (which, I'm not sure why you would try to read it...but still...this is my lesson!) :) The letter shape changes depending on where in the sentence it falls. The beginning of the word has a different shape than the middle and the end is different too. Oh, and there's letters that don't connect to each other, and if there is one more letter after a non-connecting one in the word, that shape is still a different shape.

All that to say...I'm learning slowly but surely.


Alright for your first lesson.....


The word is bint. It's pronounced bin-t. It means girl. (I would show you the Arabic script for it, but apparently blogger doesn't like when I copy and paste things from a document.)


I have a bunch of other words I'm working on too, that are examples of the letters in each of the different shapes (you know, the different shapes they take depending on placement in the word). 


Today we finished the alphabet and so tomorrow and next week we will be moving on to verbs and their conjugations! 


Here's to hoping I can somehow manage to wrap my brain around this language and somehow train my ear to hear the different, but very similar sounds. :)

Breezy Evening

Just a quick note to say that I'm and gratefully enjoying the wonderful breeze coming in our windows at the moment. Maybe it's a sign of cooler weather on the way. :)

More Pictures

The weekend was definitely a relaxing one, as I stayed around the apartment, only going out Saturday for groceries with my roommate. On Friday (or maybe Saturday...I can't remember) evening we went up to watch the sunset from the roof of our apartment. The buildings here have flat roofs that usually have a door to get out onto them, unlike the U.S. where roofs are peaked. (Roofs? Rooves? How in the heck do you pronounce the plural of roof?!) :)

Here are some pictures that I took recently...

This is from our balcony looking down towards the alley and then street. On the left some sheets are drying. I always experience a bit of vertigo when I go to hang up my clothes on the line, because it hangs out and it is a straight drop to the ground 3 stories below.

The sunset over the city from the roof of our building

A church just up the hill a bit from our apartment. Our area has  quite a few churches, mostly connected with more orthodox streams of Christianity

This is looking down the jabel from the roof. Notice the graveyard right below? Well, along the wall between the buildings and the graveyard is a set of stairs that goes down the hill towards the main road, which then streams down to that big circle. I have been walking down those stairs most mornings to catch a taxi, which then goes down to the circle and then heads around the far side of that circle, north towards the University. 

If I were to turn right instead of left towards the circle I would end up in the balad.

Classes this week have been going better...I am finding that I'm maybe not the quickest in the class, but definitely not the slowest, so I don't think I'll get left behind like I was worried about. 

I think the most draining part of each day is not the classes, it's the heat. The sun beats down and makes me wilt, especially walking awhile in it. I have a lot of respect for the women who wear a veil and a long coat every day in this heat. I feel like I'm dying in thin long sleeves and long pants. :)

Today my roommate came to the University to see the campus and to meet a friend of hers who is a student there. We enjoyed some Lebanese food and then this friend helped me figure out the bus that comes back a lot closer to our neighborhood, instead of having to walk through the balad. My roommate is going with me in the morning to make sure I can find the bus okay, and then I'll probably use that as my primary mode of transportation getting there, instead of a taxi.

Dust Storm

That's right, dust storm. :) Remember I said that yesterday was nice and cool because of the rain? Well, for some unknown reason later that evening a dust storm came up. It was crazy! As the sun set the sky turned bright red, and then it got really dark, since the dust obscured all the lights, even the lights from across the street. I didn't get the windows shut quite soon enough, and the dust hung in the rooms throughout the night. Before I went to bed it had cleared off a bit outside, but now everything has been coated with a fine layer of grit. I mopped my floor and the floor of the kitchen, but everything is still a bit dusty.

As far as school news goes, we have jumped right in today, starting with the alphabet and simple words. I have a list of 20 words to practice writing and reading for the weekend, so I am already planning on spending quite a bit of time tomorrow and Saturday working on them. It's amazing what a difference a missed dot or accent makes on the word! Hopefully I can continue to focus and learn quickly in the coming weeks.

More Pictures

Here are a couple more pictures...

My supper last night...hummus, pita and tomatoes = delicious!

The green glow of the minarets at dusk, as the call to prayer sounds throughout the city

Rainy Day

I'm living in the desert, or at least, a desert region, so it was with a bit shock that I woke up this morning at 5 am to hear the crash of a downpour falling outside my window. It only rained hard for a little while, but the sky is still overcast and it continues to sprinkle every so often. Needless to say, this is a huge relief from the extremely high temperatures we have had the two previous days. I think it is about a 30 degree (in Fahrenheit) difference from yesterday.
My first day of classes finally came! It took a while to get a taxi, but I ended up at the school with about 8 minutes to spare, so I was thankful for that. Class today lasted just until 10:40 so it was a nice introduction into the course. My teacher is very nice, and I think I will learn a lot from her. It sounds like the course will be intense though. She told us that in about 10 days or so, she will stop using English and only use Arabic! But it also sounds like if I work hard on studying and practicing I will be able to read, write and communicate clearly by the end of the semester. I only hope that I can comprehend all that will be coming at me for the next 16 weeks.

Orientation

Today was Orientation Day for the Language Center at the University. I left extra early, because I wasn't sure how long it would take me to get a taxi. Well, turns out the second taxi I saw I was able to get into. :) So I was there extra early. But that was okay, because I was able to relax and read a bit.
During the orientation I sat between two young people, both from America, both just high school graduates and both of whom have parents who came from this region originally. It was interesting hearing their perspectives on coming to learn Arabic. They've heard it all their lives from their fathers, but haven't learned it at all while living in the States. The young man is in my class so I think we'll probably connect some more. I had met him on Sunday while I was waiting to finish registering.
Anyway, I have my class schedule now, at least for the rest of the week, and everything is set for tomorrow.
The journey home was another adventure in modes of transportation. I caught a bus (this one was smaller, almost like a large van) to the one end of balat, and then set off walking again, determined to make it all the way to where the servees comes to go up to my neighborhood. I was getting close, but starting to wear out and second guess myself, so I stopped to try and get a taxi. A lady was standing there and I tried to get her help to figure out where the servees are, but I think I ended up confusing her. :) Finally a taxi came and it turns out I was only about two blocks away from the servees. But because of the confusion I took the taxi, and the lady who helped me even rode along to make sure the taxi driver got me there alright.
Tomorrow on the way home I'll know the way now, and be able to save some money on transportation.
Inshallah tomorrow I'll start learning Arabic!

Unexpected Day of Rest

Since school didn't end up starting yesterday I have one more day (today) to rest up before the busy-ness comes. It was wonderful to sleep in (especially since the night before I didn't get much sleep) and then I enjoyed a wonderful traditional breakfast with my roommate. This roommate has been here for 3 years now, and so she made me (well, it didn't really take much actual "making") a traditional breakfast and shared some about what the people here eat. It was delicious!
Also, today became laundry and cleaning and re-arranging day. I cleaned the kitchen floor and I'll finish up the kitchen in a little while. I did all my dirty laundry and it is quickly drying out on the balcony and also switched around my bed and dresser, so that there is an outlet near the mirror for me to dry and straighten my hair in the mornings.
Beyond all that I think the rest of the day will be pretty relaxed. I'm saving up my energy for tomorrow. :)

Pictures

I figured I should put some more pictures on here, just to keep you all from getting bored. :)

This is the front of the Language Center at the University. I think I will be spending most of my time in this building.

To my surprise I found Mt. Dew and Pringles here! :) However, neither one tastes quite the same as in the U.S., although that only slightly diminishes my enjoyment of them. 

My new cell phone :) There's even games on it, which means that it beats out my old cell phone, in my opinion.

The lovely cushions that I commandeer when I want to read or be on the computer. Because the wireless doesn't reach to my bedroom, all my blogging and emailing is done from the living area.

Change of Plans...& The Feeling of Success

Well, I know I said yesterday I was going to go to Mecca Mall, but turns out we didn't go. Instead we went down to the balat, or near the balat, to go shopping on Italian Street. So named because of the Italian Hospital that is located on this street. (at least that is what I assume) Don't ask me what makes the hospital Italian though. :) Also, my friend showed me how to use the servees, which are the shared taxis that drive on specific routes around the city. Anyways, back to shopping. There are alot of used clothing stores on that street and we (a friend and I) went to go find some shirts for me to wear, since most of mine aren't long enough. And it was a success! I got three new (to me) shirts, and I even wore one of them today, on what was supposed to be my first day of classes.
Notice I said "supposed to"? Well, yesterday wasn't the only change of plans...today also carried lots of surprises. :) I got up super early because I hadn't finished registration on Thursday, and I wanted to make sure I was on time. I had to wait for a taxi for awhile, but still got to the University in what I thought was plenty of time. Well, after going to the Language Center and speaking to the gentleman who helped me Thursday, I found out that in actuality, classes don't start today, they start Wednesday, with orientation on Tuesday.
And so, I was able to take my time finishing my registration, and since I was feeling such a weight of worry lifted off me at getting that all done, I decided to try and figure out which bus I needed to take to get back to the balat. And that is where the feeling of success came in, because I did it! Well, okay, I did it with some help from some very kind women. I used that one Arabic word I know, "balat" and they pointed out the bus to take. From where I got dropped off I walked into the balat a ways, and then hailed a taxi to take me the rest of the way to my neighborhood. I'm glad I didn't try to walk the whole way to Italian Street to catch a servees up the hill to my neighborhood, because it was a long way from where I got dropped off. But still, I accomplished public transportation!!
It is with a great sense of relief and accomplishment that I am back at the apartment, awaiting the next adventure... :)

The Weekend

This weekend has been laid back for me, since I don't have homework yet. :) Thursday evening a new roommate moved in here. She is from Korea and I have enjoyed not being the only one in the apartment. My other roommate arrives back from the UK today. This is her apartment, so it will be nice to have her around to explain the nuances of getting hot water and other such things. :) And I'm also looking forward to having another friend to connect with.
Today I'm going to go to Mecca Mall. I heard it is bigger than any mall in the U.S. so I'm excited to see it. I'll also be getting more food supplies, now that I have a better idea of what I need to get.
And then, tomorrow is the big day! I'm so nervous right now thinking about it, not knowing what to expect. In some ways I don't want the day to come, and in other ways, I wish I didn't have to wait a full day. But by this time tomorrow I will be almost through one class, and hopefully ready to settle into a routine. :)

Photos of the day

I have a couple more pictures of the city to share...

This was taken at dusk, from my balcony. Notice little green dots among the other city lights? Those are the minarets connected to the various mosques throughout the city. The sound of the call to prayer echoes through the city....a very beautiful and haunting sound.

The city is built on mountains, or jabels, as they call them. So, to walk down the jabel to the balat (city center) there are stairs to go down, or up if you so prefer, although these particular ones are extremely steep. :)

My New Home

Here are some pictures of my apartment.

The living room/dining room. The front door is on the left. This is taken from the doorway towards the bedrooms

This is looking the other way in the main room. On the right there are cushions along the wall to sit on. The doorway to the left goes into the kitchen, and then down the hallway the first left is the bathroom and the second left is my room.  There are two other bedrooms back there.

This is looking into the kitchen. The glass door leads out to the balcony. Around the corner to the right is lots of counter space.

And this is the view from the balcony. There are ancient ruins right around where the flag is.

And this is my room, or at least half of it. There's a dresser and mirror to the left out of the picture.

Lastly, here's the view from my window.

The city is built on mountains/hills and it makes for some steep streets. There are stairs that are built going down the hills so that it makes it a bit easier to walk up and down.

I met our guard Yosef this morning. He came to fix the light bulb in the bathroom. I had been trying to shower in the dark. :)

Today I also ventured out on my own for the first time. I took a taxi with a friend to where she was taking her child to pre-school and then I took a taxi by myself to the store called Cosmo, which is a huge department store. I got my cell phone and some other necessities before taking a taxi back to my neighborhood. Maybe later today I'll go out and get the rest of the food that I need to really start cooking.

Here are a couple of pictures from my journey.

Waiting to back away from the terminal in Cedar Rapids

The sun setting behind me as I headed to Chicago. Good-bye Iowa!

I made it!

I guess I should have started off by saying that, instead of posting pictures from last weekend. :) Anyway, I made it safely to my new apartment around 3:30 am this morning and for now have the apartment to myself. I didn't sleep much on the plane, so it was easy to fall asleep once I laid down and didn't get up 'til around 11 this morning. I still feel tired, so I'm hoping I won't be wide awake when it's time for bed tonight. :)

This afternoon a friend was able to show me around the neighborhood a bit and give me some advice on taxis, shared taxis and buses. I haven't attempted any modes of transportation, but I hope I can figure it out before Sunday when classes start. Tomorrow I can hopefully make my way to the University to get registered for classes.

Maybe later tonight I'll put on some pictures from my trip here and of the apartment.

Backing Up a Bit...

Here are some pictures from last weekend, right before I left. Mom, Dad, Reggie and I all went to the Iowa/Iowa State game so here a few pictures from that day.

It's a beautiful day for football!

The marching band

Thank Goodness for Window Seats!

I had been hoping, but trying not to set my heart on getting window seats for my flights tonight. But thankfully, I did get window seats, on all my flights! I'm so grateful that I'll be a bit more comfortable to sleep tonight.
In other news I just said good-bye to my family, which really stunk. But they have blessed me and I know I can go from here with confidence in their love and support.

T-3 Hours

In about 3 and a half hours I will be in the air on the first leg of my 24 hour journey. The day has been an emotional one...lots of tears this morning, but I must say I am so, so, so grateful for the Body that I am a part of. I felt such love from them today.

I will maybe update this as the trip continues...maybe. :)

Officially Leaving!

The date has finally been set and is fast approaching. On Sunday evening I will be leaving Cedar Rapids on a 24 hour journey to what will be my new home for the year. I will have a long layover in Germany, during which I hope to explore a bit...hopefully there will be time to post some pictures as well.

After arriving at the crazy early hour of 2 am, I will have 4 days to prepare before classes start on the 19th! I will try and be diligent about updating this when I get there, but don't hold your breath. :)

For most of you, I will see you all in a year. :)