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. :)