I'm currently listening through the muffled hallway some person leading protests in Egypt. Who knows what city or what they're saying, not me that's for sure. Arabic is impossible!!! Especially when being screamed by angry protesters on Al-Jazeera. And even in the classroom when we're just learning the first six letters of the alphabet. I feel like a five year old. And it doesn't help that today while sitting at the kitchen table after frustratingly trying to communicate with Cassie for at least an hour while no one else was home, my little brother comes in and tells me that my handwriting is terrible and proceeds to misread a word I had just written in Arabic. I am full of fail today.
The truth came out about my liberal leanings when I had a good long conversation with my little brother while both of us were doing homework about religion, gay people, aliens, devils and angels on people's shoulders, a possibility of a multiplicity of gods (brought up by yours truly), and a general discussion of my lack of skills in Arabic. Major props to him for being so patient with me, I'm sure I must have seemed like an idiot, going on about how aliens might exist, gay people should be able to be mabsooteen (happy) and get married (mumtaz!-excellent), and about how even though I'm christian (..... not really...maybe ... not really though) I don't believe in a lot of what the bible says and I don't think that it's all very nice at all. And I don't believe in the devil, but that may have just been too much. Needless to say, he must think I'm just mental but was pretty nice about the whole conversation and just laughed at me and I laughed at him and we laughed about the whole mess. He also told me that he thinks (and most Arabs think) that the U.S. government thinks all Arab looking people are terrorists. This made me really sad. It's tragic that people think this here and that he didn't believe me when I tried to tell him differently. He reassured me that he was not a terrorist and I about broke down crying because it's so frustrating that that even had to be a part of the conversation at all or that he would even think to bring it up at all. Anyway- I just wish everyone could be mabsooteen, kteer mabsooteen (very happy). I learned this word today so I've been using it like crazy and he laughed at me every time I told him that people should be allowed to be mabsooteen, even if that means they're a girl and they want to marry a girl. But it was a nice laugh, like he was talking to the five-year old that I am (at least in Arabic language). He's adorable, and probably thinks that I am adorable in the same vein. Oh well. Who knows what we'll talk about next time. In the mean time, everyone---can't we just all be mabsooteen, please??
Anyway, I need to go start searching for articles to start my lit review for my ISP (independent Study Project). For those of you who don't know, it's where they send us off for a month at the end of the learning portion of the program and we do interviews, observation, or whatever we want to look at a certain social, political, environmental, etc. question about the community and the culmination is a 30-40 page paper and 20 minute presentation of our findings. It's going to be crazy, I'm already booked almost every second of the day exploring, talking to people back home, blogging, studying, learning in class, reading, etc. So adding an ISP to that is going to be insane!
Had a good time today though- went to Mecca Mall with 2 SIT gals and just walked around. I found a Starbucks there and I'm hopeful for some soy milk and intend to go there if in dire need of decaf american coffee with soy and a packet of honey, no sugar. Oh how I long for that blessed drink. and people watching in the Galleria. Sarah, Anna, and I spoke today at the mall about how we were definitely homesick but also definitely enjoying ourselves. It seems an impossible mixture of emotions but it was great to hear two other people say they felt similarly (I'm not completely certifiable).
The cab ride home was surprisingly calm after my first solo cab ride the other day where I had to convince the driver that I did not want him to buy me a cell phone and that I didn't need anything (though it still resulted in his number on a card in my pocket).
I miss being a vegetarian, I think that's the main reason I can't wait to get back home, that and to see people. But seriously- I always thought I was a vegetarian strictly because I just didn't like the farming methods in the states but I've realized now I do actually just dislike eating animals very much. They're just so adorable and I hate that feeling of natural superiority people have as if it's their right to just eat all the animals in the world. Only 3 more months right?
No more sneaking oranges into the shower with me either (when showers even happen, haha), I bought some lemon juice today at the mall in a bottle, parfait!
Anyway, below are some more photos for your viewing pleasure (courtesy of Biff!).
The truth came out about my liberal leanings when I had a good long conversation with my little brother while both of us were doing homework about religion, gay people, aliens, devils and angels on people's shoulders, a possibility of a multiplicity of gods (brought up by yours truly), and a general discussion of my lack of skills in Arabic. Major props to him for being so patient with me, I'm sure I must have seemed like an idiot, going on about how aliens might exist, gay people should be able to be mabsooteen (happy) and get married (mumtaz!-excellent), and about how even though I'm christian (..... not really...maybe ... not really though) I don't believe in a lot of what the bible says and I don't think that it's all very nice at all. And I don't believe in the devil, but that may have just been too much. Needless to say, he must think I'm just mental but was pretty nice about the whole conversation and just laughed at me and I laughed at him and we laughed about the whole mess. He also told me that he thinks (and most Arabs think) that the U.S. government thinks all Arab looking people are terrorists. This made me really sad. It's tragic that people think this here and that he didn't believe me when I tried to tell him differently. He reassured me that he was not a terrorist and I about broke down crying because it's so frustrating that that even had to be a part of the conversation at all or that he would even think to bring it up at all. Anyway- I just wish everyone could be mabsooteen, kteer mabsooteen (very happy). I learned this word today so I've been using it like crazy and he laughed at me every time I told him that people should be allowed to be mabsooteen, even if that means they're a girl and they want to marry a girl. But it was a nice laugh, like he was talking to the five-year old that I am (at least in Arabic language). He's adorable, and probably thinks that I am adorable in the same vein. Oh well. Who knows what we'll talk about next time. In the mean time, everyone---can't we just all be mabsooteen, please??
Anyway, I need to go start searching for articles to start my lit review for my ISP (independent Study Project). For those of you who don't know, it's where they send us off for a month at the end of the learning portion of the program and we do interviews, observation, or whatever we want to look at a certain social, political, environmental, etc. question about the community and the culmination is a 30-40 page paper and 20 minute presentation of our findings. It's going to be crazy, I'm already booked almost every second of the day exploring, talking to people back home, blogging, studying, learning in class, reading, etc. So adding an ISP to that is going to be insane!
Had a good time today though- went to Mecca Mall with 2 SIT gals and just walked around. I found a Starbucks there and I'm hopeful for some soy milk and intend to go there if in dire need of decaf american coffee with soy and a packet of honey, no sugar. Oh how I long for that blessed drink. and people watching in the Galleria. Sarah, Anna, and I spoke today at the mall about how we were definitely homesick but also definitely enjoying ourselves. It seems an impossible mixture of emotions but it was great to hear two other people say they felt similarly (I'm not completely certifiable).
The cab ride home was surprisingly calm after my first solo cab ride the other day where I had to convince the driver that I did not want him to buy me a cell phone and that I didn't need anything (though it still resulted in his number on a card in my pocket).
I miss being a vegetarian, I think that's the main reason I can't wait to get back home, that and to see people. But seriously- I always thought I was a vegetarian strictly because I just didn't like the farming methods in the states but I've realized now I do actually just dislike eating animals very much. They're just so adorable and I hate that feeling of natural superiority people have as if it's their right to just eat all the animals in the world. Only 3 more months right?
No more sneaking oranges into the shower with me either (when showers even happen, haha), I bought some lemon juice today at the mall in a bottle, parfait!
Anyway, below are some more photos for your viewing pleasure (courtesy of Biff!).
The moment of the first bite of meat after 2 years. Notice the face- This is also my family room and from our first day at our homestay.
My host sister (left) and our friend Aseel at a cafe.
Me and Biff at the cafe also (so much smoke it's painful)
Alright, off to study, love to you all until next post!
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