Days off from work are…. Rejuvenating. Yesterday (28.9.10), I woke up to spend some time in the Word, away from the business of teaching and logistics of getting situated in Alex. The breeze from the Sea brings a smile to my face every time and I pray I never lose the overwhelming sense of awe and thanksgiving I have about living here. There is a certain something about this city, or this season of life, that has me overflowing with joy despite the ant-infested hostel, chaotic educational system, and invasive Egyptian demeanor (they are just very nosy and entirely too concerned with my every action).
After some alone time, I set to work reflecting upon my first week in the classroom. I reviewed the paragraphs I assigned two classes in order to gauge their writing skills; I will see these classes Thursday, so I wanted to be prepared to address the most common grammatical mistakes. I also set up spreadsheets to record summaries of each class meeting to ensure that I do not confuse the different sections (especially since the days seem to blur together). It has been difficult for me to be as organized as I would like given the fact that most of my things are still in suitcases and I do not feel as if I have a permanent work space. This will all change in a few short days, but for now I will cling to my spreadsheet.
I also spent some time organizing my finances. It has been different here in the sense that all my transactions are in cash, instead of the plastic I became used to the past few years; it reminds me of when I was younger and spent my babysitting earnings on outings with friends or a new pair of shoes or a purse. Well, in that sense, I guess some things never changeJ This past week in Alex has been financially, though, overwhelming because we have a lot of large expenditures such as one month’s rent + the security deposit + ten nights in a hotel + Arabic tuition. Thankfully, a paycheck is just around the corner!
While I try to avoid the temptation to sit attached to my computer for hours on end, I have been spending some necessary time reconnecting with my girls still at Centre. I miss them so much and it makes me so happy to hear that they are doing well. It is still very strange to think that I will not be returning to campus as a student ever again, but I am sure all graduates require an adjustment period to accept this fact. I do have some relief, though, since I will most likely be returning to the States to begin my masters next fall. This year is providing me a much needed break from the intense collegiate experience, but I will be more than ready to return to academia! (Yes, I am still a nerd.)
Actually, I am fueling my nerdish tendencies this year by continuing formal Arabic classes. Yesterday afternoon, Grace and I began our Modern Standard classes at Logia Institute. We will meet twice a week, for a total of 4 hours, to continue in al-Kitab (the standard MSA textbook). We have also arranged for an additional 4 hours of training in the Egyptian dialect. This course will be more challenging for me because my speaking skills are weaker than my grammatical ones (I blame my left brain dominance, thanks Dad). Arabic grammar is extremely mathematical and purely logical, unlike English grammar, which means I find great enjoyment in MSA class. Colloquial Arabic, however, is much more fluid and far less structured. It turns out, this is Grace’s forte, which means together, we make the perfect Arabic student! Our teacher encouraged us to challenge each other and work together to strengthen our weaknesses. For the past month, since our crash course in Egyptian the first ten days in Egypt, I have been nervous about whether I will actually improve my language skills this year. Now that we have started class, I am confident that significant progress will be made. I know class will be a lot of work and mentally taxing, but I also think it will provide a necessary break from teaching English while also making me sympathetic to my students’ struggles in learning a foreign language.
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