belated

Typed at precisely 9:24 pm to the soothing sounds of Simon and Garfunkel

I haven’t been able to log on to blogger for some time, so I’m trying a new tactic: ‘blogging’ in Word then posting the blog later at a cyber café, where for some reason blogger will load.

Anyway I don’t really remember where I left off (and can’t check because I can’t get into my blog) so I’ll just start chit-chattin.’

I’ve been busy. Currently I have a project and a vacation in the planning stages, a meeting with my program manager to prepare for (it’s tomorrow), lots of dirty laundry, a two-week training workshop to go to next week, a presentation to do for said training workshop and lessons to plan.

Spirits are high, I’d say. I’m starting to get some compliments on my Arabic and even though tutoring sessions usually leave me stressed out I am definitely improving. I can actually make the “gh” sound now (and spell it!) and my comprehension is getting better slowly. I’m realizing that there are some people I can understand all the time and some people that sound like they aren’t even speaking Arabic when they talk to me.

The past few weeks I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing other Volunteers (always good for the mental health). A couple weekends ago I was out of town for a SIDA training workshop and got to spend three days with other Americans, eating and making jokes that other people understand. It was awesome. Then this last Sunday a Volunteer came through Rommani to square up with me on some grant money and we were able to hang out and eat lunch (in a restaurant, which I never get to do!).

Side note, it’s funny how quickly little oddities about your site become totally normal to you. For instance, I was going to my house with the above Volunteer and when it rains a lot in my site the street leading up to my neighborhood gets crazy muddy. So, I usually go this other way that involves jumping over a big sidewalk gap, climbing onto a low wall, walking it like a balance beam then jumping back down to the street. I do this three or four times a day so it’s pure routine now, but it freaked the other Volunteer out a little, who I think thought I was leading him through some sort of obstacle course/gymnastics routine.

Annnnyhoodle I’m going to get moving. I had a request to post pics on my blog, and maybe I will, but in the meantime I’d be happy to send you links to my Picasa album(s). Just email me.