One Month

Tonight around 1am, I will have officially been here one month. It seems like I've already been here a while, but the time has also flown by! I thought I'd list a few of the interesting things I've noted about life here:

1. Everyone is really friendly except the guy who takes your money on the bus. Also on the bus, pretty much no one talks. One of the things I appreciate about the buses, though, is that men give up their seats for women.

2. I've really enjoyed the food here, especially the desserts, but I've already kind of written about that. I just wanted to say it again.

3. Walking across the street is totally like playing Frogger. You walk halfway across the street, stand there as cars whiz by you on both sides, then wait to cross the other half, sometimes crossing 4 lanes this way.
(I can just hear my parents now, "Oh Ronnie, I hope YOU aren't doing that- promise me you'll never do that!)

4. People park however they want- it's like a jigsaw puzzle and if you're the first one to arrive somewhere, I have no idea how you get your car out when there's 18 others in the way.

5. If you make a friend here, or pay someone a visit, the hospitality is amazing.

6. People love to talk about religion and it is brought up in almost every conversation.


I'm sure there are other things I could list, but as each day passes, those things that were initially surprising or weird are becoming just a part of normal life. Today, to celebrate one month, I decided to eat at an American fast food restaurant, which is super rare for me. I went to McDonald's (I don't think you can get more American than that)...but I got the McArabia. I felt I still needed to remember that I'm in the Middle East.
 
                    

Yesterday my Arabic class was canceled, so I decided to explore the city some. I wanted to find the Institut Français to find out about French conversation courses and cultural activities. Instead I found the Insituto Cervantes, basically the Spanish version. I talked with the receptionist and got some information, then made my way to the French school.

After hiking all over town and climbing a really tall mountain, I gave in and took a taxi...and it was just around the corner. Of course the guy drove the long way around so he could charge me more, but my Arabic still isn't good enough to protest. So I paid him and then headed to the Institut Français where I spoke to the guy about their activities. There was no one there but him since it was so late, but I might try to go back another way.

Afterwards I grabbed a falafel quesadilla (it's like a theme in my life lately- Mexican Arab food) and then headed to a service at a local Alliance congregation. The music was great, but I couldn't understand much of anything since it was all in Arabic. There were a few folks in front of my speaking Portuguese, but I didn't get a chance to chat with them. I was hoping to so I could claim that I spoke 5 languages in one day! Maybe next time. It was one of those days, though, that a language nerd like myself loves.