Classes Begin!

Yesterday, I finally went out for the second time—to Rehab City.  I bought groceries and a few items of clothing.  My wardrobe is very limited and I need to find inexpensive clothing as soon as possible.  My groceries totaled 100 LE, a lot of money for Egyptians.  However, the same amount of money would seem insignificant in US Dollars: $17.50.  One of the girls with me (a fellow American) told me I shop expensively because I seemed to get relatively little for so much.  I don’t think she understands shopping quantity and not by price.  That is a larger, more expensive item will be cheaper in the long run than a smaller item for a cheaper price.

Today was the first day of classes and I attended my first Elementary Arabic class first thing this morning.  We had the wrong professor, but she taught us a few things about the alphabet.  The professor in our room was supposed to be teaching an advanced Arabic class.  Our class is learning from the very beginning of the beginning.  I wonder where our proper professor was today?

My next class for today was Understanding Arabic Music.  I am very excited about this class more than the others.  Arabic music was the spark which ignited my passion for the Middle East.  We will be singing Egyptian folk songs as well as pop music.  We will play a little bit on the Tabla—a type of percussion instrument and end the semester with a concert open to the entire university!  It seems there will be 17 people in our class, but there were only seven of us today.  The first day of class, Ramadan, no one goes to work or class…it’s party time! 

Later on today…
The class schedule is set up differently for Ramadan.  All of our classes begin earlier and end earlier, but this is only temporary.  This weekend is Eid el Fitr—the celebration of the end of Ramadan.

I was encouraged to join the AUC Chamber Singers, so I went to the first rehearsal to check it out.  I feel a little obligated to join since I have sung with the group.  At the same time, I enjoy my evenings and would rather have time to relax.  We only rehearse twice a week in the evening.  With the Ramadan Schedule, we met 8 PM to 10 PM and rehearsed STANDING the entire time.  The music is Western, not Arabic as I hoped.  This single rehearsal has helped me to truly cherish the Berea College Choir.  We sing like angels.

And so ends my first day of classes; finally finished after 10 PM.  I’m ready to sleep!  But the night owl in me is dying to fly!