Adventures

A view from Nicely Hall

Nicely Hall

AUB campus at night

Moon peeking through trees

Since I've recovered a bit from the trip, I ventured out into the city alone today. (Not very far.) I took a taxi to Monoprix, a two-story supermarket. You can pull your cart up the escalator along with you, on parallel tracks. It sounds good, but it wasn't actually so smooth, because on the way up the cart wouldn't go as fast as me, so I had to keep stepping backwards; then on the way down, it was so full of stuff that it was hard to control. Oh well. American pop music was playing throughout, so I felt right at home... Signs were in French and Arabic, and French came to my aid. I kept crossing the path of two young girls who seemed excited to see a foreigner and whisper in English. :-)

The man who drove the taxi on the way there was enthused about my efforts (marginally successful) to communicate, and we had a good semi-conversation. He was from Baalbeck, a city which we will be visiting next Saturday. The driver on the way back was less thrilled, since I had 6 shopping bags and he had to go out of his way. I was just glad I could get where I wanted to go!

Although I don't experience the discomfort when going out that I did in India, it is still not easy to accomplish what I want to, simply because I don't know how. For example, I have not made it to church yet, because I don't know where the churches are, I don't have a phone book, and I have also been a little tired.

The ladies who work at the cafeteria have been encouraging my colloquial efforts and greet me happily each morning. They were very helpful today when I couldn't get any results from the ATM machine. So far the problem is not so much limited vocabulary as my lack of understanding; it just goes by so fast! One difference between the U.S. and here is that people are not used to slowing down for non-native speakers like me.

Yesterday in our first classes, the teachers spoke almost all in Arabic, and since we have been taught in English so far, this was quite a leap. I think I caught maybe 50% or less yesterday, and more like 70% today; so I haven't given up yet. My suite-mate claims that she can understand what people say and can't reply! I can reply, but I don't know if it's the right answer. She's in the high intermediate class, and I'm in the intermediate. Thankfully I didn't place lower than I hoped, so I won't be losing time.

Went to see the Argentina-Germany game tonight with the same people. Confusing, since I don't usually catch what's happening, and the spectators are usually split, so if they cheer, I don't know which team scored (not that they score very often). This group watched in English, but it goes back and forth. One thing about the student lounge here is that people are always watching English channels, and often watching things with the utmost absorption that I would turn off in a second.

Last night after midnight, there was a sudden eruption of joy on the streets- horns, screaming, church bells ringing. I thought someone must have won a game, but apparently there was no game. It remains a mystery. Other interesting sounds heard from my room (which has the sound-proofing of a cardboard box) include serious brake screeching, sirens and conversations from outside. Just as well I can't understand them.

Signing off!