Eid and other stuff

Yeah!  Eid is finally here!  Eid is an Islamic holiday and I get a week off of school! 

I asked my Arabic teacher to explain this holiday, so here's a brief synopsis.  I hope it's right.  Well, I'm sure the information she gave me is right; I just hope I'm remembering it correctly.

This Eid is celebrated by haj حج‎ (by the way, I can write that!, of course I didn't but I can:) (pilgrimage) to Mecca.  Mecca is the holy city in Saudia Arabia.  All Muslims are supposed to go on haj once in their lifetime during Eid.  When they get to Mecca they pray, fast, and walk around a mosque (Kabba) 7 times.  This mosque is regarded as Allah's dwelling and is to be treated with respect and reverence.  She told me why you walk around 7 times, but I can't remember.  I suppose I should have written this one last night when I remembered more of what she told me.  Oh well.  Animal sacrifice is also required and then a 3 day celebration.  Those that do not go on haj, pray more than usual at home, fast, and perfom an animal sacrifice.  My Arabic teacher has already perfromed her haj so she is not going to Mecca.  She said that even with the crowds of people gathered for haj it was a very serious event for her and she could really feel Allah's presence.  A couple of my students are going to Mecca.  I'm not sure if this counts as their haj because they are so young, but they are going with their family. 

Dare I say it?  I think it's getting cooler!  Well, it is getting cooler, but there was one morning when I was a bit chilly!  Yes, chilly!  OK that's only in the morning and evening, but still, that's better than hot all the time.  The temps here have been in the upper 80s to mid 90s this week.  No more 100s!!!!  There's a nice breeze in the mornings and evenings and if I wasn't in the middle of the desert I would probably have my windows open as the temps can drop to the 70s.

Wednesday a couple of teachers surprised me with a birthday gift!  They were so sweet!  They came into my room in the morning smiling and saying "Happy birthday!", which of course made my girls giggle and start singing Happy Birthday all over again.  I thought they were done with that!  They told me that they wanted to see me for a minute and then they gave me the gift.  They gave me some body wash and lotion.  Very nice!

I am surviving Arabic classes.  She asked me to read on Wed.  I had a very hard time.  I could identify some letters and say them one at a time, but it was a very difficult and slow process to push them together to make words.  The girls know that I'm taking Arabic and they're so funny.  They try to teach me how to say words and write their names.  I will say that my attempts at writing their names or reading words are not always correct.  I have a hard time hearing the differences in certain sounds and knowing what letter to write or to say.  Then there's always the added difficulty of letters changing shape based on their position.  Still lots to learn, but they are so cute trying to teach me.  Although they go very fast and don't really give me enough time to think, but it's cute nonetheless.  One little girl was so cute today.  I aksed to see her Arabic book and she was standing on a chair next to me so she could help me!  Too cute:)  Not very safe, but cute!  I guess I should have sat down instead of her standing on a chair.  Oh well, there's no OSHA here.

Wed. Miss. Salha, a teacher that I share one of my rooms with, asked me "why they not clean up, Miss Sara?"  I told her that I really try.  I do, I try to make them clean up and put their English books away and get Arabic out, but they just don't listen to me.  I am not going to waste my time yelling at them to clean up.  I try.  I tell them to pick up and straighten their tables, but they don't listen.  She made me kind of mad; like I'm not trying and I let them do whatever they want.  I will say that when I come in the room isn't perfect looking either.  I am always telling them to put their Arabic books away and get English out.  I see papers on the floor and all over their desks.  So she's not making them clean up either.

Dinner with Cassie and Susan was at an American restaurant, where they had 50s and 60s music playing.  What a taste of home!  Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for humus, rice, chicken tikka, and shwarma.  Although it's good, we all just needed a break tonight.  So we went to this new restaurant in Bawadi Mall.  It was very good.  I had a chicken turkey melt with fries.  The fries weren't all that good especially since the Ranch dressing isn't really Ranch dressing.  But sitting there listening to the music and eating American food I felt like I was at home.  That is until I noticed the Arabic writing on the menu and other stores in the mall.  It was just a quick taste of America!

I am going to Abu Dhabi (which I just found out is not pronounced D-abi, it's pronounced Thabi the /Th/ like that) on Sunday and then to Jordan for the break.  Can't wait!