Yesterday, we started classes here. It's only the second day but I can already tell ALIF is everything OSU isn't. At OSU, I had always had Arabic class with at least twenty other students, and we all had to fight for our teacher's attention for the 48 minutes we had with him or her each day. Here, it is just me and my teacher in two or three-hour lesson blocks. I have two instructors, Ustadh Bakali and Ustadh Ibtisam (ustadh means "teacher"). I love both my teachers; they are so nice and care so much about teaching Arabic in a successful way. On my first day, yesterday I suppose, Ustadh Bakali gave me my new Moroccan name, Doonyaa, which means "life". He pats me on the head and shakes my hand when I get the right answers, and kicks my foot whenever I repeat mistakes. I'm just three years shy of his daughter's age, so he's going to treat me like his daugther. I know he will too, he told me so. Today, when he found out I speak some French, he continued that part of the lesson in said language. This blew my mind a little too much, but I'll admit, it made me feel shweeya ("a little"--that's some darija for ya!) awesome. Ustadh Ibtisam insists I change my name to Doonyaa when I get back to America, because, " 'Danielle' is pretty, but 'Doonyaa' is prettier'".
The other wonderful thing about ALIF is that everything is small. Everything. The entire campus consists of two buildings, one where classes are held, and the Villa, where many of the students live, including me. Needless to say, so far I'm very, very pleased with ALIF and the administration here. I can't say I feel similarly towards the men in Morocco, but in shah Allah, I won't have too many more unpleasant run-ins with them.
I'm hoping to start venturing outside of Fez soon. Any ideas?
B'salama,
Danielle
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5 comments:
How about Kathmandu?
Yo-
That's awesome that your أساتذة are awesome! Our أستاذ for 200.01 is awesome too. I'm actually upset you're not here to witness the painlessness and utter clarity. I'm jumping the gun a little bit, but he seems hardcore. We actually have to turn in our homework, imagine that. First day we learned about hamza l-wasla. DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF HAMZAS?!?!?!? It was mindblowing to the say the least.
P.S. You still haven't confirmed me on Skype. I want to see you and I want see Morocco through the lens of your computer's webcam.
oh man! is that with zeidan? i heard he was wonderful. i'm feeling just a twinge of sadness that i can't be in class with you and dan, but i guess it's a fair trade. i guess.
and i thought i confirmed you on skype? i can see you, at least--you're fariba.par, right? we need to figure this out, i have to show you my new home!
Make a cool hybrid of Doonya and Danielle, and I'll pay to make the "I <3 Hans Wehr" t-shirts
Nonetheless I'm officially adding you to my list of "Blogs I Read." Which isn't anything special. :-)
bilingual blog, plz.
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