Life is life. Very good.

Masa il'her!  (Good evening!)

By the time I come home in July, I expect you to all know the amount of Arabic I've used in my blogs, so we can communicate.  There will be a test.

I haven't written in a few days.  It's not because I haven't wanted to, but it's because I feel like I've lacked anything significant to write about.  I think that's significant in itself.  People ask me how I'm doing and if there's anything new.  I seriously don't have anything new to say, because life is life here.  

My mom's coming to visit me soon...one month from today, actually!!!  I've been thinking about what will seem peculiar to her when she's here, versus what I think is peculiar, now that I've lived here for almost six months.  

On my list, I could only come up with a few things that still stand out as "odd" to me.  The shepherds will occasionally herd their flock through the streets of Bethlehem.  I'm still not over that.  In fact, there are a few shepherds that bring their flock into our front yard to eat garbage.  I went to dump water off the porch one day and would have dumped it onto six sheep nibbling on our porch.  The fact that there are an absurd number of police officers on the street right now, that direct traffic, rather than installing traffic lights seems odd.  I think that's about all I can come up with.  I mean, I'm fairly used to being honked at constantly.  People honk here for a wide range of reasons--taxis offering rides, friends saying hello, cars letting other cars know that they're behind them, to "flirt" with young women walking on the street, and probably other reasons too.  I'm so used to honking now, and not turning around for a honk, unless my name is used, that I actually almost got hit by a small bus tonight.  Good times.

I think it will be interesting to have her come here and realize how many things are normal.  I mean, I was in Jerusalem the other day, on the bus, and one of the Muslim prayer times had just ended.  Traffic was backed up and the Old City walls were on the left and we had just come through an intersection where you can see the Dome of the Rock.  There were over one hundred hijab-clad women and men carrying prayer rugs.  That is so normal for what I see on a daily basis.  That's not normal in my Marion Center or Greensburg or Butler life.  It's just not.  

I'm sure what is "normal" changes with each place you live.  I mean, I went to New York City last spring, for the first time actually, with my mom and my sister.  My mom grew up on Staten Island, NYC.  Watching her in the city was like watching a beautiful swimmer or a skilled pianist.  She was so in her element.  She knew how to get around, despite living away from there for at least 30 years.  It was phenomenal!  She lives in Marion Center now, where knowing how to use crosswalks (NYC crosswalks, that is), the subway, and how to hail a cab, aren't exactly helpful.  Her "normal" has changed.  My normal has changed.  I don't think I know how significantly it has changed yet though.

On a brief note, school was good this week.  The kids were half misbehaving severely and half extremely darling and sweet.  For instance, the little boy that used to fill the soap dispenser with water decided to slap my butt on Tuesday.  He slapped it so hard, that I yelped, and grabbed my butt in pain.  It hurt!  For a five year-old, that kid has a hard hit!  I told him I was very upset and asked him if that's how he treats his friend.  He just sorta smiled devilishly.  The teacher walked in the room right as I asked him this, so she asked what happened.  I told her.  I left shortly after that, so I don't know what happened that day.  The next day I went in though, his two cousins, who are also in the class, came over and said, "Yessin mit esef, habibti."  (Yessin is sorry, sweeheart.)  I just said, "Tayyib."  (Okay).  I kinda had forgotten about it at this point.  It was a new day.  I wasn't holding a grudge against a five year-old.  I have more important things to hold grudges about!  He looked really upset and was sitting by himself though.  When I finished helping the student I was working with, I stood up and Yessin came over.  He gently took my hand and said, "Ana mit esef, habibti.  Bihebick, habibti." (I'm sorry, sweeheart.  I love you, sweeheart.)  And proceeded to very sweetly kiss my hand.  I melted.  :)

Yessin's cousin, Nadim, also had an interesting English breakthrough this week.  I'm not really sure where he learned it, but he suddenly started saying, "Very good", while holding a 'thumbs up'.  He clicks his tongue and sort of winks after he says it too.  It's so funny!

One of my favorite recent successes was last week sometime.  The kindergarten teacher, Miss Halla, handed me a bunch of things to hang back up on the bulletin boards.  I hung her laminated Arabic letters first, because they were just magnets and I know which way they go.  She had also handed me these little foam numbers with plus, minus, and equals signs.  It took me about ten minutes, but after looking at the number chart on the wall (with no English on it, mind you), I put the equations on the board.  Math equations read right to left, just like words do, so it wasn't quite what I expected.  After I finished rearranging it several times to be correct, I stepped back and just sort of nodded my head.  Miss Halla was working with the class on the carpet, and she noticed what I had done and started yelling excitedly, "Shatra ikteer, Miss Merry!  Inti shatra!  Shuft, tulab, heyay mumtaaz!" (Very clever/smart, Miss Merry!  You're smart!  Look, students, she's very interesting!)  The kids didn't seem nearly impressed, but I think it's because they still haven't figured out that I don't actually speak Arabic.  In fact, at least one kid, almost daily, asks Miss Halla why she talks to me in English.  I have to remind myself that they're five years old. :)

The custodian/random woman (they seem to have a lot of people here that act as "whatever needs done, I'll do it" type of people) has started trying to teach me more Arabic.  It's really sweet, because I thought she hated me.  She just seemed unhappy and would walk past me everytime I said good morning.  I think we're finding our relationship now though.

I think that's all from the Holy Land.  

Remember: questions, comments, or concerns are always welcomed!!!

**I ask that you continue praying for Cinnamon.  It sounds like things are getting worse and much harder for her family.  Pray for her mom especially.  

**Pray for Andrea.  She has experienced a great loss.

**Pray for Aphera.  She has also experienced a great loss, and doesn't know how this will affect her work.

**Pray for Paul coming back to us, but also for Anne and his family.

Just love.  It's sometimes all we have, but that's like saying all you have is a-bazillion dollars.

Always,
Meredith