Day 16
Felt my very first, tiniest pangs of homesickness today. I think it says a lot about the people around me and the environment I'm in that it took this long.
Slept all day, went to Souk Jarra and found a bunch of things that I'd love to eventually have as souviniers, or to eat. What a place...spices, jewelry, paintings, scarves, honeycomb, lamps, books.... it's a real 'Saturday' market (in US terms...it's actually a Friday market if we're being literal). It's just too bad that they close when it gets cold, and I won't be able to take my parents.
Tonight we went to another open mic, but this one within walking distance (~20 blocks or so) from our house. We crammed into a small two rooms with some of our group sitting down but Tim and myself heading straight for the balcony. It reminded me of that one strange open-mic with a balcony that I went to towards the end of my stay in Beirut. Saw a lot of the same artists as we did at Books@Cafe, but this time I was prepared with my camera...oddly enough, the ticket to my night. As Tim and I sat on the wall, the guy next to me started talking to me in Arabic, instructing me on how to better my photography. After a few confused adjustments of mine, he switched into English, but only for as long as necessary to make me understand the basics. Throughout the night, he'd point at something and babble to me in Arabic until I understood or until he switched to English. I actually both appreciated and admired his non-use of English, since I could tell he was fluent but choosing not to use it.
Honestly, it's too bad I don't speak Arabic, nor do I know anything about photography, otherwise I might have learned something... and perhaps made a friend. Ah, well, I guess it's just more motivation to learn faster.
Slept all day, went to Souk Jarra and found a bunch of things that I'd love to eventually have as souviniers, or to eat. What a place...spices, jewelry, paintings, scarves, honeycomb, lamps, books.... it's a real 'Saturday' market (in US terms...it's actually a Friday market if we're being literal). It's just too bad that they close when it gets cold, and I won't be able to take my parents.
Tonight we went to another open mic, but this one within walking distance (~20 blocks or so) from our house. We crammed into a small two rooms with some of our group sitting down but Tim and myself heading straight for the balcony. It reminded me of that one strange open-mic with a balcony that I went to towards the end of my stay in Beirut. Saw a lot of the same artists as we did at Books@Cafe, but this time I was prepared with my camera...oddly enough, the ticket to my night. As Tim and I sat on the wall, the guy next to me started talking to me in Arabic, instructing me on how to better my photography. After a few confused adjustments of mine, he switched into English, but only for as long as necessary to make me understand the basics. Throughout the night, he'd point at something and babble to me in Arabic until I understood or until he switched to English. I actually both appreciated and admired his non-use of English, since I could tell he was fluent but choosing not to use it.
Honestly, it's too bad I don't speak Arabic, nor do I know anything about photography, otherwise I might have learned something... and perhaps made a friend. Ah, well, I guess it's just more motivation to learn faster.