Arabic is hard

And I'm beginning to realize that I should have started on the Arabic workbook and CD the program sent me before today. Since I leave tomorrow and all.

The Arabic alphabet has three Z's, four S's, and three distinct guttural sounds - one of which my workbook describes as, and I quote, "open guttural, as if you speak while being strangled." Arabic would have a letter like that.

Not to worry. The workbook assures me that, "After a few weeks in MESP, your linguistic achievements will make President Hosni Mubarak proud." I sure hope so. Learning Arabic will be hard, but it's a priority for me this semester.

For those of you who don't know my full itinerary, for the next two months, I will be living in Cairo, Egypt, studying Arabic, Islam, politics and history with the Middle East Studies Program, living and traveling with other students from Christian colleges across the country. The last month of the semester, we'll be traveling to Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Israel (so long as it's safe).

I won't have as much internet access as usual, and my cell phone won't work, but I will try to stay in touch as best I can. Send me a facebook message or e-mail me (jlvldkmp@dordt.edu) or leave a message here anytime.

Love you all. Wheels up at 6 AM!