A Free day

So today was good and bad. It was a free day, that was good. We went shopping for 9 hours, that was bad. I am not a shopper. Everyone knows back home that when you take me shopping you need to either take lots of sugar with us or go for two hours max. Sadly the whole time there was no sugar in sight.
It was good though because I got everyone in my family presents. Wahoo! Also lunch was wicked awsome because we ate at a resteraunt that was on top of a tall building so we had a nice view of The Dome Of The Rock and the Mount of Olives. It was cool. The food was also really good, and there was a lot of it on just once plate. I think the girls could have ordered on plate and we would have been good.
After lunch it was back to more shopping. We were supposed to head straight to the hotel, drop off the things we had already bought, then go back for more shopping. But oh no, Yasmine and Kathlene kept getting distracted by things in the shops, so it took like four times longer than normal to get back to the hotel. But once we were there we chilled for about an hour. I liked that part. Then back out to the old city to look for shirts and hats. I'm so happy I found something for my brothers. I hope they like it. We walked around so much of the old city. We even found the place where locals go to buy western clothes. There were no tourist shops anywhere. It was kinda weird to see that section only because we are so used to tourist shops.
Anyway around 6:40 we headed back to my host family. They are very protective. I like it. Anyway so I got there on time at 7 but everyone else, excluding Audrey because she went off with one of her friends at lunch, went to West Jerusalelm. I couldn't stand more walking and shopping so it was nice to just come back to the house and relax. Muna is teaching me how to make braclets so I finished my first one while we watch MI, which is a hard movie to follow when you can't really hear it and can only understand some of the Arabic subtitles. Ha ha. Oh story, story!!
So I was sitting there making my braclet and Host Dad, I forgot his name so I call him Host Dad, went to the door and told me to come so I did, not knowing what in the world was going on but Muna showed up like two seconds later so I just followed him out the door. Then through this cool gate thing they have and we walked over to the ST. George Hotel. There was a wedding going on. The part where the bride and groom go from the car to inside. It's called Zafa. It was really cool. Theres a small band playing and singing and clapping. I'm going to a wedding with the family on Friday but apparently it's more of a western wedding so that's not going to be happening, sadly. I think different cultures are fun to learn about first hand.
Then it was back to the house to keep working on the intricate design of my new braclet. When Kathlene finally got home, I make it sound so late ha ha, we had dinner. The awkwardness is definatly gone. We talk a lot more at meals now. Ha ha. Well goodnight!

My favorite day so far

Today was an early day. We woke up at 6:30 and were at the hotel by 7:00 am. When we got there we learned that it would be a while before Nadia would arrive because she was delayed at a checkpoint. Argh! I could have slept in! Oh well. When Nadia arrived she had already picked up everyone else in the taxi van so we headed straight to Nazereth. It was a two hour ride with an amazing view. I was proven wrong once again because I though atleast some of the landscape would be sand but it was rocky. And as we went north there were lots of farms and green trees. It was a nice surprise. In Nazereth we toured around and met the Mayor. That was cool because he gave us a history of the city and about Nazereth Elite, the "Jewish" Nazereth. It was really cool. We also toured some churches that are supposedly built on the well that the angel visited Mary at. I like the second chruch that had mostly mosaics from all over the world. It was nice.
Then to my favorite part we went to the Medateranian Sea! It was a half hour drive from Nazereth to Hyfa but that was okay because we were going to the Medateranian!!!!!!!! Can you tell that was the highlight of my day? Anyway, we got there and played and played and played. I didn't have a swimsuite with me and niether did Kathlene so we looked for cool rocks. There were tons of them and it was hard to resist not picking them all up and taking them with us. Then Yasmine and Nadia came and played with us. A lot of picture taking was done, that was tons of fun. I felt like a photographer taking the pictures and directing Yasmine into positions so that her bump of a belly would show along with the Medateranian. Maybe I'll look into being a photographer again.
The boys and Audrey went swiming, well more like wading in because it was a red day and you arn't supposed to swim when it's a red day. Nadia, Yasmine, Kathlene and I had fun walking in the shallow waves, though we did get wet when a big wave came, though only our pants, or when Nadia splashed us.
It was so amazing!! It was so beautiful and I don't know how many hours we spent there but it was so amazing! And we kinda got to see the sunset as we drove back too. Though that drive was very long because 1) Adam was being himself and 2) we were all very tired, very, very tired.

Whatever today is.

This morning was even better than last night. The awkwardness of being in a host family is quickly desolving. Though there is still some. They are so nice, you can't but help to like them.
After breakfast with the host families everyone met at the hotel. Yasmine was happy to report she is no longer the only guest there. There is a family of parents and their older daughter. So now Yasmine is not afraid of the ghosts there. Though I suppose it's our fault for teasing her about it that it made it so concrete. ha ha.
We had wonderful news too! We were able to go on the Islaamic (does anyone still have any doubts that I can't spell?) tour. The boys needed nice shirts and pants so we went a looking. That is until Nadia said that the students from Genin and Nabalis were at the African society. Then we had to book it over there. We meet one boy(Gameel) and three girls(Lemees, Dema, and Zayna). Then we had another Dabkha lesson. Gameel and Zayna had taken lessons before so they were a lot better than the rest of us, but we did a lot better than yesterday. Towards the end we split off into three groups of three so we could learn a series of steps. My group was Josh, Adam, and me. I don't know where the boys and our teacher went but by the end it was only by trying to get down this one move that is really hard for me. So Yasur, a wonderful guy that had taken us around the Old City and the whole reason why we were at the African Society, showed me some steps that were Dabkha but modern. It was pretty cool, but by the end I was really, really sweaty.
Then it was off to the Islaamic tour. That was interesting to learn the culture and the history of the Masqe. I'll post pictures of what we looked like later. Okay other people will because my camera is gabrokey.
Then we went to lunch with the Palestinian students and then we had to run to arabic class, just like always. I think I'm starting to get better at picking up words and things but I'm not sure. Well that was my day!

Sunday

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity."
-G. K. Chesterton

So today was a good day. I was able to go to sleep early last night and I'm sure Muna and Kathlene are glad I'm a heavy sleeper because they were making bracelets in the room we share. Then apparently they did other things too. I don't know because I was out cold. But this morning I woke up in a sort of bad mood. Okay I didn't wake up in one. It was when Kathlene started to move around it turned bad. Muna doesn't get up until a while after us but Kathlene was banging things and being as loud as possible. I can kinda get how Lani felt her first semester at BYU-I when she had that 16 year old roommate. But taking my wonderful mother's advice, I'm trying to just go with it.
Then after a wonderful, but awkward, breakfast we went to the hotel and surprised Yasmine by waiting in the 4th floor lobby outside her door. She took forever to come out though. Ha ha
Then we went downstairs and met the boys and Audrey. While Yasmine had breakfast we talked a little about the host families. Adam was put on the spot because of somethings about the their host family and he went into a reclusive mood. So as we were going to Dabka, I have no idea how to spell that, class I started to talk to him about what to get his little brothers. That helped him to get into a happier mood. I think it's funny because I treat him like a little brother because I don't have one, and I don't think he minds because he doesn't have an older sister. It's kinda a reversal of roles because I'm the youngest in my family while he's the oldest. It's actually kinda nice.
So when we got to Dabka we took a tour of the building that the African Society is in. It's actually pretty amazing. Apparently it used to be an old Turkish prison but three generations ago it was given to those people who came from Chad and other countries in Africa. It's pretty cool.
Anyway Dabka lessons went really well, it was a workout though. By the end all of us were sweating bullets. But in a good way. Ha ha. The only bad part was that during the dancing my camera was stepped on a broke the inner screen. I believe the memory chip and everything else is fine but on the main screen you cant see anything but this crack. Hopefully it can be fixed when I get back to that states in 5 days. But I'm not counting or anything.
After Dabka we went to lunch and then split into two groups, Me, Audrey and Adam, then the rest. We went to Jafar sweets to get a certain type for Audrey and we had fun talking. Then we went to arabic class.
It was good but long, very, very long. Yasmine was there so we got a thirty minute break. On that break I got something for my mom. Now I just need something for my sisters, brothers and dad.
Then we went back to arabic class. After that was finished we all went back to our host families. When Kathlene and I went into our room we found cute little stuffed animals on our pillows. So we decided that it would be a good time to give them the gifts that we brought. I brought 6 mugs and a book of Utah and Kathlene brought a ladle holder and some pens. They seemed to like them so yeah. A cool thing is that I gave them BYU mugs and their niece graduated from there. So they have a connection. Also it's getting less awkward, I think it's just because both sides are nervous. But as time goes on it's getting better.
Well goodnight!

Saturday

Really quick details about yesterday. We visited this monestary in the mountain in Jericho and we rode the worlds longest cable car below sea level to do it. How cool is that?
Back to today. Ha ha
So last night we moved in with our host families. Kathlene and I moved into the same house, about a 30 second walk from our hotel. The boys are twenty minutes away and have to go through a check point everyday ha ha. While Audrey, I've decided we are friends and friends use first names, is about ten minutes away.
Our host family is really nice also they speak really good English. That's a bonus because our Arabic is really weak.They are really nice and help us a lot with it though.
It's kinda awkward though. I don't know what to say to them or what to do. Mostly I feel like I'm interrupting their lives. Though they are really really nice. I just feel so weird.
This morning we ate breakfast with them at 7:30 and it was amazing! It was basically what we had been eating in the hotel only better because everything that needed to be hot was. Then it was off to church for the two of us.
We walked the whole way and had lots of fun doing it. We got there an hour early because we left the house an hour early, it was just so awkward to sit there. So we just talked to some people who were there early too. The students we at Galilee so there were only the people form the region and some visitors. And because of that church was only two hours long. They cut off Relief Society and Priesthood. Audrey showed up a few minutes before the meeting started and the boys were half an hour late. Apparently they got to experience the checkpoint first had. It was fast and testimony meeting and that was pretty cool to listen to the different experiences and things of the people there. After church we walked the grounds of the Jerusalem Center. Then Kathlene and I went back to our host family to have lunch with them and some of their friends. It was really good and it was fun to hear them speak Arabic, even if I did only catch a few words here and there.
Arabic was long as usual but we got to talk to some of the kids there. It was intimidating at first but once we started talking it was better.
Then it was back to our host families. So yeah. there was our day

Three days ooo

Wednesday

Yesterday we went to Ramallah. We left the hotel and drove to the Consolut in West Jerusalm and met Alli. Then it was into the armored van with everyone and Slick. I think it's really fun having all the security but I don't think anyone else feels the same. Okay so maybe fun isn't the right word, maybe safer or important would be better. Whatever. The drive out there was really nice. The countryside is not what I pictured but most of what I've seen hasn't either so there was no big suprise there. When we arrived at Ramallah we went to the RI-Sol office. That was fun becuase we got to see where Nadia and a few other people we've met work. Oh and I guess it was kinda fun to play communication games with the students there. But in truth it really was fun. We got potateos for one of the games and sadly I lost mine somewhere. *sniff, sniff* I liked my potateo.
We also watched a movie about water in the villages in Palestine. That was really sad. It made me want to go home, get rich, and donate all my money to build wells, and sewage systems.
Then it was back to Jerusalm for about an hour or two of freetime. Kathlene and Yasmine went shopping, no suprise, Josh went with them for lack of something better to do while Adam, Miss B. and I went to the Tower of Kind David Museum of the History of Jerusalem. That was fun to walk around the citidale and see a lot of history.
Then it was off to AlNaysak for the last time. We learned about circits and using a sodder! I've been wanting to use one of those since I was in my welding class last year. It's been interesting to see how my interests are showing up everywhere around here. Then we had a BBQ with AlNayzak as a final goodbye and it was sooooo good!
We walked home after that and I had some really good talks. One with Miss B. about wether to call her Miss B. or Audrey since she's no longer my teacher. Then one with Adam. He's not that bad once you think of him as a little brother.
When we arrived at the hotel I came upstairs and tried my best to stay up. I took a shower, watched tv, did some soduku waiting for the computer so I could blog. But it didn't work so well. Around 10:10 I was out and out until 1:00 am when I woke up burning up. So I opened the window and went back to sleep and woke up several times after that. I don't know what's going on because this is the second night in a row I've done that. But that's probably more than you wanted to know. Well since I'm supposed to be at breakfast right now and I haven't gotten out of my PJs yet I'll write later.


Thursday and Today
Alright so yesterday, the day I couldn't sleep, started off really bad. I was really tired and my roommate did little things that really irritated me for some reason. Like leaving the door to the room open when I was changing. It's not like anyone would walk by our door since it's the last one in the hall but still. Then for some reason going back to Al Ma'amal didn't help either and art usually does. Oh yeah art. My painting kinda turned out cool, I think it still really needs work but I can't really do anything about it now. We also did another project. I don't remember what it is called but it's based off of traditional Arabic art work. That was kinda fun. Then while everyone else went off into the old city I went back to the hotel and just relaxed for an hour before arabic class. That was as fun as always. But I did get to meet me and Kathlene's host family. They are really nice. Then it was back to arabic. After that I went back to the hotel for some more alone time and just to relax. Then it was off to the dance concert. I really wish I could remember the name, it's like Dabkha or something like that. It was freakin amazing! Also I got to talk to Daveena, sorry if I spelled that wrong, and Ben. They were so much fun to talk to. But yeah the concert was amazing, I really don't think I could do somehting like that ever. Then we came back to the hotel and I had a really fun talk with Miss B. about the future. It was not only fun but it was nice to have a real deep conversation with someone for the first time in what two weeks? Yeah we talk and stuff here but it's not like in depth talk about personal experiences talk. It was really nice.
Then today we went to Jericho. We met two students from Genin, Rowan and Achmed. They were really fun to meet and get to know. We visited a palace and a church in a mountain. That was cool because we actually got to go inside and the monk that lives there, alone no contact with hardly anyone, hardly lets anyone in. So that was really cool to go inside. Then we went to the Dead Sea. That was tons of fun. Everyone tells you can float and stuff but I didn't expect to actually float no effort. It was amazing. Only it was disgusting to lick your lips after they had been in the water since it was so salty. I definatley don't recomend that. But I do say go to the dead sea.
Well Bye!

Another day

This is the day after the last post, so Tuesday I think.

Okay so today I thought would be boring because it was supposed to be the same as yesterday, go to a museum and then arabic training, but it was awsome. We went to the museum named Al Ma'mal and we got to paint! I think on almost every application of a get to know you I said I loved art. Well someone must have been paying attention because we totally did art. It wasn't a boring project either like you have to paint like this or you have to be realistic. It had basic rules but after that you could just have fun. The project was done in steps. The first was to pick some kind of cactus and draw/sketch it with a marker, leaving a positive space, and coloring in the backround with a different color using lines to make an interesting pattern. I really liked my sketch because although it didn't come out like I thought it would it still looks awsome. Well there was a second step to that sketch. We were to pick two color pencil colors and color in some white space or use charcol to add shading. I used color pencil, they call them colored crayons how weird is that? To color in some of my white space. I really hope I can bring it home to the states to show people.
Then we got a huge piece of paper and used the same idea as the sketch only using one of my favorite mediums, acrylic! Paint that is if you don't know art ha ha. That painting isn't going as well as I would like it to but it's still a work in progress. We go back on Thrusday so we'll see how it goes.
We then had about an hour break before Arabic class so I came back to the Hotel and relaxed for a bit. Then we headed to class. Well Me, Miss B., Josh and Adam went. Yasmine was at a staff meeting for RI-Sol and Nadia and Kathlene were shopping in the Old City.
We waited for about five minutes and then we started class. This class was really good because we are really learning things we can use on the street. We even went out for half an hour and had to ask questions to store owners in Arabic of course. That was fun and now I know how to ask how much, what's this and can I look around? It's really nice.
Then we had free time again so we sat around on the couches in the lobby like area of our floor and had a de-brieffing on the past couple of days. Wahoo. It was fun though cause we had a lot of laughs.
Well gotta blaze!

Quick Update

Hey everyone! This is a quick update of one of the days here in Jerusalm. I do believe it was yesterday which was a Monday... I think. I lose track of time here. But don't worry this is just short blog so you can get an idea of what's going on here. I'll be more specific later.

Today was really nice because we were able to sleep in. Something that was desperately needed because I am definitely not used to walking around so much. Also the boiler here was fixed so we had hot water this morning that was another bonus.
This morning there was free time in the morning since our day started late so Miss B., Kathlene and I went to the Garden tomb. That was really interesting, I wish we could have had it more to ourselves because there was this huge group of tourists from somewhere in Europe. They weren’t the nicest people and were really loud. But luckily they were mostly leaving by the time we got to the actual tomb. It wasn’t what I had pictured but it was still interesting to go there. After that we went back to the hotel and
We were all sitting in the waiting room after breakfast waiting for Nadia to come so we could go on a tour of the Islamic sites in the Old City and she showed up. Sadly we couldn't go on the tour because we don't have a permit yet. So we have to wait and see if we can get one at all. I hope we do because how many times in your life will you be an American in the Holy Land with a chance to go into the Islamic sites? For me maybe only this once.
Instead of that we went to the Rockefeller Museum and that was cool. It allowed for time to myself, just to think and be alone. Something we don't get a lot of. IT was also cool to see everything they had there. The Greek inspired stuff was specially interesting because I am really into Greek mythology.
After that everyone but Miss B. went onto the walls of the Old City. It was awesome to walk the ramparts and to imagine being in ancient times. I feel bad for Nadia because at one point we had to walk on metal stairs suspended over nothing. They were connected to the wall and everything but they were over empty air. And it was one or two stories up and poor Nadia is afraid of heights but we talked her through it. The whole thing took an hour or two. We started a Damascus gate, walked to Lion's Gate and back again. Then we headed Jaffa Gate. I'm pretty sure that's where I got sunburned because there was no shade whatsoever. But it was so much fun to be up there and to see the city from a different angle.
We then headed to lunch and ran into a bunch of tourist groups at the restaurant we ate at. That was semi-annoying because one I hate huge packs of tourists and two the price of the restaurant was really high because of them. But I guess that’s part of the life in a huge historical city, sah?
Anyway after that we still had about an hour of free time left so we went to Shaban’s, a store that is really fair and most of the BYU students go to because he is so nice, in the Old City. Nadia really wanted to see what we, the students, had been talking about with Shaban so we went and shopped there. I got this really cute backpack thingy because I hate looking like a tourist with my camera and money purse hanging over my shoulder. For some reason no matter where I go I just can’t stand that look.
After a while in Shaban’s we realized we were a bit late for Arabic class so we booked it to the building. We were late but not so late that the teacher left. We had a really good class. Mostly on simple sentences that we could use around the city and how to answer them. It was really really helpful. Then it was free time again because class was something like three hours today. It was supposed to be five but we went through our lesson really fast.
For free time the students went back to the hotel and just relaxed for a while, and the teachers went to dinner. Well we got hungry too so we went exploring. Someone decided not to go to any of the restaurants we had gone to before so we wandered for some time. Though somehow no matter what street we took we always ended up back at the hotel. Finally I had had enough so I went back to the hotel with Adam and had some snacks my wonderful mother had packed. Josh and Kathlene wandered some more before finally going to one of the regular restaurants. And that pretty much sums up the day. Goodnight!

Random

RULES:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. NO CHEATING!
5. Bold the questions and with the answers, give your own comments on how it relates to the questions.


How are you feeling today?
RULES:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. NO CHEATING!
5. Bold the questions and with the answers, give your own comments on how it relates to the questions.


How are you feeling today?
Belle Reprise- Disney Beauty and the Beast
Wanting more? Yep


Will you get far in life?
Let Love In- Goo Goo Dolls

Far with love?


How do your friends see you?
One Last Hope- Danny DeVido

Oh wow...


Will you get married?
I Never Told You What I do For A living- My Chemical Romance

0.0 Oh dear

What is your best friend's theme song?
Hands Open- Snow Patrol

I wish


What is the story of your life?
World Will Know- Newsies

Haha

What was/is high school like?
In The End- Linkin Park

Yep that's it.

Uhm....fairly accurate, actually....

How can you get ahead in life?
Angel Of Music- Phantom of the Opera

Nice, get taught by a stalker


What is the best thing about your friends?
Steal My Sunshine-Len

Uhmmm...?


What is in store for this weekend?
One Family- Tarzan

*looks around* Yep

To describe your grandparents?
Wunderkind-Alanis Morissette

Um... i don't think so


How is your life going?
If I were a rich man- fiddler on the roof

Yep. Very Yep.


What song will they play at your funeral?
Leaving Town- Dexter Freebish

That's Ironic


How does the world see you?
Hear me out- Frou Frou

Isn't that the other way around?

Will you have a happy life?
Jump, Jive, Wail-Brian Setzer

Yes?


What do your friends really think of you?
THe Nicest Kids in Town- Hairspray
Wow.


Do people secretly lust after you?
This Is How a Heart Breaks-Rob Thomas

the answer is NO.

How can I make myself happy?
Going Under- Evanescence

Brake free? Yep

What should you do with your life?
Popular- Wicked

That's so not cool

Soooo......

The Israel trip is back on, the snag? We have to sign forms that say if we die it's our fault because we knew the risk. Wahoo.
I'm really nervous to go over, not because of the risk, but because it's been what, two months since school got out. Guess where my arabic went. Some place I have no idea how to get it back. Fun fun.
I get to go to cali with my mom and dad for the fourth. My uncle has a condo/beach house thingy so it should be fun. Plus the beach is just across the street so lots of time will be spent there.
Oh and go look at the pictures my teacher posted on the provo high blogs(see links on right hand side of blog), they're pretty cool. Notice how in every picture I'm in of the arabic ones I'm doing something with my hand. It's because I take asl I tell you! Oh and the mock trial pictures of the asl ones, I took those as a dutiful ta should. Oh the first three pictures and some after that was my class. It was small, only 9 people by the end of they year. But we had tons of fun.
So this is random but, I figured I took 6 years of my asl teacher though she's only been at phs for three. 3 years of ASl, two of being a TA and one of arabic. Nuts huh?


more cat pictures

The Summer

"Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment."
--Robert Benchley
So school got out and I thought it would be great. Well I was wrong, as usual. The Trip to New York, instead of Israel, was fun but it was only a week. So far this summer has been pretty boring. Hols is gone again this week, Jan is gone too, and Kay? Well let's just say we aren't talking because I think she's being stupid with boys.... oh yeah my earlier prediction was right. But she's right back at it, again.
Saturday was fun though. Hols got back from her cruise and we, me and her, went for ice cream and shopped for a present for her roommate this week for BYU scholars. That was fun because we talked in an Australian accent for most of the night. Don't ask me how it got started.
On a total saparate note boys are funny. I won't eleberate right now but they just are.

Oh and I guess my summer isn't a total waste, I've been hanging out with my sister and favorite niece. It's been way fun.
Laterz

more cat pictures

Updates

"Filling a bookcase is like gathering a social circle."
- May Lamberton Becker
Lets start with the good news shall we? I graduated, wahoo, and am now getting ready to go to college in July. I got my new laptop another wahoo!! I also got with it a free nano ipod. Sweet no? I also get to go east for the first time in my life. The bad news with that is my trip to Israel is cancelled. We are not sure if it is just postponed or forever cancelled we just know I'm not leaving on Sunday. But I am leaving Monday for the east, a fun trip with my mom and dad before I leave. I just wish I could go to Israel, I went to a two day culture and language class to prepare to go and it was so much fun. Our teacher was from Morocco and she was hilarious. Professor Belnap, the professor in charge of the arabic program, was there the first day and he told my parents he was impressed with me. That made me really confident that I could survive for three weeks in Israel.
My birthday was a blast, I had a family dinner that I feel kinda bad about because I spent most of it with my three friends but I had tons of fun and I still got to see family so...
So I have dubbed one of my friends with the nickname of Mena. Why? Because my older sister had a friend of that name who flirted with all the guys and all the guys had a crush on her. And that equals my friend perfectly. She is all over this one guy when he's around even though she tells me repeatedly she doesn't like him and then when he's gone she's flirting with all the other boys. Yuck.
Oh well, I'm just glad I'm not like that.
Gotta blaze

Update

I got to go to prom!!! It was so much fun!! I went on a blind date so that was kinda nerve wracking at first. Yes I know, a blind date to prom but it was sooo amazing!!! Here are some pictures:



Emily and I played cards before the boys came because I was sooooooooooo nervous. I had nothing to worry about. He was so nice. I couldn't ask for a better date.

The other big news is that I get to go to Israel!! Not like in a video or anything but go. As in I will be in Jerusalam. In Nazereth, In bethlehem!! How freakin sweet is that??


see more crazy cat pics

Updates

"A love that can last forever takes but a second to come about."
- Cuban Proverb

Let's get the Arabic part of my posts out of the way shall we? My Arabic teacher found out that she will be the American teacher taking the four students to Israel this summer. How cool is that? And I have a really good chance of being one of those students! It's so awesome! I really hope I can go. Also me and 6 other students from my class (7/11 ha ha) got to go to the state capitol to watch the Governor sign a bill giving more money to the more exotic languages such as Chinese, Arabic and Russian. Here is a picture of us that is on my teacher's blog. Since I doubt anyone checks those out because she's about as good as updating as I am, I'm putting them here.
Just so you know why some of us look unhappy/ uncomfortable is because we were getting pictures taken left and right. Not to mention the Gold room was extremely hot. Also some of us ie me was not expecting it.
The ride up and back was pretty fun too. I like hanging out with boys I've decided. Though only a certain kind.

So now that's done let us go on to American Sign Language. So apparently every year there is this HUGE deaf conference at UVU. Tons of deaf people come from all over the country. Who knew? Anyway I went this year and had a blast. We watched some movies that were about deaf, or were made by, deaf people. One was really cool because It was a deaf woman talking about her experience in Austria in WW2. It was sad but interesting.
I got to go to a lecture from a famous deaf woman. Don't ask me her name I can't remember. Though it was really thought provoking.
In class we did a test, well I did it last year level 3 is doing it right now, on this movie called "Eyeth." It's all signed by this one guy and I got to meet him. It was so cool.
Anyway here's a picture of us on the bus that is on my teacher's blog. Since I doubt anyone checks those out because she's about as good as updating as I am, I'm putting them here.

Laterz!

Bleh

" Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade? "
Benjamin Franklin

So I got in the newspaper the other day because of Arabic, and now the whole east coast is looking at us.... It's cool but scary ya know? I'm just afraid I won't live up to everyone's expectations, but what's new?

The friend situation hit a peak about two weeks ago. Me and Kay had a fight over texts. Welcome to the 21st century no one talks to each other any more. Anyway very hurtful things were said but things that needed to be said were said and things were brought to our attentions that needed to be. It's all good, at least we talk now. Though I still have a problem trusting her and even though she acts like nothing happened I can't. She slipped back into the flow so easily, I wonder if it really mattered to her. Well just another way I learned to protect myself I guess.

I'm almost done with school, two more weeks but I think I'll stay just to have something to do. Oh and thanks to the sister who gave me a place to look to for work!!

Sweet!

" Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. "
- Muriel Strode

So I went to Arabic class the other day and got some exciting news. The program we are exchanging videos with Palestinian students with is sponsoring four students to go over there!! I could have a 1 in about 35 chance of going! And that's if the other two classes around America decide to send in applications! I'm so excited. I just need to fill out the application first. Oops.
Speaking of the video exchanges we got one recently that asked if we had heard any arabic music. Before we started filming our responses our teacher thought it would be good to be able to say that we had. So we listened to Nancy Agram(Ajram), and now I have her songs stuck in my head. Though I can't understand them, funny huh?
Wow I talk a lot about Arabic class now.

Anyway, life is boring as usual. Though with a lot more arguments now. It seems like Kay and I can't go two days without getting mad at each other. Ah drama between friends. I wonder when I'll tell her I'm leaving.
Told Hols and she's fine with it. I should probably tell Jans too. I can only hope my roommates will be cool when I get there.

Wahoo.....

So the letters to Iraq came and went. I even got a response!! It was pretty sweet. I sent one back but there was a problem with an Iraqi soldier talking the letters from the teachers so we'll see if I get a response. I also was taped for a conference in D.C. how cool is that?
Anyway life is okay. Friends have so many issues but hopefully that can be dealt with. We'll see. The school year is going by way to fast. I kinda wish it was august again just because that was a much simpler time. Oh well.


Oh and something to be excited about? Blogger can now be translated into Arabic!! I would do it but I'm kinda scared I wouldn't be able to read anything.

Great.

So remember last post I said I was talking to students in Palistine? And how I was freaked out I was going to say something that would spark something? Well guess what? My teacher told us we are now going to be writing letters in Arabic to students in Iraq. Like I wasn't scared enough before.
Anyway life is okay. I think I patched up a friendship with Kay.... kinda. But now I know when she's giving me a lie. I don't know which was better, believing her and finding out later it was total bull or knowing right away it was bull. Tough cunundrum huh?
Wow that's a hard word to spell, and I didn't even do it right.
So I've decided that I hate waiting. I applied to several schools and they are taking forever to get back to me. It's awful. People tell me it's good that they haven't rejected me yet so their is still hope but I hate waiting. For people too.
Silent weekend was a bust for those who care. Something I love got in the way, snow. Atleast a hot fedex guy saved us.

Yikes.

So I'm in Arabic right? Right. At the begining of the year my teacher said that we would be writing to Palastiniean( that is a very hard spelling) students, in arabic. I thought it would be no problem you know. and then she threw us a curve ball. No longer will we be writing, we never did, but shall be sending video e-mails to them.... Jigga what?
Apparently Washington D.C., how cool is that, decided it would be better to send videos rather than letters. Apparently it is easier to sensor things in video format.
Now not only do i have to know what I'm saying I have to speak well and not look like a total idiot. Well that worked but I sound like an idiot. The video went up on the website the other day and I can totally hear my voice warbling! So not cool. Not to mention every oneelses videos look really cool or have interesting props while all I have is a small ink drawing I did two days before while bored in Creative writing.

I just hope I don't say anything to cause a bigger war.