A
lot of my friends have started graduating already, but we still have a month to
go here. Still, classes are starting to come to a close, as evidenced by the
increase in assignments and especially assessments. I have several tests, a
project, and a paper coming up besides my normal work. And of course, I have to
finish all of the things I want to do before leaving.
I
did manage to finish one of these tasks last weekend – I finally went souvenir
shopping. It’s recommended to go shopping early here, since the situation could
turn turbulent at every time. I’ve been picking things up in stages, but I
finally finished this weekend with the help of a couple of friends.
All
the shop owners were particularly nice, and we get the student price instead of
the tourist price, which is helpful. Between the three of us, we speak enough
English, Arabic, and bubbly American to make friends. I finished buying gifts,
then bought a couple of things for myself. I usually don’t buy anything on the
spur of the moment, but I’ve been to the Old City quite frequently by this
time, and I’d been wanting a carved chess set or a carved box for a couple of
months. Thanks to bargaining, I ended up getting both.
We
also ended up wandering into a textiles shop for pillowcases one of my friends
wanted and ended up finding very high-quality, gorgeous gold-embossed cloth
from Syria. The furniture and textiles industries here apparently took a large
hit with the Syrian civil war. And of course, we bought cheap fruit and
vegetables before heading back home.
Outside of weekends, though, I really haven’t
done that much. Everyone is suffering from senioritis now, it seems, and I’m
having my bout of the semester. Still, my formal Arabic lessons are going great;
I really enjoy them, and we can cover the material very quickly because it’s
just the two of us. Hebrew is also going well; we’re discussing whether forgery
is art and how to balance Israel’s nature as a Jewish and democratic state.
I
don’t know what I’m going to do when I get back to Harvard and I’m only taking
one foreign language class, after taking three and doing German on the side.
Because Rothberg is an international school, English is the main spoken
language, but I’m now used to being immersed in Hebrew and Arabic. I’ve also
grown fond of the culture; I’m particularly going to miss the open market.
Tonight
was actually a sort of holiday – there was a celebration, but we still had
class – so tonight we went out to see the bonfires being lit all over town. The
one we went to had dancing, music, and little kids running around, and we
stayed and enjoyed if for a while. I’d forgotten how mesmerizing fire can be, especially
when it’s a large fire under the stars.
And
now we’re back at the student village watching a movie, which I am probably
going to leave shortly in order to study for the Hebrew quiz I have tomorrow.
It’s been a lovely semester, and I don’t want it to end yet, but my motivation’s
waning, and it’s getting harder to get everything done on time. Just a few more
assignments, and I’ll be one my way home to rest up for another adventure this
summer!
Shopping pictures:
Rothberg International School:
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