And it's been a while...since I last blogged (or listened to nickleback)

Is that song Nickleback? I don't know. Not important.
Ok, so it's been about a week since I last blogged. In that time, I went to an oasis, and a big church in Alexandria for this super fancy service, and...the cinema. yeah, that was about it. Lots of random gossipy stuff happened, but I don't think it's important for me to write that stuff here. Suffice to say, I've been learning a lot about myself and other people too. Particularly what I like and don't like about other people. And what is definitely true and definitely not true about myself. Life sure is a journey.
Um. Also, I've suddenly had somewhat of a breakthrough in my conversational arabic. As in, I can hold a conversation (albeit a light one without any really interesting vocabulary) and not stumble over most of my words or talk at the rate of one word per minute. shwaya shwaya (means little by little, in reference to how foreigners learn english). Also, I've had somewhat of a breakthrough in dealing with heckling. I generally just ignore it, particularly when I'm by myself. When I'm with somebody else, maybe I'll say something like aeb aeb (shame on you, roughly), but basically, I'm just not letting it bother me. khalas. (i can't translate that word -- it sort of means, "at all" and at the same time, "I'm done with that.")
The oasis. Yeah. really really badass. Well, mostly the desert. The oasis was cool, but it was sort of just like a palm forest with water. I guess that's exactly what an oasis is, right? But the desert. Truly truly truly badass. Sure, it's just a bunch of sand, but it's really a lot a lot a lot of sand. All in one place. That was a bad description. I've got pics, and I'll put them up, but I still don't think they capture the true grandeur of the desert.
Um. Other news. I'm happy here now. I was anti social all through the trip to the oasis, just cause like, I don't know. I like everyone in the program, but I was sorta out of the loop because all the other kids live in the dorms and they've got their cliques. and also, I didn't feel much like trying to make conversation. but aside from my anti social tendencies, i didn't have any problems. and I liked everything I saw.
Church was really cool. It was a nice little ego boost that I could understand the service in Arabic and help these other foreigners find their place in the english program, while I was reading the arabic and singing in arabic. oh yeah. that's right. truth.
The cinema was actually very very cool. I know the director/owner because she's a friend of my host mom, so I hung out with her and kate for almost an hour before the film. And then she took us into a movie, and gave us popcorn and green tea. I f'in love Egypt. And popcorn and green tea.
Um. That's all in my life, I guess. If I'm sort of hard to get in touch with, it's probably because I want to practice arabic and not speak english and because I'm trying not to stay in the apartment and feel miserable. but if i'm not on skype, email or facebook. i miss you all terribly.
love,
e.