Week 1

The study is coming along slowly. Because of budget and availability, I may only have an interpreter for 2hrs/day and 2days/week; my English is relatively useless, my Arabic is non-existent (except for "hello" and thanks"), and my French is truly execrable (although I can now order that clutch chicken dish across the street... pardon, je voudrais le poulet plat avec des fritures). I have my first interview tomorrow: and I do mean a single interview. At the same time, I understand that this is how it will be for a while. I'm trying to avoid idleness.

I did make one achievement though: I went to the local supermarket with my flatmate and bought some groceries. The cereal box I chose was nothing but Arabic writing and one English phrase: corn flakes. They're some local brand; who knows how they taste. But then, as my English flatmate commented, "all corn flakes taste a little like soggy cardboard anyway."

In other news... Casa is exciting! The people are hospitable, warm, and eager to communicate. The city streets are nigh overwhelming: in addition to the masses of people and the insane drivers, I have seen unattended cattle, horsecarts, and one character wandering aimlessly around with an eel dangling from his hand. Yesterday I climbed out of a taxi too slowly and he ran over the back of my shoe. I suppose it could have been my heel.

There's supposed to be a shergui (sandstorm) sometime this week. My host suggested that by August I might need to buy a djellaba.