There's not all that much going on, it seems, but then, there is a LOT going on. I think life just seems to become a bit "normal"!
Yet again, a lot of change going on around here. There are several new people from different countries coming to join us in the work here. Seems quite a lot of work of organizing an orientation for them has fallen to me! Which is fine, and actually, I'm quite looking forward to a lot of it. But it is a lot of work to figure out how do you tell people what they need to know to be happy and healthy in this place, without completely overwhelming them at first? And how do you help people see the ways you've found to survive and thrive... while letting them figure out their own ways of doing things? And how do you think about all this when you've never laid eyes on the people who are coming? I've never really had a "formal" orientation to any place before, actually, so I can't even really rely on my own experience to know of how it's been done in the past.
So I've been thinking about the practicalities of life here in the past few day and how to help others enjoy it. In a lot of ways, I'm really excited to welcome new people and try to figure out ways to make them feel welcome and help them get the most out of their first few weeks and months in this land I call "home", and yet, I'm also a bit frightened because it's a whole new ball game! I can also see that personally, it might be a bit of a challenge for me to balance all the other things that I need to do - my own work and pursuing various opportunities in terms of literacy and education work, but also making time to make sure all the new-comers have opportunities to get out and experience all the wonders of life in this place!
I also have to make sure that I don't "begrudge" the new-comers for having the chance to spend several months learning the language and getting to know how to live here before diving into their "real" jobs. I would love to spend more time learning the local Arabic... but when I arrived, there was SO much to do to just survive and get this compound and office and program set up, that we really couldn't afford the time for dedicated language learning. I learned as I went along! But now that I'm casting about, thinking about opportunities and ways for the new folks to start learning language, I'm getting really motivated to get back into language learning mode myself.
So I've really been practicing a lot with the little that I do know. Anyone and everyone who can speak Arabic on this compound has been subject to my fumblings! And they've all been really patient, so far, and I think even just in the past week of putting some concentrated effort into using my Arabic when I can, I've become at least a little less rusty :)
Yesterday and today, though, my Arabic really got a workout! Along with my two neighbours, I've been without any househelp for several weeks now. (I know, I almost cringe to write this because I know what you're thinking... but seriously, think about living permanently in a tent, in a very, very dusty place, with cockroaches, rats and bats as your closest neighbours. It really is a full time job just to keep the floors swept and mopped and the dust at bay on the kitchen counters! And when you have a full-time job on TOP of trying to keep a tent relatively clean...). Anyway, my nieghbours and I have banded together and found a young woman who is willing to help us out in our houses. While she's literate in Arabic and relatively educated, her English isn't very good. My neighbour's Arabic is, well, quite a bit worse than mine (and honestly, mine is pretty terrible!), but it has meant that I've become the translator!
Thankfully, a lot of the Arabic I actually do know was learned when I was helping out here as the guesthouse manager - so my vocabulary includes a lot of "cleaning" words - washing dishes, washing clothes, sweeping, broom, soap, iron, making beds, toilet... The other issues of dialogue with a new house-helper also includes hours that she's meant to work and days of the week, as well as numbers for the all important payment amount! All those things I actually know! So it's certainly not elegant or eloquent, but I'm able to make myself understood, which completely astounds even me.
Today was her first day to help me in my house, so we worked together a bit, and I showed her where to take out the garbage, and where I keep all the cleaning supplies etc. After we cleaned for a while, we sat down and I brought her some tea. So we sat and conversed about our families and all that. It took a LOT of concentration on my part, but I managed! I actually sat and had tea and conversation with someone in Arabic! So there might be hope for me yet :) At the very least, it's encouraging to know that even though I haven't been putting any concentrated effort into language learning for the past ... well, I guess the past year, I can still hold my own (at least with a patient person!). And I'm also very motivated to learn more and be able to talk about real things with someone!
I was feeling so proud of myself for being able to communicate today that I thought I was almost becoming a local woman. I quickly figured out I have a LONG way to go, though, when I tried balancing a basin full of books on my head :) Not quite there yet...
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