The Mosquitos Ate My Family

Luckily, my family is nowhere near Jeddah right now, or I'm sure the mosquitos would have eaten them. Unfortunately, I, myself, am in Jeddah, and I'm being eaten piece by agonizing piece. Originally I thought there was only one mosquito in my room, because it kept buzzing at me just as I was about to go to sleep. That's kindof like asserting that there is only one family of deer in America because that's all you see in your back yard. Yes, there are colonies of mosquitos, apparently, with hungry children, and I'm the only one on the menu. What's even more bizarre and disturbing, they somehow manage to get under the covers. I resorted to wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt to bed so as to protect my arms better, since they'd eaten me up to the elbow on both arms, and I always wear long pants to bed (although I still got a bunch of bites on my knees - who knows how). Despite that, the mosquitos are doing their best, and today I woke up with two (count them!) bites on the BOTTOM OF MY FOOT. Does anyone have any idea how uncomfortable this is? I almost wish I could just stay unconscious so as to avoid the misery. I can't scratch without tickling myself, either, which is frustrating.

So now, because the mosquitos have invaded my private sanctuary, I've gotta be on the lookout for things like West Nile Virus and what have you. Maybe I should get insect repellent? It seems awfully sad to have to put some on to go to bed...

Moving on to slightly less immediately important topics, I had a bizarre exchange with Abla I yesterday as I was about to walk up the stairs to my room (Remember that earlier post I had about how people insist on taking the elevator even if it's only one flight of stairs up? Keep that in mind here):

Abla I (as I go to head up the stairs): Come, Elisabeth, the elevator.
Elisabeth: No it's okay I like the stairs.
Abla I (pointing to the elevator and smiling): Look, it's here. Come.
Elisabeth: No, it's okay, I like the stairs. It's just one floor.
Abla I (smiling an indulgent smile): Are you afraid?

I wonder if her misconceptions about me have to do with the fact that I act shy, or whether she doesn't think America has elevators.

Also, I have a comment to add to yesterday's post about the disorganization of everything. I should add that Effat doesn't get any advance warning when guests show up either, so they have kindof the same problem I do except that it's worse for them. This would be like Liz Cheney showing up on my doorstep while I'm walking around in a towel. Which luckily, she didn't do. Also, apparently at the last minute a prince came along, and because of his schedule things got pushed even farther out of wack. I wonder if this is a common problem - if, for example, colleges in the states are just as badly informed about when, for example, the Chinese President is showing up - or whether this is uniquely Saudi. It certainly seems more obvious here.

Anyway, yesterday Team Fabulous went to Toys R Us. Well, D and Mona and I did. And to Chili's, also, where we laughed about a bunch of stuff that I don't remember any more. There was at least one good comment made about how they're so much younger than me, I will babysit and mash peas for them, to which Mona repied that I was the toothless old one and they should be mashing peas for me. We've agreed to mash peas for each other. Anyway, today we will officially inaugurate the pick-up-stix (remember them!??! I'm so excited!) and foursquare and Twister. Look at us, making plans and then carrying through.

We also decided that S2's special super power is that of Evil Geniusness, and her new superhero name is Dr. Doom. We haven't told her this yet. We also established that Mona/Melvianna/Andrew's proper title is Andrew Lightwood the Third, Queen of Confusement.

D still doesn't have a name yet. Nor do I, although D suggested the Namer of Names and I kindof like that since it seems to be what I'm doing.

I also tried to take a stand yesterday when Abla I wanted to know all the details of my excursion, but my heroic stand took the form of being deliberately vague. I feel like a bit of a worm.

Man, I feel like the mosquitos bit THROUGH my callouses!

On a slightly less frivolous note, I took my Arabic exam yesterday. Ouch. Ouch is all I have to say. She seemed (Mrs. S) so very sad to see me leave things empty. I think if I'd studied more I could have done better, so I haven't given up complete hope on me. The other fabulous thing was that there was no question in my mind what the test was asking for from me. I just didn't know some of the answers. For example, when the question asks (in approximate english) for an "expression" which fulfills a bunch of criteria, what are they looking for? The question like this that got me the most was "What is the expression that, standing alone, doesn't mean anything, and needs something added to it?" (this is very approximate translation). Now, I wasn't really sure. Incomplete sentence? We talked about complete and incomplete sentences. She came over and repeated the question to me in an effort to make me understand, and ended up kindof giving me the answer by saying something like "come on, there are three sorts of words, Ism and Fa'il and ......" at which point obviously the answer became clear - harf, which acts as prepositions and whatnot, and yes, has no meaning by itself. But how was I to know that it was asking for one of the three sorts of words? Are they called "expressions"?

Anyway, that was the sort of confusion I faced. Even my dictionary couldn't help me there. If I'd done a better job studying I probably would have remembered more of the specific terminology. But life continues, and next time I'll know which parts of the notes and information I really need to just memorize.

Or, like, another question: "What factors does Jahiliyyah poetry depend on?" Followed by two blank spaces. What on earth does she mean by "factors"? Does she mean lifestyle and politics and economy (as I later found out she probably did)? Does she mean literary style and skill of the poet and inventive ideas and strong emotion? Does she mean war and love and different topics of poetry? And in order to explain this to me, when I had left the answer blank, she said something like, "When you travel, and you see beautiful surroundings, can you write poetry about this? Yes!" Again, if I'd memorized this heading on the notes I would have known what to answer, but instead I sat there saying "gee, I know I've seen that somewhere, now if I could only remember what came after it..."

So, anyway, it's all very interesting. I am like a small child trying to wield a tree as a hammer. I generally understand the basic gist of what's going on, but trying to get nuance is just ... wow.

I have a couple of interesting sites for everybody, none of which have anything to do with the Middle East or, really, anything academic. First is this site one of my fabulous friends sent to me (this is for you, maman). There's a story that goes with this, but I'll leave that for another time. Suffice it to say, my mother and I have long maintained that all teenage boys are turkeys. Most non-teenage ones as well. In fact, most males. I once heard someone claim this made me a man-hater, but we say it with love. In fact, most turkeys are better friends of mine than the women I know. My response to the man-hater accusation was "does it count if I hate women more?" So now there's at least one person out there who thinks I hate everyone. Not true. Turkeys are fabulous beasties, as I think this site will prove. And for those of my friends who hold the mistaken idea that they are no longer turkeys once they turn 20, I would just like to laugh at them briefly.

hahahaha.

Okay. So today's schedule looks to be one of exams and meetings, followed by more exams and meetings. Ah! The journalism club may be gasping to life! There are now four members, and I have their names and phone numbers so they can't escape from me. I'm meeting with one other today, too, so we're up to a handful! With luck, this will mean that the magazine exists. Parenting for Muslims is today, and on a normal Wednesday I'd have ping pong in the afternoon, but I think the sports lady is gone until Saturday. At least, that is, I think, what the guard said to us (in Arabic) when we went to ask.

I love being continuously uncertain what's going on. I'm like an adrenaline junky, but more afraid.

More fabulous things to announce! Isn't it great when I have so much to say I forget half of it?

This morning I have a meeting with Mrs. West to talk about some of the stuff I am going to do for her. Mostly so she can explain to me what it is I'm doing, because I'm a little unclear on how to translate some of the fuzzier academic-speak they use.

And, most exciting of all, I may get to travel in the coming month and a half. (I still have to make reservations to get out of here for Hajj). Apparently Effat is chartering a plane to take 40 girls to the Aramco compound in Dahran to look around and get shown around for three days. This would be EXTREMELY exciting to go on, since I've obviously read a lot about Aramco's place in Saudi history and society. It's a really interesting company - I'll do more research and inform y'all better whenI get a chance.

Secondly, it sounds like there may be a Saudi college fair (which is interesting in itself) in Dahran which I may get to go to as an assistant/student and talk to students and other schools and stuff.

Also, Ms. East-West sounded enthusiastic about my staying for the next term, so I think I'll start making plans for that!

With so many things going on, how can a girl get a chance to sleep? Well, the easy answer to this is that I went to bed at 9 yesterday. But wait! My day wasn't over! At about 10:30 there was a knock on my door and it was one of the girls from upstairs (I should stop saying 'girls' - this one had a son, for example) who was looking for help with her English writing! Yessssss! And she asked me why I wasn't upstairs more often. So when I get a chance to sit down and breathe I am absolutely going to go upstairs and explore more, and meet some more people.

I feel like there are four or five other things going on right now, but I'm afraid my shower is warm and it is time for me to get clean.

Adios!