September 27, 2007

Lesson Five: For the best information go straight to the source

My last course is Basic Arabic I. Let me be the first to tell those of you who don't know: this language is super difficult to learn if you have no prior knowledge of it. Many of my classmates are familiar with Arabic because it's the language of the Koran and numerous Middle Eastern countries. I, on the other hand, had no knowledge about Arabic walking into class the first day. I sat in disbelief as the professor wrote the alphabet on the board and began teaching us how to pronounce each letter.

With each lesson the initial overwhelming feeling decreases, mostly in response to the impressive amount of patience Professor Simin has as I struggle to pronounce words.

In addition to the three classes I'm taking at Bilkent, the course with the American professors meets once a week for a few hours. The aim of the class is to present us with an overview of Turkish life, focusing on the impact of the past on the modern culture, politics, religion and economy. The course is basically a textbook version of what I experience daily as a transient resident of the Middle East.

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