Getting into the new groove.

So you know when you were in highschool and you would come home from school, all tired and nonchalant, and your mom would ask you 'How was your day?' and you'd respond with the ever present 'Fine'. 'What did you do?' ' Nothing.' And you'd trudge up to your room, notebooks and stringcheese in hand, determined to sink into your private sphere of nothingness and video games for a few hours before homework called and pressing conversation around the dinner table ensued?

I think I'm at that stage. Which, actually, I think is a success. After almost a month in country (holy crap by the way) I think I've acheived a sense of routine, of normality, of -gasp, shock, horror- adaptation to my situation here. After class from 8:30 until 6, which includes language, cross-culture lessons and dar chebab meetings, I'm becoming accostomed to the 'What'd you learn in school today' probing by my host mother - and to a larger degree, host sisters - the moment I swing through the door, all tired and nonchalant. Becoming used to the small kids clinging to my legs and molesting my face as I set my things on the bedroom floor. Helping make tagine or couscous in the evening for an approximately 9:30pm dinner time. So when all is said and done, I trudge over to my room, notebooks and l'3nb in hand, determined to sink into my own private sphere of nothingness and Kitchen Confidential for about 5 minutes until I, almost garunteed, crash without covers, book on chest, and beluga on the floor. Usually with homework and studying not even in the picture.

Despite complete and utter exhaustion, I love that I can now at least have a sense of how my day is going to go. The stress of being constantly bombarded with schedule changes and hourly surprises was taking its toll. On my face. Over the course of the last two weeks, my skin has taken on the persona of a peak-pubescent boy. No amount of Neutrogena has helped. But, sigh, the last three or four days have seen a calming trend, both in life and in a dermatological sense, and I'm all the happier for it.

The program staff, during an interview conducted last week in order to help determine my final site, asked what it is that I want to gain skill-wise out of my stay here, as my background and job history speak to what most people look to gain (abroad experience, independence, etc). And we both decided I seriously need to learn flexibility. The fact that my face breaks out due to change in plans seriously needs to be reckoned with. I need to chill the eff out. I need to expect people to not be punctual for the next two years. I need to expect that the taxi will not get there on time. I need to expect that we won't talk about anything relavent until 30 minutes into the meeting. I need to not only expect it, but be okay with it, to roll with it, to somehow even use it to my advantage? Basically, I need to chill the eff out.

Sundays, however, will be host to the aforementioned study periods. After this quick jaunt to the cyber, a buttload of verbs await me back at home. And in the words of an brave llama emporor in the face of a steep drop and sharp rocks... Bring it on.

Side notes -

Best of luck to David and hope to see you in Israel sooner rather than later! The Turtles exist no longer, but the Mustketeers will endure. ... In sha'allah.

Aragons, give me some news!! How is everything? Give Maddie some love for me.

So my mom's update today consisted of P. Swayze dying and good family friends seperating, anybody got some glasshalf full shit - name that movie -? Haha, love you mom, but jeeeeeez.

xoxo (thinking of you Katia!)