My visits with old friends were wonderful-- it was very refreshing to see them again and to know that some sort of impact has been made through my living here thus far. Two of them have birthdays this week (they're sisters), and since I have to be back in town for a meeting Friday morning anyhow, the birthday party will be on Thursday night so I can be there. And hopefully sometime in the next couple weeks they'll be able to come visit me here.

I spent Saturday afternoon with my former grammar tutor and her family. She traveled to the States back in mid-November-- actually, my last lesson with her was the day I found out I was being reassigned, but at the time I didn't really know yet whether I would be moving and was having trouble processing the news anyhow... so she didn't know I'd moved until she came back in January. Amazing what can happen in two months. By that point I was already feeling settled in here.

I finally started school yesterday. It's a small school (there aren't a lot of serious independent students of Arabic in this city), so there will be only one other woman in my colloquial class, and my classical Arabic lessons will be on my own. So it should still be all pretty much at a pace I set-- but I also really think that the added structure will help me catch up a bit after the time I've lost over the past couple months.
And I always think it's exciting to get new books.