Sorry everyone, I'm already behind in my posts. It is only because so much has been happening here in the past couple weeks.
First off, I finally made it to the Red Sea. Nearly all the girls from the English classes, both students and teachers, rented a bus and went to South Beach outside of town. I was particularly excited about this because, as luck would have it, I had only one girl in my class and was not connecting with the other female students much. Being invited on this trip was really encouraging for me and served to show all the girls that I'm their friend too. About twenty girls piled into this small bus where we rocked out to American and Arabic music the whole way there and back. The local girls remained covered when we went swimming, so we Americans tried to adjust our swimwear accordingly. I wore yoga capris and a long sleeved black shirt. The water in the Red Sea is salty but it did not feel gritty like ocean water. We all walked in to about our waists and a few brave souls jumped off the pier. The cool water was definitely a relief in the 100 degree weather. After wading for a while we walked up to the pavilion we had claimed and shared food. I had made brownies, like an American, while the other girls brought more traditional snacks: grape leaves, cheese filled dough, a dessert called "Lebanese Night" and pound cake. Afterwards, some of Becky and Laura's students tried to teach them how to dance and the rest of us cheered them on. We even tried to play a game of 'dare' but it was short lived. With the day quickly cooling off as the sun set, we returned to the water to soak our feet and enjoy the view. Upon coming back to town, promises were made for visits and goodbyes were prolonged. It was truly a great day of just getting to know some new friends outside of class and all the other work I've been focusing on. I can not wait to see what my friends plan for us to do next.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/ToTheBeach?authkey=Gv1sRgCLiFnon35-_29AE#
