Today was my first class in Arabic.  It began at 8 am so I had to travel from my apartment (north of the city) to the class in the center.  We have only traveled by taxi and someone had told me that you can prearrange a taxi, but I was too chicken to talk to the cab driver the day before.  I thought I’d go to the cab office in the morning and ask.  Ha!  In the morning there are no cabs at the cab office so I thought I’d take a servis.  

In town a cab will run you 10-15 shekels depending on how far you go.  (About $2.50-3.75). The servis has a prescribed route like a bus so it is only 3 shekels ($0.75). However it was a risk because no one told us where it dropped.  No choice though so I waited for one and jumped in.  I got the last seat in one after about 5 passed me. 

Luckily it dropped me a block from Rukab Ice Cream so I knew where I was!

Once in class (that is offered every day Monday-Thursday) I had to catch up quickly.  Today’s class was short because my teacher had to return to a meeting.  However it was plenty long enough!  I need to work on the alphabet and basic phrases.  None of the Arabic I know is at all useful outside of a classroom!  

So, I came home and searched the Internet again and FINALLY found a course that is useful!  www.arabicreadingcourse.com 

Because if I can read it, I can speak it, right?

Off to study!