whew...

so, another week has passed and i am due for another update. well, this week has been filled with ups and downs, but all in all it has been incredible. last week i asked some friends to join me in the m'dina to practice language with nat'l folks. that didn't fully happen like i had envisioned, but it was an incredible day in which i got to use about as much of the little language i know. we walked a lot and got to experience several of the best amenities of being here. i have learned to celebrate what i would used to consider the small things in life here as major accomplishments. it makes life more fun this way and really helps me focus more on Why i am here. :)
so, the photo here of the iron-work was taken while in the m'dina. i hadn't seen it before and it was just so cool looking. sometimes i can't hardly believe that i am actually here. how incredible.

then this past weekend i got to hang out with some new friends. this gal to here i met at the lunch i was invited to. i love how social the folks are here. i went for lunch, yet stayed with them for almost 8 hours. we ate, ate some more, watched TV, strolled around their m'dina (they live in a neighboring city), and ate some more. i got to again try to exhaust my small vocabulary in conversation. one of the friends knows just a bit of english, so i wasn't totally out of the loop. body language and hand gestures go a long way for sure. it was such a pleasant afternoon/evening.
a bit of cultural fun: so, my friend got me from my place and took me to her house. she was wearing the local robe-style outfit and when the other two gals showed up, they were also wearing the robe-style cover-ups. they shed their robes and they were basically wearing pajamas/night gowns underneath. it is just so interesting. anyways, sometimes i felt a bit overdressed, but it wasn't a big deal. these photos with the gals are from this lovely afternoon/evening. the one with just me and one another gal is of the gal i met for the first time that afternoon. the one with me and two other ladies are the ladies that i met in a boutique in the m'dina. they are a lot of fun.

it was a great day for sure. their m'dina is actually a bit cheaper and is also pretty nice. my friends made sure i tasted some of the local goodies while strolling around.


so, onto more recently: i am learning more about relationships and how to grow, maintain and encourage them. it is interesting how i can get defeating thoughts in my mind and then i can just run down a treacherous path with them. thankfully with many thoughts and good friends, i have been able to grow and approach friendships more proactively now. amazing how important relationships are in life, huh?

i went into the m'dina (it is basically open-air market style with little shops and such, includes food, clothes, just about anything at usually a good price) to go check out backpack options as i am thinking of getting one. well, i was intercepted! i was found by one of my new friends--actually the one that i met for the first time over the weekend lunch and she insisted that i go and visit the other ladies at the boutique. so, my backpack search quickly ended and a new plan emerged. i hung out with them in the shop and then went to have soup with them. it was fun. i really appreciate them and their kindness.
also, i have a language helper now and this has been really great. i feel like i am learning more relevant words/phrases to use and communicate my situtation. i am learning so much everyday i feel like. my helper is so fun and quite cute. she is great at answering not only language questions, but cultural questions as well. what a joy.
then my last little thing: i had a really nice conversation with an older women in a garden i will sometimes go and do homework in. she was just so sweet. it just really blessed me. hmmm.
anyways, this is it. a longer than usual post, but that is what you get when i delay and delay. i hope you are having a good day and that you are learning new things, too. how refreshing:)