Talk like an Egyptian

Hey! It looks like I'm coming back to the motherland a full month earlier than expected. Stanford has this summer program for a few dozen incoming freshman interested in engineering, which involves some classes and lab modules, meetings with engineering professors, etc., plus free room and board on campus. I found out this week (after a mildly embarassing episode revolving around the fact that I hadn't figured out how to use my Stanford email account) that I got in. So I'm headed for California at the beginning of August. Unfortunately, it starts August 6, and since I won't be leaving Africa until around August 1 anyway (with probably 2 layovers, one in Cairo, and one in Holland, where I have to retrieve my double bass from temporary storage to bring with me as checked baggage), a TASP reunion in Vermont is not really feasible for me. Tant pis! But kudos to Henrik for his willingness to undertake such a daunting cause. And hey, being on the same continent as you guys (well, not you Jsn) is sort of a reunion in and of itself.

Life is clicking along here. Arabic is OK; although I haven't quite finished learning the alphabet, I can sound out most things (reading a Pepsi sign has never been so fun!). Unfortunately, it turns out that some of the language materials we picked up in Europe are based on Egyptian Arabic, not that of the region we're located in. So we probably have some kind of weird Egypto-American accent. Eh bien.

Best of luck with your reunionicking!

Groetjes,
Sam