San Francisco

Yesterday I returned from San Francisco. I have very mixed feelings about the city. First, let me say that I really enjoyed going there and I don't regret visiting San Francisco. I saw everything there is to see: Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatrez, Fisherman's Wharf, Nob Hill, North Beach, cable cars, Golden Gate Park, Union Square, and the Victorian houses. The hotel I stayed at was actually in Union Square and was very nice. The thing about San Francisco is that it's not as exciting as New York or Boston. It doesn't have the same spirit as other large cities, but then again, it's not that large, there are only around 750,000 people that live in San Francisco proper. It's just a city. The truly unique part about San Francisco were things such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatrez, cable cars and Fisherman's Wharf. You just can't see these things anywhere else. Just to see the Golden Gate Bridge is worth the trip. And yes, Monterey has a wharf, but it's nothing compared to the wharf in San Francisco. So maybe this blog seems confusing because of my mixed feelings towards the city. Let me clear this confusion...Did I like San Francisco? Yes. Did I like San Francisco better than other large cities? No. Did I like San Francisco better than Monterey/Carmel/Pebble Beach? No way. In the end, any city that you have the opportunity to go visit is worth it.

Arabic Picnic

Today the Arabic Department hosted an Arabic Picnic for all the students. Even though the weather was not agreeable at first (cloudy, foggy, about 60 degrees) eventually the sun came out and it turned into a really nice day. I know most of the professors that teach in the Arabic program but I met a new one today. The reason I hadn't met him yet was because he teaches Intermediate II (the highest level in the summer language program) and he is from Ghana. The map on the side shows where Ghana is, since most people have no idea. He was really nice and asked if I wanted to practice my Arabic. I said sure, so we started a simple conversation that continued for about 10 minutes. So at the end, I said "Ma'salaama" (goodbye) and he said "I give you an A-". I was like "....thanks, I didn't know I was getting graded?" Adamantly, he said "If you were in my class, I would give you an A-!". Confused, I walked back to my friends. But then, I realized that he was trying to compliment me and I also realized that I would be thrilled to get that grade in Intermediate II. Hopefully I will be able to come back next summer and be in the Intermediate I class. In a few hours I will be leaving for San Francisco!!!

Asilomar Beach

Last weekend, my friend and I rented bikes and rode 13 miles to Asilomar Beach. We had to ride through Monterey and Pacific Grove to get there. Asilomar Beach is across the street, maybe 25 feet from Spanish Bay golf course, which is a part of the Pebble Beach golf courses. The interesting thing about the Pebble Beach golf courses is that although Monterey Peninsula, like most of California, is in a severe drought and most lawns are dried and brown, not the golf courses. Oh no, they are impeccably manicured and lush. It's a really nice beach...it's on a windy road that curves along the golf course, and because of this, it's a lot less crowded than the other beaches like Carmel or Del Monte. The only downside to the beach is that it's one of the most dangerous areas to swim in Monterey Bay because of the size of the waves and riptides. I wouldn't swim in the ocean here anyways...it's way too cold!!! On the day I was there, it was a typical Monterey day: cloudy, foggy and about 70 degrees. The sun was out for about an hour but it never really warmed up. Still, sometimes it's nice to get out of Monterey. And this weekend, I am! I'm going to San Francisco!

Steinbeck Country

The author that reigns on the Monterey Peninsula is John Steinbeck, as he should. John Steinbeck lived in this area for a long time, and last Saturday I visited his former house in Salinas, California. On a side note, Salinas is also the "Salad Bowl of America" because somewhere along the lines of 80% of all produce comes from Salinas, especially lettuce. Gilroy, California is the Garlic Capital and Watsonville is known for strawberries. Anyways, I went to the Steinbeck House and it was very nice. The tour is very short and the house has been restored by a historical society and now most of the rooms have been converted to tea rooms to raise money for the historical society. However, I think most of the renovations were unnecessary, given that the house is less than 100 years old. Nonetheless, it is very charming and doesn't take much time to tour. Overall, it is very interesting to see and the tour guides gave very informative information about John Steinbeck. I didn't realize that so much of Steinbeck's work was influenced by this area. For example, Cannery Row refers to Cannery Row in Monterey and Tortilla Flats is an area that still exists in downtown Monterey. It was interesting and worthwhile and I recommend it to anyone who is near Monterey/Salinas and has a free afternoon.

Superiority Complex

I did something I thought I was not capable of doing. I learned a different alphabet. I can read and write the Arabic alphabet. I have also learned basic grammar, the equivalent of a full year of an Arabic language program. I also made an A on my first Arabic grammar test. All of this means only one thing...I am better than you. Yes, I now have a superiority complex.

Kayaking in Monterey Bay

Since I've been in Monterey, I've wanted to go kayaking. Yesterday my friend and I saw a kayak rental store and made a reservation. So, I went kayaking in Monterey Bay today! First of all, kayaking is not nearly as easy as it appears. It is intense. The waves were big and going through Kelp Forest was not fun. (For more information on kelp forests, in general, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_forest ) However, the views were spectacular and I was able to see a sea otter less than three inches, literally, from our kayak. It was so close that I could have moved my hand about an inch and bopped him on the head! It was incredible. Of course, we also saw all the seals, up close and personal, in Breakwater Cove. I hope everyone reading this blog enjoys these pictures of harbor seals...I got so close! I didn't use my zoom in button at all. The seals don't seem to mind humans. All of Monterey Bay is a National Marine Sanctuary. Throughout the year, there are whales, Great White sharks (which swim through Kelp Forest, thankfully I didn't see any), harbor seals, sea otters and sea lions that all co-exist in Monterey Bay. It's really a unique area and I'm glad that I got to see some of the wildlife up close through kayaking.

Crepes A-Go-Go

Last week during the tutoring session, a friend of mine mentioned a crepe place on Cannery Row. While I thought this was cool and all, I wasn't that interested at first. But then I found out something very important. This crepe place is owned by a Moroccan man. Why is this important? Because it's the same Arabic dialect as the Algerian dialect, and everyone knows how I feel about Algeria. So, naturally, I had to go to this crepe place, known as Crepes A-Go-Go. My friend Kim and I went there for lunch today. It was fantastic. I hate to say it, but the crepes were actually better than the ones I had in Paris. We met the Moroccan man and he spoke to us in the North African dialect, which neither Kim nor I could understand. One of the guys working there was from Yemen and we could understand him perfectly, which makes me feel like I actually have made progress! We walked back from Cannery Row to downtown Monterey, which wasn't nearly as bad a walk as we thought it would be. On the way back, we stopped for gelato at Koko's Cafe. It's owned by a Lebanese man and we just happened to sit next to two girls chatting in Arabic. One was Jordanian and the other Palestinian. They were nice and let us practice our (very limited) Arabic with them. So, today I went to France, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine....not bad for one day!

Carmel Beach

Every Friday is Culture Day for the Arabic program at MIIS. Today the Arabic department put on a music demonstration. While it was nice, our teacher decided that wasn't enough for our class...so we went to Carmel Beach for a picnic! I haven't really talked about other people in my class, but the picture on the right is my class at our picnic spot. In front is our teacher, Mohga. Behind her is Sean, Rebecca, Yasmine, Andrew and Sara. On the back row is CJ, Art, Adrienne, Somaya, and James. It was a nice day to be at the beach. It was cloudy, but then again, it's always cloudy around here. I didn't know this, but Carmel Beach is a popular spot for surfers to go (even though the water is freezing cold -- they wear wet suits!). I'd never actually seen people surf in real life so it was fun to watch all the surfers. The waves at Carmel Beach are HUGE. The picnic was delicious -- our teacher made the main course of the meal and other people brought various things. It was a much needed break from Arabic. The only downside to Carmel Beach is that there is very limited parking. Because I take the bus, one of the people in my class took me and then dropped me off at the house so that was really great. We've already completed an entire semester's worth of Arabic and we are well into our 2nd semester. One regular school semester is equal to two and a half weeks during the MIIS summer program. While it is intense, I do think it's the best way to learn a language. I have Arabic instruction for about 6 hours every day and I don't think I could find that anywhere else. I hope everyone reading this has a good weekend! Ma'salaama!

Visa: It's everywhere you want to be...

...except Monterey, California. I don't know what the deal is out here but there are very few places that accept credit cards. I don't understand why restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstores wouldn't want to accept credit cards. I would estimate that 70% of all restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstores don't accept credit cards. They only accept cash and checks. Granted, most of these are locally owned...but still! This is particularly true for the charming city of Carmel located a mere 9 miles from where I live. Although with Carmel it makes more sense because the city is illogical...there are no house numbers so why should they accept credit cards? At least Carmel is consistent with their illogical ways. As for Monterey... I have no excuse for this city.