Divide and Conquer

Living in Monterey, California for the summer might seem like the ideal summer. And in many ways, it is. But I don't get to relax too often out here! Here's a play-by-play of my typical day:

7:30 - Wake up
8:15 - Take the bus to Monterey Transit Center
9:00 - Morning class starts with Rana
12:00 - Lunch break
1:00 - Afternoon class starts with Lama
3:00 - Tutoring with Ibrahim
6:00 - Dinner with Anne
7:00 - Homework
10:00 - Get ready for Bed

My teacher in the morning is Rana. She's from Lebanon and she's a really good teacher. In the afternoons, my teacher is Lama. For those that have been reading my blog, you'll remember that Lama was my tutor last summer. She's the director of the Arabic Program this summer, and also is teaching our class in the afternoons. She's from Damascus, Syria and is also a very gifted teacher. Last, but not least, is Ibrahim. He's my tutor and he's from Khartoum, Sudan. Ibrahim is interesting to talk to because he knows so much about the various conflicts in Sudan, not only in Darfur, but also in southern Sudan.

I'm living with the same lady I lived with last year, Anne. She's great! Yuri, the outdoor cat, is still around. There's only five people in my class, including me, so everyone is friendly and we've grown close already. The weather is fantastic! In the mornings, the weather is cool and in the mid-50s and the afternoons "heat up" to around 60 to 65. This weekend I'm going to go to Carmel to look around. I didn't spend much time there last summer so I thought I'd give the city another look! Check back soon for pictures!

Sharks, Bobcats, and Coyotes...oh my!

There were three things that I was really looking forward to doing this summer:

1. Running in Del Rey Oaks
2. Kayaking in Monterey Bay
3. Hiking in Big Sur

Sadly, I don't think I'll be able to do any of those things this summer because....

1. Bobcats are rampant in my neighborhood
2. My Dad and I watched sharks swimming in Monterey Bay
3. Coyotes are becoming "aggressive" in Big Sur

It looks like I'm going to have to find other things to do in my spare time out here. Suggestions?

Go back to start again

After a long placement test and a difficult oral interview, I was put into the Intermediate Arabic class at Monterey Institute for this summer. I'm satisfied with this. Last summer I was in Elementary Arabic so I've moved up an entire level, and I think that's respectable.

Everybody asks me why I study Arabic. I've never addressed this question on my blog, but today I will. I could give some philosophical reason about not being able to fully understand a culture without knowing the language or a stereotypical reason of wanting to travel to the Middle East, but none of these would be true. The truth is, I study Arabic simply because I like it.

Arabic is a challenging language. It is an entirely different alphabet and contains difficult grammar. I'm never entirely satisfied with my level in Arabic. It's a constant struggle with myself to improve and progress. In my opinion, this is the healthiest relationship someone can have with themselves. When someone becomes comfortable, that is a dangerous place to be. When you're comfortable, you allow yourself to become mediocre and accept mediocrity.

So I might never get to see a camel wander across the desert in Oman or see the waves wash upon the shore of Beirut, but I will continue to study Arabic because it's a constant struggle and is a constant source of growth.

Nature smiling at herself in the mirror of eternity

In regards to natural beauty, there are only two places in the world that are outstanding, in my opinion. Geneva, Switzerland is one of those places. The other is Big Sur, California. Just south of Carmel lies Big Sur country. The entire Pacific Coast highway, particularly from San Francisco to Los Angeles is stunningly beautiful, but the Big Sur section of the highway trumps the rest. Simply beautiful.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Today we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. According to Zagat, it is the number one rated aquarium in the United States. I've only visited three major aquariums: 1) The New England Aquarium in Boston 2) The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago 3) The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey. Out of these three, I would say that the Shedd Aquarium is the best. It's not that the other two aren't good, it's just that the Monterey Bay Aquarium only features marine life from the Monterey Bay, which is fine, but the Shedd Aquarium is a much more comprehensive aquarium. At the same time, even though the Monterey Bay Aquarium is smaller than the Shedd, it has more thorough exhibits. One of the best exhibits was the Kelp Forest Exhibit, pictured in this post. They also had a really interesting exhibit on the Outer Bay, which featured hammerhead sharks. Another cute exhibit was the Otter exhibit. As expected, the Aquarium was packed with kids, but still enjoyable. Overall the Aquarium offers visitors a glimpse of the diverse marine life that lives in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Truly, the Aquarium is a must-see for anyone visiting Monterey.

Count your blessings now, before they're long gone

Dad and I arrived in Monterey yesterday afternoon. The weather is cool, the Bay is beautiful, and the many seals are adorable. We ate dinner last night with Hope and her parents. It was great to see them. We're planning on going whale watching later in the summer, something I planned to do last year but never got around to doing. Today we walked around downtown Monterey, drove through Pacific Grove to Asilomar Beach, went to Breakwater Cove to visit the seals and met with Lama, my former Arabic tutor.

I have to admit that it is strange to be back in Monterey. None of my friends from last year are here. I haven't seen Anne yet, but unlike last summer, I'm the only student staying with her this summer. It's always strange to return to a place where so much has changed, and yet so little has changed.

Since I had all last summer to explore Monterey, I'm going to branch out in the Monterey Peninsula and spend some time visiting Point Lobos, Big Sur, Santa Cruz and Moss Landing this summer. They're all relatively close to Monterey and will make excellent day trips. Hopefully I'll be going to San Francisco as well!

Until we meet again...