The Cairo Gyro

I am officially registered with both Diwan and Fajr Center. I’ve decided to go with Fajr center for a number of reasons. The first of them having to do with convenience, location, and class timing availability. Another major reason I chose Fajr Center is because the certificates they offer are officially stamped by the government and therefore hold weight in various Universities in the west. I went down the Fajr Center in Ma’aadi (the one we’ll be going to insha’Allah) registered and took my placement test. The test was easy for the most part alhamdulillah except for some grammar questions that I’ve long forgotten. It’s in all Arabic and you have to be familiar with following instructions in Arabic to even have the slightest clue about what to do. The guy who was in the office at that time was somewhat unprofessional and just handed the test to us as we’re sitting across from him in the reception chairs. Luckily we had our own pens (none were offered to us) but I had to get up and help myself to a hardcover book off of the office book shelf because there was no way I was going to attempt to write on the test paper on my lap!

Upon completing the test we waited awkwardly until we were told we’d have to come back another day to take the oral exam and have our tests graded. I went in by myself a couple days later while my roommates were at work. I met the woman who I’m guessing will be my teacher (she speaks very clearly and she put me at ease *phew*) she spoke to me in Arabic only and I soon realized that was my oral exam! She did have me read a brief passage from the book and evaluated my reading and understanding within minutes. Then, to my surprise, she asked me which book I’d like to study from: Kitab al-Asasi or Al-Arabiyyah Bayna Yadayk. I told her maybe I’d like to start with Bayna Yadayk and strengthen my vocab and speaking skills and she suggested I could do that but then move onto Kitab al-Asasi quickly to drill in those grammar skills. I agreed and that was that. 

She took me to the mudeer’s (headmaster’s) office after that and we discussed payment and class timings. Private lessons are a lot more expensive but it’s my only option really. He told me I can begin my classes Monday, September 17th at 11:00 AM. I was a little disappointed that it would be an even longer wait but from what I’ve been learning so far, living in Egypt and dealing with Egyptians is going to require tons of patience. Insha’Allah..

In the meantime I’ve been reviewing the book and getting well acquainted with the exercises. A friend of mine here who is on level 3 comes over and we go over her homework together, she teaches me the latest lessons she’s taken. Last night we studied a clock diagram and she taught me the right way to state the time in Arabic(which, by the way, is VERY precise!). I’ve been using her notebook to jot down notes and to draw charts. I feel horrible because I’ve forgotten so much of the grammar I’d once learned in High school Arabic. My parents did a beautiful thing, putting me into Islamic School. If only I’d realized the importance of Arabic back then…may Allah forgive me.