Dearest sweetheart,
Gosh, I can't believe yesterday was the last day of June! It's strange to think that I haven't been near you in over a month! Luckily we only have this weekend and then 4 weeks left! I am so excited, it is pretty much the top thing that I think about :D
As you know, I had my midterm exam yesterday in Arabic, and I received full marks on it :) I had made a few mistakes, but when she called me up and asked me the correct forms, I was able to produce them, and so I think that's why she gave me a perfect score.
After that is when I had lunch and that girl just had to tag along :\ Unfortunately there was this one other girl in our class who she used to hang out with, but she went home the other day because she was only staying for a half semester program. So now I have to find a way to shake this other girl off. I mean, she's not mean or anything, but she's a little annoying and is kind of pessimistic :\ I misssssss you so! I keep imagining us meeting at different places, perhaps even the Ponte Palatino, or the Bocca Della Verita, but I think that might be closed when I get there so late :\
Anthropology yesterday was really exciting! We watched a movie on the differences between the way women communicate and the way men communicate. I'd love to see if UF has it so we could watch it together! It's really informative :) Afterwards we debated whether or not biology factored into the way women and men differ in their conversational rituals. I was the only one who said no it really had very very little affect and that it was mostly cultural influences. I backed up my point very well, and the teacher even said she was on my side and agreed more with me :D
But now, since we had such a good debate in class, my teacher wants us to come up with sound and researched arguments to have a formal debate next week. I don't mind doing the research, however because I was a proponent of the cultural side of the debate, I have to research and back up the biological perspective :\ What is your view on the whole thing? Do you believe we are predisposed to communicate a certain way through our biology, or do you feel like it is through culture and social norms that we learn these things?
When I was riding the bus back to the dorms the other day, I had a moment where I looked all around me and smiled really big! I thought to myself...wow, I'm here...
I actually made it to Egypt, and here I am, in the middle of the desert on a bus where most everyone around me speaks Arabic! And then I thought of us, and the adventures we will have, and it made me so so happy :D
When I got back to the dorm I worked on my homework right away so that I could have something to do while Roman Holiday loaded up. Then I pretty much read some of my book, the Automatic Detective, which is sooo good, I'm almost finished! The next book I'm going to read is Ward No. 3 and Other Tales, but I want to save a few for when I go to Rome and England as well :) I went to Alex Top for dinner, and then around the corner to this Arabic bookstore called Maktaba Alef, which could be translated into "The Letter 'A' Bookstore." I saw a few books that looked interesting, but I want to save my money and buy souvenirs first and then see how much I have left over :) It was pretty late when I got back, and so I watched Roman Holiday through most of it, but then the last ten minutes I fell asleep, and I was too tired to watch anymore :( So tonight I am going to finish it! But I really liked it! I so want to watch it with you :D
Today my Arabic class went pretty well. We learned about the Imperfect (Present) Tense, and now I am at the library. That one girl followed me here, and so I am hoping that the longer I stay on the computer the sooner she will go home :P
Tonight I might go to an Embassy Party that some people are talking about. Supposedly a bunch of Marines are being celebrated, and Americans are welcome to go. I'm not sure what the dress is like or any of the details, but I will be sure to let you know as soon as I do! This weekend I am going to hang out with a different group of people and check out Islamic and Coptic Cairo, where all the nice cathedrals and mosques are located!
Only two more full weeks of classes, and then a week and a half after that until Rome! Time has really been flying, which I am grateful for. I am always happy that I have been experiencing the culture and have been making some good friends ;D
You need to update your blog more often, you! Aaaand you said you would upload pictures last time we spoke on Skype! >:| Lol, anyways, I can't wait to see you on Skype tonight!
- - -, sugar :)
Always and Forever Yours,
Joe
P.S.- Success! That one girl finally left to go back to the dorms!!! I think I will go get mah falafel now :)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Take two chill pills daily for 4 weeks until reunion occurs :D
Dearest honeybuns,
That's the prescription I've given myself until I see you again. I know, maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but at the same time I do need to chill out and not take life so seriously!
So nothing out of the ordinary happened waking up and getting on the bus this morning. I helped this one girl in my class practice for her speaking exam in Arabic today on the bus (her pronunciation is really bad, but I try to be patient). When everyone got to class, you could tell that absolutely no one was in a mood to learn Arabic that morning. And to top it all off, instead of reviewing for the exam we have tomorrow, she decided to continue ahead on to the next lesson. What's pretty annoying sometimes is that when we read conversations in our books, there is stuff in them that we won't learn for another few weeks, and lots of new vocab! And she expects us to be able to read it right away. Well, the difficult part about reading the Arabic script is that most of the time they don't show what vowels are where, and stress marking is unpredictable. So, needless to say, we pretty much sucked; at which point I asked her if we could just have a day to go over the conversation again by ourselves because it contained a lot of new info that we didn't know we would be covering today. Luckily, that worked! Aaaand, she even let us out early today, a whole half an hour early! So after that I went to the library and checked my email, read the article for the discussion in Anthropology, and listened to music :) I also ate a falafel at this place called Omda to Go, which is like fast food Middle Eastern food :P It's only 3 pounds, and so it's really cheap and filling. When I got to Anthropology and the class began, the teacher started discussing the reading and applying it to what we are learning, which is Language and Culture. However, she noticed that only two people were contributing out of the 6 people in the class, me and this girl named FaraH. Well, the teacher decided to call on someone else, and we find out that the other four students didn't do the reading! Well, the teacher got pretty P.O.ed, saying that next time a reading isn't completed she will not hold class that day aaand she will create a quiz on the reading that will count towards the final grade :O Lol, luckily I don't have to worry, because I usually have 2 1/2 hours of free time before class to complete the readings, so I never miss one :D
After class I went back to the library for the AC, and as I sat down at a computer I thought to myself, "That was a really bad way to start Stef's morning, and although I am a little angry, I just want to settle this and make sure we are both happy." That's when I decided to text you, when a second later, very serendipitously, you texted me! I kid you not, I read it and I felt like a veil had been lifted off of me. Even a text from you showed me how I know deep down I am being irrational sometimes, and that you are always there to comfort and guide me :D
Well, I left the library around 2:30pm to walk to the bus stop and catch the 3pm bus back to the dorms. I got on one bus, and then everyone had to get off that bus and go on a different one, which was kinda silly. I sat next to Moe today and we talked about the Middle Eastern/Egyptian accent, which was pretty fun. Lol, I fell asleep again on the way home, only for about 15 minutes though. The buses get kind of warm, and after a long day it's pretty much inevitable that I will fall asleep!
When I got back, I bumped into Nathan and Clare, who have recently been looking into renting an apartment here instead of living in the dorms. I was actually going to go out and get lunch, after I had dropped my stuff off, when I bumped into them, and so they invited me along to check out an apartment with them. The one I looked at with them was realllly nice: centrally located to everything nearby, beautiful flooring and walls, nice furniture, AC, all the decorations very modern. And the cool thing for them was it was only 4000 pounds a month, which sounds like a lot, but with two people that's really only about $360 a month. I think they may not do it, because Nathan wants to stay July and August, whereas Clare said something about just July. Anyways, after that we got some food at a local place for really cheap (I got a falafel, ful, and egg combo in a pita, mmmmmm) and then we returned to the dorm. However, originally I had wanted to go out and buy something for someone, and so I snuck away and went out and bought something for someone that they will like, I just know it ;D
When I came back it was around 7ish, and so soon after I received a text from my favorite everything in the whole wide world that I could Skype with her soon :D You really laid a whole bunch of my uneasinesses to rest, something I know I should think about before I freak out :)
After I got off of Skype with you, I went to study for my midterm with that one girl in my class. It went well, we quizzed each other on verbs for a bit, but I didn't feel like I needed to study really, so I went to get dinner at Alex Top's :D I came back and collected my stuff from the study hall and now I'm here :D I miss you so much, and I know that things are probably kind of tough on you, especially with the language and the noise and stuff. But rest easy knowing that soon it will all come natural to you, trust me!
Never ever let someone else make you feel bad about yourself. You have an amazing capacity to fill people's hearts with a joy that spreads warmth and love, baby :) You are always there for others, and even when some people don't deserve it, you are there without judgement or conditions. I am ever more in love with you with every breath I take, and I can't wait to be near you again soon.
I hope your nap went splendidly, and that homework is breezing by. Luckily, at least for me, classes and homework are nice fillers for when we are not exploring and doing awesome things ;)
I love you, honey :)
- - -, sugar bumpkin ;D
!yad yreve ،erom dna erom uoy evol I
Joe
P.S.- I wanted to share this link with you about this pretty cool event/festival thing happening in Rome this July, and I believe it's free too, so definitely check it out!
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=232882
:D
That's the prescription I've given myself until I see you again. I know, maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but at the same time I do need to chill out and not take life so seriously!
So nothing out of the ordinary happened waking up and getting on the bus this morning. I helped this one girl in my class practice for her speaking exam in Arabic today on the bus (her pronunciation is really bad, but I try to be patient). When everyone got to class, you could tell that absolutely no one was in a mood to learn Arabic that morning. And to top it all off, instead of reviewing for the exam we have tomorrow, she decided to continue ahead on to the next lesson. What's pretty annoying sometimes is that when we read conversations in our books, there is stuff in them that we won't learn for another few weeks, and lots of new vocab! And she expects us to be able to read it right away. Well, the difficult part about reading the Arabic script is that most of the time they don't show what vowels are where, and stress marking is unpredictable. So, needless to say, we pretty much sucked; at which point I asked her if we could just have a day to go over the conversation again by ourselves because it contained a lot of new info that we didn't know we would be covering today. Luckily, that worked! Aaaand, she even let us out early today, a whole half an hour early! So after that I went to the library and checked my email, read the article for the discussion in Anthropology, and listened to music :) I also ate a falafel at this place called Omda to Go, which is like fast food Middle Eastern food :P It's only 3 pounds, and so it's really cheap and filling. When I got to Anthropology and the class began, the teacher started discussing the reading and applying it to what we are learning, which is Language and Culture. However, she noticed that only two people were contributing out of the 6 people in the class, me and this girl named FaraH. Well, the teacher decided to call on someone else, and we find out that the other four students didn't do the reading! Well, the teacher got pretty P.O.ed, saying that next time a reading isn't completed she will not hold class that day aaand she will create a quiz on the reading that will count towards the final grade :O Lol, luckily I don't have to worry, because I usually have 2 1/2 hours of free time before class to complete the readings, so I never miss one :D
After class I went back to the library for the AC, and as I sat down at a computer I thought to myself, "That was a really bad way to start Stef's morning, and although I am a little angry, I just want to settle this and make sure we are both happy." That's when I decided to text you, when a second later, very serendipitously, you texted me! I kid you not, I read it and I felt like a veil had been lifted off of me. Even a text from you showed me how I know deep down I am being irrational sometimes, and that you are always there to comfort and guide me :D
Well, I left the library around 2:30pm to walk to the bus stop and catch the 3pm bus back to the dorms. I got on one bus, and then everyone had to get off that bus and go on a different one, which was kinda silly. I sat next to Moe today and we talked about the Middle Eastern/Egyptian accent, which was pretty fun. Lol, I fell asleep again on the way home, only for about 15 minutes though. The buses get kind of warm, and after a long day it's pretty much inevitable that I will fall asleep!
When I got back, I bumped into Nathan and Clare, who have recently been looking into renting an apartment here instead of living in the dorms. I was actually going to go out and get lunch, after I had dropped my stuff off, when I bumped into them, and so they invited me along to check out an apartment with them. The one I looked at with them was realllly nice: centrally located to everything nearby, beautiful flooring and walls, nice furniture, AC, all the decorations very modern. And the cool thing for them was it was only 4000 pounds a month, which sounds like a lot, but with two people that's really only about $360 a month. I think they may not do it, because Nathan wants to stay July and August, whereas Clare said something about just July. Anyways, after that we got some food at a local place for really cheap (I got a falafel, ful, and egg combo in a pita, mmmmmm) and then we returned to the dorm. However, originally I had wanted to go out and buy something for someone, and so I snuck away and went out and bought something for someone that they will like, I just know it ;D
When I came back it was around 7ish, and so soon after I received a text from my favorite everything in the whole wide world that I could Skype with her soon :D You really laid a whole bunch of my uneasinesses to rest, something I know I should think about before I freak out :)
After I got off of Skype with you, I went to study for my midterm with that one girl in my class. It went well, we quizzed each other on verbs for a bit, but I didn't feel like I needed to study really, so I went to get dinner at Alex Top's :D I came back and collected my stuff from the study hall and now I'm here :D I miss you so much, and I know that things are probably kind of tough on you, especially with the language and the noise and stuff. But rest easy knowing that soon it will all come natural to you, trust me!
Never ever let someone else make you feel bad about yourself. You have an amazing capacity to fill people's hearts with a joy that spreads warmth and love, baby :) You are always there for others, and even when some people don't deserve it, you are there without judgement or conditions. I am ever more in love with you with every breath I take, and I can't wait to be near you again soon.
I hope your nap went splendidly, and that homework is breezing by. Luckily, at least for me, classes and homework are nice fillers for when we are not exploring and doing awesome things ;)
I love you, honey :)
- - -, sugar bumpkin ;D
!yad yreve ،erom dna erom uoy evol I
Joe
P.S.- I wanted to share this link with you about this pretty cool event/festival thing happening in Rome this July, and I believe it's free too, so definitely check it out!
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=232882
:D
Monday, June 28, 2010
كيف واجهت الدراما نموذجي في مكان غير محتمل, or How I encountered typical drama in an unlikely place.
Dear Stef,
To place a general theme on how today unfolded, I would have to be simple and to the point and categorize it as dramatic. As such, I understand the many facets that are a part of a drama: tragedy, loss, tears, rumors...
Well...fortunately I can at least say that I was a spectator to life, today, and not a participant in it's events. In other words, I had a pretty good day today. I went to my classes, reviewed in my Arabic course for our midterm on Wednesday, and discussed language and culture in Anthropology. In fact, thanks to my major, I was able to not only discuss the readings, but add a little of my own knowledge to the class so as to make things easier to understand/digest. I was pretty proud of myself.
Bus ride went fine, although it took nearly an hour and fifteen minutes to get home :\ I can safely say that is the most stress I felt all day today, which is not a lot!
I went to this bookstore down the street called Alef Bookstore and exchanged a book I had bought for a different one, and then I went to my usual place for dinner, Alex Top. I had a pretty nice conversation with the owner in Arabic about the author whose book I had just bought. It felt pretty nice to be able to understand him and give something to the conversation as well.
I came back to the dorm and studied some Arabic for my class with that one girl who's also in my class, and I talked to some of the other guys who were going out to a Pub for a few drinks. I said no, partly because I wanted to get an early night's sleep.
And now, for the drama...
I'm pretty sure I understand why there is more drama than usual, drama that existed mainly in high school. With a study abroad program, you become close with the group that is studying with you, because you form an "us vs them" attitude, and so things get personal in the little microcosm of a society you have created. There are the clowns, and the representatives, and the harlequins, and the nerds, and the jocks, and so forth. I suppose inevitably drama would arise, particularly since most people here are single, and there are more guys than girls.
Anyways, today in Arabic class, two girls who were absent yesterday came to class today, and since they had missed quite a bit, the teacher couldn't review everything, so she decided to speed through it. Well, unfortunately we have one girl in our class who takes making mistakes to heart, and she is very embarrassed and apologetic when she does. During our midclass break, I existed the room to use the men's facilities, and when I came back she was crying in front of the teacher because she was tired and frustrated with Arabic. It was, needless to say, a rather awkward situation.
Then, as I was waiting to study with that one girl back at the dorms, I heard how Moe needed to talk with her about something. The girls here love to gossip, and so another girl told me how Moe was flirting with my study partner, even though she's engaged and whatnot. So he felt the need to apologize to her and all this stuff. Meanwhile, other people are having sex in other people's apartments, or breaking up with bfs/gfs or getting back together, or just lots of repressed sexual frustration...
It feels like a twisted version of high school again.
It's rather unsettling, as well. I sit back, amused and happy that I have the life I do. Yet it concerns me. I wonder if this will happen with your group, and if so to what extent?
I'm just sitting here now, typing out everything before I go to bed. But it isn't everything, nor could it really ever be everything I felt or noticed today. I saw a flower on a tree, most unremarkable at first, but then I decided to stare at it a few seconds longer and it turned out to be very beautiful and nicely shaped. Stuff like that. I want to tell you stuff, yet I know you are busy. I wish I were more subjective in the way I perceived our lives, as if I could sit back and observe, unbiased and logical. Yet sometimes I find myself thinking things that will eventually have logical answers that will make me feel silly for thinking them in the first place.
I love you, Stef.
No need to worry, I am handling myself quite well, all things (and drama) considered!
- - -, Stef
Love Always,
Joe
To place a general theme on how today unfolded, I would have to be simple and to the point and categorize it as dramatic. As such, I understand the many facets that are a part of a drama: tragedy, loss, tears, rumors...
Well...fortunately I can at least say that I was a spectator to life, today, and not a participant in it's events. In other words, I had a pretty good day today. I went to my classes, reviewed in my Arabic course for our midterm on Wednesday, and discussed language and culture in Anthropology. In fact, thanks to my major, I was able to not only discuss the readings, but add a little of my own knowledge to the class so as to make things easier to understand/digest. I was pretty proud of myself.
Bus ride went fine, although it took nearly an hour and fifteen minutes to get home :\ I can safely say that is the most stress I felt all day today, which is not a lot!
I went to this bookstore down the street called Alef Bookstore and exchanged a book I had bought for a different one, and then I went to my usual place for dinner, Alex Top. I had a pretty nice conversation with the owner in Arabic about the author whose book I had just bought. It felt pretty nice to be able to understand him and give something to the conversation as well.
I came back to the dorm and studied some Arabic for my class with that one girl who's also in my class, and I talked to some of the other guys who were going out to a Pub for a few drinks. I said no, partly because I wanted to get an early night's sleep.
And now, for the drama...
I'm pretty sure I understand why there is more drama than usual, drama that existed mainly in high school. With a study abroad program, you become close with the group that is studying with you, because you form an "us vs them" attitude, and so things get personal in the little microcosm of a society you have created. There are the clowns, and the representatives, and the harlequins, and the nerds, and the jocks, and so forth. I suppose inevitably drama would arise, particularly since most people here are single, and there are more guys than girls.
Anyways, today in Arabic class, two girls who were absent yesterday came to class today, and since they had missed quite a bit, the teacher couldn't review everything, so she decided to speed through it. Well, unfortunately we have one girl in our class who takes making mistakes to heart, and she is very embarrassed and apologetic when she does. During our midclass break, I existed the room to use the men's facilities, and when I came back she was crying in front of the teacher because she was tired and frustrated with Arabic. It was, needless to say, a rather awkward situation.
Then, as I was waiting to study with that one girl back at the dorms, I heard how Moe needed to talk with her about something. The girls here love to gossip, and so another girl told me how Moe was flirting with my study partner, even though she's engaged and whatnot. So he felt the need to apologize to her and all this stuff. Meanwhile, other people are having sex in other people's apartments, or breaking up with bfs/gfs or getting back together, or just lots of repressed sexual frustration...
It feels like a twisted version of high school again.
It's rather unsettling, as well. I sit back, amused and happy that I have the life I do. Yet it concerns me. I wonder if this will happen with your group, and if so to what extent?
I'm just sitting here now, typing out everything before I go to bed. But it isn't everything, nor could it really ever be everything I felt or noticed today. I saw a flower on a tree, most unremarkable at first, but then I decided to stare at it a few seconds longer and it turned out to be very beautiful and nicely shaped. Stuff like that. I want to tell you stuff, yet I know you are busy. I wish I were more subjective in the way I perceived our lives, as if I could sit back and observe, unbiased and logical. Yet sometimes I find myself thinking things that will eventually have logical answers that will make me feel silly for thinking them in the first place.
I love you, Stef.
No need to worry, I am handling myself quite well, all things (and drama) considered!
- - -, Stef
Love Always,
Joe
Thursday, June 24, 2010
24 June 2010
Dearest sweetpea,
This morning was so refreshing! For one, I woke up and checked my email, to find that I had received a few messages from you on Facebook :D It really sets the mood for my day getting a message from you, since you're my first thought anyway ;)
My Arabic class went well, I think I'm finally starting to get better at my pronunciation of negated verbs (Something that I will definitely tell you all about either through Skype or else when we meet up!) After that I went to the bookstore on campus and found postcards, which is a relief, because I definitely wanted to start sending my family something!
Anthropology today was just a review session, and it went well. I am really enjoying my classes this summer. They challenge me to think critically and the professors are great. I contributed a lot today in the review session, and so I feel like I am ready for the midterm on Sunday :)
Can you believe it? I'm already halfway through the summer semester! I just know you're going to love your courses! It'll be nice to be able to talk about our classes together and how we are doing in them :) Ya know, only 37 more days until we see each other, and the last week will just fly by anyways, so it's more like 30 days!!! That's nothing! We've got one of them strooong relationships, the ones that will last longer than time. Lol, I just remembered how I wrote you that story. My favorite character in it was the large rock :D
Tonight a whole bunch of us are going to a house party, and phase one of Operation No Mo Clubs will be underway, mwahahaha...
You see, I am going to have only one beer throughout the entire party, if that! We'll all have a good time and blah blah blah, and then the next day I'll wake up and pretend that I got really sick from the night before! They won't be able to deny it, because I'll just say something like, "yeaaa...I had a lot and then I ate some bad food", or something like that! By the way, don't worry, I wouldn't miss our Skype date for the world! 10pm your time, 5am my time ;) Even if it's only for a few minutes, I cannot wait to see your beautiful, smiling face! And don't worry about the party tonight, I promise to be safer than a marshmallow in a mental ward. Get it? Because marshmallows are fluffy and soft, and mental wards have those padded rooms...
Okay, not my best analogy, but you catch my drift!
I know you must be feeling a million things right now, honey :) It's totally normal to feel everything you're feeling: nervous, scared, excited, happy, sad, adventurous, in looove ;D Know that I am always here for you, and so if you ever need me, I would at the very least jump on Skype in a heart beat. Heck, at the very least I would jump on a plane just to see you for one day :D I am here for everything that you need me to be there for. First and foremost I am your best friend, honey, and then a close second as an amazing lover, but a best friend nonetheless, and so I am here for everything! Feeling crampy and bloated and you need someone to vent to? That's me. Did you just save a snail from getting run over and you nearly got run over in the process, and you need someone to comfort you? Me :DDD
I will wrap my arms around you soon, and I'm sorry, but I'm never going to let go of you. Yup, you're mine, as I am yours.
Thank you for being...you.
Talk to you soon, pumpkin!
- - -, sweetpea!
Love, Forever and then some,
Joe
P.S.- Go Italy!!!
This morning was so refreshing! For one, I woke up and checked my email, to find that I had received a few messages from you on Facebook :D It really sets the mood for my day getting a message from you, since you're my first thought anyway ;)
My Arabic class went well, I think I'm finally starting to get better at my pronunciation of negated verbs (Something that I will definitely tell you all about either through Skype or else when we meet up!) After that I went to the bookstore on campus and found postcards, which is a relief, because I definitely wanted to start sending my family something!
Anthropology today was just a review session, and it went well. I am really enjoying my classes this summer. They challenge me to think critically and the professors are great. I contributed a lot today in the review session, and so I feel like I am ready for the midterm on Sunday :)
Can you believe it? I'm already halfway through the summer semester! I just know you're going to love your courses! It'll be nice to be able to talk about our classes together and how we are doing in them :) Ya know, only 37 more days until we see each other, and the last week will just fly by anyways, so it's more like 30 days!!! That's nothing! We've got one of them strooong relationships, the ones that will last longer than time. Lol, I just remembered how I wrote you that story. My favorite character in it was the large rock :D
Tonight a whole bunch of us are going to a house party, and phase one of Operation No Mo Clubs will be underway, mwahahaha...
You see, I am going to have only one beer throughout the entire party, if that! We'll all have a good time and blah blah blah, and then the next day I'll wake up and pretend that I got really sick from the night before! They won't be able to deny it, because I'll just say something like, "yeaaa...I had a lot and then I ate some bad food", or something like that! By the way, don't worry, I wouldn't miss our Skype date for the world! 10pm your time, 5am my time ;) Even if it's only for a few minutes, I cannot wait to see your beautiful, smiling face! And don't worry about the party tonight, I promise to be safer than a marshmallow in a mental ward. Get it? Because marshmallows are fluffy and soft, and mental wards have those padded rooms...
Okay, not my best analogy, but you catch my drift!
I know you must be feeling a million things right now, honey :) It's totally normal to feel everything you're feeling: nervous, scared, excited, happy, sad, adventurous, in looove ;D Know that I am always here for you, and so if you ever need me, I would at the very least jump on Skype in a heart beat. Heck, at the very least I would jump on a plane just to see you for one day :D I am here for everything that you need me to be there for. First and foremost I am your best friend, honey, and then a close second as an amazing lover, but a best friend nonetheless, and so I am here for everything! Feeling crampy and bloated and you need someone to vent to? That's me. Did you just save a snail from getting run over and you nearly got run over in the process, and you need someone to comfort you? Me :DDD
I will wrap my arms around you soon, and I'm sorry, but I'm never going to let go of you. Yup, you're mine, as I am yours.
Thank you for being...you.
Talk to you soon, pumpkin!
- - -, sweetpea!
Love, Forever and then some,
Joe
P.S.- Go Italy!!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Loan groans and the root of all evil...
Dearest sweetpea,
I know one is supposed to love their family no matter what, but sometimes they can really push the limit on things! I was just talking to Devon on Skype, and she told me that my mom wants me to start giving her money once I get back from study abroad for the loan she took out from me. I specifically told her that she could keep some of the money from the loan if she would take some of it and slowly pay it back until I could get enough money to pay her back. GGGRRRRrrrr...
It's always money money money with her. That and, "so when are you leaving?"
Lol, money...
I'm kind of nervous that me being sick for Moe's party isn't going to cut it, but hopefully I make a good enough show of it. It's not that I want to be a party pooper or that I'm super low on money, I would just prefer not to spend it on something like going out to the clubs or to a bar, where the minimum spending is $20 on drinks. And if I can do it in Florida then I don't want to do it here. Maybe I'm just being antisocial...I like to think that you would do the same thing and not want to go, but then I think...well, she would want to have fun, so maybe she would go...
Lol, I just don't like partying and getting drunk every week. I would prefer if we did our studies during the week and maybe got dinner all together once during the weekdays, and then during the weekend we could do something new and fun, like you're going to do!
I miss you :) It's going to be kind of strange not skyping with you tonight, as I'm so used to waking up and seeing your face. I hope everything is going well for you! It's really nice that Steph and Michelle are in town before you leave! Those are some good friends ;D
Everything will be okay in the end :) I just wanted to rant!
I can't wait to talk to you soon :D
- - -, sweetums :D
Love, Always and Forever,
Joe
I know one is supposed to love their family no matter what, but sometimes they can really push the limit on things! I was just talking to Devon on Skype, and she told me that my mom wants me to start giving her money once I get back from study abroad for the loan she took out from me. I specifically told her that she could keep some of the money from the loan if she would take some of it and slowly pay it back until I could get enough money to pay her back. GGGRRRRrrrr...
It's always money money money with her. That and, "so when are you leaving?"
Lol, money...
I'm kind of nervous that me being sick for Moe's party isn't going to cut it, but hopefully I make a good enough show of it. It's not that I want to be a party pooper or that I'm super low on money, I would just prefer not to spend it on something like going out to the clubs or to a bar, where the minimum spending is $20 on drinks. And if I can do it in Florida then I don't want to do it here. Maybe I'm just being antisocial...I like to think that you would do the same thing and not want to go, but then I think...well, she would want to have fun, so maybe she would go...
Lol, I just don't like partying and getting drunk every week. I would prefer if we did our studies during the week and maybe got dinner all together once during the weekdays, and then during the weekend we could do something new and fun, like you're going to do!
I miss you :) It's going to be kind of strange not skyping with you tonight, as I'm so used to waking up and seeing your face. I hope everything is going well for you! It's really nice that Steph and Michelle are in town before you leave! Those are some good friends ;D
Everything will be okay in the end :) I just wanted to rant!
I can't wait to talk to you soon :D
- - -, sweetums :D
Love, Always and Forever,
Joe
Thursday, June 17, 2010
17 June 2010
Dear sweetpea,
I believe I recounted most of last night to you before, and there really isn't too much left to tell. I definitely feel like I'm a freshman in college or else stuck in some drama in high school! It just seems like everyone here just wants to get drunk/high and do crazy things. Can't people be happy and not do things that make them look stupid and untrustworthy? Basically all the guys, even the ones with girlfriends (excluding yours truly) flirt with other girls and sometimes even talk badly about their significant others. Or take Clare, the token girl in our group. She was telling me that she has this unofficial bf who she was studying abroad with in Amsterdam, and she gets excited when he texts her or when he writes emails to her. But then last night at the club she started making out with Moe! I don't know, I'm trying to work on not judging people, I just don't personally condone or approve of that kind of behavior :\ I wasn't being a party pooper or anything, but I was kind of relaxing at our table and watching everyone and then she came over and pulled me out to the dance floor. I danced a little bit, but it made me uncomfortable to dance with other girls. I know you would say you think it's all right, but I just couldn't do it. Eventually some of the guys wanted to go home, and I jumped on that opportunity right away! That's when I came home and talked to you :)
I feel kind of ashamed of what I did, or rather didn't do, today :\ I guess maybe because I had had a few beers last night, or my Mummy Tummy hasn't improved much, but I slept in until noon, and I missed both of my classes :( I didn't mean to, I just think I pushed dismiss on my alarm instead of snooze or something. And then pretty much all day I've been in my PJs laying in bed, because my Ramses Runs kicks in about every hour :( I walked over to a shawarma place before because I thought I was getting better and that I needed something substantial in my stomach. Bad idea, lol. And so I've just been on my laptop chilling in bed. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it's been pretty nice just being able to relax and watch a movie or tv show here and there today. I watched Kate and Leopold online before, and I've watched 2 episodes of TrueBlood. It's all right, I may watch another one, but I'm debating it. For dinner tonight I had some corn flakes without milk, only because I don't think my stomach can take anything much more complex, as I learned with the greasy shawarma! I wish I had more to write, but it's been a very non-eventful day :) I like the people here, it's just annoying that they act like children sometimes, although I guess we all do at some point or another. I hope your program has a different stock of companions you get to hang around with! I know you, though :D You always manage to find people whom you get along with very well and usually have a good moral compass (Lol, I won't name those who have questionable morals...but you catch my drift!)
I hope things are going well on your side of the Ocean :) I love hearing about you, and so don't be afraid to send me a long email about whats been going on, or even little updates on your iPod at work if that's what you prefer. I never get tired of hearing about you :)
- - -, sweetpea ;)
Love, Always and Forever,
Joe
I believe I recounted most of last night to you before, and there really isn't too much left to tell. I definitely feel like I'm a freshman in college or else stuck in some drama in high school! It just seems like everyone here just wants to get drunk/high and do crazy things. Can't people be happy and not do things that make them look stupid and untrustworthy? Basically all the guys, even the ones with girlfriends (excluding yours truly) flirt with other girls and sometimes even talk badly about their significant others. Or take Clare, the token girl in our group. She was telling me that she has this unofficial bf who she was studying abroad with in Amsterdam, and she gets excited when he texts her or when he writes emails to her. But then last night at the club she started making out with Moe! I don't know, I'm trying to work on not judging people, I just don't personally condone or approve of that kind of behavior :\ I wasn't being a party pooper or anything, but I was kind of relaxing at our table and watching everyone and then she came over and pulled me out to the dance floor. I danced a little bit, but it made me uncomfortable to dance with other girls. I know you would say you think it's all right, but I just couldn't do it. Eventually some of the guys wanted to go home, and I jumped on that opportunity right away! That's when I came home and talked to you :)
I feel kind of ashamed of what I did, or rather didn't do, today :\ I guess maybe because I had had a few beers last night, or my Mummy Tummy hasn't improved much, but I slept in until noon, and I missed both of my classes :( I didn't mean to, I just think I pushed dismiss on my alarm instead of snooze or something. And then pretty much all day I've been in my PJs laying in bed, because my Ramses Runs kicks in about every hour :( I walked over to a shawarma place before because I thought I was getting better and that I needed something substantial in my stomach. Bad idea, lol. And so I've just been on my laptop chilling in bed. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it's been pretty nice just being able to relax and watch a movie or tv show here and there today. I watched Kate and Leopold online before, and I've watched 2 episodes of TrueBlood. It's all right, I may watch another one, but I'm debating it. For dinner tonight I had some corn flakes without milk, only because I don't think my stomach can take anything much more complex, as I learned with the greasy shawarma! I wish I had more to write, but it's been a very non-eventful day :) I like the people here, it's just annoying that they act like children sometimes, although I guess we all do at some point or another. I hope your program has a different stock of companions you get to hang around with! I know you, though :D You always manage to find people whom you get along with very well and usually have a good moral compass (Lol, I won't name those who have questionable morals...but you catch my drift!)
I hope things are going well on your side of the Ocean :) I love hearing about you, and so don't be afraid to send me a long email about whats been going on, or even little updates on your iPod at work if that's what you prefer. I never get tired of hearing about you :)
- - -, sweetpea ;)
Love, Always and Forever,
Joe
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
16 June 2010
Dear sweetpea,
Today hasn't been the best of days :\
Although there were good moments!
I don't want you to think I'm being pessimistic :) The major issue today was that I woke up and I had, well...
the Ramses Runs! :O
Call it Mummy Tummy or the Pharaonic Pharts, I had it bad today! And I don't blame it on the water, because I've been drinking that nonstop now for 2 weeks. I blame it on this meal I had at the cafeteria here, it was a chicken curry with rice. Tasted yummy when I ate it, but all day today I've been severely regretting it :\ The worst part is this cramp I have. Lol, I won't go into details, that's the last thing you need. But I'm feeling a little better now, as I write this. Only when I get up and walk around do I get a pretty harsh cramp, but its only for a minute or so.
Lol, my teacher, Safaa, told me to tell you, "Safaa says hello" and "She needs to come here and visit, we will have a fun class for her." Lol, I talk about you with everyone :P But todays class went well, except for the stomach ache! After that I went to the library and read up on an article for my Anthropology class, and then I went to the AUC book store to look around at dictionaries. Supposedly my Arabic professor said that there is a really good Colloquial Arabic dictionary for a good price, so I'll have to see which one it is tomorrow. After that I listened to some music and just relaxed in the sunlight, warming myself up (They keep the buildings super air conditioned, so it's refreshing walking out into the blazing heat!) I made some really good points on Internet Dating and Online Social groups today, mostly about trust issues and how these sites can and do work out in some cases. The two guys laughed at me when I said that my mom had gone on some internet dating sites, but whatever! Lol, they insist on speaking in Arabic most of the time, but the professor kind of called them out today and asked them to please be considerate and speak English. Sometimes she would even translate for me :) Lol, at the beginning of class, we went to this one Islamic Internet Dating site, called qiran.com, and it was pretty fun. Of course the other guys were like, look up 20 year old Lebanese girls (My professor had to explain to me that Lebanese girls are supposedly the best looking in the Middle East...lol....awkward) Anyways, I took the bus home today and stayed awake the whole time :) I had a really good nights rest last night :)
That brings me to a point I wanted to share with you :\ I'm kind of concerned about you, Stef. I know we talk every now and then, and we get to message every day. I'm afraid though, that even though we are always communicating, we're not really communicating. I think I could be doing more in letting up a bit, because I think I may have been pressuring you into writing to me and talking to me a little too much. I know you have a busy schedule, so I will definitely try and lighten up :) I just feel like there's something between us (lol, like maybe a few thousand miles?) It's more than that, though :\ I feel like you don't want to share everything with me in the fear that it will ruin my trip, or that it doesn't matter because I won't be able to physically help. Neither of these are true. It would never ruin my trip to hear about you, because I am much more concerned with someone who is my life than with something that is just a small blip in it. I wish I could hold you and help you through all this, I honestly wish it with all my heart. I know I cannot be there physically, but I will do anything to make things okay with you. You make me so proud by how you keep everything together. But I want you to know that you don't have to be all together to be with me. I want all of you, and even if that means you fall to pieces every now and then, I want all of you! You not being able to sleep is only one instance of late. I know you tell me everything is okay and that it will work itself out. Don't be afraid to cry, Stef :) I want to hear the good, the bad aaand the ugly :) I hope you take this to heart, my love.
Today is my roommate's birthday, and so at 10pm my time we are all going out to a club called After 8. Lol...it sounds really expensive and I still don't feel 100%, but I kind of have to go because 1)He's my roomie, and 2)I don't want to lose contact with my group, plus it should be fun! I'm only going to have a beer, because I don't want to get drunk for my classes tomorrow :) You don't have to worry about me and other girls too, baby. Everyone else is so bland compared to you. I can't stop looking at pictures of you, it literally makes me smile everytime. I was thinking about our future today, and that made me smile as well.
I really hope that everything is okay, sugar. I know you love me, and you're just trying to protect me. But it's my turn to be there for you.
You just have to let me in :)
- - -, sweetpea :)
Love Always and Forever,
Boogertongue
Today hasn't been the best of days :\
Although there were good moments!
I don't want you to think I'm being pessimistic :) The major issue today was that I woke up and I had, well...
the Ramses Runs! :O
Call it Mummy Tummy or the Pharaonic Pharts, I had it bad today! And I don't blame it on the water, because I've been drinking that nonstop now for 2 weeks. I blame it on this meal I had at the cafeteria here, it was a chicken curry with rice. Tasted yummy when I ate it, but all day today I've been severely regretting it :\ The worst part is this cramp I have. Lol, I won't go into details, that's the last thing you need. But I'm feeling a little better now, as I write this. Only when I get up and walk around do I get a pretty harsh cramp, but its only for a minute or so.
Lol, my teacher, Safaa, told me to tell you, "Safaa says hello" and "She needs to come here and visit, we will have a fun class for her." Lol, I talk about you with everyone :P But todays class went well, except for the stomach ache! After that I went to the library and read up on an article for my Anthropology class, and then I went to the AUC book store to look around at dictionaries. Supposedly my Arabic professor said that there is a really good Colloquial Arabic dictionary for a good price, so I'll have to see which one it is tomorrow. After that I listened to some music and just relaxed in the sunlight, warming myself up (They keep the buildings super air conditioned, so it's refreshing walking out into the blazing heat!) I made some really good points on Internet Dating and Online Social groups today, mostly about trust issues and how these sites can and do work out in some cases. The two guys laughed at me when I said that my mom had gone on some internet dating sites, but whatever! Lol, they insist on speaking in Arabic most of the time, but the professor kind of called them out today and asked them to please be considerate and speak English. Sometimes she would even translate for me :) Lol, at the beginning of class, we went to this one Islamic Internet Dating site, called qiran.com, and it was pretty fun. Of course the other guys were like, look up 20 year old Lebanese girls (My professor had to explain to me that Lebanese girls are supposedly the best looking in the Middle East...lol....awkward) Anyways, I took the bus home today and stayed awake the whole time :) I had a really good nights rest last night :)
That brings me to a point I wanted to share with you :\ I'm kind of concerned about you, Stef. I know we talk every now and then, and we get to message every day. I'm afraid though, that even though we are always communicating, we're not really communicating. I think I could be doing more in letting up a bit, because I think I may have been pressuring you into writing to me and talking to me a little too much. I know you have a busy schedule, so I will definitely try and lighten up :) I just feel like there's something between us (lol, like maybe a few thousand miles?) It's more than that, though :\ I feel like you don't want to share everything with me in the fear that it will ruin my trip, or that it doesn't matter because I won't be able to physically help. Neither of these are true. It would never ruin my trip to hear about you, because I am much more concerned with someone who is my life than with something that is just a small blip in it. I wish I could hold you and help you through all this, I honestly wish it with all my heart. I know I cannot be there physically, but I will do anything to make things okay with you. You make me so proud by how you keep everything together. But I want you to know that you don't have to be all together to be with me. I want all of you, and even if that means you fall to pieces every now and then, I want all of you! You not being able to sleep is only one instance of late. I know you tell me everything is okay and that it will work itself out. Don't be afraid to cry, Stef :) I want to hear the good, the bad aaand the ugly :) I hope you take this to heart, my love.
Today is my roommate's birthday, and so at 10pm my time we are all going out to a club called After 8. Lol...it sounds really expensive and I still don't feel 100%, but I kind of have to go because 1)He's my roomie, and 2)I don't want to lose contact with my group, plus it should be fun! I'm only going to have a beer, because I don't want to get drunk for my classes tomorrow :) You don't have to worry about me and other girls too, baby. Everyone else is so bland compared to you. I can't stop looking at pictures of you, it literally makes me smile everytime. I was thinking about our future today, and that made me smile as well.
I really hope that everything is okay, sugar. I know you love me, and you're just trying to protect me. But it's my turn to be there for you.
You just have to let me in :)
- - -, sweetpea :)
Love Always and Forever,
Boogertongue
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