Arabic Test

Oh, I am so tired! The temperature is about 100, humidity high.

Today my group went to a small village belonging to the Druze.

The Druze are an off-shoot of Islam, thought they are not Muslims in any sense of the word. Google this religion if you want to know more. They are very interesting. Most Druze live in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. They speak Arabic as a first language, and Hebrew as the second. My professor translated the hard stuff in Hebrew to the Druze family that had the group as their guests. I translated easier Arabic when we went to the Druze market. I went into bargain mode, which I learned living in Egypt. I am a great bargainer! One lady told me  was cutting into her profit margin.  I explained that America was in a recession and I had a budget, and walked out the door.  She called me back and I got my bargains.  This conversation was in Arabic and English, because I don't know the Arabic word for recession. Another word I gotta learn.

Later, we went to see the mosaics at Tzippori National Park. Extremely hot and boring. Then we went to the seaside city of Akko, where we saw a crusader fort. I would have loved to stay longer, but I am not calling the shots.

THEN, we met with some American teachers at an Arab high school that has managed to pull off the highest test scores in the entire country! Good for them!

I have included a few pictures of mosaics, and the crusador fort, oh, and I think the temple and gardens of the Bahai'a Faith, headquartered in Haifa. Again, I would have loved to spend more time here. Haifa is beautiful and very peaceful.