Back To School...wahhh...

Back To School...wahhh...

So, classes started up again last week, and I'm pleasantly surprised to say that I feel a lot less stressed out (think deer caught in headlights) than I did during the summer - despite the fact that the work is definitely more plentiful. To all my friends who are thinking of applying to CASA, the rumors about the fall are true - last weekend I had to read Naguib Mahfouz's The Day the Leader Was Killed in Arabic. Among other things, The Committee and The Yacoubian Building are on the list for later in the semester. It's not quite as terrifying as you'd think, especially since - at least in my sad little class - we focus more on identifying characters and plot lines than serious literary critiques. If I can do it, anyone can.

So now that school is back in session, AUC has been totally overrun with young 'uns...mostly wealthy, upper class Egyptian brats who are chauffered to school every day in the family Mercedes, but there's a good smattering of interesting foreign students here, too. For example, you would not believe the size of the Norwegian population here. I'm serious. Even the Americans here are, for the most part, interesting, well-rounded, well-traveled people that you wouldn't mind sitting down and chatting with over a tea. They are, however, still mostly younger than me by more than a few years, which can be a bit of a drag at times. I miss people who have lived life outside of college.

Yesterday, a friend invited me on a falucca ride on the Nile...quite the perfect way to unwind after a brain-frazzling week of classes. Look, I'm even still smiling!