Encouragement when Learning Arabic

Arabic calligraphy needs its own post,
but I couldn't pass the opportunity to
display how beautiful the language is.

In Egypt, people are MOST encouraging when it comes to learning their language. The Egyptians are fully supportive of anyone trying to talk the talk.

From my earliest visits here, when literally all I could utter was "Salam Alaykum" (peace be upon you), the people would be so encouraging and clap their hands and say how fabulous an Arabic speaker I was - and basically, all I knew was "Hello".

That sort of encouragement goes a long way, and it really makes it a pleasure to learn a language, as challenging and dynamic as Arabic, in both colloquial and classical forms.

A Beauty that Doesn't even Recognize Itself

Egypt has beauty that doesn't realize its own beauty. Sometimes the harsh sounds and the startling images blind us to the beauty right before our eyes. Beauty that lies in every step, in every gentle rosy sunset, in every silently whispered prayer, in every aspiration and dream kept chained inside. Loveliness moving in and out of the cascade of colors and onslaught of imagery: Glimpses of tenderness. Kind words. Splashes of color. Lyrical language. Sweetly sung songs.
Of these, the most beautiful is that which is silently unaware of its own fairness.