Day 24: Random Thoughts

• Today my roommate Lara and I performed our introductions. Basically, we have something in the house called 'the sisters' corner,' and every day two buddies (we also have a buddy system—really not as corny as it sounds) get up and introduce themselves, what they do back home, why they came to Tarim etc. Only you don't introduce yourself—you introduce your buddy. So far it's been pretty interesting learning more about everyone else, especially since I wasn't in the Dowra house the first couple of days when everyone got to meet each other. Mash'Allah everyone is so accomplished.
  


• Yesterday we got a new cook. Turns out he was supposed to be our original one and our food was supposed to be more diverse. So he's been trying to make it up to us with cornflakes, pasta, seasoned rice, and most memorably: beef teriyaki! Very happy with the new menu, but at the same time I'm very glad I had those weeks with more 'bland' food.
  


• I also got to see the 'coffee' set yesterday, which looks very much like the tea set except this one had a pottery bowl over a bucket of coal. The coffee beans are first grinded into fine powder and then passed around for everyone to smell and comment on before entering the next step of the process. It took 40 minutes to make. Shame it tastes just like normal coffee.
  


• Today we had a group of women come over to the Dowra house to teach us how to play the duff. I bought one though it turns out I have no rhythm whatsoever.
  


• The rain a couple of days ago has driven a ton of insects into the house. Today we found a baby scorpion in Choclit's bag. And the wind has blown away our cardboard wall (Explanation: the air conditioner is located where a door used to be; the door was removed and cardboard was put in its place. Still don't really understand why). I sleep directly under the cardboard wall so I'm not exactly very happy :(