Successes and Failures of the Day

Success 1: I read a poem in Arabic in front of my class.
Actually, I read two stanzas of a poem, rather than all five, because we were running out of time, but still. Four weeks ago I couldn't read the alphabet, so I'm rather pleased. And here is the poem (in English!), lest you were curious:
This Is Forgetfulness by Mahmoud Darwish

This is forgetfulness around you: billboards
awakening the past, urging remembrance. Reigning in
the speeding time at traffic lights,
and closing up the squares

A marble statue is forgetfulness. A statue
staring at you: Stand up as I do to look like me.
And place roses on my feet

A hackneyed song is forgetfulness. A song
chasing the housewife in celebration of the happy
occasion, in the bed and in the VCR room,
and in her vacant salon, and in her kitchen

And a monument is forgetfulness. Monuments
on the roads shaped like bronze trees
adorned with eulogies and eagles

And a museum empty of tomorrow, cold,
narrating the seasons already chosen from the start.
This is forgetfulness: that you remember the past
and not remember tomorrow in the story.

Words that I have actually learned thus far: remembrance, housewife, room, trees, and tomorrow. Darwish was Palestinian, so read into that what you will. My professor recommended him and he is quite good.

Failure 1: I cannot spell in Arabic.
I'm really, really close most of the time, but that doesn't really count, does it? I put in the wrong "s" or "d" sound (d vs dal vs dthal vs dthol) or put in a long vowel when it should only be a short vowel. It is slowly getting better, but I have been pulling only a 75ish on quizzes. The last time I got a C was in high school math. I reallllllly do not want a C. I have a quiz tomorrow, so hopefully that will go well!

Success 2: I can sort of write in Arabic!
Exhibit: A snippet of homework from a few days ago. I've been experimenting with a fountain pen.
I think this is particularly relevant since Indiana public schools are not requiring cursive to be taught as of next year, which I am really sad about. Because I love love love handwriting!!

Failure 2: I totally missed the bus
And not just missed it, missed it in pathetic fashion. I was standing at the bus stop tonight to head back to campus for a workshop on Ukranian Egg painting (Pysanky?) and looked up as the bus was driving away. The fact that I was zoning out enough to NOT notice a bus right next to me suggested that I would be better off staying home anyway. I've been feeling sick to my stomach the past few days--I blame either stress, having to eating too many dinners on the run or standing next to my kitchen sink, or some bad shredded cheese, but in any case--I stayed in, studied with a friend, heckled the kids on Jeopardy, and ate that all-curing food: toast with cinnamon sugar on it. And now I'm (almost!) going to bed!