Rinsing, sponging and studying (and no, this entry has nothing to do with bathing)

Much of our non-class time here is spent studying, and finding a good study location has proven to be a challenge. Unlike in America, coffee shops in Damascus are for socializing, not studying or reading (sitting quietly and studying seems to be an open invitation for conversation…a great way to meet Syrians, but not to memorize vocabulary). Our room is very comfortable, but occasionally we need a break from sitting hunched over on a bed (there is no table or desk).

We were thrilled when some classmates introduced us to the Madrassa Az-Zahariyya (madrassa means school). Built in the 13th century during the ascendancy of the Ayyubids (the dynasty of Saladin, a famous warrior against the European Crusaders who recaptured Damascus around 1189), this building was originally a private house belonging to the father of Saladin. It now functions as a library of sorts, and has a very large reading room which is usually empty. We often head there after our class gets out at 1pm, grabbing some lunch at a shwarma or kabob shop on the way.

When our heads start nodding with typical post-lunch drowsiness, we can always count on our classmate Daniel to keep us entertained. Last week he taught me some British colloquial expressions (as if it isn’t enough that we’re learning Arabic!), which I will share with you. (Apologies to those of you in England–feel free to add corrections in the comments section!).

To rinse (someone or something). Verb. To rake someone over the coals, ie. “take them to the cleaners.”
Example 1: We were completely rinsed by the shopkeepers at Jebel Qassioun (they charged us $16 for some fruit and tea).
Example 2: Salima (a classmate) utterly rinses us all with her keen pronunciation in class.

To sponge. Verb. To absorb the resources of another.
Example 1: Stop sponging off me! Do your own homework! (Note: this is a completely fictional example)
Example 2: The guy in the internet café using Google Earth is sponging the connection.

As you can probably tell, I’m still a “low beginner” in both Arabic and British colloquialisms!