Qasid

I use to doubt an institute that grew out of a sufi order could teach me Arabic.  I was probably wrong!

In fact, it is suppose to be the best centre in Jordan for studying Arabic.  However, the way it was described to me by the director it sounded a little too intense.  More than any US university and probably more than SOAS, he also claimed.  It’s possible that he was not in a position to really know.

I use to fear that enrolling here might include being harassed to participate in extra-curricular activities.  In fact, back at the TAFL center in Alexandria, I was pressured by the director to attend a sufi dance event (I think for cultural and entertainment reasons and not religious) yet it was being held on the same day as one of the centre’s weekly trips (how would I find time for all of this and still learn Arabic, especially with my troubles in the apartment full of cat fleas).  On another occasion, I felt obliged to attend (by myself) a lecture in Egyptian Colloquial Arabic being held at the French institute.  When it came to ECA I was weakest in my class, yet somehow I was the most suitable to attend.

However, having met the director of Qasid I feel it would have been a different story here.  He seemed too humble, friendly and content to play that kind of game.  So I reckon (and from what I have heard) the only harassment a student would face here is the teachers making him or her do the homework.  And that’s almost always a good thing.

From the reception (where I ended up sitting for a long time so went looking for somebody helpful) when I first entered (perhaps it was just a caretaker/janitor) I did not feel very welcomed (as in, we have enough students and we do not care if you join or not).  Perhaps that could be a good thing.  I was tired of directors desperate after my money and totally uninterested in education.

With hindsight, this is probably all I needed to complete my Modern Standard Arabic studies.  Too bad I never enrolled here.