Starting to see Arabic everywhere, even when I am looking at a perfectly common English word!

I had to laugh at myself when I read a blog post with the title 'Mohammed Bin Naif Named Saudi Interior Minister' and momentarily assumed that the 'Named' was another part of his name, ie Nameed or similar. I could even make a go of writing that with the correct linked letters.

Half term is over and my next class is tomorrow afternoon. I need lots of practice at hearing the difference between the 2 'h' sounds we have been introduced to. I hope to get there with plenty of time to browse through Blackwell's and find a dictionary.

Even more helpful than a dictionary would be very simple children's books like the Bif and Chip ones, with short sentences and lots of detailed pictures to enjoy. I could read them out to the cat.

مرحبا العالم

That is "Hallo world" in Arabic. I haven't the foggiest how to learn the language, so I'm sticking with google translate for now. I have listened to it, transcribed it in our Roman alphabet characters on paper, enlarged the Arabic and had a go at copying it down, right to left of course. It is annoying being such a beginner. I don't even know where to start a letter or how to do the little vertical bits, as I go along or added afterwards.

I really want to be able to read Twitter. At the moment the only words I can spot instantly are Allah Akbar, which is a good place to start, and Libya.

The next obvious place to go is YouTube for some video of people writing slowly!