Opening Day 2019!
Published: July 23, 2019
Assalamu alaikum, wa marhaban bikom ila Al-Wāḥa! Welcome to Al-Wāḥa! Today was an incredibly exciting day, as our first group of villagers for the summer arrived and settled in.
The villagers first approached the name station, where they picked out their new village name, then crossed the border into camp by going through customs. After turning in their phone, English books, and English food, they moved into their beit (cabin) for the summer.
Up by al-nadi (gym), villagers practiced writing their new names with the Arabic alphabet. When they had a handle on how to make the shapes, they got to paint their name tag!
The buyut (cabins) gathered together to make chants and get to know each other, then presented their chant to our dean, Shams, before going into dinner!
In the evening program, students received a tour of Al-Wāḥa and an explanation of the different purposes of places in the village, including the well, the nurse's office, the bank, the store, the dining hall, and the shati' (beach).
Villagers walked to the well and learned how to fill out their water bottles.
They then visited the nurse's office to learn about ticks, poison ivy, and how to stay healthy!
Next, they learned how to request money from the bank and how to buy something at the dukkan (store) in Arabic.
Then they learned about the mealtime songs and setting the table at the dining hall.
Lastly, they headed over to the shati ' to learn about safety rules at the beach!
After that, it was cabin council and lights off. Thanks for stopping by! See you tomorrow!
