in case this is why you clicked this entryhere you go:
What is the best way to patch holes?
Sand the wall around the hole and wipe off any dust.
Apply the self-adhesive mesh patch on the damaged area.
Cover the patch with joint compound or Spackle, depending on what comes in your kit. ...
Let dry and apply a second coat of joint compound if necessary.
Similar, un-similar to patching a hole in a wall, my secret mission during my residency at AANM is to patch up the holes in my knowledge of Standard Arabic (and other aspects of my “identity” potentially). I may have stopped translating professionally but it doesn’t mean I need to stop trying mastering this language that is considered my mother tongue.
A while ago I had an Arabic grammar question and as usual I texted one of my trusted friends who I know have a wonderful mastery over Standard Arabic. I know two people who I would trust with the most complicated questions. One of them is my dear friend Hameed, who also lives in the Bay Area. I texted Hameed my grammar question. He replied and checked in with me -not for the first time- about him helping me refresh and refurbish my grammar knowledge.
Knowing that I was coming to Dearborn in September I told him we should meet when I am at the AANM and work on my grammar. We had a check in a few weeks ago and he seemed to be excited about this.
Last Monday we had the first out of 4 sessions we will have during my residency. What better time to do it! I felt anxious going into this meeting, after all I didn’t even try to study Arabic grammar since I left high school.
It was actually much better than I expected. I actually enjoyed the session a lot. I realized I know more than I think and understanding just a few rules helped me put two and two together for many common cases.
Hameed’s simplified way was very helpful, on top of him being a good teacher. (he should quit his job and become a teacher instead- only if teaching paid enough). The book he is using as a reference النحو الوظيفي is also perfect for what I needed to patch up the holes in my knowledge
The most fun I had during our session is talking about questions like: how do we standardize a language. How do we get to a rule being the norm etc…
This is short check in about that part, more soon.
Stay tuned.