(An Iranian food chain in Abu Dhabi)
My future employer (I’m moving in officially next week) enrolled me to a basic cum business Arabic course. Twice a week, I’m attending the class at night together with six classmates-future officemates (French, Canadian, Australian, Indian). The truth is, before this, I only know at most 10 Arabic words that I couldn’t even pronounce with conviction. But strangely, I would understand sometimes part of the Arabic discussions at work. Think about body language, expression, etc. Or maybe, I’m just too assuming to think that I understood some. 
Anyway, after the first hour of the course, I already know how to read and pronounce properly the alphabet (which I call A-ba-ta, as the first three letters are pronounced like that). We’re on our third week, and I’m happy that I’m doing good so far. What’s adding to my confidence is the fact that a Filipino’s tongue is really the most flexible when adapting a new language. This, again, proven in our class. Let’s just say that it’s a breeze to me when it comes to pronunciation part and reading, too, in a way. But my classmates and I are really finding it more challenging, as beginning next week the medium of instructions will be purely in Arabic. And that probably there’ll be zero English moment for the students, too.
Off work and when I’m on the road or let’s just say, whenever there’s an opportunity, I try to read every Arabic wording or signs that I will see. I feel I’m back to being 4 or 5 years old, when I was just starting to read properly. I hope it’s easy like that. But guess what? Unlike in English and Tagalog, in Arabic we read and write from right to left. And the picture/form of each letter from the alphabet changes depending on when it’s used in forming a word (e.g. letter ba’ = counterpart of B, changes its looks if it’s used as the first, middle or last letter in a word. And I must always remember, they don’t have V and P in their alphabet.
By the way, the title of this post means Hello in Arabic. 
29 Responses to “Marhaba”
galing mo naman Jo! Shokran for posting this. Tama ba spelling ng shokran hahaha. Goodluck sa new job
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Thanks. At first I thought, too, that’s the spelling. But it’s Shoukran.
No worries though, as long as you can pronounce it.
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wow jo, ok yan! when we go there, you’ll be our tour guide/translator!
kg´s last blog ..Kwentong Pinoy: Barangay Ginebra
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Sure! I hope I’m reasonably articulate na by that time.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Witsy Nutsy, ricca. ricca said: RT @witsandnuts: Marhaba! http://witsandnuts.com/2009/11/11/marhaba/ [...]
I learned a bit of Arabic myself so that I could help out my kids with Jawi (Malay language written in Arabic script). I can read but I can’t speak the language. Things that got stuck in my mind: “Ijlis!” (sit down!), “Khalas” (settled/done), “La tajri” (Don’t run). Naturally, the ’sit down’ and ‘don’t run’ ones were meant for my kids haha!
Sleepless In KL´s last blog ..Happy Birthday, Princess
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:56 am
One of the first few words I learned is “Khalas”. I learned Ijlis and La tajri from you.
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oh, you are learning a foreign language. that is so cool!
angeli´s last blog ..Stop Calling Me
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Yes, it’s exciting.
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marhaba =) i’m sure you’ll do great with this class. it’s fun learning a new language, and i agree, we, Filipinos, have great advantage in terms of learning a new language =).
kayni´s last blog ..Finding Kayni
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:20 am
I realized more the advantage during our “recitation”.
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cool naman new language.
upto6only´s last blog ..Arce Dairy
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Heheehee, minsan namimilipit ang dila ko pag hindi ko mapronounce ng maayos. (LOL)
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It must be fascinating learning such a new language! I’m drawn to languages and sometimes just feel the need to learn more. At the moment I’m brushing up on my Tagalog (although I’m waaaaay to shy to actually speak it
), but hoping to go back and relearn my French again.
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:49 am
I do self-study French (with a book and CD). Hope I’ll find time to attend a formal course next year.
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Marhaba Jo!
Hehe 
Wow foreign language.:)
dyanie´s last blog ..KitKat Limited Edition
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:50 am
Kef halek, Dyanie? (i.e. How are you?)
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goodluck on the new gig and the language lessons! your post reminds me of my friend who works for the UN who’s also learning arabic.
fortuitous faery´s last blog ..Ebenezer Scrooge’s Nightmare Before Christmas
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 5:00 am
Wow, working for the UN. That’s exciting!
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Wow!!! Good luck sa future work.. Now pa lang, it sounds so fun na
cza´s last blog ..This Is Why I Love Technology
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:18 am
Thanks!
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so cool to learn other language. Oh congrats on the new job ha!
jeanny´s last blog ..A Proverb
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Thanks, Jeanny.
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Wow that’s good that your new company is willing to shoulder the expenses for its new employees to learn the language. I spent 6 years in Dubai but never felt the need to learn Arabic because most of my friends were bilingual naman. I merely picked up some words from watching the local news. And the reason I watch it is because I had a major crush on the Emarati guy anchoring the news program LOL
Daphne´s last blog ..Dresses
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 4:13 am
I’m in UAE for almost 2 years na and if not for this course, I wouldn’t be oriented more with Arabic. Just like you, I didn’t consider learning the language as a requirement to survive here since all my colleagues speak English. But now that I manage to speak *a little* in Arabic, I can see that they really, really appreciate it. Big thanks to my future employer that they invested on this so early even if I haven’t officially joined them.
I don’t watch Emarati channels but I’m considering now to learn their language faster. Natawa naman ako dun sa reason for watching the news program. Haha. At least, he’s an inspiration to ladies/many.
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Best of luck on the new job! And yay, another language, exciting!
Josiet´s last blog ..This week’s conversation
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witsandnuts Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Thanks.
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Shoukran for sharing this, my 9 year old boy is interested of learning Spanish, and I gave him a Spanish dictionary just this MOnday, he was amazed at how many I knew of the Spanish language, I did not mention to him that my lolo was pure Spanish and I was able to pick up some words from him, hehehe.
sheng´s last blog ..The Hundred Islands in Pangasinan
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Marhaba Jo! Bait naman ng new employer mo. I hope I could learn Arabic too kasi ang hirap kausapin ang mga nasa offices namin sa MENA region. And I just learned days ago na kahit marunong ng Arabic ang mga Lebanese (my officemates), nahihirapan din sila pag minsan kasi pala every region sa Middle East, may iba-ibang accent and/or type of Arabic language. Meron naman daw silang national Arabic language, and that’s what they use para magkaintindihan.
By the way, goodluck sa new job! =)
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